Twenty-two Station Sergeants attending a promotion course recently visited KCRC West Rail to study how a sizeable corporation provides quality service to the public, as well as the related concepts and strategies.

SSGT Shum (left) and SSGT Ma (right) with Station Manager
Kwan Wai-hung

The trainees have spoken highly of the visit. Two of them, Station Sergeants Shum Tze-ho and Ma Wai-keung from Sha Tin Division, said the arrangement had come a long way in helping them carry out their duties in future.

SSGT Shum saw the visit as a step forward in achieving the Commissioner's three-year strategic operational objectives, specifically improvement of service quality. "On top of broadening my horizon, it is inspiring to see how such a reputable corporation has dealt with problems in the past in striving to improve service quality, and how the corporation has ultimately overcome the problems. The visit certainly helps a lot as we continue cultivating the idea of service quality," he noted.

"The KCRC bases its operations on the principle that service comes first, and uses a two-pronged strategy in bringing that about. The first is to train employees in the concept with an emphasis on team spirit, and the second is to set performance pledges, together with a mechanism to evaluate how the corporation fares in carrying out those pledges every month. Furthermore, reviews and improvements will be carried out if the corporation has fallen short in any area. This is similar to the Force's performance pledges, and we must make an effort to meet the public's demands," SSGT Ma observed.

SSGT Shum added: "Speaking on the public's demands, the Station Manager who received us, Mr Kwan Wai-hung, pointed out that demands once thought to be unreasonable have, as society progresses, become an accepted norm. We must, therefore, grow and change with society, and keep ourselves abreast of the latest developments. Such a mentality has to be cultivated by ourselves and among our colleagues so as to achieve a general culture of providing quality service."

SSGT Ma had also observed a situation which is "rather similar" between the staff of KCRC and the Force. He explained: "For example, each train station is managed by a Station Manager, a Station Foreman and six other staff members, similar to a report room manned by a Station Sergeant, a Sergeant and a few Constables. In handling complaints from the public, we must put the customer first, so that matters can be handled smoothly, and the Force's image can be enhanced."

SSGT Shum noted: "KCRC staff very often get yelled and cursed at, on top of other forms of resistance, when they enforce KCRC by-laws. This is similar to the encounters of our frontline officers. We must, therefore, bear in mind that the Police will be considered professional only if we, in handling members of the public, exercise restraint and act according to the law and with reasons and common sense. At the same time, Station Sergeants, as supervisors, must provide subordinates with adequate support and encouragement, and cultivate a team spirit. This is also an integral part of promotion of service quality."

CIP Lau said more similar visits would be organised because they were an effective way to broaden trainees' horizon and promote the culture of service quality within the Force.