A Sweet Smile Spells
a Difference
In the Conduct of
Business Transaction
…Philippine Airlines
employees still do it
By Apolinario Villalobos
An adage says that one needs only to flex a few muscles to
form a smile, unlike a frown that requires almost a thousand. Additionally,
while the smile gives radiance to the face, a frown only casts a forlorn aura.
And for any business, while a smile, especially, one that is sweet serves as a
magnet that attracts good luck and customers, a frown drives them away.
It is a fact that some people are not in the habit of
smiling, as if ill- feeling is their shadow. But this can be developed even
just for the sake of business transaction. Employers spend big sum to “develop”
the habit of smiling for their staff as part of their training in Values,
Attitude, and Personality development.
But some people are lucky to be born with the smile habit.
These are the people who others say are with the “smiling voice”, too. I have
encountered these smiley gals when I visited PAL Head Office at the PNB
Building. The first was Galilee “Gal”
Gavino, an International Ticketing Representative who at the time was
attending to a couple’s travel requirements. I got engrossed on how she
graciously went through the transaction, complete with a sweet smile,
emphasized by her dimples. I was practically entertained by the way she handled
her customers. There was no hurry in the way she explained everything that went
with the tickets being transacted, from restrictions to their limitations.
After a considerable time spent at the ticket office for my
own requirement, I went back to the Benefits Office for another transaction for
which I had to go to the Cashier’s Section for certain payments that had to be
made. On the way, I received a call through my cellphone about a not-
so-encouraging news which affected my mood. When I entered the Cashier’s
Section I was greeted with a very warmly said, “good morning, sir”…”may I help
you?”. It came from a lady who was all smiles. She practically vanished my anxieties!
Her PAL ID says she was Geraldine Anavie
Domingo. Her supervisor, Ms.
Evangeline Cueto was likewise smiling, as she stood behind the cashiers,
ready to offer help in case of any problem. In less than five minutes, our
transaction was concluded!
Experiencing the sweet smile of the two ladies, Ms. Gavino and Ms. Domingo, made me
recall the smile campaign many years back, of Philippine Airlines along with
its Total Passenger Care Program. They really boosted the sales campaign of the
country’s flag carrier. The airline had no domestic competitor due to the “one
airline” policy at the time and the Philippine skies was so protected by the
government, yet, Philippine Airlines felt the need to steadily improve its
image. Such energetic attitude put the Philippine Airlines on the top echelon
of the airline industry during those years….to which the pioneer employees
always look back every time they reminisce how they spent some of the best
years of their life.
