According to the latest findings of the annual Customer Satisfaction Index of Singapore conducted by the Institute of Service Excellence at SMU (ISES), as global and online retailers up their game to woo customers, local retailers appear to be falling short, with tourists feeling less satisfied with their retail experiences compared with previous years. Overall customer satisfaction in the retail sector dipped this year, falling 3.5 per cent from last year to score 69.6 points out of 100. Meanwhile, department and furniture stores were the worst performers among the retail sub-sectors, with drops of 9.1 per cent and 11 per cent respectively. ISES Director Caroline Lim said that changing tourist expectations could be a reason for the drop in satisfaction. “There are many factors that influence tourist expectations, including the country they came from, the past experiences they have had here and in other tourist destinations,” she added. Service standards in traditional retailers have to improve, said SMU Assistant Professor of Marketing and ISES Academic Director Marcus Lee, who noted that customers are becoming savvier, finding out alternatives on the Internet before buying what they want.