Oct 10, 2006
SIA's best trainee can't speak well. More training needed
to upkeep airline's image
I attended a graduation ceremony recently for SIA cabin crew and I
was disappointed at the level of language competency of the "Best
Trainee" when she gave her speech to a diverse audience, which
included visitors from abroad.
I cannot be more embarrassed and was saddened that she was unable
to recite the SIA Pledge. She struggled to recall the words on
stage until fellow crew members came to her rescue.
As a Singaporean, I take pride in having SIA as our national
carrier, which is internationally recognised after winning many
awards, one of which is the 'World's Best Cabin Service'.
I have been told of the rigorous selection process in recruiting
the cabin crew and I believe they go through stringent tests in the
four months' training provided by the company.
However, the incident appalled me and I wonder if that is the
standard of commitment and proficiency that we should showcase to
the world.
The Singapore Girl has an image to uphold. I hope that this
incident will not happen again.
I urge the management to take action so as not to tarnish the
company's reputation. Perhaps a course on personal confidence and
speech competency can be included in the training.
If this is already part of the training, I hope that SIA will put
more emphasis in this area. The ability to speak and react calmly
will help in the delivery of service.
The Singapore Girl after all is a world class icon that we are
proud to have.
Tizi Melissa Othman (Ms)
Source: ST Forum 10 Oct 06
