[Singapore, 6 September 2013 (Friday)] – The Institute of Service Excellence at the Singapore Management University (ISES) (卓越服务研究所) today released the 2013 second quarter (Q2) Customer Satisfaction Index of Singapore (CSISG) results for the Transport & Logistics, Public Education, and Private Education sectors.

Between 2012 and 2013, customer satisfaction for the Transport and Logistics sector rose 4.4-points to 72.7-points (on a 0 to 100 scale). This is a marked 6.4% year-on-year improvement and is also the highest score the sector has recorded since tracking began in 2007.

The Public and Private Educations sectors also saw year-on-year improvements. The Public Education sector saw its satisfaction score improve 5.3-points (+7.9%) to 72.8-points. Similarly, commercial schools of the Private Education sector improved by 3.2-points (+4.6%) to 72.2-points.

Ms Caroline Lim (林晓玲), ISES Director (总监) said, “The CSISG performance in the measured industry sectors are very encouraging, with five of the eight measured sub-sectors within Transport & Logistics making significant improvements, and all four of the Education sub-sectors also moving up.”

“We are hopeful that this is indicative of a longer-term levelling up of service standards across these industries, and also of enhancing their business competitiveness through this increase in service performance.”

The improvements in the Transport & Logistics sector were led by a record-breaking performance by Changi Airport, which made a substantial 12.7-point (+17.4%) year-on-year increase to 85.5-points. This score is not only the highest recorded score for Changi Airport, but also for the CSISG as an index since its inception in 2007.

Also improving was the Budget Airlines sub-sector, by 4.9-points (+7.8%) to 67.5-points, and the Full-service Airlines sub-sector, improving by 2.5-points (+3.3%) to 77.1-points.

The Taxis sub-sector also improved, rising 3.0-points (+4.7%) to score 67.3-points. The other two public transport sub-sectors, MRT and Public Buses, saw their CSISG scores move marginally from 2012, with these changes not being statistically significant.

In Logistics, the Courier Services sub-sector raised their customer satisfaction scores by 3.6-points (+5.2%) year-on-year to 72.8-points. On the other hand, the Postal services sub-sector registered a 5.0-point (-6.9%) decline to 67.3-points.

Within the Public Education sector, both the Universities and Polytechnics sub-sectors made noteworthy improvements from 2012. Universities scored 73.1-points, a 6.4-point (+9.5%) improvement, while Polytechnics scored 72.2-points, a 2.5-point (+3.6%) improvement. The ITE continued its third year of uninterrupted improvements to its student satisfaction, scoring 73.2-points. This is a 3.6-point (+5.2%) increase over last year.

Analysis showed that how well the enrolled courses match the interests and expectations of University students would have the most impact on their perceptions of quality and satisfaction. On the other hand, the relevance of  the courses of study to their future careers is ranked highest by Polytechnic students in their perception of quality and satisfaction.

Assistant Professor of Marketing (Practice) Marcus Lee (李德发), and Academic Director (学术总监) of ISES said, “It is clear that students from different kinds of educational institutions care about different things and administrators should consider paying attention to aspects of the student experience that most strongly impact their students’ perceptions of quality.”

A similar phenomenon was also seen within the MRT sub-sector, with demonstrable results in commuters’ perceptions of quality. Although the sub-sector’s CSISG score increase was not statistically significant, its commuters’ perceptions of quality were. This improvement was on the back of increases in touchpoint ratings of Ride Comfort, Train Frequency, and Punctuality; these three touchpoints were also the most important to MRT respondents’ perceptions of quality.

Dr Marcus Lee concluded, “The MRT touchpoint movements are congruent with the improved perceived quality levels. Over time, this should lead to improved customer experiences and satisfaction levels. The challenge is for all companies to keep their fingers on the pulse on what matters most to their customers, and deliver on them.”

The CSISG 2013 Q2 survey was conducted between May and July 2013. The fieldwork garnered a total of 11,123 unique responses about customer experiences in the Transport & Logistics and Education sectors.

Please refer to Annex A for a background on the CSISG and the 2013 study, and Annex B for the detailed scores. 

 About the Customer Satisfaction Index of Singapore (CSISG)

The CSISG is an annual benchmark of customer satisfaction, covering nine key economic sectors in Singapore.  The index has a quarterly measure-and-release cycle, covering up to three industry sectors each time.  The CSISG serves as an objective barometer of service competiveness across countries, industry sectors, sub-sectors and companies.  Companies can tap on the detailed CSISG reports and its unique cross-industry comparison capability to make strategic business decisions.

 About the Institute of Service Excellence at SMU (ISES)

The Institute of Service Excellence at the Singapore Management University (ISES) is the cornerstone of an initiative to raise Singapore's service standards and promote a culture of service excellence. Working in close collaboration with government agencies and business leaders, ISES champions service excellence through an integrated approach that encompasses benchmarking and analysis, research and thought leadership, and industry engagement.