A brand’s heritage can be both boon and bane, pulling it to greater heights or acting as deadweight as it gradually sinks into mediocrity.
With the weight of more than 70 years of the company’s history on his side, second-generation business owner Ho Nai Chuen knew that On Cheong Jewellery needed to capitalise on its heritage while developing a new set of differentiators which would set it apart from the estimated 700 jewellers in the Lion City.
"We have a loyal base of customers who have been with us since day one. A big part of our business is making sure that these customers are served with dedication, so that they will continue to patronise us," said Ho, managing director of On Cheong Jewellery.
As one of the pioneer members of the Singapore Jewellers Association, On Cheong has adopted a stringent code of practice to protect the interests of the consumers so as to inject added confidence to the general public.
Pursuing accreditation
Customer confidence was top of Ho Nai Chuen’s mind when he realised that On Cheong could expand the reach of its business to locals and tourists alike through obtaining industry accreditation, which would help to strengthen customers’ belief that it sold quality products.
Ho signed On Cheong up as a member of the Singapore Service Star, an accreditation scheme put in place by the Singapore Tourism Board which recognises businesses that deliver exceptional service standards.
The Singapore Service Star is also developmental in nature, providing On Cheong with free access to regular mystery shopping reports and seminars on service excellence.
According to Ho, the mystery shopping assessments and reports have helped to identify strengths which On Cheong has been able to build on and weaknesses they needed to address.
"Our company is located in Chinatown, one of the top tourist attractions in Singapore, and quite a number of tourists patronise our showroom. But we had never thought about offering them any value-added services such as recommendations on where to go in Singapore, until this was suggested in the mystery shopping reports. Now, we are contemplating setting up a tourist information corner."
The 4Cs
One of the key lessons learnt from the Singapore Service Star that has really helped On Cheong to shape its service culture is the 4C framework for creating Customers Remarkable Experience. The 4Cs, which stand for Crew Excellence, Culture Excellence, Contact Excellence and Customer Metrics Excellence, were formulated by retail management specialist Dr Lynda Wee.
Wee emphasised that good customer service alone is not going to make companies stand out from their competitors who engage in aggressive advertising and promotions. Instead, companies should focus on giving the consumer a unique and remarkable shopping experience to ensure a lifelong relationship.
Based on the 4C framework and mystery shopping reports, On Cheong has taken proactive steps to revitalise shopping experience.
For instance, it now provides VIP rooms for customers who prefer privacy, serves refreshments to customers who are waiting for their jewellery repair and alteration and replaces parking coupons for customers who are busy browsing jewellery at the showroom.
Ho added that its newly-formed customer service committee has regular meetings with department heads and front-line service staff to discuss how to implement positive changes which contribute to a better customer experience.