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Friday, May 7, 2010

Tiger, be a copycat

It is strange indeed that in an Internet Age, Tiger Airways would insist on getting its customers to write to them (yes, on paper and posting it) in order to give their feedback.

Its rationale: "Tiger Airways wants to provide quality service to our customers through meaningful correspondence instead of casual e-mail responses.

"We believe our customers deserve professional and well thought out responses to their concerns and that is why we put so much effort into researching and investigating our correspondence with you.

"We answer the letters we receive in the order that they arrive wherever possible, with our best efforts to the matter concerned and whoever the person involved. There may be times where a delay in response is unavoidable because detailed investigations need to be carried out on your enquiry."

I can understand all that it is saying, but why can't feedback be given online which most progressive organisations are doing. Surely "quality service" can be carried out online as well -- in fact, more efficiently.

By doing what it is doing, Tiger is inadvertently discouraging feedback. Unless, of course, it thinks that online feedback will invite a lot more complaints which could prove unmanageable.

I came across Tiger's mode of operation regarding customer feedback when I was trying to find a way to tell them about Shareen Wong's posting, "Tiger, Tiger, not so bright".

When I drew a blank, I got a source to give me the contact number of its media person to whom I passed on the information.

Maybe Tiger should consider being a copycat and adopt the NTUC's "cheaper, better, faster" strategy to help improve its customer service.

2 comments:

Unknown said...

becos they scared those email comments may be astrosurfing... very dangerous...

Unknown said...

My view is that SIA picked the wrong partner to run the budget airline. Although Ryanair appear to be the most successful of the budget airlines in UK, it also has a reputation of being brash and arrogant. I don't understand why they're successful as Easyjet is known to be more customer friendly. Are Ryanair's prices that much lower? Tiger claim to have the lowest fares but everyone knows they also have the highest fees and charges by far.

Easyjet would make a much better match for SIA.