21 November 2006 – It’s a rare occurrence that a busload of passengers breaks out in applause but that is precisely what happened to SBS Transit Bus Captain Ong Sze Err when he left his driver’s seat to help an elderly man carry his trolley full of soft drink cans up the bus.

For his efforts, BC Ong has been named this year’s Excellent Service Award SuperStar. Not only is BC Ong the only SuperStar recipient in the Land Transport Industry, but this is the second consecutive year that SBS Transit has won the award in this category. Together with 1,082 other ComfortDelGro frontliners, BC Ong represents the crème de la crème of service excellence in Singapore. This year’s tally is 57% more than the 690 recipients last year. Over 100 of them will be presented with the award today.

Recalling the applause-inspiring act, BC Ong said: “I didn’t think about it except that it was my responsibility. To able to see my customers happy is also a motivation for me to do better.” Other testimonies of his good service are the 2006 National Courtesy Transport Gold Award that he bagged recently and the 70 commendations he has received from the public in just five years.

Other award winners include customer service officer Agnes Aw and Comfort Bus driver Samad bin Ishin.

Ms Aw, who deals with customer feedback, spent hours in search of a cabby whose Indian customer forgot to collect his change. She finally succeeded and the happy customer thanked Ms Aw for making it wonderful to live in Singapore. Comfort Bus driver Samad is so affable that he is known by his first name to all his passengers. He also goes the extra mile by calling them to inform them whenever he is delayed by traffic conditions.

Speaking at the ceremony, ComfortDelGro Chairman Lim Jit Poh stressed the Group’s commitment to commuters. He said: “Ours is not a faceless business. We remain committed to engaging our commuters and meeting their needs while maintaining affordability. We have demonstrated that we are innovative in the way we meet our customers’ demands. We have been, and will continue, to work towards even greater differentiation in our services to meet as much of their needs as possible.”

SuperStar BC Ong was awarded $1,000 cash and a 22K gold STAR pendant. Star Award recipients such as Samad bin Ishin, received $50 cash incentive. All recipients are also presented with a certificate, appreciation letter and an Excellent Service collar pin.

About ComfortDelGro
ComfortDelGro Corporation Limited is the world’s second largest land transport company with a total fleet size of 40,000 buses, taxis and rental vehicles. Headquartered in Singapore, the Group also has operations in China, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, Vietnam and Malaysia. Currently, overseas ventures account for 44% of Group revenue. The Group intends to derive half of its total revenue from abroad in the next four to six years.

About the Excellent Service Award
EXSA is a national award that recognizes individuals who have delivered outstanding service. It seeks to develop service models for staff to emulate, create service champions and professionalise services. EXSA is managed by SPRING Singapore and seven industry lead bodies – Association of Singapore Attractions, Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore, Land Transport Authority, National Association of Travel Agents Singapore, Singapore Hotel Association, Singapore Retailers Association and The Restaurant Association of Singapore.