The Excellent Service Award (EXSA) 2023 crowns two Superstars of Singapore’s F&B industry service champions

by the Restaurant Association of Singapore (RAS)

27 November 2023, Singapore – The Restaurant Association of Singapore (RAS) proudly presented the Excellent Service Award (EXSA) 2023 this afternoon, a prestigious national annual event celebrating the sterling service staff of Singapore’s vibrant F&B industry.

The event highlighted the immense talent and dedication prevalent in the sector with an impressive total of 2,456 nominations submitted for the Award this year. The highest honour of Superstar was awarded to two out of the six outstanding finalists at the ceremony, showcasing the pinnacle of service excellence in the industry.

The event was graced by Guest of Honour Ms Sim Ann, Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Ministry of National Development, and Deputy Government Whip. Ms Sim accorded the Superstar accolade to Mr Kamble Meet Shrirang from Commonwealth Concepts Pte Ltd and Ms Dela Cruz Josephine Zuniga from McDonald’s Singapore.

The other four finalists, who represented diverse backgrounds and stories of dedication and passion, were also present at the Award presentation ceremony:

1.    Mr Shameek Ram Peiarelal, Starbucks Coffee Singapore Pte Ltd

2.    Ms Wan Chiou Peng, Polar Puffs & Cakes Pte Ltd

3.    Ms Lam Lai Chee, Dian Xiao Er Group Pte Ltd

4.    Ms Leng Ah Eng, Pu Tien Restaurant Pte Ltd       

The six finalists were previously announced at a separate event recently. They were selected based on their exceptional performance in their roles, going above and beyond to craft memorable experiences for diners and customers.

Launched in 1994, EXSA is a national award recognising individuals who have delivered quality service. It seeks to develop service models for staff to emulate and to create service champions. This underscores the importance of EXSA’s crucial role in talent development within the F&B industry by casting the spotlight on inspirational winners.

The Award also serves as a platform to acknowledge and celebrate the dedicated efforts of the passionate service crew, who take pride in ensuring diners have the best possible experience. This industry-wide recognition strengthens their connection with their employers and team members and sets clear standards of excellence. In turn, it fosters a positive work environment, reinforcing a culture of commitment and outstanding service.

Citations of the Six Finalists of EXSA 2023

Dela Cruz Josephine Zuniga
McDonald’s Singapore

Citation: Dela Cruz Josephine Zuniga is an assistant manager at McDonald’s Singapore. At McDonald’s, she served as a former Guest Experience Leader, establishing herself as the face of hospitality in the store. Customers recognise Josephine and her teammates have witnessed how she treasures every customer through various acts of hospitality, including celebrating customers’ birthdays or special occasions. The current manager is a mentor to future generations of leaders. She has conducted workshops for McDonald’s employees where more than 100 participants have benefitted from her knowledge and experience.

Kamble Meet Shrirang
Commonwealth Concepts Pte Ltd

Citation: With eight years of invaluable experience as a senior supervisor at Bedrock Origins in Oasia Sentosa, he’s also a dedicated professional and a devoted father of two. Meet is a passionate individual who infuses joy into every aspect of life, cherishing small moments that create lasting memories. For Meet, the true fulfilment comes from guests breaking barriers and expressing gratitude for his service, making each day a meaningful and rewarding journey.

Lam Lai Chee
Dian Xiao Er Group Pte. Ltd

Citation: As an Assistant Area Manager (AAM), Lai Chee believes in leading by example. She holds high expectations and sets high standards for herself. She believes that as a leader, she needs to have a strong sense of responsibility to lead her co-workers effectively. Lai Chee has consistently delivered top-notch services and impressed her co-workers and customers. She has a positive mindset that inspires her co-workers.

Leng Ah Eng
Pu Tien Restaurant Pte Ltd

Citation: Auntie Leng has been a part of the Pu Tien Kitchener Road outlet since 2000. Her dedication and passion for serving and providing a pleasant dining experience at Pu Tien are reflected in her graciousness and warm hospitality. Her positive energy never fails to touch the customers’ hearts.

At work, Auntie Leng makes an effort to remember Pu Tien’s regular customers’ preferences and serves every diner with utmost sincerity, building the trust and confidence of many patrons of Pu Tien. As she always says, “I am very grateful to all our customers for dining at Pu Tien. To show our appreciation, we have to ensure that every aspect of their needs is taken care of and make them comfortable and happy!”.

Besides caring for her customers, Auntie Leng forged genuine relationships among colleagues. Apart from sharing bakes from home, she would often check on their well-being and remind them to take good care of their health. To ignite the fighting spirit among the team, Pu Tien has been giving out the “Auntie Leng Badge” to encourage employees who have shown excellence in their work, setting Auntie Leng as the benchmark and role model for them to work hard and strive towards providing service excellence for every customer.

Shameek Ram Peiarelal
Starbucks Coffee Singapore Pte Ltd

Citation: Shameek is an assistant store manager at Starbucks Toa Payoh and has been
with the company for over five years.

He leads his team by managing store operations and ensuring that the partners (employees) deliver the legendary Starbucks Experience to all customers daily. Shameek’s friendly and conscientious approach towards his customers and peers leaves a positive impression. He always tries to know his customers and remembers their names and favourite beverage. There is no doubt why many of them appreciate his presence and service. Shameek is also very observant and takes the initiative to take action to meet his customers’ needs.

At the store, he took the initiative to coach and follow up with every barista in the store to elevate their customer service to the next level. He will coach new baristas on enhancing interactions, making them more personalised and genuine rather than transactional. Additionally, he shares his upselling techniques with his peers.

Due to Shameek’s efforts, he helped his store to build a more extensive customer base and expand its regular customer base. He managed to convert some difficult customers into regulars, and others brought their families along during their weekend visits so that they could experience the excellent service delivered by Shameek and his team. This is reflected in the numerous compliments they received, improving the store’s customer experience survey score.

His dedication to consistently delivering exceptional customer service resulted in Shameek achieving the Making Customer Feel Special Bravo Awards for three consecutive quarters in 2021 and a Superstar finalist at the Excellent Service Award (EXSA) in 2022!

Wan Chiou Peng
Polar Puffs & Cakes Pte Ltd

Citation: Chiou Peng, 57, is a Senior Sales Assistant at Polar Puffs & Cakes Pte Ltd. She is an exemplary figure for her colleagues by consistently providing genuine and compassionate service to customers at KK Women’s & Children’s Hospital (KKH). She finds joy in engaging with customers and ensuring they are satisfied with the service they receive. The fact that she has received more than 300 compliments this year is undeniable evidence of Chiou Peng’s unwavering dedication and commitment to delivering exceptional service to the company’s valued customers. Most of her compliments often mentioned that she is helpful, cheerful, friendly, patient, polite, and hardworking.