THE CONSENSUS SEEMS to be that judging has never been as tough as in this year's Service & Courtesy Award.
In the 20 years of the event, participation and interest has grown hugely and competition is fierce. The best of the best are still getting better, and the rest are catching up fast.
'It was my first time being involved with the award, but I was really surprised and impressed with the candidates,' said one of the 16 final interview judges, William Chan, chairman of the Federation of Hong Kong Watch Trades & Industries. 'They were just so professional, well-trained and experienced.'
Although it wasn't his first time, fellow judge Chan Wing-Kai agreed. 'The standard is again so high. The entrants are very well trained,' he said.
As the head of the complaints and advice division of the Consumer Council, Mr Chan knows when customer service is genuine.
'We gave [the entrants] mock-up situations and they were very capable in handling complaints,' he said.