Happened to be at the Changi International Airport in Singapore for a few hours during my recent visit to Singapore/Malaysia and had a wonderful experience there.
As this was my first visit to the Changi airport after 12 years, and since a lot of friends suggested we spend some time at the airport, we wanted to see what is so good about the airport.
Changi Airport claims to become the model airport for the world. Based on my experience there, I can say for sure they do not have to claim it..they have earned it purely by providing a complete package in both their facilities and their service levels. Here are some reasons why I felt they have earned it.
Overall Atmosphere
The person who had managed this entire concept has focused on the overall experience and taken a difference approach. The focus is on giving the passengers a pleasant experience and this includes all the aspects of the travel. When you consider a service industry, there are many factors that play a big role in deciding the level of service. Some of them are
- Customer Satisfaction: I had interacted with over ten officials in the airport (for various reasons) and the consistency in their high quality of service was amazing. Each official provided the correct information and even if they did not know the answer, instead of making us go around (which is usually the case), guided with information on who could help. Each one of them made sure that at the end of our conversation, we left happy.
- Response Time: I had to claim some tax refunds (GST) at the airport and the response time there was amazing. This was just one experience and they key to their success is in ensuring the same consistency in all departments where people have to interact with the officials.
- Customer Feedback: Customer Feedback is one of the most important factors in any service industry. I was amazed to see them request for the customer feedback even in their toilets (that too with the name of the attender who is on the current shift!)
Entertainment
The airport is modeled as an entertainment centre for kids of all ages.
- Kids Play Area: For the kids, there is a separate play area with slides, etc. Besides the garden, there is also a coloring area, where the kids can try their hand out at coloring using crayons. As expected, there are some of the businesses focused around kids, that have setup their shops right around this area – thus making it a win-win situation for all.
- Video Games: For those interested in video games, there is a separate video games section with PSP, Xbox, etc available with different varieties of video games.
- Movie Theatre: There is a movie theatre where you can relax and watch a movie any time.
Online Technology
Changi Airport has made the best use of online technology so far.
- WiFi Enabled: The entire airport is wifi enabled and it is free! So it does not matter where you roam around in the airport, you are always well connected to information that you need using online tools.
- Wired Connections: They have provided wired connections with RJ-45 jack in the seating area in many locations in the airport.
- Internet Kiosks: In case you do not have a device of your own while at the airport, there are many internet kiosks where you can stop by and go online at any time.
The most interesting aspect of this airport is that, the above are just a few of the various facilities they have made available at the Changi Airport – and they are all free. What more can you ask for?
Once I came back from my trip, I spent some time searching online about how they are able to do what they do. The interesting fact I found is that they have set a goal, with specific agenda and explained it very clearly on their website also:
http://www.changiairportgroup.com/cag/html/our-services/quality-service-management/
This is a fine example that can be studied by any one who wants to provide high quality service to their customers. It goes without saying that if you can get a chance to spend some time at Changi, do not miss it 🙂
I was there in March when transiting to Tokyo. I was amazed at the new International terminal and free ‘usable’ WIFI service. Most US airports nickel and dime the users of the airport by charging for internet, trolleys, water, etc. Singapore Changi is the benchmark for how to run a airport efficiently with a clean and friendly atmosphere. my last visit was in 2000 and I was amazed back then too. Some people claim Dubai airport is top class. I was there on Oct’12. I think Changi airport beats Dubai airport hands down in terms of Services offered, efficiency, accessibility, friendliness and ambience.
First of all i would like to apologize to Miss Gen Revilla from Philphine of Changi airport services because of my very late response due to over occupation back here in Pakistan .
I highly appreciate and regard the lady of her timely assistance which saved me and my grandson from a huge embarrassment at around 2 pm on Feb. 24, 2014. on Terminal-2. of Changi Airport.
Tiger air staff at check in counter refused boarding only to me and my grandson on the plea that we didn’t have transit visa for Thailand, whereas it was possible on arrival at Suvarnabhumi and had been confirmed from Thai immigration, before we all had left Bangkok for Kuallampur, Malaysia and Singapore for a short pleasure trip on Feb.20, 2014. we stayed in Bangkok for two weeks with my younger son, who lives there along with his family and is a software consultant with DTAC Thailand.
We were all travelling to gather on this trip. Me and my grandson had just come to visit them and had confirmed onward connecting Thai airways flight Bangkok – Islamabad after almost two and half hours of landing of Tiger air flight at Suvarnabhumi Airport.
After a lot of arguments we were told that only option available to us is to travel from Changi to Suvarnabhumi by Thai airways without a transit visa.
what a none sense and an ultra discriminately attitude of tiger airways staff particularly against Pakistani, They might want to save two seats and grab double money by offering seats to some body else needy at the eleventh hour.
Same was the attitude of Singapore immigration staff when we, the whole family, entered from Malaysia to Singapore by bus on Feb. 22, 2014.
They are either prejudice or lack vision to differentiate between good and bad. We were the only Pakistani family badly treated and delayed unnecessarily, rest all were the angels and cleared in few minutes.
I am almost now 65 plus and traveled almost all over the developed world, but never have such a bad experience like in Singapore, which i will hardly forget.
The next available and only connecting flight of Thai airways from Changi- Suvarnabhumi, Bangkok -Islamabad, was almost 50 minutes later. In such a short time Miss Gen Revilla help was really outstanding. She managed our new seats, tickets and was shuttling back and forth between terminals along with us. Although we lost 660 SGD due to new tickets, but were saved of unnecessary embarrassment and confusion. Thanks and high regards Miss Gen Revilla of Changi airport services. God bless u.