HONG KONG: A successful service culture is underpinned by a collaborative approach between customers, employees and employers, a new study has argued.

But quick and frequent feedback also has a positive effect on improving employee performance and customer service, according to research into service standards in Hong Kong and reported by Campaign Asia.

The Hong Kong Association for Customer Excellence (HKACE) and research firm Ipsos questioned 1,400 customers, employees and employers across key service sectors and brands in Hong Kong.

They pointed to the importance of collaboration between marketing departments and service departments to maintain and improve standards and said timely and frequent feedback to service staff helps to provide them with an immediate lift.

"The results of the study suggest that the service standard in Hong Kong has improved and remains quite high across the board," said Simon Tye, executive director at Ipsos.

"However, there's always room for improving service standards, especially beyond functional service and in the softer elements of service that deal with empathy," he added.

Encouragingly, the survey revealed that a full 83% of consumers in Hong Kong said they experienced positive customer service in 2014, although attitudes and demands vary between the generations.

Consumers below the age of 25 want to encourage the promotion of service culture, the report said, but they are the most likely to use social media to complain about poor service.

The over-45s, on the other hand, tend to be the most satisfied of customers and they are likely to share their experience with friends and family.

Data sourced from Campaign Asia; additional content by Warc staff