Latest Posts By pharoah88
- Supreme
About pharoah88
|
|
| 16-Jul-2010 13:17 |
SMRT
/
SMRT
 Go to Message
|
||||
 x 0
 x 0
|
Great customer service starts at the top Richard Branson I That’s because delivering good customer service requires that a frontline worker receives supportive assistance from an entire network of co-workers — in effect, a chain reaction of teamwork, one that is consistent from beginning to end. And when it comes to helping a customer, the chain of assistance is only as strong as its weakest link. I love hearing reports of good care, especially when they’re shared by a Virgin customer. But no matter what the source, there’s usually a lesson to be learned. Just to prove that I’m not always bashing our competitor, British Airways, I’ll tell a consummate customer story that involves that other British airline: An Executive Club passenger sitting aboard a jumbo jet about to leave London for New York suddenly realised he’d left his beloved leather coat in the airport lounge. He rushed to the front of the plane and asked if he had time to get it. “Sorry, sir, too late,” replied a member of the cabin crew. “But don’t worry. I’ll tell the ground crew and they’ll have it sent to you.” He returned to his seat, convinced he’d never see his favourite coat again. have always liked Sam Cooke’s old hit song, Chain Gang. It really comes in handy when I’m talking about customer service.Seven-and-a-half hours later, when the flight arrived at JFK International Airport, the passenger was amazed when an agent met him at the door of the aircraft and handed him his coat. They’d put it on a Concorde flight that had beaten his slower 747 across the Atlantic! (Of course, I am obliged to point out that British Airways can no longer pull off that particular trick, since the speedy Concorde is no longer in service.) It’s true that the airline could have put the coat on a later flight and the customer would have been just as grateful when it arrived. But going the extra mile builds massive customer loyalty and brand-enhancing benefits. You can be sure that passenger talked up the airline for years, and now even the chairman of a rival company is telling the tale. How great is that? Let’s look at another story that clearly demonstrates the importance of every link in the service chain — this time involving Virgin Atlantic. An Upper Class customer’s free limo failed to connect with him at his New York City hotel. (It turned out the customer had been waiting at the wrong door.) He jumped into a cab to Newark Liberty International Airport, a fair distance from the city. Rush hour traffic was bad; by the time he got to the airport he was very angry, running late and panicking that he’d miss his flight. The first Virgin agent he located immediately seized control of the situation. She calmed the fuming customer, apologising profusely and assuring him that he would not miss his flight. From her own pocket, she refunded the taxi fare he had paid, then she rushed the passenger through a staff lane and got him to the gate with 10 minutes to spare. Truly a job well done. Like the leather jacket incident, it demonstrates how great customer service can convert a negative into a positive. WHEN THE CHAIN BREAKS Now we come to the part of the story where the chain breaks. During the post-flight debriefing, the agent told her supervisor what had happened and asked to be repaid for the US$70 ($96) cab fare. Rather than congratulating the agent on saving the day, the supervisor asked whether she’d gotten a receipt for the fare. When her answer was, “There was no time for that,” he actually chastised her. He said, “No receipt, no reimbursement. You’d better take more care next time.” Clearly, the supervisor was more concerned about rigid adherence to accounting practices than about employee initiative. While fiscal accountability is important, especially when an outlay of cash is involved, there will always be occasions when an asterisk needs to be marked on the balance sheet. One thing was certain: Any Virgin employees witnessing their supervisor’s scornful reaction to their colleague’s exemplary deed would be unlikely to display the same resourcefulness. Which means that the customer loses — and so does the entire company. Happily, the story came to the airport manager’s attention and he quickly took steps to redress the imbalance between company procedures and customer service. He advised the finance team that he’d approved the cash shortfall, while the supervisor got a quick refresher on how important we at Virgin think it is to “catch people doing something right”. Eventually I heard this story, and it truly impressed me. The next time I flew through Newark, I made a point of seeking out the agent who had made us proud. I remarked: “I don’t have a taxi receipt, so you probably can’t help me.” Her astonished smile said it all. No company can train its front-end people to handle every situation, but you can strive to create an environment in which they feel at ease “doing as they would be done by”. Good customer service on the shop floor Begins at the Very TOP. If your senior people don’t get it, even the strongest links further down the line can become compromised, as the story shows. Finally, poor customer service can also be relished ... if you experience it at the hands of a competitor! At such moments you might catch me humming another old favourite, Aretha Franklin’s Chain of Fools.© 2010 Richard Branson. Distributed by The New York Times Syndicate The writer is the founder of the Virgin Group and companies such as Virgin Atlantic, Virgin America, Virgin Mobile and Virgin Active. |
||||
| Good Post Bad Post | |||||
| 16-Jul-2010 12:14 |
Genting Sing
/
GenSp starts to move up again
Go to Message
|
||||
|
x 0
x 0
|
We want to feel happy gambling. Some men you meet smoke and swear. Mdm Kok gives the nod to RWS’ new Ladies Club |
||||
| Good Post Bad Post | |||||
| 16-Jul-2010 12:12 |
Genting Sing
/
GenSp starts to move up again
Go to Message
|
||||
|
x 0
x 0
|
yOung bUll fOr Old GRASSES |
||||
| Good Post Bad Post | |||||
| 16-Jul-2010 12:11 |
Genting Sing
/
GenSp starts to move up again
Go to Message
|
||||
|
x 0
x 0
|
Ready for the Lucky Ladies RWS introduces new women-only zone SINGAPORE Called the Ladies Club, the zone within the casino’s main gaming hall offering the table games of baccarat, Pontoon and Three-Pictures opened at 3.28pm yesterday. It is touted as the first in South-east Asia, although RWS’ senior vice-president of gaming services Jay Lee said “one or two” operators in Macau have a similar offering. Women form a “significant” proportion of RWS casino’s patrons, and Mr Lee said the Ladies Club is the result of feedback from female gamblers. Some come in groups and “just want to have an area that’s (their) own”, he said. The fairer sex are still free to game in other areas of the casino. Malaysian customer Kok Siew Kheng said she would play in the zone. “We want to feel happy gambling. Some men you meet smoke and swear,” said the 57-year-old who visited RWS for the first time yesterday. How attractive a Draw are the Male Croupiers? #WOW it is nOt to AVOID MALE but to FOCUS MALE# Those at the 12 tables of the Ladies Club yesterday were in their 20s and average-looking, but with ready smiles. Frequent patron Jenny Sing, 42, said: “Whether they are male or female doesn’t matter. What matters is their smile. We usually say ‘hi’ to croupiers when we sit down at a table, but some look stern.” There are no plans yet to have a similar area for male patrons, said Mr Lee. RWS’ assistant vice-president of communications Robin Goh said there have been no reports of molestation or sexual harassment at the casino in its five months of operations.
|
||||
| Good Post Bad Post | |||||
| 16-Jul-2010 12:02 |
Genting Sing
/
GenSp starts to move up again
Go to Message
|
||||
|
x 0
x 0
|
JaiL the Regulartors for iNeffective Regulations and the Enforcers for Enforcement Failure ? ? ? ? FiNE them to increase gOvernment's REVENUE tOO ? ? ? ?
|
||||
| Good Post Bad Post | |||||
| 16-Jul-2010 11:57 |
SMRT
/
SMRT
Go to Message
|
||||
|
x 0
x 1
|
The Land Transport Authority’s two-wheel push While building the infrastructure is the “easier part”, the authorities feel that getting mutual accommodation among stakeholders such as pedestrians and cyclists presents a “more difficult job”. #WHY ? Is it nOt Dedicated CYCLING PATH ? ? ? ?# They have identified safety, indiscriminate parking and encroachment of pedestrian sidewalks as issues that need to be addressed in the push towards cycling. In Tampines, for example, cycling clinics have been conducted to educate residents on safe practices, such as basic hand signals and how to check their bikes’ tyre pressure. The Safe Cycling Task Force volunteer group has conducted talks at workplaces and dormitories to promote safe cycling among FOREiGN WORKERS. # {Is this the TRUE REASON for CYCLiNG} # As for bicycles being parked indiscriminately and obstructing pedestrians, LTA prefers the educational approach — compared to enforcement — and it leaves notices cautioning owners against parking at wrong locations. While Mr Teo urged cyclists to be considerate and to park their bikes at designated racks and areas, he also warned: “If you park your bikes anywhere, it may also be isolated somewhere and be subjected to theft.” The success of cycling as a travel mode will depend on all road users, Mr Teo said. “In many ways, this National Cycling Plan is, and will always be, a work-inprogress, as we’ll adjust and take feedback from the local communities and stakeholders to refine our plans,” he added. Watch it >> www.channelnewsasia.com |
||||
| Good Post Bad Post | |||||
| 16-Jul-2010 11:43 |
SMRT
/
SMRT
Go to Message
|
||||
|
x 0
x 0
|
How on earth did he know so CLEARLY about the MESS ? ? ? ? Was he involved with the MESS ? ? ? ?
|
||||
| Good Post Bad Post | |||||
| 16-Jul-2010 11:40 |
SMRT
/
SMRT
Go to Message
|
||||
|
x 0
x 0
|
WHAT ELSE are ACCURATE these days ? ? ? ? OFF-guardity Errority Messity Foreign Talentability Mistakeability ? ? ? ?
|
||||
| Good Post Bad Post | |||||
| 16-Jul-2010 11:36 |
SMRT
/
SMRT
Go to Message
|
||||
|
x 0
x 0
|
An LTA spokewoman is a GHOST ? ? ? ? nObOdy is takIng respOnsIbIlIty ? ? ? ? CHECK the FiSH HEAD ? ? ? ?
|
||||
| Good Post Bad Post | |||||
| 16-Jul-2010 11:31 |
SMRT
/
SMRT
Go to Message
|
||||
|
x 0
x 0
|
The area has been under construction for some time, so it can be quite messy. Undergraduate Ooi Shan Chin, 21,
|
||||
| Good Post Bad Post | |||||
| 16-Jul-2010 11:29 |
SMRT
/
SMRT
Go to Message
|
||||
|
x 0
x 0
|
The crux of distance fares lies in the distance dataset used to calculate the fares. If the accuracy of the dataset is questionable, commuters may find themselves incorrectly charged. NUS systems engineer Dennis Puk |
||||
| Good Post Bad Post | |||||
| 16-Jul-2010 11:26 |
SMRT
/
SMRT
Go to Message
|
||||
|
x 0
x 0
|
We apologise for any inconvenience caused. An LTA spokeswoman |
||||
| Good Post Bad Post | |||||
| 16-Jul-2010 11:24 |
SMRT
/
SMRT
Go to Message
|
||||
|
x 0
x 0
|
My EX-GERMAN BOSS always tOld everyOne "A FiSH is rOtten frOm its HEAD!" Always SCRUTISE the FiSH's HEAD. |
||||
| Good Post Bad Post | |||||
| 16-Jul-2010 11:21 |
SMRT
/
SMRT
Go to Message
|
||||
|
x 0
x 0
|
Dataset error led to wrong charges: LTA LTA now working with SBS, SMRT to check data Today ExclusiveNeo Chai Chin chaichin@mediacorp.com.sg SINGAPORE Mr Dennis Puk Leung Kong had spotted that the distance in opposite directions between two bus-stops on North Buona Vista Road and Commonwealth Avenue differed on the public transport fare calculator website. On the eve of distance-based fares kicking in, he wrote in to highlight the “inconsistency”. MediaCorp posed the question to the authorities on July 6 and, yesterday, the Land Transport Authority confirmed there was indeed an error. The distance between the bus stops opposite Block 43, Commonwealth Avenue, and opposite Buona Vista MRT Station should be 0.3 kilometres, and not 0.6 km as originally computed. The error has been rectified, said an LTA spokeswoman. “This was due to a dataset error, where the additional distance from an earlier temporary local route diversion was not reversed after the diversion was over,” she said. The number of commuters affected by this error is “likely to be small”, she said, without giving an estimate. The LTA is now working with public transport operators SBS Transit and SMRT to confirm that there are no similar errors elsewhere. The spokeswoman added that commuters affected between July 3 — when distance based fares kicked in — and July 9 can make their claims via Transitlink’s website ( Commuters at Buona Vista last night were forgiving of the error. “The area has been under construction for some time, so it can be quite messy,” said undergraduate Ooi Shan Chin, 21. He will not be checking if he is eligible for any refund, as “it’s too tedious for a few cents”. Another commuter, programmer Mr Kim, 39, said the error was acceptable as long as the authorities allowed for claims, and added that he would check. MediaCorp was unable to reach Mr Puk by press time last night but, in his initial email, the National University of Singapore systems engineer noted that the “crux of distance fares lies in the distance dataset used to calculate the fares”. He added: “If the accuracy of the dataset is questionable, commuters may find themselves incorrectly charged ... Multiply this across a number of stops travelled and one could be unknowingly over-paying for distance not travelled.” Adult ez-link bus fares for air-con services increase by 1 to 10 cents between the different distance bands. LTA said it is “carefully looking out for such teething issues” in the initial phase of the new fare system, and would be doing “immediate rectification whenever necessary”. “We apologise for any inconvenience caused,” said its spokeswoman. — If not for an alert Today reader, bus commuters travelling along a stretch at Buona Vista may well still be over-charged for their rides. And the question now is if the error he uncovered is happening elsewhere.www. transitlink.com.sg), at its ticket offices or can call its hotline at 1800 225 5663. The bus services plying the two stops are 74, 91, 95, 191, 196, 198 and 200. All are SBS services.ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY ALICIA WONG |
||||
| Good Post Bad Post | |||||
| 16-Jul-2010 11:00 |
SMRT
/
SMRT
Go to Message
|
||||
|
x 0
x 0
|
from CHiNA to SiNGAPORE PRO-gressing from Singapore to China DE-gressing . . . . DiS-gressing . . . .
|
||||
| Good Post Bad Post | |||||
| 16-Jul-2010 10:58 |
SMRT
/
SMRT
Go to Message
|
||||
|
x 0
x 0
|
By 2014, the towns of Changi-Simei and Bedok will join five others — Yishun, Tampines, Taman Jurong, Pasir Ris and Sembawang — with dedicated cycling paths. |
||||
| Good Post Bad Post | |||||
| 16-Jul-2010 10:55 |
SMRT
/
SMRT
Go to Message
|
||||
|
x 0
x 0
|
The two-wheeler push New cycling towns, paths to come; safety issues to be tackled Leong Wee Keat weekeat@mediacorp.com.sg SINGAPORE This route is part of an extensive network of cycling paths the Land Transport Authority (LTA) will roll out in the area, which will see 16 kilometres of dedicated tracks by 2014. Then, the towns of Changi-Simei and Bedok will join five others — Yishun, Tampines, Taman Jurong, Pasir Ris and Sembawang — with dedicated cycling paths linking transport nodes and key local amenities. Works in these five cycling towns are expected to be completed by 2012, and the first 1.2km stretch in Tampines will open on Sunday. These initiatives, Senior Parliamentary Secretary (Transport) Teo Ser Luck said yesterday, mark a “milestone for cycling” here as it is accepted as a “more environmentally friendly, cost-effective and healthier” intra-town transport mode. The seven cycling towns were chosen because they have strong support for cycling and have land available for such tracks. For Marina Bay, Mr Teo said the area is in the “beginning stage of development”, which makes it the “best time to start planning” for cycling tracks before other land use considerations kick into gear. “If you look at Shenton Way or Orchard Road, you look at the space we have, it’s not going to be easy (building cycling paths). Nevertheless, it may evolve. We have to look at it, and it takes a longer time to plan in these areas due to the land and space constraints,” he added. Work in Marina Bay will begin this year, and Mr Teo said “an integrated approach” is needed to make cycling a travel mode. Besides building the tracks, the authorities are looking at ensuring sufficient amenities for both the bicycle and the cyclist, such as parking facilities and shower rooms. A sum of $26 million has been set aside for the Marina Bay cycling initiative. When asked about the cost benefit analysis, the Ministry of Transport’s Permanent Secretary Choi Shing Kwok said the initiative is “a long-term investment”, similar to the ministry’s approach toward building roads that last for “80, 100 years”. He added: “On a long-term basis, it’s not really that expensive. It’s pretty comparable with sidewalks for pedestrians.” Mr Teo also said the cycling paths are not built “for just two, three years”, and the authorities will monitor their use as the Marina Bay area develops. — By the end of next year, cyclists could ride around the Marina Bay area, say, from One Raffles Quay, along Marina Bay Sands, to Marina Centre. |
||||
| Good Post Bad Post | |||||
| 16-Jul-2010 10:11 |
Straits Times Index
/
STI to cross 3000 boosted by long-term investors
Go to Message
|
||||
|
x 0
x 0
|
Singapore is kick-starting the LARGE SCALE OVERHAUL of its ACOUNTANCY SECTOR with the creation of a dedicated body to oversee the revamp. Investors are able to access CREDiT RATiNGS of listed companies worldwide without charge – made possible by an NUS initiative. |
||||
| Good Post Bad Post | |||||
| 16-Jul-2010 10:02 |
User Research/Opinions
/
MAY BANK initiates GROWTH ERA tOday
Go to Message
|
||||
|
x 0
x 0
|
The government is set to increase fuel price by 2.8% starting on Friday, in a bid to save an estimated 3% from the subsidy bill in 2010. Note that this is smaller than what was originally proposed by the National Economic Advisory Council. Impact on headline inflation is likely to be mild for 2010. |
||||
| Good Post Bad Post | |||||
| 16-Jul-2010 09:52 |
Others
/
Is bucketing deemed an offence?
Go to Message
|
||||
|
x 0
x 0
|
Market Making is like Dabba Trading ? ? ? ? CFD ? ? ? ? ETF ? ? ? ? Covered Warrants ? ? ? ?
|
||||
| Good Post Bad Post | |||||
| First < Newer 9481-9500 of 13894 Older> Last |