Is it all about Numbers and Rankings?

In our current society, numbers and rankings are required for reports and justification of investments.

We use them to convince others with figures collected from surveys and consensus researches.
The figures are disreputable. They wouldn't have been published if it had been the case.

Singapore's ranking in world service standards drops to 26
What is the article trying to say?
Is it just a reportage on the story?
A tell and that's all article?
Are hard figures and awards self satisfying or a real indication of the service standard in Singapore?

What's with all the numbers and rankings?

In our obsession in quantification, we have successfully detach the human aspect of service.
Although service can be quantified, good service standards should not be quantified by merely figures, charts and graphs.

"How long did you wait before getting served?"
"Did we solve your problem within the first call?"

Questions of this aspect does not tell if we are satisfied with the service we received.
We might have only waited for 5 minutes before being served by a customer service officer with the grump'est face we have seen in the last 10 years. (the only other time we had that is probably when we brought home our result slip filled with F's, and we would probably have that face for the following days or weeks from the punishments issued)

Solving our problem within the first call?
Maybe we were so frustrated with the incapability of the customer service officer that we do not want to carry any form of conversation.

Yes, do not deny it, you have been on the phone with an officer that asked you more questions than you do. (even after waiting for more than 10mins with the automated voice telling you "thank you for waiting, all our customer service officers are engaged at the moment..etc")

The best thing happens when the officer actually ask you to go to the company website for more information. Well, you have experienced this before, surely.