Reader experiences a stark difference in service quality between between the cruise centre and a first-class entry point like Changi Airport.
WHEN I returned home recently on Superstar Libra, arriving at the Singapore Cruise Centre, I could not help but discern the stark difference in professionalism and service quality between the centre and a first-class entry point like Changi Airport.
First, the incoming passengers at the centre were directed indiscriminately by a male officer to the long manual clearance queue.
Only when I asked about automatic clearance did he direct me towards the correct passage - where there was no queue. The excellent technological infrastructure introduced by the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) at the Cruise Centre is a waste if the ground staff do not use it properly - or well.
At the next stop for security and Customs checks, there were red lines on the floor for people to wait in line before walking through the metal detector.
However, the ICA officers did not guide passengers to clear their luggage and walk through individually. The disorderly way in which passengers were cleared did not reflect an efficient process in checking security. When I asked for a tray to put my cellphone, keys and wallet before being scanned, a woman ICA officer brusquely replied it was unnecessary - a contrast to the basic courtesies ICA officers demonstrate at Changi Airport, for instance.
The Cruise Centre is the first point of contact for many foreigners too, and the procedure and attitude of the ICA checks leave much to be desired.
The opening of the integrated resorts will bring greater cruise and ferry traffic. The Singapore Cruise Centre and the ICA must improve their performance, or risk becoming the weak link in our excellence in homeland security and service.
Lim Beng Chuan
This forum letter was first published in The Straits Times.
For more The Straits Times stories, click here.
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