Personal touch, vital SM recall factor

Personal touch, vital SM recall factor | Daily Tribune

A recent 2025 global consumer trends report by experience management firm Qualtrics found that 64 percent of consumers prefer to buy from brands that offer personalized experiences, which the SM Group addresses by enhancing its customer experience strategies across its businesses.

The study covered 23,730 consumers across 23 countries, including the Philippines.

To address these evolving preferences, the SM group continues to deliver on its mission to enable access to new and aspirational shopping lifestyles for more Filipinos by enhancing customer service and experiences.

Personalized customer service has always been part of SM’s DNA, with SM Store’s personal shoppers taking care of customers in-store or wherever they may be. SM Store pays attention to the comfort of customers by having well-trained sales staff, attractive window displays, and cozy air-conditioned spaces, upholding long-held standards to offer an outstanding experience to shoppers.

“At SM Store, there’s always someone who will help you. There’s the personal shopper who is always ready to help the customers. Other than the assortment, offering the right value, and our ‘we’ve got it all for you’ strategy where we cater to all, excellent customer service is our competitive advantage,” said Jonathan Ng, executive vice president at SM Retail.

“The advantages of SM are customer experience and service. These are ingrained in our culture. We invest in programs, locations, and products that cater to our varied demographics,” Ng added.

Quick delivery ensured

With more than 800 beneficiaries nationwide, SM Store’s Personal Shopper service offers convenience and same-day delivery.

Investing in technology and innovative store designs, SM Store has also created visually appealing displays and beauty hubs, further elevating the in-store experience of customers.

SM Home continuously improves its store displays to elevate customers’ shopping experience.

SM Home, a retail brand of the SM Group, is also continuously improving its store displays and signage to help shoppers navigate its stores. SM Home is also renovating its flagship store, SM Makati, to elevate customers’ shopping experience through better store design and display.

One of SM Home’s strategies and initiatives is to continuously cascade and implement the “Tatak SM Home Customer Service” program, which consists of regular learning and workshop sessions for employees.

For SM Hotels’ Senior Vice President for Operations Catherine Nepomuceno, “our main thrust when it comes to customer service is to go beyond the standards. We take pride in how we curate our services. It’s as personalized as possible.”

This is reflected across its hotels, where the staff welcome guests with a simple gesture — a hand on the chest, expressing sincerity, and a bow, in keeping with the Filipino sign of hospitality.

Hand in hand with technology, SM Hotels utilizes a guest experience management software to measure and assess guest feedback, identifying trends and addressing concerns proactively.

They have also recently introduced a digital platform where guests can easily request what they need, whether it’s extra pillows, slippers, or even room service, all with expected speed and efficiency.

Continuously serving millions of Filipinos nationwide, the SM’s brand of customer service, goes beyond a smile and the extra mile.