“Mystery Shopper” Random Test Passed – China Airlines Wins Far Eastern “Five-Star Service Award”

Reported by You T-Ru / Taipei

China Airlines today (4th) received the 2014 12th “Far Eastern Five-Star Service Award” from Far Eastern Magazine, retaining its championship title in the international airline category. China Airlines’ In-Flight Service Director Wang Xifang was also honored as the Gold Medal Service Staff of the Year.


▲ China Airlines wins the “Far Eastern Five-Star Service Award”. (Photo / Provided by China Airlines)

The Far Eastern Magazine’s Service Industry Survey, themed “Raising the Bar, Service That Touches Beyond SOP,” conducted evaluations of frontline staff service performance through “mystery shopper” audits. These mystery shoppers immersed themselves in various service industry settings for nearly half a year, conducting assessments. They also conducted actual spot checks on service aspects that consumers care about most, such as telephone customer service, counter service, attire neatness, or handling of unexpected situations.

China Airlines established a “Service Optimization Team” last year. During a mystery shopper test on a flight to Japan, a passenger asked a flight attendant to book a child meal for her daughter on the return flight. Unlike other airlines that would require passengers to seek ground staff assistance upon arrival, the China Airlines flight attendant immediately helped with the booking right after delivering the meals. This nearly earned China Airlines full marks on this challenging test item.

Far Eastern Magazine also awarded the Gold Medal Service Staff today, with In-Flight Service Director Wang Xifang being selected for her passionate and idealistic service spirit. Known for her warm-hearted personality and modern-day heroine-like qualities, Wang Xifang has touched many with services such as helping retrieve false teeth or contact lenses for passengers. She creates small joys in the cabin with her rich sense of humor and is praised as the “in-flight CEO” or “in-flight entertainment director” (CEO, Chief Entertainment Officer). Having joined China Airlines in 1992, Wang Xifang said she sincerely treats passengers as good friends. Humor, empathy, and sincerity — these three little principles are her service philosophy as a flight attendant. Even after 22 years of flying, she remains consistently enthusiastic and treats every service as a true enjoyment.