IS THE CUSTOMER ALWAYS RIGHT?

It is probably one of the 'golden rules' of customer service - the customer is always right. So why does Ms Audrey Lim, a MINDEF Star Service Award recipient this year, not agree with this?

"I don't believe that the customer is always right! There're times when he may be misled because he does not understand the big picture fully. So first, I've to actively listen to what he says, and if he does not have all the information, it's my job to fill him in, so he can then re-think his position and decision," explains Ms Lim.

As Head Physiotherapist at the Soldier Performance Centre, Army Medical Command (AMC), Ms Lim's work involves not just the rehabilitation of the body, but also the education of the mind.

While her direct 'customers' are the soldiers and non-uniformed Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) staff who come to her after suffering an injury, Ms Lim also views the rest of the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) population as 'customers'.

The 31-year-old explains: "While my immediate responsibility is to make sure the patients sent to me get better, I also work to educate and train the other soldiers, so they're able to self-manage and prevent injuries from happening to them."

But this can be difficult with the high turnover of full-time National Servicemen, says Ms Lim.

To overcome this, AMC's physiotherapists now try to reach the soldiers from different contact points - not just teaching them what to do during talks held in their units, but also educating them through their unit commanders, medics, doctors and fitness specialists.

"So we have the right information coming from a full team around the soldiers, to reinforce this message," says Ms Lim, who has been working with MINDEF since 1997.

In fact, Ms Lim says one satisfying aspect of her job is that she is able to reach out to nearly every male Singaporean who goes through NS.

"Dealing with simple injuries, knowledge about ergonomics, the importance of hydration and nutrition... these are life skills the youths gain from doing NS, lessons they don't often learn from school. That to me is the big reward of my job."

An advocate of information and knowledge sharing, Ms Lim is also aware of the importance of having a positive outlook, both for the patient, and herself.

"The patient may feel quite down and negative, particularly for those fighting for a place in a certain course or vocation. He may feel 'Oh no, I won't get better' and worry that he may be assigned to another vocation," she says.
"So it's important for me to keep positive, to counter the negative vibes. I don't lie about the patient's condition, but I'm frank yet positive about it, to let him know that if he puts in the effort, he can help himself tremendously. Once this happens, the patient trusts me more and we end up with a better working relationship."

What other ways are there to create a good environment for patient and physiotherapist to work in? Ms Lim says it can just be little gestures a smile, a handshake, a pat on someone's back.

"It's important to have this human touch in the service industry," says Ms Lim. "When my patient enters the rehab clinic, he's not in familiar territory and is out of his comfort zone. So I've to make him feel less threatened, to make him feel at ease, so he can tell me about his injuries."

'As customers, we just want to feel that someone has taken an interest in what we require. So this is the philosophy I bring to work each day: to make a positive difference to someone else's day," says Ms Lim.

Now, that is an attitude all customers will surely agree is 'right'!

The Star Service Award Scheme for the Public Service was introduced in 2002 with the objective of achieving service excellence in the public service by recognising staff who have consistently delivered quality service.

MINDEF has spearheaded this movement, encouraging its various services and formations to nominate its best personnel who have gone the extra mile for service. Winners will receive the MINDEF Star Service Award during MINDEF PRIDE Day in May.


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17 May 2006: Does good service begin with the customer?
22 May 2006: Does monetary reward encourage better service?
26 May 2006: Do women provide better service?