Industry leader hails new determination of the retail sector to achieve excellence in the training of frontline staff
THE HONG KONG Retail Management Association (HKRMA) arranges three major programmes each year, all revolving around customer service.
In addition to the Mystery Shoppers Programme, there is the Hong Kong Award for Services and the Service & Courtesy Award, now in its 20th year.
'It shows you our focus, and also the importance of customer service in the retail industry over the past two decades,' says Bankee Kwan, chairman of the HKRMA.
'Twenty years ago, [customer service] was seen by companies as a revenue drain rather than as a revenue source and it was difficult for us to persuade people to take it seriously.'
There was no shortage of enthusiasm this year, however. A record 547 participants from 69 retailers enrolled in the 2005 Service and Courtesy Award - an 57 per cent increase from last year.
'We are living in a highly sophisticated retail market,' said Mr Kwan. 'Competition is high and customer loyalty is inconsistent. Companies want to differentiate themselves and that is one of the main reasons that customer service training has become more popular.
