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© 2024 Changi Airport
Airport Partner in Spotlight: Smarte Carte’s approach to service and staff well-being
By Nur Aqeelah Batrisyia
Serving passengers the Smarte Carte way! (PHOTO: Smarte Carte)
Behind one of the world’s most awarded airports is a vast community comprising over 20 airport partners and 50,000 staff, working across diverse functions to deliver the Changi Experience to our passengers. Among these partners is Smarte Carte, a leading multinational corporation specialising in products and services for the travel and leisure industries. At Changi Airport, Smarte Carte is responsible for managing baggage trolleys, baggage storage, and coordinating taxis across all four terminals.
“Being a part of the airport community is like [being in] a relay race. We’re passing the baton from one point to the next to deliver a seamless experience,” explained Chris Wan, Director of Operations at Smarte Carte. “Every airport partner plays an important role; if any of us do not deliver, the race ends, and the passenger experience is disrupted.”
The service line of work is challenging, and even more so in the airport environment due to high passenger volume and the diverse needs of each passenger.
“It’s a challenge to provide good service to passengers every day, but that’s the essence of our business,” said Jessica Chan, Smarte Carte’s Senior Manager of Quality Service and Business Support. “Our focus is on meeting the needs of passengers and visitors at Changi. To succeed, we depend on our strategic service framework and prioritise the well-being of our staff.”
Equipping Staff with Service Skills and Encouraging Growth Beyond Comfort Zones
Smarte Carte has developed a comprehensive framework to improve service delivery for passengers. Their Service Culture Framework is built on four key elements: Service Trainings, Service Initiatives, Service Awards and Recognition, and Service-Driven Communication.
Smarte Carte officers are trained to use the open-palm gesture when directing passengers.
In addition to participating in training programmes organised by CAG’s Quality Service Management team, Smarte Carte conducts its own internal training with a carefully designed curriculum. This curriculum is bite-sized, easy to understand, and tailored to the unique challenges faced by different roles, such as Taxi Coordinators, Trolley Service Officers and Customer Service Officers from Baggage Storage. Recognising that each role involves varying levels of passenger interaction, such contextualised training ensures that the lessons are directly relevant to the unique requirements of each job.
Responding to challenges observed in staff-passenger interactions, Smarte Carte launched initiatives like the 'Greetings' campaign to encourage staff to improve passenger interactions through regular practice, gathering before their shifts to practise greetings with each other.
“It can feel very deliberate at first, but once you get used to it, it becomes a habit,” Chris shared. “Our goal is for staff to carry these habits into their daily interactions with passengers. These are the little things we do that we hope can cultivate a service-oriented mindset among our staff.”
Staff who successfully ‘Break the Egg’ are rewarded with a certificate and Kinder Joy. (PHOTO: Smarte Carte)
In addition to the ‘Greetings’ campaign, Smarte Carte also introduced the ‘Break the Egg’ initiative, which encourages employees to step out of their comfort zone—symbolised by the breaking out of an eggshell—to overcome their reservations and engage confidently with passengers. Staff who successfully complete the programme are given a certificate and a Kinder Joy as a token of encouragement.
Winning Hearts Through Food and Goodies
Driven by the belief that happier employees mean better customer experiences, Smarte Carte places a significant emphasis on staff welfare.
“You must address the stomach, then you will address the heart,” said Jessica.
Recognising the universal bond created by food, Smarte Carte regularly provides drinks and snacks during their meetings and trainings. During festive seasons like Christmas and National Day, staff receive goodie bags with items ranging from healthy snacks to staff-favourites like bird's nest and chicken essence, all carefully curated to suit the demographics of their team.
“We have a lot of makan sessions. Buffets are kind of our thing,” Chris chuckled. "It's a way for us to celebrate diversity and inclusiveness. That's part of our ethos."
Many staff look forward to these buffet gatherings as an opportunity for them to dine with friends who work different shifts. For Smarte Carte, these staff engagements are pivotal. They not only improve employee well-being, but also cultivate a culture where motivated staff strive to enhance passenger experience.
“Care, service, and excellence. These are the three things we strongly believe in,” said Chris.