The annual index compiled by the Institute of Service Excellence at SMU (ISES) showed that the retail sector notched up 72.2 points on the Customer Satisfaction Index, higher than last year's 67.2 and surpassing the scores it has had in previous years. Besides retailers (such as department stores, furniture outlets, petrol service stations and supermarkets), the info-communications sector also did well, scoring 67.7, a record for the sector. ISES Director Caroline Lim said: "A manpower crunch will not necessarily have an impact on customer satisfaction if your strategies are customer-centric." ISES Academic Director Assistant Professor Marcus Lee, making a similar point, said that if a store hit by worker shortage responds by limiting the range of clothing or shoes on display to the items most in demand, it can in fact achieve higher productivity and leave its customers more satisfied. Assistant Prof Lee acknowledged that limiting the range of goods may trigger complaints from some customers, but this should not automatically be cause for alarm. "As a business, you shouldn't try to please everyone. You need to understand where your money is coming from, who your target consumers are, what you are designing for - and then make sure you're very tight in your system so you can deliver high levels of quality even with fewer people," Assistant Prof Lee added.