Last Friday, while I was in a queue to pay some Housing Board charges at HDB’s Hougang Branch, I noticed something interesting which I thought I should share with all of you.
It’s about the quality of service dished out – something that Singaporeans like to complain about to their family, friends and almost everyone else. Anyway, that’s how bad news get spread around almost instantly.

But, this story I am going to tell you isn’t about something bad. On the contrary, it’s about an HDB officer’s win-win way of handling a difficult customer’s request.

There I was, watching an episode of Mr Beans being aired on a TV set in the branch whilst I was in the queue – which, mind you, stretched all the way round the roped stands to the entrance and snaked out into the open grounds outside the branch. There were more than 70 people in the queue.

I couldn’t help overhearing the conversation between a counter staff and an HDB tenant; the man was almost shouting. He insisted on the enquiry-counter girl allowing him to pay his season parking fee so that he needed not queue up. His reason? He was in a hurry so he didn’t have the time. Obviously, he must have thought that those in the long queue – which included me, of course – weren’t in any hurry at all! I mean, all the people in the queue didn’t have anything better to do than stand in a queue for more than half an hour, watching Mr Beans on the TV screen.

When the staff politely explained that he couldn’t cut queue, he bellowed to her that he should be allowed to pay at her counter since he was paying the HDB, quite oblivious to the fact that those in the queue, too, were paying the HDB.

The counter staff referred the problem to her officer, who took just under three minutes to resolve the situation without letting him cut queue, but at the same time, not letting him storm out of the building empty-handed.

The HDB officer told the man he could return on Monday to pay his season parking fee. And if he received a parking ticket for parking his car without a valid season ticket over the weekend or on Monday, the officer would squash the ticket. However, he said this was contingent on the man renewing his season parking on Monday 2 Dec 2002 and no later.

That sent the man off, jubilant that he need not queue. As I stood in the queue, I thought to myself that the officer’s way of handling the difficult man was something to marvel at. He provided a win-win solution. It might have been easy for the officer to do it, since he must have come across such situations many times. But, honestly, I ask you – how many officers would have bothered to do what he did. I am sure most of them would have waved the man off without batting an eyelid, after all, rules are rules.

I never thought that whilst in a queue, I could learn something on people management, but I did. Kudos to that HDB chap!