Pricing and plans key for Singaporeans in choosing telco provider: Frost

• M1 ranked highest for customer experience delivery in Singapore
• Providers not doing enough to establish and reward customer loyalty

PRICING and subscription plans remained the most important factor for Singaporeans in selecting their telecommunications service providers, according to Frost & Sullivan.
 
In a statement, the research and analyst firm said in its Singapore Telecommunications Services Customer Experience study, 83% of consumers said that they will choose their service providers based on pricing and subscription plans while 62% said they will make their choice based on their individual customer experience.
 
Frost & Sullivan conducted an online survey from October to November 2014, involving 1,300 respondents, randomly selected from consumer online panels, to measure customer experience in the telecommunications sector in Singapore, the company added.
 
Frost & Sullivan partner Nitin Bhat said that based on the survey, M1 ranked first in the Customer Experience Index in Singapore, followed by StarHub and Singtel.
 
The scores for the service providers signify that qualitatively their Customer Experience rate between ‘Somewhat Positive’ and ‘Very Positive,’ though on the lower end of the scale, he added.
 
“More importantly, the ratings reveal that the telecommunication companies have ample room to improve the quality of customer experience for their customers,” said Nitin.
 
He said that the good news is that all companies surveyed scored above 3 and a lower rating would indicate that they are not able to provide the minimum levels of customer experience.
 
Based on the survey, many service providers did not do enough to establish and reward customer loyalty and tenure, with more than 40% of respondents feeling unrewarded.
 
“Even with customers who do receive loyalty rewards, the service providers generally demonstrate little innovation and differentiation in terms of privileges.
 
“Approximately only 3% (of respondents) felt that they were getting any form of personalised treatment,” said Nitin.
 
In terms of rewards-based appreciation, M1 registered the highest scores for going the extra mile to reward its customers. Examples cited include birthday treats and discounts and vouchers.
 
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