Singapore

As Singapore emerges from the pandemic, brands are facing a number of threats to their CX record.

Singapore is starting to feel the effects of the ‘great resignation.' With a tired workforce on the verge of burnout, employers are finding it hard to motivate employees and retain talent, which, in turn, cascades to the end-customer experience delivered by the brand. Demonstrating the value of excellent customer experience is also proving difficult, and 21% of CX practitioners say that proving ROI on customer experience investments is their number one challenge.

The two leading sectors – Non-grocery Retail and Financial Services – have overcome some of these challenges in the past few months and have seen year-over-year improvements across all Six Pillars. The last two years expedited the digital transformation of many brick-and-mortar brands within the non-grocery retail sector, and this sector’s leading brand, Apple Store, claims the top spot in the 2022 CEE brand rankings. It's a reflection of its continued pursuit for customer service excellence and a sales approach emphasizing trust and integrity over a hard sell.

Its newest space overlooks the waters of Marina Bay Bands in downtown Singapore. With a glass-domed structure, the store is an attraction in its own right, visited by locals and tourists who come to admire the city skyline. But it's the consistency of Its customer service, not the views, that has contributed to the high scores in this year's rankings.

Though Apple Store's products are the core focus, it's the 150 employees and its role as a hub for local artists, musicians, and creatives that builds trust and distinguishes it from competitors. Those employees speak 23 languages, vital in such an international city and multi-lingual business and travel hub. 

One customer commented on the tailored, non-obtrusive approach to customer service: "Nobody pushed any of their products for me to buy. The staff suggests and recommends only when asked to assist." Another pointed out a clear demonstration of Personalization and Integrity, two of the core Pillars of customer experience excellence. "People that work there are always pleasant, and I'm always amazed at how quickly you can check out when ready. By far my favourite retail experience.”  

Another of the tech company's brands, Apple Pay, came in second in the brand rankings this year. Boosted by its provision of a friction-free payment experience no matter the device, Apple Pay has also continuously improved its security and privacy features. The mobile payment service stood out in the Integrity, Expectations and Personalization Pillars, setting itself apart from other payment solutions. 

An established Financial Services brand in the Singapore market, Allianz ranked in third place in this year’s survey. As a newly added brand to the list, it scored highly in Time & Effort, which is a key factor for Insurance customers, particularly when it comes to claims. 

A timely, organization-wide digitalization program just before the pandemic meant that Allianz was able to continue delivering uninterrupted contact-free service to both customers and business partners through long periods of lockdown. The last two years have also seen Allianz further grow its business through its Motor, Home and Travel policies, to better cater to customers’ needs. Singapore has one of the highest home-ownership rates in the world.

  05. HSBC Life

  06. DBS

  07. Changi Airport

  08. Shell

  09. A digital payments leader

  10.  Zara