Concierge Mani Thevan Magadevan had just got off work at Crowne Plaza Changi Airport hotel on Aug 29 when a worried guest approached him in the hotel lobby.
It was 2am and the man's son had fallen and hurt his elbow while jumping on a bed in their hotel room. Despite having finished his shift, Mr Mani Thevan, 28, did not hesitate to help the guest, who he knows only as Mr Kwok.
He prepared a wheelchair and accompanied the family to the nearest clinic - Raffles Medical at Changi Airport Terminal 3 - staying with them to make sure things were all right.
When they were told that the doctor was not able to help and that the boy had to be taken to KK Women's and Children's Hospital, Mr Mani Thevan went the extra mile and accompanied the family there, staying with them until the boy was discharged at around 4am.
Mr Mani Thevan said he had simply put himself in the guests' shoes, asking himself the question: "What if this happened to me?"
For his efforts, he was one of 146 employees in the hospitality sector who were lauded last Thursday at the 25th National Kindness Award - Service Gold 2019 ceremony, held at the Ramada by Wyndham Singapore at Zhongshan Park.
In a speech at the event, Mr Melvin Yong, an MP for Tanjong Pagar GRC, said: "As we adopt new forms of technologies to improve our service delivery, let us never forget the human touch and continue to perform acts of kindness, so that together, we can build a more caring and gracious society."
Also recognised for his kindness was Mr Patrick Hi Weng Thiam, an assistant manager at Rendezvous Hotel Singapore.
The 47-year-old was on duty at the hotel reception earlier this year when an in-house guest called around noon, inquiring where the nearest clinic was as he was experiencing food poisoning.
On learning that the guest was too weak to walk, Mr Hi offered to take him to the clinic using a wheelchair. At the clinic, he helped the guest with the registration process and accompanied him throughout the consultation and collection of medication.
After taking the grateful guest back to his room, Mr Hi even ordered congee and bottled water to the room for the guest.
Mr Hi said: "The extra mile that you go for guests makes a difference. Otherwise, a hotel is just a hotel, a building without the human touch."
The award event was jointly organised by the Singapore Kindness Movement and the Singapore Hotel Association.
Also recognised were three hotel guests who showed exceptional care and graciousness towards service staff.
One winner of the Gracious Guest award was Ms Ivy Ng, who stayed at the Mandarin Orchard Singapore earlier this year.
She committed the names of the staff to memory, greeting them daily without fail, and also gave honest and constructive feedback and tips to the staff from a guest's perspective. She even took the time to write personal compliments to each of the staff, detailing their shared experiences.
Dr William Wan, general secretary of the Singapore Kindness Movement, highlighted the importance of hotel guests appreciating the efforts of service staff and returning their kindness.
He said: "Kindness is a two-way street. To reciprocate the kindness through appreciation is tremendous endorsement and affirmation for our service professionals. Your gratitude makes their work all the more fulfilling."
