Dora Sinaga's Portfolio

Working in hospitality requires a high level of customer service, professionalism, and empathy. One thing that I find particularly disappointing is encountering individuals in service roles who appear to perform their duties without genuine engagement or commitment.

Recently, I travelled from the UK to Singapore for an occasion. The journey was challenging as I was experiencing back pain and had to manage heavy luggage. From my home to the bus station, and later from the bus station to the airport, several people kindly offered to help me with my luggage. I was very grateful for their kindness, although I also felt somewhat uncomfortable having to rely on others for assistance.

The real challenge began once I arrived at the airport. The airline I was flying with did not have a traditional check-in counter open at that time. With the increasing use of technology in airports, passengers are often expected to obtain their boarding passes online or print them using self-service machines. Since I had luggage to check in, I needed to use the self-service bag-drop facility.

Due to my back condition following surgery, I was unable to lift my suitcase onto the weighing scale. I noticed two staff members nearby who were assisting passengers, so I approached one of them and asked if they could help me place the luggage on the scale. The staff member explained that they were not permitted to touch passengers’ bags and advised me to seek assistance at the airline’s service counter instead.

I followed the suggestion and joined the queue at the counter. Unfortunately, the counter closed before it was my turn. I then returned to the bag-drop area and informed the two staff members that the counter had already closed. Their response was that I should wait until it reopened, which would be almost two hours later.

I expressed that this seemed unreasonable, as all I required was a brief moment of assistance to place my luggage onto the scale. One of the staff members replied, “Your flight is at 8, right? You can wait until 4:30.” and it was 2 p.m only.

I responded by asking whether the expectation was for me to wait for two hours simply for the counter to reopen, when the situation could be resolved by someone helping me lift the luggage onto the scale.

After this exchange, the staff member remained silent and walked away. The other staff member also disengaged from the conversation. I eventually told them that I would try to find someone else to assist me, to which they simply replied, “Okay.”

For context, I am currently a passenger with a different ability following surgery on my back. Situations like this make me reflect on how challenging travel can become when physical limitations are involved. Of course, if I had the choice, I would much rather not have this back problem at all. Experiences like this also make me reflect on how essential empathy is within the hospitality industry, particularly when interacting with passengers who may require additional understanding and support.

Despite this experience, I was very grateful for the kindness shown by the cabin crew during my flight. One of the stewardesses kindly helped me with my bag during the flight and even offered to assist me in taking my luggage down from the overhead compartment after landing. Her thoughtful gesture made a meaningful difference and reminded me that genuine hospitality and empathy still exist within the industry.

This experience ultimately reinforced an important reflection: ***while procedures and regulations are necessary, the essence of hospitality lies in empathy, understanding, and the willingness to assist where possible***