SINGAPORE – With consumers here becoming increasingly reliant on online reviews and mobile shopping, the search for the Republic’s best customer service providers shifts into high gear once more.

In a survey (str.sg/cust2425) that closes on March 24, The Straits Times and Germany-based firm Statista are looking to identify organisations that provide exemplary customer service.

The survey – Singapore’s Best Customer Service 2024/2025 – covers almost 100 categories across retailers for food, home goods, beauty and wellness services, transport and travel, as well as digital products.

A new category this year is casual dining restaurants.

To qualify for evaluation under the survey, companies must have had customers who bought products, utilised their services or researched information on them within the last three years.

Statista analyst Camille Lebon told The Straits Times that consumers’ expectations are getting more complex.

According to Statista’s 2023 Global Consumer Survey, more than 50 per cent of consumers in Singapore conduct some online research and look at other consumers’ reviews before making a purchase.

Reading online reviews has become a critical step for many consumers before they make a purchase, said Dr Dianna Chang, senior lecturer at the School of Business at the Singapore University of Social Sciences.

“This necessitates companies generating organic positive reviews while minimising negative feedback... While negative reviews may be inevitable, companies must learn to manage them effectively.”

Dr Chang added: “Overall, customer reviews offer valuable insights that can stimulate service improvement and innovation.”

The Statista survey also showed that a third of consumers here usually make major new purchases via their smartphone or tablet. More than a third also want to see and touch an item before buying it.

With consumers’ preference for mobile shopping, companies need to create channels that facilitate excellent customer experiences on mobile platforms, said Dr Chang, who added that customers now seamlessly transition between online and offline channels.

“This could involve making their websites or commerce sites more mobile-friendly or developing well-designed mobile apps.”

However, offline service still matters, said Statista’s Ms Lebon.

“Personal in-store service will be as important as online service for a brand,” she said, adding that the omni-channel shopping experience will continue to be popular among consumers.

“They will also be looking for more personalised customer service and more transparent communication across all platforms, such as their website and social media platforms.”

In the 2023/2024 survey, hotels and airlines came out tops overall, with half of the top 10 spots taken by hotel brands. Shangri-La Singapore trumped more than 1,800 companies for the top honours.

The inaugural 2022/2023 survey saw home-grown audio company TC Acoustic taking the top spot, beating more than 1,600 companies.

Ms Lebon also noted that consumers are attaching greater importance to the sustainability of products and ethical sourcing.

“Hospitality brands are building more personalised experiences for consumers to create lasting impressions on customers and to create unique moments, so we think that the travel and leisure sectors will perform well this year.”