My salute goes out to Andrienne of Giorgio Armani Cosmetics at Isetan, KLCC. I went on my annual shopping trip to load up my personal cosmetic kit in KLCC recently. GA is not my regular brand however Andrienne created a very good impression on me when I visited her counter. Prior to approaching her counter to have a look at her products, she had a big and friendly smile on her face inviting me to where she stood. With her excellent customer service skills, I decided to give her products a try. Much to my surprise, 2 weeks after my purchase she called me to get my feedback and ask if I was comfortable using the products. This is what I call excellent customer service!

After a quick weekend at Cameron Highlands with the family for some fresh air and vegetable shopping, we were traveling back to KL. I had neglected to fill up with petrol on the way down and was precariously close to pushing my car in a downpour. With my preference for Petronas, I pulled into one of their stations in Gopeng. The most surprising thing greeted me as I stepped out of my car; the station had a radio blaring from the speakers. The deejay’s voice was strong and pleasant. As I was dispensing petrol into my car I habitually glanced around and I was flabbergasted! It wasn’t a radio playing but there was a gentleman manning the payment counter greeting and bidding farewell to every car and customer that drove in. This was incredibly amusing and ultimately created a most unforgettable experience. To the gentleman on the mike in Petronas Gopeng, you have created an endearing positive experience for me. My salute to you!

On a recent trip back from Cameron Highlands to KL, the tour bus broke down half way through the journey. As time did not permit, we did not call for a rescue bus. Without hesitation, the tour guide on board immediately assisted the bus driver in rectifying the problem and fixing the broken part. Here is to Mr. Iswaran, for your quick-wittedness, great initiatives and extra efforts in ensuring that we reach our destination on time.

There is this “Chicken Rice” stall in the “kopitiam” down from our office that we frequent most of the time when we have the “itch” for a good plate of chicken rice. What makes them special is not just the exceptional quality of their core products of steamed, grilled or barbecued chicken but the combination of the variety of their offerings. Another point worth mentioning is their personalized service to each and every one of their customers that provides them with immediate business. The effort taken by the “see tau poh” and the “taukeh” is definitely admirable for their continuous and consistent service quality offered to their customers. My salute goes out to the both of you and keep your tasty sauces coming!

Hopping from one light shop to another on the hunt to decorate my new home, I finally found a shop that made me feel right at home. From greetings to understanding my needs, Maria the shop manager of Concept Light, managed to convince me to make my purchase. Maria took the time to get to know me, find out what my preferences were and even recommended what was appropriate for my home after I described the lay out! I felt that she read my mind!

For the past few weeks, the ATCEN team has been traveling up and down Cameron Highlands conducting Teambuilding sessions. On most of these trips, our tour guide was Iswaran. We find him to be responsible, polite and friendly. He is also a knowledge seeker who constantly seeks specific knowledge from various local “experts” that he later imparts to his participants. More importantly he makes sure everyone is safe, happy and entertained throughout the journey. Best of all, he goes out of his way to make sure that things run smoothly throughout the whole journey. Kudos for a good job! We need more Tour Guides like him to promote Malaysia.

A family-run restaurant named Chilicothe near our office offers a variety of local favorites with very reasonable prices. An “auntie” who is a cousin to the owner of the restaurant is friendly and flexible in serving us and the customers each time we visit. She also enjoys sharing with us the story behind the family business and how it all came about. I salute this “auntie” for her good and sincere customer service skills in making her customers feel right at home with delicious cooking.

I recently took my car for a wash at one of the petrol stations around my neighborhood. I was pleasantly surprised with the organized manner by which the car wash was organized. Owners drove their car to queue up and were immediately attended to by the respective attendants. Once the body of the car was washed, the car would move down the line where attendants would dry and vacuum the car. Not only were the attendants quick and efficient in their work, they were also cheerful in greeting their customers! There was also a shaded waiting area for customers with benches to sit on and magazines to read while waiting for their cars to be washed. This car wash team definitely deserves my salute for their teamwork and enthusiasm.

Efficient, effective, pleasant and professional are 4 words that come to mind when I think of Ann Dimple Derric from JobStreet. A few weeks ago, ATCEN wanted to advertise on JobStreet. Being a first time user, naturally I had questions. Ann not only answered professionally and pleasantly, she was also highly efficient in getting back to me as quickly as possible. It is people like you who provide the human touch to our technology oriented world today. Well done. Keep up the good work!