Frontline employees at the shopping malls, office towers and serviced apartments operated by Hang Lung Properties always strive to offer customers and tenants a distinctive experience that exemplifies the company’s “We Do It Well” philosophy. Their stated goal is to think from the customer’s perspective and demonstrate initiative and a strong sense of accountability, with a sincere caring and “Go the Extra Mile” attitude that anticipates and then exceeds customer needs and expectations. Together with the customer-centricity for which the Hang Lung brand is synonymous, these form the standard against which success is measured at the annual “Hang Lung Emerald Award”. This year’s winners proved no exception.
Wendy Chung and Dorothy Yau, both Senior Guest Service Supervisors at Kornhill Apartments, endeavoured to save a life with their vigilance and professionalism. One day, they received a phone call from a rehabilitation centre enquiring about “Grandma Wong”, a resident at the Apartments, who had failed to attend a scheduled physiotherapy session that day and was not answering her phone. Chung and Yau knew that Grandma Wong lived alone and walked with a cane. Her impaired vision meant that it was unlikely she would leave her unit, so the pair set off without hesitation to check on her. When they reached the unit, they could hear the TV set, but no one answered the door. After gaining entry to the unit, they discovered Grandma Wong unconscious on her bed. They immediately called an ambulance and accompanied her to hospital while notifying her next of kin about what had happened.
The panel of judges was impressed by Chung and Yau’s attention to every detail of the situation. Prior to her return home after hospitalisation, Chung and Yau engaged thorough cleaning and disinfection services for her unit so that Grandma Wong could rest assured about the hygiene and focus on her recuperation. In a heartwarming gesture, Chung and Yau arranged a wheelchair at the lobby to meet Grandma Wong when she returned home and take her to her unit. After Grandma Wong had settled down and rested properly, Chung and Yau checked in on her with a phone call. Their warmth and care deeply touched Grandma Wong. She expressed her gratitude by saying: “If you had not come and knocked on my door that day, I would not be alive now.”
The understanding that their job function is ultimately one of genuine care and concern won Chung and Yau the Emerald Award. The pair’s extraordinary decisiveness in the heat of the moment was driven by that care, and both agree that Hang Lung’s corporate culture and “Go the Extra Mile” spirit had instilled in them the need to observe carefully, pay attention to detail, and remain calm when handling an emergency.
Since 2014, Hang Lung presented the prestigious “Hang Lung Emerald Award” to recognise the efforts of frontline employees who pursue service excellence with heartfelt conviction. The Award forms part of an ecosystem of care that nurtures employees’ skills, building a team that is invested in the company’s unique strategic approach to service delivery in all areas of its business.
Wide-ranging training and career development programmes are provided to foster the spirit of “customer-centricity” from which the “Go the Extra Mile” spirit springs, and to ensure every employee has the opportunity for career progression and personal growth. These courses include the “Emerald Service Knowledge Program”, which covers four aspects of the Hang Lung service standard: personal grooming; service language; service knowledge; and service behavior.
From theory to practice, the “Emerald Service Action Program” takes knowledge into real-world situations, providing an immersive scenario-based context for the company’s commitment to service excellence and the opportunity to make the acquired skills a way of life as they respond to people and situations driven by a passion for service and genuine care. Meanwhile, the “Emerald Service Coaching Program” is being developed to help supervisors sharpen their coaching and supervision skills.
Deputy Director (Head of Group HR and Administration) at Hang Lung Properties, Janet Poon, says: “We hope the Award inspires our frontline employees and reinforces Hang Lung's long-standing focus on service excellence and the ‘Go the Extra Mile’ service attitude. Most importantly, the award, as the culmination of a holistic programme of continuous professional development, helps build an environment in which employees feel that they are an essential part of the company, and that their efforts and contributions are appreciated.”
True to its “Go the Extra Mile” spirit, Hang Lung always seeks to reach beyond customer service and into the community for the creation of a sustainable, inclusive, and diverse society. In collaboration with the Hong Kong Young Women’s Christian Association, the company introduced service training courses that specifically help frontline employees build awareness of the needs of people living with dementia, and equip them with the skills necessary to provide quality service to people in need.
“We believe in people investment. We have explored different methods and launched a variety of training programmes to enhance employee engagement in training, including sponsorship for employees who pursue external training programmes and apply for professional memberships,” Poon says. “We motivate all employees to unleash their full potential and use it to drive the growth of our business. Training and continuous learning are not only beneficial to the individual career development of the employee, but also essential for the sustainable development of Hang Lung.”
