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Discuss this article (31 Comments)Retail survey exposes customer service flaws
by This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it on Friday, 27 February 2009
LOW STANDARD: Customer service in Dubai is deteriorating, according to a new survey. (Getty Images)
The level of customer service in Dubai's retail market is deteriorating, a UK-based company has found in its annual survey.
Based on interviews with 583 Dubai residents, business consultancy Joshua found that customer service satisfaction remains low in the emirate, with the retail sector coming out as the worst offender.
The category that saw the biggest drop in standards was staff behaviour, which only managed to score 2.1 on a scale of 1 to 5, compared with 2.8 last year.
“The staff are talking among themselves, they’re not really acknowledging the customer. They’re not really even acknowledging the customer when you go to pay your money,” said managing director Ruth Fields.
The fact that staff behaviour scored so poorly was alarming since it is the easiest thing for a business to address, she added.
Part of the explanation lies in high levels of staff turnover deterring organisations from investing in their employees and providing them with the right skills.
“If you haven’t got that right person with the right attitude, you might as well forget it, frankly,” Fields said.
“You wouldn’t put a lawyer into a law firm without the right qualifications, the right training and experience to do the job. So why on earth are we doing it in customer service?”
The results gave a polarised vew of customer service in Dubai, with most companies scoring either very highly or very poorly.
Customer service at one hotel was so good that some guests even asked them to “turn it down”, while another one consistently got it wrong, but always upgraded or sent flowers to guests who complained.
“They keep making the same mistake, and it’s costing that hotel chain a fortune, because they’re constantly having to appease the customer,” Fields said.
Dubai continues to offer businesses, residents and tourists fantastic opportunities, but during difficult times customers become much more discerning about where and when to spend their money, Joshua said.
“Great customer service is not rocket science. It is often just about people doing the simple things excellently,” the company said in a statement.
READERS' COMMENTS
Disclaimer: The views expressed here by our readers are not necessarily shared by ArabianBusiness.com or its employees.
Why is it so?
Posted by Michelle, Dubai, United Arab Emirates on Monday 6 April 2009 at 19:10 UAE time
During my stay in Dubai for the last 8 years or so, I have had deplorable customer service, interspersed with the odd gem of good manners and attitude that had mostly to do with the individual, as in honesty, integrity, friendliness etc, and little to do with training.
What begs the question though is, why is this the case? My thoughts are:
1. Over the past few years, companies did not need to spend the money on training staff as there were always many customers, and there was no need to attract others. Just like the property market, sales were going to happen regardless, so no real need to work too hard. These days however, the story is completely different, and those that want to survive , need to adapt. Usually this means training the senior staff or owners FIRST.
2. Again, regarding the staff in retail, I dont think it is the level of pay received that affects how people serve others. The staff need to be trained, to feel confident in their actions, and for there to be a system of recognition. They need to feel valued. But if management always only look at the bottom line, what do they care?
3. Thirdly, one of the things that really gets me about the UAE, and those that post, and the letters printed in 7 Days and other newspapers, is that the negative reports are never printed in full. The name of the watch brand, or the jeweller, or the bank, is never printed so where is the transparency, so people can start making informed decisions about where to shop and what to purchase, where to bank etc. Very often I suppose this is the fear factor of the posters that their letter may not be published, or its the fear factor of the publication that does not want to be liable. Until there is more transparency so these abysmal customer service deliverers are exposed to the residents, there's not going to be improvement. These companies will just slowly all die.
4. Lastly, and this may result in my comment not being published (again) as it is a criticism of Dubai, but the emirate, and the country, has not realised yet, that they need to encourage people to stay here, and live here, allow people to make their home here, in order for the country to work and to grow as per their expectations. Customer service will continue to be poor, with those few exceptions, as long as people feel that they are dispensable here, that there is no long term future within the organisations, that the country is just making use of them and that this can change at any time.
However, it works the other way too. Those public departments that employ emiratis whose jobs are secure no matter what, feel absolutely no necessity to go out of their way to offer the service that would otherwise be expected of them.
Until there is a system of work hard, have initiative, recognition, promotion, pensions and long term planning within the companies and organisations, customer service is going to be the last thing to improve.
PS sorry this ended up a bit long, but it is a passion of mine.
Posted by Michelle, Dubai, United Arab Emirates on Monday 6 April 2009 at 19:10 UAE time
During my stay in Dubai for the last 8 years or so, I have had deplorable customer service, interspersed with the odd gem of good manners and attitude that had mostly to do with the individual, as in honesty, integrity, friendliness etc, and little to do with training.
What begs the question though is, why is this the case? My thoughts are:
1. Over the past few years, companies did not need to spend the money on training staff as there were always many customers, and there was no need to attract others. Just like the property market, sales were going to happen regardless, so no real need to work too hard. These days however, the story is completely different, and those that want to survive , need to adapt. Usually this means training the senior staff or owners FIRST.
2. Again, regarding the staff in retail, I dont think it is the level of pay received that affects how people serve others. The staff need to be trained, to feel confident in their actions, and for there to be a system of recognition. They need to feel valued. But if management always only look at the bottom line, what do they care?
3. Thirdly, one of the things that really gets me about the UAE, and those that post, and the letters printed in 7 Days and other newspapers, is that the negative reports are never printed in full. The name of the watch brand, or the jeweller, or the bank, is never printed so where is the transparency, so people can start making informed decisions about where to shop and what to purchase, where to bank etc. Very often I suppose this is the fear factor of the posters that their letter may not be published, or its the fear factor of the publication that does not want to be liable. Until there is more transparency so these abysmal customer service deliverers are exposed to the residents, there's not going to be improvement. These companies will just slowly all die.
4. Lastly, and this may result in my comment not being published (again) as it is a criticism of Dubai, but the emirate, and the country, has not realised yet, that they need to encourage people to stay here, and live here, allow people to make their home here, in order for the country to work and to grow as per their expectations. Customer service will continue to be poor, with those few exceptions, as long as people feel that they are dispensable here, that there is no long term future within the organisations, that the country is just making use of them and that this can change at any time.
However, it works the other way too. Those public departments that employ emiratis whose jobs are secure no matter what, feel absolutely no necessity to go out of their way to offer the service that would otherwise be expected of them.
Until there is a system of work hard, have initiative, recognition, promotion, pensions and long term planning within the companies and organisations, customer service is going to be the last thing to improve.
PS sorry this ended up a bit long, but it is a passion of mine.
customer service in Dubai
Posted by Sid, Toronto, Canada on Monday 6 April 2009 at 05:29 UAE time
I have lived in Dubai for 3 years and worst customer service I have experienced is the retail stores like Carrefour where careless staff especially males are not helpful and when they are asked regarding a product their usual response is "check with the guy there" Its pathetic
Posted by Sid, Toronto, Canada on Monday 6 April 2009 at 05:29 UAE time
I have lived in Dubai for 3 years and worst customer service I have experienced is the retail stores like Carrefour where careless staff especially males are not helpful and when they are asked regarding a product their usual response is "check with the guy there" Its pathetic
Wow Mike.
Posted by Luis, Dubai, UAE on Friday 6 March 2009 at 07:12 UAE time
I am not sure where you have been. I have been based in the US, Brazil, India, Spain, France, UK and Switzerland.
My experience with Dubai customer service levels is simply abysmal. I am glad you had better. In three years I can mention maybe 2-3 cases (an Ethiopian poor guy at the airport who spent hours out of his kind heart searching for my missing luggage and did not want to accept a 100dhms tip because he thought it was too much) and Dnata, that is consistently good.
The rest from taxis to Emaar, to real estate agents to Government services (egate)... no comments.
Posted by Luis, Dubai, UAE on Friday 6 March 2009 at 07:12 UAE time
I am not sure where you have been. I have been based in the US, Brazil, India, Spain, France, UK and Switzerland.
My experience with Dubai customer service levels is simply abysmal. I am glad you had better. In three years I can mention maybe 2-3 cases (an Ethiopian poor guy at the airport who spent hours out of his kind heart searching for my missing luggage and did not want to accept a 100dhms tip because he thought it was too much) and Dnata, that is consistently good.
The rest from taxis to Emaar, to real estate agents to Government services (egate)... no comments.
Service Indeed
Posted by Ashley, Dubai, UAE on Wednesday 4 March 2009 at 08:20 UAE time
I would not know where to start; the good part or the bad, the other day I walked into the music shop on level one @ the crowne plaza shopping mall, i think its called the "Music Room" looking for a guitar, the staff (both asian) were in the least interested, and with absolutely no knowledge of the product. when I kept asking the questions on the specs, the guy snaps back " don't waste my time" - how much more better can it get...
I would have to mention the ENOC petrol station, where I left my credit card by mistake, the guy called me (from my tel no on the salik receipt) and informed me to pick it up... keep it up guys.
Posted by Ashley, Dubai, UAE on Wednesday 4 March 2009 at 08:20 UAE time
I would not know where to start; the good part or the bad, the other day I walked into the music shop on level one @ the crowne plaza shopping mall, i think its called the "Music Room" looking for a guitar, the staff (both asian) were in the least interested, and with absolutely no knowledge of the product. when I kept asking the questions on the specs, the guy snaps back " don't waste my time" - how much more better can it get...
I would have to mention the ENOC petrol station, where I left my credit card by mistake, the guy called me (from my tel no on the salik receipt) and informed me to pick it up... keep it up guys.
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