I have not been back to Universal Studios for a while now. And how I have been missing out! The Park celebrated its 5th birthday last week and I popped by and fell in love again. I was there to find out how Universal Studios Singapore (USS) came to be a finalist for this year’s Singapore Service Excellence Medallion Award. Beyond providing further information on the park, the Universal Studios Singapore staff on the ground demonstrated excellent service. Read to the end of the blogpost to find out who won my heart. :)
Lots of guest-staff interaction at the Park:
Universal Studios Singapore is no stranger to service excellence awards. In 2013, two of their staff took home awards in the Customer Service category – Retail and Visitor Attraction.
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Ms Lim Miao Ling, age 30, from That’s A Wrap Store at Universal Studios Singapore said: “I always try to ensure guests leave the store smiling, that’s what keeps me going. I definitely did not expect to win this award, now I am even more driven to create more excellent customer service moments.”
Ms Grace Christine M. Jamuna Rani, age 50, a VIP Tour Guide for Universal Studios Singapore, who won the award for Visitor Attraction said: “I am honored, privileged and thankful to have won this service excellence award. Having my efforts recognised at this age is a great encouragement.”
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The Park is currently decked out in Easter-themed decor. And I am particularly fond of anything to do with the Minions. Are you a fan too? :D
Thanks to the tour led by their Senior Communications Executive, Linette Lin, I got to venture into a place I’ve never been before – the Family Room. Tucked in a corner of the Transformers Ride venue, it is a spacious air-conditioned area for families to hang out – Daddy can sit in here with the young kids while Mommy goes on the ride, and vice versa. There’s a TV, water dispensers of different heights (so thoughtful!), a wash basin, and long benches.
Staff are also trained to identify guests who are not feeling well after the rides, and to usher them to this Family Room. And for anyone who requires medical attention, there is a medical centre within the Park.
The park also provides several value-added services. It has introduced sewing kits and mobile phone charging services across parks and also provides young guests with wrist tags that makes it easier to reunite children who have gotten separated from their parents.
Inside and out, USS has also spared no effort in providing amazing photo opportunities. Against a colorful backdrop with an egg-shaped Universal ‘globe’, I got a picture with the Sesame Street gang. And here’s where the magic happened…
The blue one might easily be mistaken as Cookie Monster. I believe he’s Grover, with bunny ears.
After my photo, another group went up to take pictures with the Sesame Street characters. When coming down those steps, this lady in a pink top and beige shorts took a tumble and fell down awkwardly. She quickly picked herself up, in front of the crowd of people queuing for photos. But what surprised me most was Grover hurrying down and embracing her in a huge hug. I guess all embarrassment she was feeling up to that point must have evaporated. She left with a huge smile on her face.
Thumbs up for Grover! (*Edited pic: I gave the lady some shades to protect her identity) Looks like the staff at USS are empowered to turn any guest situation into a memorable one!
Universal Studios Singapore looks amazing, the rides are awesome, the merchandise are irresistible, but I guess what will keep guests coming back is that fantastic experience provided by the staff. Be prepared to fall head over heels in love with Universal Studios Singapore the next time you visit. And give Grover a high five for me!
Key Takeaway: From this experience at USS, I think people who visit the Park are not treated so much as ‘customers’ as they are treated as ‘guests’. When a guest visits your home or office, you try to make him/her feel ‘at home’ and go out of your way to accommodate and welcome your guest. Anyone who is involved with client relations, customer service, sales, or any client-facing jobs would do well to view ‘customers’ as ‘guests’. Ultimately, organizations are judged not by fancy brochures they hand out but by the individual customer experiences.
Say Hi to the Minions on your next visit:
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“The Singapore Service Excellence Medallion was launched to honor organisations and individuals who have inspired a transformation in the local service industry and raised the bar in service excellence. This is quantified not by individual heroes, but by the remarkable performance of the people and organisations that are pushing the envelope to create an environment that delivers phenomenal organisational performance, employee and customer satisfaction.”
To vote for Universal Studios Singapore to win the Singapore Service Excellence Medallion, follow the link below:
