September 22, 2017 by e-NewsWire

SINGAPORE, 22 September 2017: Visa launched its first mobile concierge app, Thursday, targeted at affluent consumers in Singapore.

VISA research suggests nine out 10 Singapore affluent consumers are interested in accessing concierge services via a mobile app

Downloadable on iOS App Store and Google Android Store, Singapore is the first market in Southeast Asia where this mobile app is available.

Traditionally, cardholders need to dial a hotline or email a concierge service provider to engage their services.

The new Visa concierge mobile app offers a real-time channel for affluent consumers to arrange for services such as hotel, flight and restaurant reservations, event ticket purchases or other enquiries.

The development of concierge apps could turn into yet another dent in the travel agency armour. Some agencies are turning to the concierge business to compensate for losses in air ticketing and hotel booking segments.

A live-chat function is also available on the app, enabling users to chat with a customer service representative directly to make personalised requests.

Research conducted by Visa highlighted that a third (32%) of affluent consumers in Singapore use concierge services at least once a month.

Use of concierge services is most prevalent amongst millennial affluent cardholders, with almost four in five (78%) of Singapore affluent millennials having used concierge services.

Top service categories include restaurant reservations (57%), travel planning (52%), and shopping (41%). 1

“Singaporeans are becoming increasingly digital, and this is even more so for the affluent segment, where three in four cardholders are digitally active using mobile apps and wallets. The introduction of on-demand services, where Singaporeans are able to order and purchase a product, or service on the go, are used to a high level of speed and efficiency,” said Visa country manager for Singapore and Brunei, Ooi Huey Tyng (Tyng),

In the past year, 71% of all concierge requests made by Visa affluent cardholders in Southeast Asia were from Singapore. This is followed by Malaysia (20%) and the Philippines (4.5%).

Consumers appreciate convenience and speed

When asked about the top concerns faced when making concierge requests via hotline and email, more than half (56%) of respondents said it was troublesome to wait for the customer service representatives to respond to their requests.

This was followed by having to verify their identity and card number for each request made (46%) and miscommunication with a customer service representative (45%).

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