CUSTOMER SERVICE IN SINGAPORE: LUXURY OR NECESSITY?

In this fiercely competitive local retailing environment filled with countless identical retail offerings, the use of good customer service can help retailers gain competitive edge over the others. Customer service is often overlooked as a strategic tool when compared to the other retail operational variables which have direct impact on sales. However, the time has come when shoppers, because of their increasing sophistication and affluence, are demanding better customer service. Factors leading to the increasing importance of customer service in the Singapore context include maintaining a regular clientele through goodwill, increased expectation of shoppers, impact of customer service on purchase decision at the shopfloor and as a differentiation tool. Adopts a case study approach on a leading clothes retailer named Giordano Originals (Singapore) Private Limited to illustrate the use of customer service as a major retailing tool.