The old or good'ol SIA girl?
See a Singapore Girl and what do you think off?
A submissive servant? A prostitute? Midnight romps in a hall full of girls in tight-fitting kebayas?
What I see is warmth, caring, an understanding of stress relieving needs (non-sexual….), basically an adherence to the highest levels of hospitality.
A recent article in the newspaper asks if the SIA girls need to be retired, because their very image is demeaning to a female, encourages indecent thoughts and represent an era long gone as the world moves beyond the 21st century.
My immediate thoughts were:
1. Isn’t SIA in a service-orientated industry?
2. Why are we listening to woman action groups with regards to the way our Singapore Girls are portrayed?
3. Who, when looking at a beautiful female, whether dressed appropriately or otherwise, does not, at any point in time, have steamy thoughts about her?
4. Why aren’t we asking the ones who matter most – the customers?
5. And with respect to the last point – isn’t it proof that the Singapore Girl image is partly responsible for its present day success?
And just for the record, when I see out dear Singapore Girls walking around in wheat fields and playing with children, I do not get an immediate hard-on. I actually view it as an appreciation of nature and all the different cultures that surround us.
When the Singapore girl is in love with you, well, when a girl is in love with you, how do they treat you? The ad did not read, “This girl wants you now.”
What can I say? An image says a thousand words. However, an image’s meaning can also be instantly changed when viewed from a different perspective.
As opposed to promoting sex sex and more sex, I think the Singapore Girl brings out the full extent of a female’s femininity, almost to the point of being motherly.
When you are a weary traveler with the stresses of the world on your shoulders, isn’t it comforting to know that such people are around to help you unwind and relax?
As for looks, well, despite knowing very well that we should never judge a book by its cover, it has been proven time and time again that first appearances are important, in fact almost critical, to ensuring success.
Case study, from ‘Blink: The power of thinking without thinking – Malcolm Gladwell’
Drink A (with Bottle A) has been the dominant drink in its market.
Drink B (with Bottle B) was launched, causing Drink A’s sales to go down.
Survey shows that actually, most still prefer the taste of Drink A.
But this is the critical finding; when Drink A was poured into both Bottle A and Bottle B, more people actually choose Bottle B. Adding on to that, those who drank Drink A from Bottle B said that its tastes better (remember, same drink in both bottles).
Therefore, Drink A redesigned its bottle to become like Bottle B. Result? Sales went back up, again dominating its market.
People always talk about looks, using it to sell sex and stuff. Well, any remedy to that? Shall we hire ugly ladies just to prove that we do not sell sex? So what, are you saying that ugly people aren’t sexy? Talk has always been about that looks are not important. Nobody seems to have come up with an alternative yet.
Also, I believe, such stereo-typing shows the lack of understanding in the service industry. Nobody sees the training and sacrifice that people from such industries go through. Apart from the usual tough interviews and rigorous training, on the working floor, they have to plan and work around their customers. Customers are always first. Meal times are compromised. Sleep is given up. Dignity is often put aside to appease a tough customer.
And the Singapore Girl, outdated?
Doesn’t the Sarong Kebaya represent a part of our Singaporean culture? How do you modernize the basic principals of service? How does a blue eye shadow make them outdated?
McDonalds does not have the cheapest or best tasting food. Neither does it have a fantastic atmosphere or outstanding facilities. What they have, is a formula that works.
And so does SIA. And it seems that almost all customers around the world still prefer and love its current recipe for service excellence.
A submissive servant? A prostitute? Midnight romps in a hall full of girls in tight-fitting kebayas?
What I see is warmth, caring, an understanding of stress relieving needs (non-sexual….), basically an adherence to the highest levels of hospitality.
A recent article in the newspaper asks if the SIA girls need to be retired, because their very image is demeaning to a female, encourages indecent thoughts and represent an era long gone as the world moves beyond the 21st century.
My immediate thoughts were:
1. Isn’t SIA in a service-orientated industry?
2. Why are we listening to woman action groups with regards to the way our Singapore Girls are portrayed?
3. Who, when looking at a beautiful female, whether dressed appropriately or otherwise, does not, at any point in time, have steamy thoughts about her?
4. Why aren’t we asking the ones who matter most – the customers?
5. And with respect to the last point – isn’t it proof that the Singapore Girl image is partly responsible for its present day success?
And just for the record, when I see out dear Singapore Girls walking around in wheat fields and playing with children, I do not get an immediate hard-on. I actually view it as an appreciation of nature and all the different cultures that surround us.
When the Singapore girl is in love with you, well, when a girl is in love with you, how do they treat you? The ad did not read, “This girl wants you now.”
What can I say? An image says a thousand words. However, an image’s meaning can also be instantly changed when viewed from a different perspective.
As opposed to promoting sex sex and more sex, I think the Singapore Girl brings out the full extent of a female’s femininity, almost to the point of being motherly.
When you are a weary traveler with the stresses of the world on your shoulders, isn’t it comforting to know that such people are around to help you unwind and relax?
As for looks, well, despite knowing very well that we should never judge a book by its cover, it has been proven time and time again that first appearances are important, in fact almost critical, to ensuring success.
Case study, from ‘Blink: The power of thinking without thinking – Malcolm Gladwell’
Drink A (with Bottle A) has been the dominant drink in its market.
Drink B (with Bottle B) was launched, causing Drink A’s sales to go down.
Survey shows that actually, most still prefer the taste of Drink A.
But this is the critical finding; when Drink A was poured into both Bottle A and Bottle B, more people actually choose Bottle B. Adding on to that, those who drank Drink A from Bottle B said that its tastes better (remember, same drink in both bottles).
Therefore, Drink A redesigned its bottle to become like Bottle B. Result? Sales went back up, again dominating its market.
People always talk about looks, using it to sell sex and stuff. Well, any remedy to that? Shall we hire ugly ladies just to prove that we do not sell sex? So what, are you saying that ugly people aren’t sexy? Talk has always been about that looks are not important. Nobody seems to have come up with an alternative yet.
Also, I believe, such stereo-typing shows the lack of understanding in the service industry. Nobody sees the training and sacrifice that people from such industries go through. Apart from the usual tough interviews and rigorous training, on the working floor, they have to plan and work around their customers. Customers are always first. Meal times are compromised. Sleep is given up. Dignity is often put aside to appease a tough customer.
And the Singapore Girl, outdated?
Doesn’t the Sarong Kebaya represent a part of our Singaporean culture? How do you modernize the basic principals of service? How does a blue eye shadow make them outdated?
McDonalds does not have the cheapest or best tasting food. Neither does it have a fantastic atmosphere or outstanding facilities. What they have, is a formula that works.
And so does SIA. And it seems that almost all customers around the world still prefer and love its current recipe for service excellence.
posted by Bugger at 4:54 PM
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