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Far East Organization on a quest for customer satisfaction

It has an index to measure the level of customer satisfaction and pegs annual staff bonus payouts to achieving index targets.

By Kalpana Rashiwala

[email protected]

@KalpanaBT

Aug 22, 2016


ONE of Singapore's oldest and largest property groups, Far East Organization (FEO), is on a quest for customer satisfaction. It has even minted an index to measure the level of customer satisfaction and pegged annual staff bonus payouts to achieving index targets set for each business unit.

The customer engagement index (CEI) assessment for each business unit is based on quantitative customer surveys as well as qualitative focus group discussions at various touch-points from the beginning to end of the customer experience journey.

For example, for its property sales and property services divisions, FEO seeks buyers' feedback from the point of viewing a showflat, the purchase transaction, through to construction, key-collection, handover of units and estate management. Besides buyers of its property developments, the other groups of customers FEO surveys include tenants of properties in its leasing portfolio, shoppers at its malls, patrons of the F&B outlets operated by the group, and guests at the group's hotels and serviced residences.

Measuring customer satisfaction and developing a service excellence blueprint to guide customer fulfilment across the group's various units are part of a customer engagement programme that FEO began last year.

"We embarked on this programme as part of our commitment to raise our service levels and increase customers' satisfaction in all aspects of their experience with us," says Augustine Tan, executive director of property sales and corporate affairs at FEO. He goes on to add that "the demands and expectations of our customers drive our organisational actions".

Last year, the group also stepped into a new phase of its journey by declaring its mission as a Christian enterprise.

"With this comes a new obligation to do more than what is required of our duty . . . We want to act from the heart, to serve with love and grace, and be sincere and treat customers fairly and justly, so we don't just meet building specifications but make sure customers enjoy our product," says Mr Tan.

Try asking most businesses about their priorities for the next five years and chances are they will rattle off sales or profit goals, diversification plans or sustainability targets. At Far East, however, the five-year focus is on what it terms a "journey of fulfilment". It plans to fulfil its obligations and deliver its promises not just to customers but to its business partners and the community.

"Just as important is fulfilling our commitment to the people who have signed up with us as our workers, staff and officers. We have a responsibility to develop, nurture and care for them," says Mr Tan.

FEO's executive director of property services division Lee Shee Koeng adds that fulfilment is a multi-dimensional concept about adding values such as grace, love, honesty and integrity on top of contractual obligations.

The group also has a "grace approach" when it comes to customer service - encompassing a readiness to listen to customers and to empathise with them, evaluating customer feeback and factoring it in for future projects. "Let's suppose a wardrobe is not to a customer's liking, even though it is as specified in the contract; acting with grace means we will listen to the customer's comments, understand his or her needs and then see if we can come to a solution even if we are not contractually obliged," says Mr Lee.

Mr Tan adds: "We must recognise that as a business we are dealing with human beings as well; we cannot be too transactional."

He gives another example.

Supposing after a couple has bought a property, the husband suddenly dies and the wife is unable to settle the finances. "Does she then forfeit the 20 per cent deposit? We sincerely do not wish for this situation to happen to anybody but sadly, it did happen some years ago. We offered to return what had been paid to us. However, she was keen to retain the purchase and we helped by allowing her more time to settle the payment and complete the transaction."

That said, Mr Tan adds that the group cannot acquiesce to every customer's demands because that would be "irresponsible as stewards of the company".

FEO seeks to innovate constantly, studying the evolving needs and aspirations of customers and translating them into the design of living spaces - creating real estate value in the process, argues Mr Lee.

Since 1999, the group has won 10 FIABCI World Prix d'Excellence awards.

The group has come up with niche housing concepts to cater to various profiles of homebuyers. At the top end is its Inessence collection of properties in the prime Orchard Road area that aims to redefine luxury with customised spaces for the rich who see real estate as an enduring asset to be passed down to future generations.

The Far East SO/HO brand, on the other hand, caters to buyers who prefer efficient sizes and flexible spaces.

Most developers build mass-market condos in the suburbs, but here, FEO zooms in on what it terms "trans-urban" locales. These are traditional suburban districts that are transforming into urban centres - enabled by transportation connectivity and the availability of uptown lifestyle amenities such as trendy retail and gourmet F&B options.

Mr Lee, who is an architect by training, makes the point that work space solutions also have to evolve to keep up with the diversity in the workforce. "The millennials look for creative flexible workplaces that have a sense of community and connectivity. Entrepreneurship or startups are also on the rise . . . This translates to increasing demand for workplaces that are mobile, encourage collaboration and allow for social interaction."

In this regard the group's upcoming Woods Square project, a mostly office development in Woodlands Central, will have a variety of formats (including loft offices) and spaces. Meeting places and business pods will be incorporated into the green sky terraces to facilitate networking. Those requiring a more formal business environment may use meeting facilities and an auditorium.

Woods Square is somewhat of a prototype for FEO. It is the first project where teams from various departments have been actively involved throughout the development process, right from day one to realise "a product that will capture the imagination of the market", promises Mr Lee. "Having cross-functional teams from various departments . . . allows us to leverage the breadth and depth of expertise we have at Far East Organization and develop a product that is relevant and will meet customers' expectations," he adds.

Looking ahead, FEO has a "Dream Home" initiative. This is being tasked to a team of young managers from various departments to seek out the latest trends and concepts that home buyers around the world aspire to have.

Last year, the team visited Japan, a country with a strong customer-centric culture integrated into the way they do things. Some of the smart features that the team looked into were energy management, eldercare and wellness management. Mr Lee lets on that FEO is studying the possibility of allocating space at its Singapore office to test prototypes along these lines.

For the long term, the group is exploring collaborations with specialists in the industry and partnerships with universities and startups.

Summing up, Mr Tan says: "This is how we'll bring to life our brand vision of 'Inspiring Better Lives'. Underpinning the organisational culture of innovation is a focus on customers and trying to meet their needs and aspirations through new development concepts and ideas.

"Thus we fulfil our value promise, and build trust with customers."