Gracious guests honoured alongside service staff at Service Gold Awards

Mr Harry Lim (above), 65, a former human resource manager, is the first person to receive a Gracious Guest award at this year's Service Gold Awards to honour service staff in the hotel industry on Nov 27, 2013. -- ST PHOTO: ASHLEIGH SIM
Mr Harry Lim (above), 65, a former human resource manager, is the first person to receive a Gracious Guest award at this year's Service Gold Awards to honour service staff in the hotel industry on Nov 27, 2013. -- ST PHOTO: ASHLEIGH SIM

Good service goes both ways at this year's Service Gold Awards ceremony on Wednesday.

As 94 hotel service staff from 53 hotels were honoured for going the extra mile to provide excellent service, a new Gracious Guest category was introduced to thank 11 guests who have shown care and appreciation to service staff as well.

One winner, 65-year-old Harry Lim, who is a regular at Furama Riverfront's Waterfall Lounge for 10 years, has forged long-standing relationships with the hotel's employees. The former human resource manager mentors the staff when he visits, advising them on work and personal matters.

"An excellent culture of service cannot flourish in a one-way street where guests are demanding and unreasonable," said Acting Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Lawrence Wong in his opening address at the awards ceremony, urging guests to play a part by appreciating and encouraging service staff. At the Kindness Conference held earlier this month, attitudes towards service staff was found to be an important social concern among Singaporeans.

The Service Gold Award, jointly organised by the Singapore Kindness Movement and the Singapore Hotel Association, was started in 1994. Winners are nominated by their peers in the hospitality industry.

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