Today I expected the brief 1-hour flight from Penang, Malaysia to Singapore to be uneventful. Instead, however, I was treated to anther example of Singapore Airlines above-and-beyond service.
The flight was reasonably empty, so I took the opportunity to ask the lead steward how he liked the new uniforms SIA had just rolled out. Instead of different colored suit jackets to denote the stewards’ rank, they all now wore dark blue suits and their ties were color-coded to their status.
He was affable, as most SIA cabin crew are. He explained how the stewards’ ties now coordinated with the stewardess’ (their name for flight attendants) dresses. His tie was green, which meant he was a lead steward, and the lead stewardess’s dress had a green background.
He good-naturedly asked how I liked the suits. I said the stewards always looked sharp. He said, “What about the tie?” I smiled, saying it looked classy. Seeing that I was playful, he then asked, “And what about my hair?” We both laughed as I said I liked his short-cropped curly hair.
Which then began a laugh-infused conversation about how he didn’t like his curly hair, and I shared how my hair, too, was naturally wavy and I often straightened it. We schmoozed for a few minutes.
He disappeared, then reappeared calling me by name. He must have looked me up on the passenger list. He asked if he could get me anything else, and I jokingly said, “Chocolate?” knowing these short flights didn’t often have treats like that, and rarely in coach.
A few minutes later he and a stewardess appeared with a plate of four chocolate cookies on a silver platter. When I delightedly asked if they got them from First Class, they said yes. So he purloined a treat from another class just to make me happy!
We joked and laughed the rest of the flight. I gave him my card and he said he would buy my book Calming Upset Customers.
Soon the steward manager came by and introduced himself. He asked about my book and my philosophy on customer service and if I was available to speak to groups. Of course I am!
This was just another example of how SIA turned an everyday encounter into a memorable experience. Even if he hadn’t produced chocolate, the interaction with the steward would have made my day.
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wow, this is wonderful to read. i guess sq really do have good quality standards with good training to their service crew 🙂