Westgate's customer service design is plain weird

Updated on 13 Aug 2014: It is not JEM. It's actually Westgate. Apologies...

I was recently around the Westgate mall at Jurong East when I chanced across the customer service centre. At first look, it looks quite neat and professional but when you are trying to get some service, the issues start to come out.

At first glance, the customer service centre looks quite professional such as electronic queue numbers, a system that tells you which counter to go to for that particular queue no, and you can even leave your telephone number so that the system will call you once you're approaching the queue number. BUT ...

Do you know that even though there are 2 different types of queue, the system still puts you in order of the first come first serve basis. Meaning... If you have 10 people who are approaching customer service and 1 person who is approaching Sistic and is the 11th person, the poor person waiting for Sistic service will have to wait for the 10 people in front to finish before the turn comes. Worst part? Those approaching customer service can opt to leave the telephone number in the system so that the system can call them when the queue no comes up, BUT, no such option for Sistic.

Who designed the flow? What's the use of 2 different queue types when it basically means nothing to the customer? In fact, if you only have one queue type, it would be more beneficial to the customer because the customer could at least leave the phone number for the system to call when the queue no comes up. The expectation would be a separate person manning the Sistic booth and for that person to put Sistic customer service as a priority and serve others if there is no one in the queue. THAT will fulfill the reason for the different queue type.

Why makes things so complex when your manpower cannot fulfill the needs of the system?