By Jake Chng

WHEN Yoshinoya's senior restaurant manager Jasmine Tan, 29, saw a female customer crying one day a year ago, she approached her to find out what was wrong.

The woman said that her eight-year-old son had disappeared while she was buying a meal at the counter in the Japanese fast-food restaurant's Takashimaya branch.

Ms Tan took her to the shopping centre's reception counter to report her son missing.

"About 15 to 20 minutes later, I spotted her son crying outside, and took him to her," she said.

Similarly, Madam Halimah Rahaman, 40, a visitor service assistant at the Singapore Science Centre, went the extra mile to help her customer.

Yesterday, she managed to find a stuffed toy dog belonging to a visitor that had been misplaced at the centre, and called for a cab to send it to his hotel.

Both women are finalists in the service category of the inaugural Singapore Experience Awards, given out by the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) to organisations and individuals whose products and services offer consumers the best experience.

It was formed by merging STB's Tourism Awards, Singapore Business Events Awards and Singapore Education Awards.

Under the new awards, a total of 28 prizes, including those for the best dining experience and the top shopping spot, will be given out on Nov 9.

For each award, a panel of three judges from the service industry will pick the winner, based on courtesy and product knowledge, among other factors.

Five finalists have been shortlisted for each award.

Ms Tan is in the running for the top customer-service award in the food-and-beverage sector, while Madam Halimah is gunning for the visitor-attraction- sector award.

Ms Tan said: "When I see that the customer is satisfied, it makes me happy and motivates me to work harder. Being nominated shows me that the customers are happy with me, and I will continue to do my best."

Madam Halimah said that she hopes her colleagues will take heart from her nomination and strive to do their best.

chngjm@sph.com.sg

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