Customer survey results - Singapore

Customer survey results – Singapore

Jul 31, 2013 (Menafn – M2 PRESSWIRE via COMTEX) –More than 80 per cent of customers are satisfied with the visa service they received in Singapore, our global customer survey has found.

Each month we review your feedback to see where we can improve our service and publish the results quarterly.

Results for the second quarter of this year show the Singapore team exceeded our 80 per cent threshold for customer satisfaction, with an overall satisfaction rate of 98 per cent.

How we measure up

To help us improve our service and communicate better with our customers we also review our performance each month against our customer service standards.

In April – June 2013 we:

* exceeded our completion time for processing non-settlement visas of 90% within 15 working days*;

* met our completion time for processing settlement visas of 95% within 12 weeks*;

* significantly exceeded our customer response target of 20 working days, responding to customer enquiries within 5 days on average;

* exceeded our complaints response target of 20 working days by responding within 8 days on average.

* A more detailed breakdown of our monthly processing times is on the processing times page.

We also conducted a presentation in collaboration with the British Council for a pre-departure briefing in Singapore.

More information about our customer survey results and overall satisfaction rate can be found in a PDF on the right side of this page.

Improvements to the way we communicate to you

Your feedback has already helped us improve both our visa service and the way we communicate to you:

* We offer an optional 3 to 4 day priority visa service for faster processing;

* We offer a premium lounge service ;

* We provide a prime time appointment service (peak season only) if you are unable to visit our visa application centre during regular opening hours;

* We have introduced an appointment system and ensured that you are seen within your designated appointment slot when you attend the VAC. This has reduced the waiting time and process of submitting your application.

* We offer a range of services including; a courier facility, photocopying, photograph service and an SMS service which updates you on the progress of your visa application.

* Our SMS service will send automated messages, to both your mobile phone and email address, at various stages of the visa application process.

* We update you on any delays or issues which may affect processing of your visa application via our website;

* We send you an email update when your application has been decided indicating when you are likely to receive your passport back or when it will be ready for collection;

* When you email us, we confirm receipt immediately and let you know the timeframe for our response;

* We now have improved Singapore Country page on our website with more visible links to guidance and information on supporting documents.

Customer feedback and complaints

Customer feedback is important to us as it helps us identify areas for further improvement.

We aim to respond to complaints about our service within 20 working days. Dissatisfaction with your visa decision will not be treated as a complaint. If you are dissatisfied with the outcome of your visa application please read ‘ If you have been refused a visa in Singapore ‘ to see what options are available to you.

During the second quarter, the Manila visa hub received 4 complaints about our visa service:

* We received a complaint about a delay in processing, but when investigated it was found the application was processed within our 15 working day target. We offer a priority visa service for eligible applicants who require faster processing.

* We received a complaint about conflicting information on our website in respect of a requirement for a specific visa category. On investigation the customer was referencing information in a different visa category and was confused. We are looking at the way we present our online information to make content and navigation more straightforward for our customers.

* We received a complaint about a refusal and refusal notice that incorrectly stated the applicant’s nationality. We apologised to the customer about the error on the refusal notice although this did not change the outcome of the application decision as insufficient evidence had been provided to support the application.

* We also received a complaint about VFS Global, our commercial partner, being unable to provide advice to a customer about their visa application. VFS Global operates our visa application centres on our behalf in the Philippines, Taiwan, South Korea, Japan, Singapore and Malaysia. They are not able to provide immigration advice and do not make decisions on visa applications. All decisions on visa applications are made by UK Visas and Immigration staff at the British Embassy in Manila.

While we acknowledge that some customers are unhappy with the outcome of their visa application, our survey results show 98 per cent of customers feel they were treated fairly and 98 per cent understood the reasons for our decision. We take decision quality very seriously and continue to review all aspects of our decision making process to ensure quality, consistency and fairness at all times.

Take the global customer satisfaction survey to tell us your views, or contact us with any general feedback, compliments or complaints about the service you have received.

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Customer survey results - Singapore