On the Straight Times is an article that talks about the service literacy test in Singapore. The question is: to provide good customer service, what should you do when speaking with a customer?

The question is a sample from an English proficiency test. And this part requires an oral answer. Foreign workers in three industries such as hotel, food & beverage and retail must pass it to get a work permit as a skilled worker.

Mr Lee Yi Shyan, Minister of State for Manpower and Trade & Industry, announced the details of the Service Literacy Test (SLT) to improve standards and productivity in the services sector. It has two components: speaking and listening. If a worker attains skilled status, his employer will save $90 a month in the foreign-worker levy. Continue reading…

I think this is a first in the service industry. What’s good about it is that the employer also gets some savings when their employees get a good mark in the test. This way, both the employees and the employer stand to benefit from it. But the biggest winner actually is the customer.