The Business Times
29 Oct 2007
WDA to target bosses, senior execs in service excellence drive
By CHUANG PECK MING
(SINGAPORE) Bosses and management staff will be the target next month when the Workforce Development Agency (WDA) kicks off its latest campaign to drive service excellence.
This year's effort comes at a time when the local tourism landscape is shifting to higher ground as a record number of tourists has descended on Singapore, with more to come when the Formula One race and integrated resorts take off.
'The service industry is at a very exciting turning point,' says Ong Ye Kung, WDA's chief executive. 'Singapore now has a whole new tourism landscape. Someone described to me that we are now a playground of the rich and famous. Look at the property prices. I think they indicate that.'
There is a different look and feel about Singapore's tourism business now - and that is rubbing off on the retail trade and many others in the services sector, like healthcare and education.
'The sophistication of our service level must rise in tandem with the sophistication of demand we are now facing,' Mr Ong says.
As with the spike in property prices, the service standards here - going beyond 'greeting, smile and thanks' - are also set to rise, now that workers are more aware of the need to offer good service to customers - an indication that the 'Go-the-Extra-Mile -for-Service' (GEMS) movement has got its message through.
'There is a critical mass of workers who feel that they really have to give good service - that it is good professionalism, good for their careers,' Mr Ong told BT in a recent interview.
And according to him, the greater awareness is reflected in greater media coverage of service standards and in letters of complaints and praises written by the public to The Straits Times's Forum Page.
'When there is awareness, people seek to improve,' Mr Ong says. But he also points out that awareness is only the start - it has to be guided.
And that's where business leaders come in - they have to provide the training for workers; set up the standard operating procedures and system to ensure service delivery is consistent and reliable; and empower workers with the flexibility to act on the ground.
Singapore could do with more CEOs and senior executives taking the lead in raising service quality here.
According to a recent WDA poll of 1,623 executives, most know service is important but only half of them are ready to do anything about it.
And even though most bosses recognise service matters, Mr Ong says the number is still not large enough.
'The majority of CEOs think service is important but it's not a huge majority,' he says. 'The percentage is still less than the percentage for workers and the public.'
He finds this puzzling: 'CEOs should be the ones leading the thought process, asserting their thought leadership and they should have the highest percentage in terms of saying how important service level is.'
Like all changes in a company, Mr Ong says service improvement should also be driven from the top.
'When we first started the GEMS movement, our instinct was to say everyone has a part to play,' he says. 'Today we are in the next phase of the GEMS movement. I, WDA as well as our council members are beginning to have the feeling that CEOs play a particularly important role - and this year, in the next phase of GEMS movement, we want to focus on what CEOs can do.'
The WDA wants to go beyond the job of the CEOs and senior management in setting the tone, providing the tools to workers and putting in place what it takes to raise service quality.
'My hope is that we can create public discussions among CEOs and top (business) leaders, to discuss what really is their role as the CEO in shaping our service culture so that we can develop a unique brand of service for Singapore,' Mr Ong says.
Just being friendly is simply not enough. 'The foundation in good service is getting things done properly, consistently, according to customers' expectations and six sigma standards (perfection in quality), giving customers what they want,' Mr Ong stresses.
Perhaps, he says, bosses are reluctant to take on service improvement because they think it means extra cost - like offering gold-plated cutlery instead of cheaper stainless steel. This notion needs to be corrected.
'It's not very different from how a manufacturing company or factory works,' Mr Ong says. 'It's process-based, it's about being able to solve problems on the ground, empowerment. These are all good manufacturing practices which are applicable to service industries - and which will make good service.'
Putting bosses in the spotlight, WDA hopes to deepen its push for service quality. It also wants to extend the service message beyond the 'obvious industries' , to the logistics, banking, healthcare and transportation sectors.
'We have a lot of good things going for us in terms of standard operating procedures, discipline at the workplace,' Mr Ong says.
'We have a disciplined workforce that can follow the SOPs very well. That's half the battle won. The other half is adding in the smile, the empowerment. First the form, next is the passion and the sincerity. I think we can reach there.'
Copyright © 2007 Singapore Press Holdings Ltd. All rights reserved.
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