Singapore gears up for F1

Service personnel from the retail, nightspot and F&B industries as well as the sightseeing attractions around Singapore are expected to receive a boost when the Singapore Tourism Board launches its plans to prepare them to welcome visitors during the Formula One race period.Up to 2000 service personnel from key service industries will undergo a four-hour training, specially designed to refresh participants on the finer points of providing good customer service as well as provide essential information on the race and the Singapore GP Season, a lifestyle festival of entertainment and events.

Organised by the STB and supported by the Singapore Workforce Development Agency (WDA), these sessions are targeted at service supervisors from Singapore attractions as well as the retail, nightspot and F&B industries. Also included are liaison officers and Suite Ambassadors that will be stationed at the Paddock Club which offers a premium race experience. These sessions commenced in mid August 2008 and are scheduled to be completed by 19 September.

“Service excellence can be a key differentiating factor that transforms an average experience into an exceptional one,” said Ms Neeta Lachmandas, Director of Service Quality at the STB. “Especially for the Formula One race period, we hope to provide visitors with a range of memorable experiences from the moment they arrive at Changi airport, through their stay here whether they are at the race, partying at the Singapore River or shopping at Orchard Road, to the time they head home again. With these training sessions, we hope to provide key service personnel with a refresher on core service quality skills and essential information on the various festivities so that they can help enhance the experience of all visitors. These skills picked up will not only be useful during but also after the race.”

In addition, hotel concierges, tourist guides and information counter staff from the malls and airport will also be provided with a separate two-hour product update session which will highlight key race information and outline events and festivities around the Singapore GP Season.

The STB has also produced a Singapore GP Season Customer Service and Information Guide to provide service personnel with essential information on festivities and events that will be available to both locals and visitors during the race period. The Guide will be distributed to airport staff, taxi drivers, hotel concierges, tour guides, attractions staff and front-liners from the retail, nightspot and F&B industries in key tourist precincts including Orchard Road, Marina Centre and the Singapore River.

In addition to service quality tips, information in the guidebook include Singapore destination highlights, race facts on the 2008 Formula 1 SingTel Singapore Grand Prix, Singapore GP Season event information and traffic information around the circuit park at the Marina Centre.

Donning race-themed uniforms, 100 volunteers from tertiary and international schools will be provided with essential training and stationed at key areas including the Orchard and City Hall MRT stations, Clarke Quay and airport. They will provide key tourist information and rally the interest of visitors, encouraging and exciting them to participate in the Singapore GP Season’s events and festivities. Beginning 19 September, these friendly and energetic ambassadors will also be giving away Singapore GP Season collateral.

Visitors around the race circuit looking for tourist information on where to eat, shop and party in Singapore need not look far with three temporary Singapore Visitor Centres (SVC) set up in the Marina area. Operating from 26 to 28 September, two SVCs will be located inside the circuit park, one at the F1 Village near Turns 1 and 3 and the other at the Esplanade Park, and catering to an estimated 20,000 ticket-holders in the vicinity. The SVC located at Merlion Park will operate during the Singapore GP Season from 20 September to 5 October 2008.
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