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Special Edition | |
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TOURISM HOST OF THE YEAR - HOTEL
Ms Nicole Yong Wai Kuan
Guest Relations Officer, Swissotel The Stamford
Fuelled by her enthusiasm to provide memorable service that wows, Nicole willingly goes beyond the call of duty to ensure that all guests’ requests are met. She also routinely tries to anticipate the needs of her guests even before they request it. Nicole wants every guest to know that they are special so she customises her service to meet their individual needs.
After completing her O levels, Nicole wanted to take up a degree in hotel management but she wasn’t sure at that time if that was a career she wanted to pursue. She decided to work in a hotel for a short stint to get a taste for what it was really like.
"This turned out to be the turning point and at the end of my stint, I realised that my true passion lies in the hospitality industry."
For her, this award is a recognition of her contribution to the tourism industry over the last 11 years.
"Winning this award is only the beginning - it has motivated me to do even better for my guests. My colleagues and superiors were so proud of me that I told myself that evening I will continue with the good work so that I wouldn’t let them down - anyway, my work is what I enjoy doing.
"I vividly recall camera flashes - lots of it! But the highlight of the evening was definitely the photo opportunity with our President and First Lady. My colleagues and management also threw me a surprise celebration at our Italian restaurant, Prego."
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TOURISM HOST OF THE YEAR - LEISURE ATTRACTION
Ms Karen Lim Wai
Senior Attractions Operations Officer, Sentosa Leisure Group
As a Sentosa ambassador, Karen takes it upon herself to ensure that guests have a good experience from the moment thet step onto the island until they leave. For her, service truly comes alive when everyone works together to ensure that there are no breaks in the chain of a guest’s experience. She is dedicated in driving her team to strive for service excellence and her enthusiasm for service is truly infectious.
Karen has always wanted to work in the travel industry. Her childhood dream was to be a flight stewardess. "In university, I wanted to pursue a tourism degree but due to circumstances, I had to settle with a business degree specialising in tourism. But I never gave up my dream, to be in the tourism trade.
"It is an industry that allows you to meet fellow human beings from around the globe and to share the fruits of labour in your backyard with them. It is a very special and fulfilling sensation."
When she heard the news of her victory that night, her first reaction was one of surprise, immediately followed by pride. "My thought at that winning moment was: "Oh YES! I made it!" Honestly, I had prepared myself for otherwise so as not to be disappointed. I knew deep down I had done my best. But I must say, winning was the best feeling ever... especially when I was crowned in the very place that had groomed me.
"I started the night off with a big blush on my face! When I arrived, I saw a sea of people in black outfits and immediately felt out of place, as I was dressed in traditional kebaya in bright orange. I settled down after being greeted by all my fellow colleagues and we had a little photo session. It was a pretty busy night for me, as I was also welcomed by my previous colleagues and bosses from Esplanade. At the eleventh hour, I had myself a glass of white wine to "cool" myself down."
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TOURISM HOST OF THE YEAR - RESTAURANT
Mr Tan Leng Keong Benjamin, Assistant Outlet Manager, Blue Potato, Swissotel Merchant Court, Singapore
Benjamin believes that the service culture of the Swissotel Merchant Court helped him get nominated this year. The hotel inculcates in every employee their five-step SMART practice: Smile and greet your guest warmly, Maintain eye contact, Address your guest by name, Be ready to go the extra mile and Thank your guest.
Benjamin has always had his heart set on entering the service industry. "This is because my aunt was a waitress many years ago and she taught me about service when I was young.
"With family support, I pursued a Hotel Management course with SHATEC after my "O" levels. After years of working in this industry, I learnt the meaning of team spirit and perseverance in this "people" business. It is no wonder my aunt fell in love with it too."
This is the second time Benjamin has won this award. "It is a fantastic
feeling to receive recognition from the STB. It gives me encouragement to strive further in providing excellent service to all guests. I felt motivated and will definitely give my utmost to ensure guests’ satisfaction. That night I celebrated my joyous moment with my family at a seafood restaurant in East Coast."
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TOURISM HOST OF THE YEAR - RETAIL
Ms Belle Tay Siew Ling
Shop Manager, Giordano Originals (S) Pte Ltd
Belle wins over her customers with her broad smile, sincerity and enthusiasm. Being a true Giordano junior ambassador she will happily entertain the kids so that the parents can enjoy their shopping. Belle believes that delivering good customer service goes beyond providing product information and solutions – going the extra mile to please customers will also build good rapport and generate return visits.
Ever since she was young, Belle knew that she and the retail sector were made for each other. "Being a people-oriented person, I enjoy meeting and talking to different people and helping them at the same time. Each time I serve a customer, my heart beats passionately as I believe sincerity is key."
On the night of the awards, the feeling was one of exhilaration. "The other Tourism Host (Retail Category) finalists were just as commendable. When they pronounced me the winner of this prestigious award, it was a dream come true.
"Together with my family and colleagues, we celebrated the night toasting away."
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TOURISM HOST OF THE YEAR - SPA (New Category)
Ms Carol Tong Hui Chuen
Spa Therapist, RafflesAmrita Spa
Carol understands that guests are seeking a sanctuary where they can be pampered while having their privacy protected when they visit the spa. She makes it her duty to provide personalised service that leaves guests feeling refreshed, rejuvenated and revitalised. To her, there is no greater satisfaction than when a guest returns and requests for her spa service again.
Carol says she was drawn to the service industry because "I have a fervent passion to serve and I strongly believe in going the extra mile in providing service excellence to my customers."
What she loves about her job is that by making her customers feel at home, she is able to create "fond and memorable experiences in their memories".
"This is important to me and I feel an immense sense of satisfaction when a customer praises me for a job well done and comes back again, specifically requesting for me to administer their treatment."
On the night of the awards, Carol said she could hardly hold back her tears of joy. "It is indeed an honour. What makes it even more special is the fact that this is a new category of award. I am very proud to be the first to receive such a prestigious award and more so, a part of this dynamic organisation.
"Well, being the centre of attention, I had numerous pictures taken with my fellow colleagues and friends. Later that night, I called my parents, who are overseas to convey to them this fantastic news."
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TOURISM HOST OF THE YEAR - TOUR GUIDING
Mr Muhammad Razeen Chan Ying Loone
Tour Guide, Journeys Pte Ltd
Ying Loone started in the business as a tour facilitator with Singapore History Consultants (SHC) where he regularly took students and MINDEF personnel on war tours.
"This gave me a bite of the guiding experience and I found it very enjoyable and rewarding. On top of that, I had also been conducting in-house tours at The Changi Museum as a Docent. Museum tours allowed me to interact with overseas visitors and this pushed me to develop my guiding skills further.
"Later, my bosses asked if I was interested in being a Tourist Guide and I jumped at the opportunity and talked my way to a Specialised Tourist Guide (STG) licence! With the STG licence, I have since been conducting tours for tourists under the auspices of Journeys Pte Ltd." (SHC, The Changi Museum and Journeys are sister firms.)
Ying Loone said he was surprised he even made it as a finalist.
"I didn’t think that I had ‘wowed’ my assessors during the practical guiding test. I was elated, though, at winning the award as I saw it as an affirmation of two things: firstly, my company’s (Journeys’) proven ability to design heritage tours that are both interesting and enjoyable to conduct; and secondly, my own coming-of-age as a tourist guide. The award was a pat on the back for me.
"My colleagues and I celebrated at Boat Quay after the awards. Everyone was very happy as it was a record harvest for Journeys: two tours in the final and one winner in the guiding category. Then I went back to work the next day - conducting a tour."
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TOURISM HOST OF THE YEAR - TRANSPORT (TAXI)
Mr Lee Khoon Swee
Taxi Driver, Yellow-Top Cab Pte Ltd (Sovereign)
Khoon Swee is among the pioneer batch of taxi drivers who attended and passed the Taxi Tourist Guide Course. As a Sovereign driver and taxi tourist guide, he often ferries regular passengers, including tourists, around Singapore. He believes that he is able to provide good service by "putting myself in the shoes of my passengers". Friendly and helpful, he does not hesitate to help his passengers with their luggage or remind them to check their belongings.
P@SSPORT caught up with Lee Khoon Swee at his home at 11pm. It was the only time of the evening when he could do the interview. "I can’t talk when I am driving," he says.
Khoon Swee has been driving taxis since 1996 and loves what he does because of the opportunity to meet all kinds of people.
"Everyday is different depending on who you pick up. If you drive someone and you don’t talk, it’s boring. If you talk, you can learn a lot of things from them. I always make sure I read the newspapers everyday so I can discuss different subjects with my customers. You have to know a little bit about everything and make the passenger feel comfortable so he enjoys the ride."
Each day, he drives from 8am to 6pm. His motto: To do the best he can for his passengers. When he picks up tourists, he tells them a little about Singapore and points out landmarks. "I want to make them feel welcome."
Once, he picked up a couple from the airport. They asked him for dining tips. He recommended a restaurant at Keppel Road. Being a Saturday night, he was worried they’d be full so he called the restaurant to make reservations.
"These are the small things that make people happy."
He picked up the couple after dinner. "The wife had left her wallet at the restaurant. The restaurant called me since they had my telephone number from the reservation, and I drove them back to the restaurant to collect the wallet." He laughs, "People leave things all the time in taxis too - key pouches, handphones, wallets."
In all his years driving, he’s never received a single complaint. "You do need a lot of patience in this job though," he says.
The only negative aspect of the job is the long hours. "But this can’t be helped. Every job now has long hours. Look at you, you’re still working at this time," he laughs.
Khoon Swee confesses he was surprised when he won the award. "I felt very honoured. I think all the other winners were English-educated. I was the only Chinese-educated person, so I was a bit nervous but very proud."
He celebrated his award with dinner with his wife and two children.
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