Airport Staff Commended for Excellent Customer Service

18 Jul 2018

Timely, professional assistance is a critical aspect of airport customer service, no matter what the task is. Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) today reinforced its commitment to making every traveller’s journey smooth and enjoyable by hosting its annual Customer Service Excellence Programme (CSEP) award presentation ceremony to recognise outstanding service by airport staff.

About 1,000 employees were awarded this year for customer service excellence and providing a pleasant airport experience for passengers. Frank Chan Fan, Secretary for Transport and Housing, and Fred Lam, Chief Executive Officer of Airport Authority Hong Kong (AA), officiated at the ceremony.

Mr Chan said, “To achieve excellence, an airport should not only provide the best facilities, but also need to enhance the quality of service continuously. In the past 20 years, HKIA has been recognised as the ‘best airport’ over 70 times by the aviation industry. This proud result is the joint achievement of the AA, relevant business partners, as well as the whole aviation industry. I would like to take this opportunity to express my heartfelt thanks to all the airport staff for their contributions in the past 20 years.”

Mr Lam said, “With air traffic getting busier, it is not easy to maintain such high service standards. However, thanks to the tireless effort and dedication of our 73,000 airport staff, we are able to deliver excellent service to travellers from around the world while still maintaining high operational efficiency. In fact, HKIA’s outstanding service and operational efficiency have earned the airport a number of industry awards, which fully reflects our staff’s commitment to continuously enhance the airport experience.”

This year, the “Best Customer Service of the Year” Individual Excellence Award was given to Tsang Chi-wong of Nixon Cleaning Company Limited for his kindness and consideration. After a visually impaired male passenger used the toilet facilities at the Arrivals Hall, Tsang proactively assisted the passenger in washing and drying his hands. Tsang also supported and guided the passenger to join his waiting companion.

The “Best Customer Service of the Year” Corporate Excellence Award went to the Immigration Department for its all-out effort in introducing “Smart Departure” at HKIA, providing a more efficient passenger immigration service through biometric technology. Introduced in October 2017, “Smart Departure” enables departing passengers aged 11 or above with valid electronic travel documents to register and use the self-service departure clearance through designated e-Channels. Given the increasing number of passengers using immigration services at HKIA, this service substantially reduces waiting time for departure clearance, elevating service standards and efficiency for a better passenger experience.

Twenty-five staff from the AA, Cathay Pacific Airways, Hong Kong Airport Services Limited and Hong Kong Aviation Ground Services Limited won “Best Customer Service of the Year” Cross-Company Excellence Awards for attaching surprise gifts onto the baggage of selected flights to share festive joy with passengers during Christmas 2017. The thoughtful gesture was particularly impressive due to the challenge of giving out over 3,000 gifts between unloading and delivery while ensuring bags arrived on time.

To celebrate HKIA’s 20^th birthday, HKIA 20^th Anniversary Special Awards were also presented to airport business partners and service providers in recognition of their continuous contributions to excellent customer service. Awardees included Cathay Pacific Airways, the Immigration Department, Hong Kong Airlines Limited, Lagardère Travel Retail Hong Kong Limited, the Customs and Excise Department, Aviation Security Company Limited, Worldwide Flight Services Holding S.A., Hong Kong Airport Services Limited, Hong Kong Aviation Ground Services Limited, Jardine Aviation Services Limited and the Hong Kong Police Force.

The CSEP Awards were launched in 2002 to recognise outstanding individuals, teams and companies for service excellence, and to encourage the airport community to continuously pursue exceptional customer service.