Seow.chao.wang
Music, Design & Communications
CPD II
Critical Reflection on Final Showcase
Personally, I felt that the CPD Final Showcase was an eventful session, congregating students from both specializations for an evening of fun and learning. Although my group was not selected to present for the final showcase, having the chance to witness other groups bring out their best presentations proved as a valuable learning opportunity.
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A group which caught my attention during the showcase is Team Zegbi, consisting of Zen, Tabithan and Peggy. The group displayed strong enthusiasm with regards to their topic on Service Recovery for Front Office employees. The team managed to keep an upbeat level of engagement throughout the entire presentation.
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All members of Team Zegbi displayed exemplary confidence, showing that the group was well-prepared and well-rehearsed. for the showcase. They presented with a tone not overly assertive, yet capturing the attention of the audience by avoiding monotony. Although the design of the group's powerpoint exudes minimalism it was able to aid the group deliver clear and succinct messages. With the use of simple slides, the audience can better focus on the presenters instead of being captured by the graphics featured.
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Team Zegbi's video is included a good mix of humor and educational elements, making it a useful teaching tool as it keeps the audience engaged without sacrificing crucial educational components. Simple methods to conduct service recovery, a skill especially relevant to the hospitality industry, were conveyed clearly and consequences of not doing so were stated as well.
All in all, Team Zegbi's level of preparation, confidence, ability to engage and relate made their presentation remarkable and memorable.
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Good job Team Zegbi!
Interpersonal Communication Problem
Just recently, I was overcharged by my telecommunications provider for my cellular data usage. After checking that it was not a mistake on my part and feeling the urgency to resolve the issue, I decided to call the helpline hoping for an explanation and to rectify the blunder with my charges.
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After getting through the automated phone call system (the irritating one all of us are familiar with), I began my conversation with the customer relations officer, Gina (not her real name). Gina started the conversation with a lacklustre greeting and proceeded straight to ask me for my birth date and NRIC to authenticate my identity. I continued by explaining my frustration with regards to the error in my bill.
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With indifference and a lack of empathy, Gina claimed that the charges were most likely issued due to excessive cellular data consumption. I was taken aback by Gina’s initial response as I have the habit of tracking my data usage carefully to avoid situations as such. Most importantly, I was disappointed by Gina’s lack of service as she failed to provide me with an opportunity to explain the issue.
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Being slightly offended by Gina’s reply, I started to state the problem with clear signs of displeasure. Only at this juncture, Gina started to show slight interest to assist me with my billing woes. Before putting me on an eight-minute hold, Gina briefly mentioned about the possibility of a backend administrative lapse. After gathering clarifications, Gina got back to me on the line and reassured me that the excess charges will be waivered.
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Initially, I was curious to find out the root of the issue but dismissed the thought as it was evident that Gina had little or no interest helping me out and could not wait to end the call. I thanked Gina half-heartedly before ending the conversation feeling sour about the encounter.
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Reflecting on the incident, the fault may not lie entirely on Gina. It may be caused by my lack of clarity and the involvement of personal emotions which affected the experience in general.
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I wonder if I could have done things differently...
Service Recovery Email
Subject: Our Sincere Apologies
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Dear Ms. Goldstein,
Greetings from Marina Bay Sands (MBS) and we hope this email finds you doing well.
Firstly, thank you for taking the time to share your feedback with us. We regret to hear about your unpleasant encounters at our hotel.
We would like to extend our sincere apologies for the lacklustre guest experience you had during your stay. Rest assured that our Front Office Manager has since been informed about it and that at MBS, all our staff are constantly encouraged to provide our guests with quality service. We have identified the Front Office Agent who attended to you, and served a letter of warning. This ensures that all our Front Office Agents continue to uphold the quality service that we promise to deliver.
Additionally, our hotel has checked with our partners at Agoda, and contacted the Customer Relations Officer, Mr David Lim, who is glad to assist you on the issues encountered with regards to the complimentary breakfast. He could be reached via the email as copied, or via the phone at +65 6788 8300.
Once again, on behalf of the hotel, we sincerely apologize for the unpleasant guest experience you had. We truly value all our guests' feedback and would like to thank you for your time in sharing with us on your experience. It has certainly helped us to identify our areas for improvement.
We thank you for your kind understanding in this matter and look forward to your continuous support. Please do not hesitate to contact me for any assistance.
Thank you.
Yours sincerely,
[Our own name]
Quality Service Manager
Marina Bay Sands
Formal Introductory Email
Subject: Introductory Email - Seow Chao Wang (26th January 2018)
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Dear Ms. Lim and fellow groupmates,
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I am Chao Wang, a Hospitality Business (HB) undergraduate from the Singapore Institute of Technology. Prior to my university education, I served two years of national service with the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) under the Signals Formation.
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Educational and Professional Experience
Before my enlistment to the army, I took up a six-month contract employment with Radiance PhysioFit, a boutique gym and physiotherapy centre located along Tanjong Pagar as a Customer Relations Officer and Marketing Assistant. It was a fruitful learning experience over at the gym as I was tasked to handle client accounts, market and promote packages and interact with guests of different nationalities and backgrounds.
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I completed my three-year Hospitality and Tourism Management diploma programme at Temasek Polytechnic. While at Temasek Polytechnic, I was presented with the opportunity to intern at Royal Caribbean Cruises (Asia). Being assigned to the marketing department, upkeeping the company’s loyalty programme and assisting my superiors with collaterals contributed to the bulk of my job scope. Additionally, I was roped in from time to time to participate in the planning and execution of marketing related events, such as media tours onboard cruise ships and roadshows at travel fairs. The highlight of my internship was to participate in a thematic cruise sailing as a project assistant.
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Strengths and Weaknesses in Communication
Personally, I feel that I am a tactful speaker when communicating with people around me. I am cautious of the choice of words most of the time and rather sensitive to the feelings of people around me. Ironically, I find it difficult to express my true feelings at times when it benefits the course of conversation. It is a weakness that I am working on, and I hope to learn ways to express my genuine thoughts better in time to come.
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Goals for the module
By the completion of this module, I hope to improve my writing so that I can translate rough ideas into well-structured sentences/paragraphs at a faster rate. This will benefit my future career in the events industry as I will be required to churn out proposals within a tight schedule. Secondly, I aim to become a more convincing writer, and brush up on my persuasive writing skills.
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All in all, I look forward to having an enjoyable and fruitful time at CPD2 with all of you.
Warmest Regards,
Seow Chao Wang
Warmest Regards,
Seow Chao Wang (Mr)
Year 2 Student | Hospitality Business, B (Hons)
Singapore Institute of Technology
HP: 91098182 Email: chaowang94@gmail.com