The reality of being an SQ GAL

[ntyj]

erm frenchfries..its prob jus tht one instance a silkair girl smiles at u and a SIA girl doesnt which makes u think that SIA have projected a wrong image most of the time?..
wad if one day a SIA girl happens to smile at u and even offered a helping hand when u nd some directions and a silkair girl doesnt....could u kindly post another reply here so many others who read it will at least think tht SIA is actually not tht bad either.. =p

dont u think that most of the time everyone seem to be finding something to critic abt SIA girls or even SIA the airline itself..

prob we are 5star airline and we expect everything else to be 5star bah...but there are SIA girls or even FS who are only 2-3star.. =p its not tht im siding SIA ..we certainly do have our hiccups at times..
BUT the same goes for every other airline and organisation mah..

anyway when it comes to smiling, service, attitude....boils down to every individual...
false smile becos we are told to smile at most circumstances..and henceforth we cant expect every smile to be coming from the heart..
but i would say there are definitely a percentage of girls who smiles truly all the time becos they enjoy wad they do...
they have no complaints no whining...maybe a little...but very minimum...they jus happen to like service, to interact with all sorts of ppl..

i gues it takes two hands to clap..
SIA girls must understd wad passengers expect from the airfare they paid, from the comfort they suppose to have since SIA is 5-star..

but of cos passengers mus also understd tht the girls have many other tasks at hands too... and many other passengers' requests...and with certain limitations.....lets not expect every request to be a YES....however again....SIA girls are not supposed to reject and willl try to make it a YES..and if really couldnt...pax shldnt get angry but be more understding......

again........if only such mutual understding exist on every flights....
fuyouuu! miracle lo.................=p

SIA girls here.....lets throw or voice out your unhappiness or happiness in this forum...but shld it be a unhappiness...do put it in a reasonable point of view and way that doesnt makes SIA looking sort of bad ya?

sometimes we subconsciously gave others a bad image thru wad we say....not intentionally though....but we must understd tht not everyone comes from service line...so their understding of wad we meant is different...

if SIA mgmt were to know tht such forums exist, maybe they do, im not sure..
but shld it become more public and against the certain rules and regulations.....soon...we will be disallowed like bloggings abt company already(crew shld noe this)..

so yeah.....keep on posting...but watch wad we say.. =p..

[SIA Cabin Crew Gal]

hmmm. decided to give abit of angle to this forum...
after all its intended to give ppl some form of idea how life goes on as an SQ girl.

Lets NOT name any name [ Plavt - ] . But we all know the dreadful feeling when ur roster to fly wit one of the 'TOP 10'.

Tryng our best to change flights and all that.

I just came back fr flight with a top 10. and its my 1st time meeting one of them but it was really ridiculous!

X was really damn old. and he came almost 15 min late for the briefing. As we all were outside the briefing room, the CS told us all to stand in one line to greet him. (Primary sch izzit?) and to address him as MR X at all times.

This was totally weird coz ive never come across such a narcissistic guy man.

Whilst introducing ourselves to him , he checked our nails n make-up. He even asked some of then for their colour chart and said ur makeup must be visible fr 10 ft or smtg like that. He asked all to correct ourself before boarding aircraft... As u all know, so many dont wear cool/warm colours... most of them quickly went to buy b4 going to e gate!

In the briefing room, he targeted me (P-plate mah!) and asked me so many SEP qtns... Thk Gawd! i knew the answers la!

Thing is he was already so late tht we had to scramble around the airport to get everything in order la!

As we were watching the safety video, he suddenly just SHOUTED at one of the LSS,'Z! look at the safety video!'

During the flight he demanded to have a 1st crew bunk. (i know tht seniors get to choose what they want to eat and all tht krap, but the way he deamnded...it was so ugly, ewww)

he kept on scolded the LS n LSS in front of everyone else throughout e flight tht we were so so so tense. the leadings were so tense in turn making us stress and making the whole flight so unpleasant.

I must say this help the crew bond together v well. and outstn we had a gd time 2 gether joking n laffing abt it after

yucks. he's so old summore, its no wonder y he's not promoted to CTS....

Tht was my experience....hopefully i wont have to endure this sort of flight again man

[SIA Cabin Crew Gal]

hmmm. plavt ur rite.

its difficult to know what to do coz the same thing u do cld impress someone or it cld make them think ur lousy.

After tht incident i took the drink orders 2gether w child meal orders ...only to be told by another complex leader tht taking the drink orders will only slow us down when all we want is to clear out the specials asap.

ntyj... wht do u practice when u take the CHML orders???

drinks or no drinks...

[ntyj]

hmmm. plavt ur rite.

its difficult to know what to do coz the same thing u do cld impress someone or it cld make them think ur lousy.

After tht incident i took the drink orders 2gether w child meal orders ...only to be told by another complex leader tht taking the drink orders will only slow us down when all we want is to clear out the specials asap.

ntyj... wht do u practice when u take the CHML orders???

drinks or no drinks...

errr...no drinks babe...
naturally we will give juices in children cups so they wont spill....
if they don like.....
i think we wil jus change for them along the way when we serving others?
drinks are pretty secondary sometimes...so ya...gotta prioritise looo.....

[Plavt]

he kept on scolded the LS n LSS in front of everyone else throughout e flight

That is showing his ignorance and in my view unprofessional; he should remember no newbie no matter how enthusiastic will make mistakes; this is a fundamental fact of life. Hope you read my earlier posting as there are methods to help you avoid making mistakes. In addition those with experience should learn to encourage newbies; picking on them in the way they you claim to have been only show the insecurities and inadequacies of the people concerned.

Do please post your experiences they are useful information for passengers such as myself; should I see any open chastisement such as you mention above you can be sure I will bring it to the management's attention.

[Punkman]

X was really damn old. and he came almost 15 min late for the briefing. As we all were outside the briefing room, the CS told us all to stand in one line to greet him. (Primary sch izzit?) and to address him as MR X at all times.

This was totally weird coz ive never come across such a narcissistic guy man.

It must really take a lot from you to greet a person in a line.
Whilst introducing ourselves to him , he checked our nails n make-up. He even asked some of then for their colour chart and said ur makeup must be visible fr 10 ft or smtg like that. He asked all to correct ourself before boarding aircraft... As u all know, so many dont wear cool/warm colours... most of them quickly went to buy b4 going to e gate!

That's the grooming guide for you.

In the briefing room, he targeted me (P-plate mah!) and asked me so many SEP qtns... Thk Gawd! i knew the answers la!

Good for you

Thing is he was already so late tht we had to scramble around the airport to get everything in order la!

As we were watching the safety video, he suddenly just SHOUTED at one of the LSS,'Z! look at the safety video!'

All are supposed to be seated when the video is playing and it is good to look at it to ensure that the video is playing without any defects.

During the flight he demanded to have a 1st crew bunk. (i know tht seniors get to choose what they want to eat and all tht krap, but the way he deamnded...it was so ugly, ewww)

He wants let him have it! You want to sleep in the first bunk?


he kept on scolded the LS n LSS in front of everyone else throughout e flight tht we were so so so tense. the leadings were so tense in turn making us stress and making the whole flight so unpleasant.

I must say this help the crew bond together v well. and outstn we had a gd time 2 gether joking n laffing abt it after

yucks. he's so old summore, its no wonder y he's not promoted to CTS....

CTS is an appointment given. it last 2 years. He could have been a CTS before.

Tht was my experience....hopefully i wont have to endure this sort of flight again man[/quote]

Hopefully you don't think I'm zapping you!

[Plavt]

Hopefully you don't think I'm zapping you!

Your response would seem to indicate just that as you have not provided any explanation. Merely quoting the posters phrased in bold type the way you have suggests you intend to retaliate possiby abusing your position into the bargain!

Now I realize like anybody with an ounce of common sense there are two sides to an argument so please could you explain what might or might not be actually going on? In life many things can look what they are not; the stewardess may be misunderstanding some things although I am in no doubt there will be bullies among the more senior cabin crew.

I have noticed that some cabin crew supervisors are quite surly in their response to passengers so I can only hope you will respond to this post.

[Punkman]

What I hope is that she will see things from a postive view. What can be seen as bullying can just be someone trying to correct your mistakes. Being new to any job, it is common to face difficulties and frustrations.

[Plavt]

What I hope is that she will see things from a postive view. What can be seen as bullying can just be someone trying to correct your mistakes. Being new to any job, it is common to face difficulties and frustrations.

Yes but would not be a good idea if you could set an example by arriving on time or at least offering an apology and a brief explanation in the event of it being unavoidable?

Was it necessary to shout at the person who was not paying attention to the video? I do not know what you shouted or why but imagine a polite request would have been sufficient?

Should the posters statement be true; why scold newbies in front of everybody else; to humiliate them, is that your purpose? Would it not have been better to pull them to one side and point out their mistakes? Making people feel ill at ease does not help. I am sorry but at present I sense either some malice or what amounts to smug superiority in view of your bland response.

One of the worst aspects of my previous employment was managers invariably could not accept or live with the fact mistakes get made and only practice makes perfect. I accept it is difficult within the confines of a plane remembering how many newbies there were when flying Singapore to Japan but the LSS whose name I still remember was both tolerant and professional.

[loom]

i'm so entertained with this thread. even though i'm not from SQ, somehow i can't tell much disparity within the industry. yes, i thoroughly agree with your first thread, we do have to put up with a lot of shit. but then, how many adults can get away with a well-paid job (considering that all you need is GCE 'O' levels and zero job experience to get a good head start with this kind of pay) and not having to put up with any shit. i can only analytically conclude that this is probably the first job for most crew, without seeing how shitty the world is out there to have such low tolerance for the job. (part time jobs doesn't count ok!)

you get zapped because:
1. you are too sloppy in your work/grooming, and if you are suay, you'll get to meet perfectionist who likes to single such girls out.

2. you are simply not well-liked by the zapper. c'mon, you can't expect everyone to like you even if you are miss congeniality. can only blame your luck for bumping into the zapper. suay loh!

3. bad attitude. bad reputation. enough said.

4. zapper has personality disorder. when you are new, this isn't much of a bimbotic job because there's so many things to study and you have to constantly keep your feet up. but when you've flew long enough, the only time that you actually come in contact with your brains is during the annual SEP training/test. so basically, these crews have nothing much to do but to gossip during layovers. in fact, most of the time you are alone, if not mingle with like-minded fellow crews. you'll get "inspired" by each other and somehow, form these weird mentality that by zapping juniors, you'll get the dignity and the so called respect you'll deserve. normal humans don't get it but then asylum do exist for certain reasons. and usually these crews just simply forget how shitty their work was when they were juniors.

when it comes to dealing with such insane crews, sometimes, sucking up to them does help. if you are good at talking, you shouldn't have much of a problem surviving in there.

By the way, i have to agree that grooming is important. when crew/pax see that you are well-groomed, the first impression is that you are a professional. just ask yourself what will be your impression if you see a FA sashaying down changi airport with hair falling all over the place and looking very pale. in fact, with good first impression and smiley face throughout the flight,you can get away with a lot of shit. like pax are usually more forgiving if you had been really nice to them all these while, and made the mistake of spilling coffee onto them.

if pax are demanding, want this want that, just give them lah! the company isn't going to deduct your pay or give you extra bonus if you keep those playing cards away from the pax. this is after all also a customer service job. meaning you have to be a maid and serve and please your pax. if you can't do that, kudos to you for managing to fool the interviewers!

then again, there are stupid pax you'll meet along the way. like before taking off or landing, everyone has to be seated with their seatbelts fastened. so some stupid pax will insist on going to the toilet, with you trying frantically with all the silly gestures and shouting at the top of your lungs to get him to sit down, all for the sake of his safety. so pax complain about you not allowing him to go to the toilet. and if you let him go, you'll get marked by your seniors or worst, the captain. tell me lah, what to do in this case! some people just lose their common sense 30,000 ft above ground!!

as for punkman.. it's not a lot to greet someone in a line. but i'm sure this is a workplace, not some kindergarten or army. you work with sensible adults without having to resort to military-like behavior. and you watch the video not for the purpose to see if the video is defective!! you watch it in case shit happens and you'll be able to refresh your mind how to get your ass out of the burning aircraft.

just my 2cents ok. don't slam me.

[hoshino]

i'm so entertained with this thread. even though i'm not from SQ, somehow i can't tell much disparity within the industry. yes, i thoroughly agree with your first thread, we do have to put up with a lot of shit. but then, how many adults can get away with a well-paid job (considering that all you need is GCE 'O' levels and zero job experience to get a good head start with this kind of pay) and not having to put up with any shit. i can only analytically conclude that this is probably the first job for most crew, without seeing how shitty the world is out there to have such low tolerance for the job. (part time jobs doesn't count ok!)

you get zapped because:
1. you are too sloppy in your work/grooming, and if you are suay, you'll get to meet perfectionist who likes to single such girls out.

2. you are simply not well-liked by the zapper. c'mon, you can't expect everyone to like you even if you are miss congeniality. can only blame your luck for bumping into the zapper. suay loh!

3. bad attitude. bad reputation. enough said.

4. zapper has personality disorder. when you are new, this isn't much of a bimbotic job because there's so many things to study and you have to constantly keep your feet up. but when you've flew long enough, the only time that you actually come in contact with your brains is during the annual SEP training/test. so basically, these crews have nothing much to do but to gossip during layovers. in fact, most of the time you are alone, if not mingle with like-minded fellow crews. you'll get "inspired" by each other and somehow, form these weird mentality that by zapping juniors, you'll get the dignity and the so called respect you'll deserve. normal humans don't get it but then asylum do exist for certain reasons. and usually these crews just simply forget how shitty their work was when they were juniors.

when it comes to dealing with such insane crews, sometimes, sucking up to them does help. if you are good at talking, you shouldn't have much of a problem surviving in there.

By the way, i have to agree that grooming is important. when crew/pax see that you are well-groomed, the first impression is that you are a professional. just ask yourself what will be your impression if you see a FA sashaying down changi airport with hair falling all over the place and looking very pale. in fact, with good first impression and smiley face throughout the flight,you can get away with a lot of shit. like pax are usually more forgiving if you had been really nice to them all these while, and made the mistake of spilling coffee onto them.

if pax are demanding, want this want that, just give them lah! the company isn't going to deduct your pay or give you extra bonus if you keep those playing cards away from the pax. this is after all also a customer service job. meaning you have to be a maid and serve and please your pax. if you can't do that, kudos to you for managing to fool the interviewers!

then again, there are stupid pax you'll meet along the way. like before taking off or landing, everyone has to be seated with their seatbelts fastened. so some stupid pax will insist on going to the toilet, with you trying frantically with all the silly gestures and shouting at the top of your lungs to get him to sit down, all for the sake of his safety. so pax complain about you not allowing him to go to the toilet. and if you let him go, you'll get marked by your seniors or worst, the captain. tell me lah, what to do in this case! some people just lose their common sense 30,000 ft above ground!!

as for punkman.. it's not a lot to greet someone in a line. but i'm sure this is a workplace, not some kindergarten or army. you work with sensible adults without having to resort to military-like behavior. and you watch the video not for the purpose to see if the video is defective!! you watch it in case shit happens and you'll be able to refresh your mind how to get your ass out of the burning aircraft.

just my 2cents ok. don't slam me.

you are so cool loom, totally agree, bravo!!

[SIA Cabin Crew Gal]

then again, there are stupid pax you'll meet along the way. like before taking off or landing, everyone has to be seated with their seatbelts fastened. so some stupid pax will insist on going to the toilet, with you trying frantically with all the silly gestures and shouting at the top of your lungs to get him to sit down, all for the sake of his safety. so pax complain about you not allowing him to go to the toilet. and if you let him go, you'll get marked by your seniors

the last time we landed and was taxiing to the gate. This pax got up n was walking to the toilet. i had to like wave my arms n shout across, 'Sir! pls return to ur seat! the seat belt sign is still on!' So silly/ungLAM MANNNN

Hehehe

[SIA Cabin Crew Gal]

All i can say is that, whenever i have a gd flight or meet good crew....

i thank my lucky stars....

[vix]

aiya, small things cry baby like big deal. a lot of these a quite common sense, but nowadays, airlines everywhere dun teach properly, or explain:

makeup is important coz it is part of the "brand". actually the idea is to let the cabin section able to see you. if u join hotels, or beauty companies, same requirements also or else why put makeup?!

serve beverages/ drinks first or later depends on the capacity. if a lot of pax, it makes sense to serve together. most airlines are quite flexible coz u want to clear the gallies mah! child meals are easier coz u then ask parents if they want to serve later while they fed the babies - sure score points one ...

saftey videos is so that in case anything happens, u can't sue the airlines u din know. i think it came from uS, or Uk but then all airlines follow. also airlines come from army so a lot of rules are quite military

these dez most FA in many airlines forgot that key to their jobs is safety. my opinion is service comes second but u wan 2 make sure noone gets hurt. stowing ur luggage is 1 very impt pt, so is puttin seat belts la

if got problems, why not discuss internally? put on internet hear a bit here n there sometimes also blurr coz there r fakes

[vix]

then again, there are stupid pax you'll meet along the way. like before taking off or landing, everyone has to be seated with their seatbelts fastened. so some stupid pax will insist on going to the toilet, with you trying frantically with all the silly gestures and shouting at the top of your lungs to get him to sit down, all for the sake of his safety. so pax complain about you not allowing him to go to the toilet. and if you let him go, you'll get marked by your seniors

the last time we landed and was taxiing to the gate. This pax got up n was walking to the toilet. i had to like wave my arms n shout across, 'Sir! pls return to ur seat! the seat belt sign is still on!' So silly/ungLAM MANNNN

Hehehe

toilet only ah~ wait till u see pax taking luggage from overhead compartments ... juz laugh over it lor - maybe he trying to get ur attention?