SINGAPORE shopfronts will soon be wearing a pink star if their service is up to scratch, thanks to a new accreditation programme from the Singapore Tourism Board (STB).

Unveiled yesterday, this latest accreditation programme is modelled on a successful scheme, run by rival Hong Kong Tourism Board, called Quality Tourism Services.

The different decals and what they mean CaseTrust Accreditation by the Consumers Association of Singapore (Case) to show that businesses engage in fair trading practices. There is a regular and a premium standard. ... more

The Singapore Service Star scheme, like the Hong Kong version, assesses businesses based on unannounced visits to the companies to examine service quality. The investigators look at the service attitude of staff and how they handle customers from entrance to exit.

The STB engaged the Nielsen Company to undertake four to 10 mystery shopping audits.

Over 300 companies from the retail, food and beverage and nightspot sectors have earned the right to display the star symbol.

'The recent global economic slowdown underscores the need for businesses to not only deliver quality goods but also provide quality service,' said Trade and Industry Minister Lim Hng Kiang at the launch of the scheme at Bellini Grande at Clarke Quay last night.

Higher service standards, he said, would drive 'repeated visits and induce a higher propensity to spend', which is crucial to Singapore which is seeing a reduction in tourism growth.

Industry members applauded the concept but noted that there are already several other programmes, some of which are unknown to tourists and residents.

There is the CaseTrust programme by the Consumers Association of Singapore (Case) which certifies businesses for fair business practices.

The Singapore Retailers Association (SRA) also gives out Service Gems and Premium Service Gems awards to companies which came through mystery shopping audits with flying colours.

Case executive director Seah Seng Choon admitted that shoppers may be confused by the array of decals. However he pointed out that the STB scheme looks at service whereas CaseTrust looks at consumer fair trading.

SRA's executive director Lau Chuen Wei said the programme will be useless if nothing is done to promote it.

It could go the way of an older scheme by the STB from the late 1990s called the Singapore Gold Circle which died out due to lack of public awareness.

For the star scheme to work, it must be made known to tourists like Australian Joanne Lew, 61, who has been to Singapore at least five times but remains unaware of any scheme which marks out shops.

STB director of service quality Neeta Lachmandas said the older scheme was 'discontinued' because it had high operating costs and few members. It eventually stopped being used.

The STB has learnt its lesson - the new scheme is affordable and the main method of assessment is done via mystery shopping which does not require additional effort from members.

In an STB survey of 1,000 tourists last year on their perception of service in Singapore, over 90 per cent said they would feel more confident going to a store recognised by a quality scheme.

In the latest survey done this year, service quality was ranked above variety and value for money.

Professor Judy Siguaw, dean of the Cornell-Nanyang Institute of Hospitality Management, also asked how the standards for the accreditation can be kept up with the high staff turnover rates in these sectors.

The attrition rate among service staff is typically very high, well over 70 per cent in the case of restaurants.

'An establishment which has been accredited may not be able to maintain its level of service when the trained staff leave,' she said.

Ms Lachmandas stated that there will be regular checks on the certified establishments and they can be struck off should they fail to meet standards.

The STB aims to have 2,200 members by 2013. The next step is to roll the programme out to hotels and attractions in the second half of next year and extend it to shopping malls and taxis.

weichean@sph.com.sg