The Six Pillars of CEE

Personalisation continues to be highly desired by customers. As more brands invest in delivering orchestrated, hyperpersonalised experiences, the Singapore customer has become accustomed to services tailored to their needs, taste and demands. This extends to personal client relationships.

Leveraging real-time customer data, such as purchase history, and past interactions will become increasingly important in brands’ efforts to differentiate themselves and remain top of mind.

In Singapore, integrity has been consistently ranked among the top three drivers of great customer experience. This year, we see a shift in customers’ definition of integrity to include an organisation’s security and use of personal data.

Brands today need to ensure appropriate data safeguards are in place and clearly communicated to customers.

Brands are turning to automation to help manage customer expectations, especially in delivering upfront and timely communications.

Many leading organisations in Singapore are turning to technology, such as automated SMS notifications on product deliveries, appointment reminders and payment statuses, to set and manage such expectations at scale.

Minimising time and effort remain a given and minimum expectation. Customers have grown accustomed to a level of convenience. This means the relative difference between brands is becoming increasingly small.

Frictionless, seamless experiences are the minimum benchmark that brands need to meet to satisfy. And with the rise of digital wallets and contactless payments, many Singapore companies are exploring partnerships with tech and finance providers to streamline the payments stage of the customer’s journey.

Being present in moments of stress can define the customer relationship. In our report, sectors share that the ability to turn an unpleasant situation into a positively memorable one is key to driving loyalty.

Financial services and retails scored the highest in this pillar, receiving positive feedback from customers on communication channels, customer service and going the extra mile. Transparency is also a key element to an organisation’s resolution and can engender trust and loyalty.

In a highly digital world, the human touch remains key. While empathy scores track lower among Singapore customers than other pillars, leading organisations continue to make a conscious effort to balance customer engagement with digitisation efforts to build meaningful relationships and creating stronger connections to their brand.

Leading brands also recognise that a customer’s journey cuts across digital and physical channels and recognise that collaboration between departments can support a more seamless customer journey.