Introduction
Regularly ranked among the world's best airlines, the focus of Singapore Airlines (SIA) can be summed up in one word – customer.
The world of aviation is notoriously competitive, and with pressure growing from upstart budget carriers as well as fast-growing full-service airlines such as Qatar Airways and Emirates, premium carriers like SIA are seeing margins squeezed.
Because of the inherent characteristics of the service industry, for firms like Singapore Airlines, customer-facing staff are critical business assets. Likewise from a customer's viewpoint, the actions of staff embody the service organisation itself.
SIA understands both points and as a result, has become a model for service excellence, both within aviation and …show more content…
Therefore hiring at the airline involves a rigorous and strict selection process.
There are group and one-on-one interviews and an English language competency test. SIA looks for recruits who can empathise with passengers and are cheerful, friendly and humble.
Each year the airline receives around 10,000 applications to join its cabin crew, of whom only around 900 are eventually hired.
A common challenge facing service organisations is a shortage of labour. As a result of this and the competitive nature of the service industry there is a temptation to hasten the hiring process.
That however would be a false economy. Think of it this way: Hiring should be a carefully considered process. Taking on the wrong people will quickly turn into a liability for the organisation.
Pilot -
2. Training service champions
Once accepted into SIA, the newly recruited cabin crew take part in an intensive 15-week training course - the longest and most comprehensive in the airline industry.
Hiring should be a carefully considered process. Taking on the wrong people will quickly turn into a liability for the …show more content…
Successful service organisations tend to show a commitment in words, dollars and action towards training.
3. Creating esprit de corps
With the many services that need to be attended to on board an aircraft, the nature of the working environment requires people to work effectively as a team to deliver service excellence.
SIA creates esprit de corps among its cabin crew members by grouping them into 'wards'. Each ward consists of about 180 crew, led by a 'ward-leader' acting as counsellor to guide and develop the crew members. The ward leaders issue newsletters, organise face-to-face sessions and activities with their ward members.
These activities, designed to promote team spirit, include inter-ward games, overseas bonding sessions and regularly scheduled full-day engagement sessions on the ground.
In addition, SIA organises activities that reach out to the wider crew population. The management staff have frequent interactions with crew members at the Control Centre (where crew report for work) over food and drinks. The senior crew members are invited for full-day engagement sessions with the airline's
Regularly ranked among the world's best airlines, the focus of Singapore Airlines (SIA) can be summed up in one word – customer.
The world of aviation is notoriously competitive, and with pressure growing from upstart budget carriers as well as fast-growing full-service airlines such as Qatar Airways and Emirates, premium carriers like SIA are seeing margins squeezed.
Because of the inherent characteristics of the service industry, for firms like Singapore Airlines, customer-facing staff are critical business assets. Likewise from a customer's viewpoint, the actions of staff embody the service organisation itself.
SIA understands both points and as a result, has become a model for service excellence, both within aviation and …show more content…
Therefore hiring at the airline involves a rigorous and strict selection process.
There are group and one-on-one interviews and an English language competency test. SIA looks for recruits who can empathise with passengers and are cheerful, friendly and humble.
Each year the airline receives around 10,000 applications to join its cabin crew, of whom only around 900 are eventually hired.
A common challenge facing service organisations is a shortage of labour. As a result of this and the competitive nature of the service industry there is a temptation to hasten the hiring process.
That however would be a false economy. Think of it this way: Hiring should be a carefully considered process. Taking on the wrong people will quickly turn into a liability for the organisation.
Pilot -
2. Training service champions
Once accepted into SIA, the newly recruited cabin crew take part in an intensive 15-week training course - the longest and most comprehensive in the airline industry.
Hiring should be a carefully considered process. Taking on the wrong people will quickly turn into a liability for the …show more content…
Successful service organisations tend to show a commitment in words, dollars and action towards training.
3. Creating esprit de corps
With the many services that need to be attended to on board an aircraft, the nature of the working environment requires people to work effectively as a team to deliver service excellence.
SIA creates esprit de corps among its cabin crew members by grouping them into 'wards'. Each ward consists of about 180 crew, led by a 'ward-leader' acting as counsellor to guide and develop the crew members. The ward leaders issue newsletters, organise face-to-face sessions and activities with their ward members.
These activities, designed to promote team spirit, include inter-ward games, overseas bonding sessions and regularly scheduled full-day engagement sessions on the ground.
In addition, SIA organises activities that reach out to the wider crew population. The management staff have frequent interactions with crew members at the Control Centre (where crew report for work) over food and drinks. The senior crew members are invited for full-day engagement sessions with the airline's