Customers' satisfaction with restaurants and cafes improves, says SMU study

According to the latest report released by Institute of Service Excellence at SMU (ISES) on the Customer Satisfaction Index of Singapore, customers have grown more satisfied with restaurants and cafes in Singapore this year, while satisfaction with hotels, attractions and travel agencies remained largely flat. ISES Executive Director Neeta Lachmandas noted that the overall results are a "positive and encouraging sign" for the sectors to further innovate and reinvent Singapore's service proposition amid the challenging business climate, such as the manpower crunch. Another observation from the study was that the quality of an attraction affected customer satisfaction the most, regardless of whether the consumer was given discounts or free passes. Responding to this finding, SMU Assistant Professor of Marketing (Practice) and ISES Academic Director Marcus Lee stated that this does not mean that businesses should remove discounts and price promotions. "(These) are still useful tools to entice and get visitors in the door," he said, adding that what this finding underscores is the importance of periodically innovating and refreshing the visitor experience so as to spur satisfaction and ultimately promote revisits."