Managing customer expectations at Sentosa

Managing customer expectations at Sentosa

Island resort offering more attractions, facilities

By UMA SHANKARI

IT has been a tough year for tourism - a fact reflected in the findings of a nationwide survey.

Popular: Sentosa Nature Discovery, where guests learn about its rich flora and fauna, and Wave House Sentosa, which boasts two enormous pools with artificial waves for surfing enthusiasts
In the latest Customer Satisfaction Index of Singapore (CSISG), the customer satisfaction score for the ‘attractions’ sub-sector fell 3.1 points to 67.9, out of a possible 100.

Sentosa fell less than the overall sub-sector. The island’s customer satisfaction fell 2.9 points year on year to 67.5.

The findings on Sentosa from the CSISG research reaffirm those from its in-house surveys, said Lim Suu Kuan, director for service quality at Sentosa Leisure Group.

‘Service quality levels have remained consistent at Sentosa,’ Ms Lim said. ‘However, guests have indicated that they hope to see more attractions and facilities when they visit.’

To address this, Sentosa has welcomed a number of participative and interactive attractions in the past year, which it said are becoming increasingly popular with guests.

Imbiah Lookout, Sentosa’s largest cluster of attractions, now boasts 11 attractions, from culture to nature and thrill rides. Additions this year include the Sentosa Nature Discovery, where guests learn about Sentosa’s rich flora and fauna, and the MegaZip Adventure Park, which allows guests to zip down to the beach via a ‘flying fox’ ride.

And by the second half of 2010, guests will also be able to take in spectacular views of the harbour and Sentosa when Mount Faber launches its new Jewel Rides.

Other attractions that have opened this year are Wave House Sentosa, which boasts two enormous pools with artificial waves for surfing enthusiasts, and Azzura, which caters to hydrosports fans.

Sentosa said its in-house research has pointed to several factors that contribute to a decline in satisfaction levels.

One of these factors is the increase in the development of infrastructure on Sentosa over the past year.

‘During this period, guest satisfaction ratings have naturally dipped,’ said Ms Lim. ‘However, as the various construction projects near completion, we anticipate a shift in satisfaction levels in the next year.’

Sentosa has also increased its branding and marketing efforts, despite the market slowdown, to ensure that it remains ‘top-of-mind’ when potential guests are looking for a getaway. The group is on the right track.

In the CSISG model, three drivers influence customer satisfaction: customer expectations, perceived quality of products and services and perceived value (value-for-money). Findings revealed that Sentosa’s customers are ‘type one’ customers - which means their satisfaction levels are strongly driven by all three drivers of customer satisfaction, but customer expectations have the biggest impact.

Sentosa can therefore improve the overall satisfaction of its guests by focusing on expectations, said Caroline Lim, director at the Institute of Service Excellence at Singapore Management University (ISES), which conducts the yearly CSISG survey.

‘This implies improving the communication of offerings and activities available on the island resort,’ she said.

By comparison, another tourist attraction that was evaluated, Wildlife Reserves Singapore (WRS), has a different customer satisfaction profile. WRS, for its part, can raise the satisfaction of its guests by focusing improvement efforts on overall quality, Ms Lim said.

Sentosa knows it needs to work on customer expectations.

‘The study (CSISG 2009) suggests that while guests are generally familiar with Sentosa’s product offerings, it is important for us to continue to familiarise them on the range of offerings and activities on Sentosa through communications and marketing efforts. This will help temper guest expectations,’ said Sentosa’s Ms Lim.

The company’s efforts have paid off - at least in visitor numbers. From April to October this year, Sentosa saw an increase in visitors compared with the same period last year.

‘This increase in visitors can be attributed to our continuous effort to remain relevant to our guests, thus creating an emotional connection with them,’ said Ms Lim.

The island has also launched a new brand proposition ‘Asia’s Favourite Playground’.

Ms Lim said Sentosa will continue to build on its highly successful strategy to remain relevant to its guests by creating products and promotions that appeal to their unique needs.

Source : Business Times - 11 November 2009

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