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Good Service is
Something They Deliver!

by Mohd Jailani Nathan

WHILE there had been a lot of discussion over the level of service in Singapore lately, ITE’s chirpy trio was already showing the public what good service really was. And they have evidence to show – letters of commendation from the shoppers whom they had served. On a job attachment to different branches of Isetan stores, the girls - Au Yong Siok Kuan, Nurhafizah Nahrawi and Mahirah Mohd Helmi, all 17 years of age, and students of the Nitec in Service Skills (Retail) course from ITE College West (Clementi Campus) – have proven that they have everything it takes to win customers’ satisfaction and lure them back to the stores.

The three-month stint in a retail industry is part of the formal curriculum to familiarise ITE Retail students with real-life situations and prepare them for the challenges within the industry.

In Search of the Perfect Feel and Fit
“We were prepared for the harsh realities of the retail industry, but the experience turned out to be sweeter than we ever thought,” began Mahirah, as she recounted an incident in the store. She, who was attached to the Isetan store at Tampines Mall, was fifteen minutes away from off-duty, when she was approached by an elderly woman who was shopping for a pair of comfortable sandals. “I could see that her soles were causing her pain and discomfort. I sat her down and chatted with her to find out what sort of sandals she was looking for before I made my recommendations. She was indecisive and before we both knew it, I was already laying out eight pairs of shoes in front of her. Gee, I must have gone up and down the storeroom ladder eight times,” said Mahirah, breaking into a hearty laughter. The woman later decided on a pair of pink Scholls and Mahirah thought nothing of the incident. She ended up leaving the store later than usual that day.

“The memories came back only after the store received a letter of compliment written by the woman’s daughter. My patience had somehow, impressed her. How sweet!” Mahirah exclaimed.

They Just Know What Customers Want
Both Siok Kuan and Nurhafizah were praised for putting in the extra effort in delighting their customers. Siok Kuan turned herself into a fashion consultant while Nurhafizah went out of the way to search for a Winnie the Pooh hand towel that was no longer sold in the stores. An amused Siok Kuan recounted: “There was this customer at Isetan Scotts who sought my recommendation on a particular brand of tops which she had never tried before. She was rather apprehensive, so I told her that she would look fabulous in them. Based on her size, skin tone and preference, I went on a hunt, hoping that she would like what I chose. And she did! She bought all four blouses.”

For Nurhafizah’s customer, it was a hand towel that made her day; one which only emerged after a frantic hunt. “Knowing how bent the customer was on getting that towel, I spent some time with her searching for it although she had been told that the store no longer carried the item. Then, it struck me that I’d seen something that matched her description while doing some work in the store room earlier. I rushed into the store room to retrieve the towel. You could see her face lighted up when she saw the towel. I immediately knew that I’d made one customer happy that day!” said Nurhafizah, who spent her attachment stint at Isetan Scotts.

The trio was pleased with the compliments but dismissed it as most important. “We would still carry on with our jobs with a smile even if the customers had given us a rough day. What’s more important is to give the customers what they want quickly and efficiently,” said Nurhafizah. And to that, Siok Kuan added: “When your service gets acknowledged by the customers, it shows that ITE has instilled in us the right attributes that are needed to face the demands of a retail industry.”