A Tale of Two Experiences in Singapore

Telecommunication services are supposed to make life easier, but sometimes, they do just the opposite. My wife and I recently had separate encounters with two different telcos in Singapore, and both experiences highlighted glaring issues in customer service, communication, and overall efficiency.

In stark contrast, I’ve experienced outstanding customer service from Malaysian telcos in similar situations. Here’s how these experiences unfolded and why Malaysian telcos have proven themselves superior.

Story 1: My Port-Out Struggles with S

I signed up for S, attracted by their SGD 10 plan and the option to select a preferred number for an extra SGD 10. However, it didn’t take long to realize that the network coverage in my area was nonexistent (yes, surprising).

After testing other networks through friends’ phones, I discovered that Singtel provided the best coverage in my area, followed by Starhub. I decided to port out to G, as S couldn’t meet my basic connectivity needs. But my decision to leave S triggered a nightmare:

• Unreasonable Penalty Fees: I was informed that porting out within 30 days of activation would incur a SGD 30 penalty, in addition to the SGD 10 I had already paid for my preferred number.
• Tedious Process: SIMBA’s customer support was nearly impossible to reach. When I finally managed to contact them, they insisted I visit their branch in person to settle the penalty fees.
• Delays and Silence: Even after paying the fines, the port-out request took several days to process. No updates or notifications were provided; I had to manually retrigger the port-in request multiple times through GOMO.

It was a frustrating ordeal to leave a service that had failed to deliver, and it left me questioning why customers were being punished for wanting to move to a better provider.

Story 2: My Wife’s Experience with G

While I was dealing with S, my wife had her own telco troubles with G. She tried porting her number into G as well, but the process was anything but smooth.

• Port-In Denied: Her initial port-in request was rejected because her S account had been inactive. After discovering that port-outs must occur at least three days before the account is suspended, we topped up her S account and retried the port-in.
• Process Canceled: Days later, after no progress, we reached out to G’s live chat agent. To our dismay, we were informed that the port-in request had been canceled because S had initially denied it.
• Pay Again: G refused to retry the process. They claimed that the “first attempt was not refundable” and insisted that my wife sign up again and pay the full fee for a new plan, funny because I did not even request a refund, but I understand that we had to sign-up again so the process is likely automated.

The Malaysian Contrast: A Lesson in Customer Care

Both of these experiences made me reflect on my dealings with Malaysian telcos. In one memorable instance, I signed up for a Malaysian telco plan but soon discovered poor network coverage in my area, like a blindspot. I contacted their customer service team, and their response was nothing short of exceptional:

• Waived contract termination fees: The telco waived my one year postpaid contract enabling me to port-out to another telco.
• Responsive Support: Their customer service team was courteous, empathetic, and proactive in resolving the issue.
• No Hidden Fees: Unlike S’s port-out penalties, I wasn’t charged any additional fees for canceling the plan, heck it was waived!

Another instance was fairly recently where I requested a broadband relocation. Since it occurred within the same building, I (barely) insisted that it does not make sense to pay a “relocation fee” that high. Again, they waived it!

The contrast couldn’t be clearer. Malaysian telcos prioritize customer satisfaction, making it easy for customers to transition if services don’t meet expectations.

What Singaporean Telcos Can Learn

Singaporean telcos need to step up and prioritize customer satisfaction. Here’s what they can learn from their Malaysian counterparts:

• Streamline Processes: Simplify port-in and port-out procedures to reduce friction for customers.
• Improve Communication: Keep customers informed at every stage of the process to avoid unnecessary confusion.
• Eliminate Punitive Fees: Penalties for porting out or failed attempts discourage customer loyalty and tarnish the brand’s reputation.
• Adopt Empathy: Focus on delivering solutions rather than making customers jump through hoops to resolve issues.

Final Thoughts

While Singapore is often celebrated for its efficiency, my experiences with its telcos have been anything but. From unreasonable penalties to poor communication and lack of ownership, the customer service in Singapore’s telco industry has a long way to go.

On the other hand, Malaysian telcos have consistently impressed me with their fairness, responsiveness, and willingness to prioritize the customer’s experience. If there’s one thing Singaporean telcos can learn, it’s that customer satisfaction is the ultimate benchmark of success.

For now, I’ll continue to appreciate the excellent service Malaysian telcos offer, and hope that one day, Singaporean providers will follow suit.