Friday, February 09, 2007

Singapore Girl

Chua Mui Hoong put up a strong case for Singapore Girl to change. It refreshing to get a female's perspective of the image. Mui Hoong is very articulate. More and more female business travellers who decide who to travel with. She rightly point out Singapore Girl is invented by man for men. She was indignant by the latest copy of the advertisement - 2 Singapore Girls serving a man. Nowaday, many females travel business class. They are getting younger and younger too. Why Singapore Airlines is so sexist? I noticed 90% of the time the crew chief is usually a man in his 50s. With such a huge population of female stewardess, why only men reach the top of the crew.

Singapore Airlines should do an analysis of its customer base. Female travellers must be growing faster and more profitable. I agree Singapore Girl should shed her image of nubile, sarong party girl and be more sophisticated, worldly and a globetrotter. She should still understand and deliver service well. Boh Tong's picture of the new Singapore Girl gives me the shudders. She looks too much like United Airlines stewardesses, old and matronly. More like grandmothers who tell you off if you dare require for a drink before their service run (and I have actual experience in US when I request for water to take with my medicine).

I still like younger crews be it male or female. With the strength of female customers increasing, I agree. The image of Singapore Girl need to be revamped. At the end of the day, money talks.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

SQ should in this case should employ young and good looking stewards to look after the female passengers hehehe.
BT.

BookLover said...

Actually, this was one idea I was toying around. I think it is a super idea. But I do not want to use "sex" to sell even though the role is now reverse.

Anonymous said...

Hmm,bt's idea is good. But most importantly, their service must be good lor. So next time SIA's advertisement will feature handsome steward haha.

Anonymous said...

i agree with u that SQ is very sexist. the cabin crew dept consist more than half that are females. however, more often than not if u'd realise, its a male, leading the entire set of crew. makes me think if the promotional opportunities are biased towards males? since 'Singapore girl' is the icon for SQ, shouldnt women be given a better go at promotions?

in addition, the adverts says it all about how they hv to portray stewardesses serving men - male egoism at play. how about a refreshing switch for once? i think the HR dept of SQ should step up with the times and get on with some major restructuring of their bureacracies and policies for the cabin crew dept.

;)


P.

BookLover said...

It is an idea worth pursuing. I doubt it will be accept. The top management are all men. So egos will get in the way. After all, the decision makers could never understand as they are served by women at work and at home and not the other way round.

Anonymous said...

BL....U are right! Top mgmt ppl are all men. Not 1 SVP is a female.
I've this comment from one of my readers..
"..Lolita said...
uncle tell ur frn that the girls gt married smtime along the way n left but the guys got married too but hv to work n support the family. Im sure after being so long there u shd hv enlighten him. Ahh uncle u shd hv help out here u SHD knw too. Change the Sigapore GirL icon? why fix smtg thats nt broken????..."
BT

BookLover said...

There are two schools of thought. One is never change something that is not broken. The other is to change so that it does not get broken. The hard part of the decision is when to change and when not to change. I love Singapore Girl but if I am running SQ, then I have to make sure the key Customers group are not antagonise, in the case, female business traveller.