Hongkongers are the pickiest consumers in Asia, a magazine's regional survey has revealed.
Reader's Digest Trusted Brands Survey polled 8,000 people in Hong Kong, India, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, the Philippines and the mainland last October. Hong Kong respondents were the least satisfied with customer services out of the eight areas.
Results show 59 per cent of Hongkongers were satisfied with in-store customer services, 39 percentage points behind the Philippines - the area with the highest satisfaction level. It was also lower than the Asian average of 74 per cent.
The same goes for customer service for handling product problems and repairs. A mere 53 per cent were satisfied with it, compared with 97 per cent in the Philippines. The Asian average was 67 per cent.
'It's more likely that expectations of Hong Kong consumers are much higher than in other areas,' said group advertising director in Asia Simon Cholmeley. It did not mean the quality of local brands was worse, he said. Nevertheless, the results 'show an opportunity to increase standards' in the face of demanding Hong Kong customers.
Two Hong Kong firms, Cathay Pacific and Kee Kum Kee, were among 63 brands - local and international - voted consumers' favourite brands across the eight areas.
