The one with the Changi experience - Andrew Tan Director Airport Ops Consultancy Changi Airport Group E113

🎤😲There's an open air pool at this airport! Andrew Tan Director Airport Operations Consultancy at Changi Airport Group in "The one with the Changi experience" CX Passport E113🎧What’s in the episode?...

CHAPTERS

0:00 Introduction

3:41 Why is Changi so special to passengers?

5:37 What makes an airline choose an airport?

7:33 Why is customer experience at an airport vital?

11:06 Your CX Passport Captain

11:32 The airport attracts the community 

13:26 What to do and eat in Singapore

20:30 1st Class Lounge

23:51 How to know what an airport really needs

25:41 Contextualize technology in overall CX context

30:20 The surprise delights 🏊at Changi

33:20 Contact info and closing

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Hosted by Rick Denton “I believe the best meals are served outside and require a passport”

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Episode resources:

Changi Airports International: https://www.cai.sg/

Andrew LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewtan2000/

Transcript

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Andrew Tan: 0:00

I think we're the first open air airport swimming pool.

Rick Denton: 0:04

Hang on there, you got into a swimming pool?

Andrew Tan: 0:07

Yes, we have an open air swimming pool at terminal one next to the terminal one hotel. It even becomes like a party scene. And there's even a queue sometimes.

Rick Denton: 0:23

You're listening to CX Passport, the show about creating great customer experiences with a dash of travel talk. Each episode we’ll talk with our guests about great CX, travel...and just like the best journeys, explore new directions we never anticipated. I'm your host Rick Denton. I believe the best meals are served outside and require a passport. Let's get going. Guilty. Yeah, I'm guilty of being an airline geek from time to time. I'm the one who stares up at the sky and wants to see you know which airline is flying overhead and imagining the exciting destination that awaits those travelers. With a love of airlines comes a fascination with airports. There are some spectacular ones out there. There are also some stunningly atrocious ones and you know it's not just luxury for me. I can be delighted with the open air Caribbean airport with the air stairs to the plane and trust me I love air stairs I waved my non existent faux paparazzi every time I stand at the top of them just as much as I can be delighted with a hyper luxury immersive airport. Because of that today we are in for a fun ride or should I say flight as I get a chance to talk to Andrew Tan Director and Head airport operations consultancy for one of the world's premier airports Changi Airport in Singapore. Andrew has spent around 30 years in the aviation industry with several international airlines desiring to share that passion with a new generation. He's done a stint teaching aviation to young, passionate future learners. Today he helps airports around the world learn how to emulate the chunky experience. I'm gonna share more about that in the show. Do you know what show he was named for? I didn't either. I assumed it was a political figure or something that's kind of traditional like that. In a peaceful twist Chun is actually named for a tree in the area where the airport stands. Well, I've never been to this airport. I've heard how beautiful and efficient it is, folks. People have their weddings at Changi weddings. Think about that next time you suffer through one of your lesser airports in your travels. That's why Andrews world exists and why there's such demand today from advising airports in Brazil to support the Rio 2016 Olympics to supporting contactless check in in the Philippines. Airports globally want what Chung Hee has? It'll be fascinating talk with Andrew today, Andrew. Welcome to CX passport. Thanks, Ray. Let's get going here. Yeah, your your role is just unique to me. It's not one that I knew existed. And so it'd be great if you would just share a little bit about your current role today with our listeners.

Andrew Tan: 3:05

Okay, I'm the director and practice head of operations at Changi Airport International. Basically, we are the overseas arm of Changi Airport. We help operate and manage airports overseas. We invest in airports and we also consult to airport clients who like us that want to bring their customer experience or the operational efficiency or to improve their retail and f&b experience at the airport for travelers. In a nutshell, anything outside of Singapore is under Chung. It's airports International, and I'm in charge of the Operations and Services there. Yeah,

Rick Denton: 3:41

well, you've got a nice oh, at least canvas with which to work if it's any airport outside of Singapore, that gives you quite a lot of opportunity there. And I've been in my fair share of airports. So you have to and you know, and we're not going to name them, but some airports are just hideous. Others are just basically nice, then they work there, but then nothing special and then others are spectacular. So imagine if other airports want to be like Chun Li, there's got to be something truly special about it as an airport. I've alluded to it, but I haven't seen it. I've heard it tell me and tell the listeners what is it about chunkies airport that is just so special to passengers.

Andrew Tan: 4:22

I think from the start Changi always realized that strategically airports are important to communities to economies to people and nations. And there was a strong drive by the airport, the airlines the stakeholders towards this higher goal. And it's of course it starts off with having efficient facilities and rice processing. And once you got the basic that's when you start leveling up your game to passenger experience to passenger delight and even surprise, right. People go and they see something or experience something at a An airport that you would never expect expect, whether it's a butterfly garden garden terminal to a sorry, terminal tree or a sunflower garden, you know, there's there's always something different and unique at Changi Airport. And I, well, I think credit also goes to our competitor airports, they emulate what we have. And that just inspires us to go the next step and to challenge ourselves and, and give a better experience to passengers, you know, passengers as consumers have a choice. So we want to make sure we're in the right position to attract passengers and airlines to Changi Airport.

Rick Denton: 5:37

And I think that's something you helped me understand earlier. First, let me say something go back to something that you said that made me chuckle a little bit is, you know, once you've gotten the basic operations, right, how many airports out there? You and I both say they haven't even gotten the basic operations, right. So there's a there's a threshold of airport that hasn't even achieved that. But to go to that delight stage, that's something that I certainly hear you, you working with. And I think that was something that you helped me understand when we talked earlier that yes, customers have a choice, but a lot of us are routed through an airport by the choice of our airline. It's the airline that's that chooses the airport, what is it about the airport experience that makes an airline want to choose it, which would then explain why an airport would want to engage someone like you to help make their airport better to attract those airlines?

Andrew Tan: 6:23

Yeah, you're right, actually, I think we view our customer as not just a passenger who gets on a piece of metal. Were also the the airline that flies that piece of metal. So of course, on the passenger side, you have things like smooth efficient check in you have a lot of immigration counters security, everyone's pleasant. On the airline side, you need to facilitate fast turnarounds efficient processes, where you know, if an airline is going to start flying, and being in from Singapore Airlines, I've started flights, I started flights last week, okay. And,

Rick Denton: 6:56

oh, hey, there's a winner, Singapore to Vegas. All right. So

Andrew Tan: 7:01

airports that make it easier for airlines to fly, whether it's incentives, whether having structured processes to make it quick for airlines to start their flights, that helped, you know, airlines to go there. And it's not just about, okay, if you want to just come to my airport, you're gonna get passengers, like I need to, we need to convince airlines that there's a strong business case, we pair them up with other airlines to have connectivity. So it's not just, you know, one, one individual airlines, the whole ecosystem working together.

Rick Denton: 7:33

Yeah, I think that's the part that I didn't quite appreciate as a traveler is, you know, there's a certain destination pair that I would like an airline to start, but I'm not gonna mention it not gonna get into details between my home and another particular city. And in my mind, I'm thinking, well, as long as there's just demand there, why is the airline not doing it? And you're describing a whole set of other layers that would incent an air line? To choose a particular airport beyond just does a customer demand that point to point existence? And how does that think about just customer experience in general? So think about it at the passenger layer for just a second, right? Passengers don't say who I want to go to this airport, or I want to go to that airport most of the time. But there are some experiences at an airport airport, the customer says, oh, no, I really love that airport. And it take it beyond just a three point that a traveler is traveling through, but to be something delightful. Why is customer experience at the airport. So vital?

Andrew Tan: 8:38

Well, I think the customer experience the last thing you remember if you had a nasty experience, you kind of have that negative impression of an airport. So if it's something positive, it it sticks in your mind and and Changi, we take it one step further, if you look at the backdrop, I know that the audience can see my backdrop but Google jewel Changi Airport, and we've created a waterfall in this facility just next to terminal one, right? And it's amazing site and if you look at my photo, you can see the skytrain, the skytrain is an automated people mover. So it answers passengers between terminals, both on the public side on and on the air side. This actually passes through jewel, so if you're transferring from terminal to terminal tree, it will go through and I hope you get to experience it actually slows down so it's a bit like a Welcome to Jurassic Park. Oh my gosh, down this music. And there's this wow factor. So if you only thought, okay, Singapore Airlines has the best connection and the best price I'm going to transit. Next time when you transfer you're going to see Julian See, gosh, I'm gonna actually book myself a 12 hour 24 hour layover, just so I can get out to immigration and see this beauty. So that that's the next level that that we we Try for to actually create an attraction in itself. Airport is not just a facilitator of travel, the airport becomes a destination. And it's not just even before jewel, right? We have we have events, like, you know during school holidays, Christmas, you name it. Are you a fan of Star Wars?

Rick Denton: 10:22

I have enjoyed Star Wars. I remember being a little kid queuing up for a movie long ago in the 70s. Yes.

Andrew Tan: 10:29

So I can't remember maybe it was six years ago, we actually had a Star Wars here and promotion and there was like a y wing X Wing fighter and one terminal. A tie for life size, TIE Fighter and abdominal and we hit like, actors dressed in costumes, you know. So it becomes a destination in itself that people say I'm not traveling, but is the weekend. Why do I bring my kids here? Oh my gosh, that's actually elevating the customer experience and the customer no longer is just the passenger or the airline is actually just includes the public who find a reason to come to the airport. This

Your CX Passport Captain: 11:06

This is your captain speaking. I want to thank you for listening to CX Passport today. We’ve now reached our cruising altitude so I’ll turn that seatbelt sign off. <ding> While you’re getting comfortable, hit that Follow or Subscribe button in your favorite podcast app so you never miss an episode. I’d love it if you’d tell a friend about CX Passport and leave a review so that others can discover the show as well. Now, sit back and enjoy the rest of the episode.

Rick Denton: 11:32

Well, and I looted or I didn't. I stated there in the intro that people that blew my mind when I was looking through the website that people have their weddings. at Changi, I just I can't even imagine. But when anyone I will put a link to some photos or include the photos. If you look at this, this garden that Andrew is describing it is beautiful. And to see the train actually go through it, I have almost a Disney s kind of visualization Jurassic Park or Disney where it's an experience in and of itself. And you said something very early on in the episode that caught my ear. And it was that airports are important to the community as well. And I know that they are viewed as business engines where I live DFW is widely regarded as having driven the economic success are one of the major drivers of economic success for the North Texas region. You're describing another layer of community and that is its engagement with the people of the community and making it a delight for the people, the families inside the community through the delights that the airport offers that that really surprises me.

Andrew Tan: 12:36

Yeah, so I'll give you another example. We have this area in terminal three, we call it step. So previously, it was like a void area near the glass of the cup side. And usually these are areas no one hangs around, we actually created like a step pavilion, and we put a giant TV screen. So during World Cup, people could watch the World Cup for free. And otherwise we screen movies. So it and we don't charge right, it's all free. So it becomes a magnet that people families, couples, students will come here in their free time. And since you're here, you might as well have a meal, you might as well go to a supermarket and buy your groceries instead of going to your neighborhood Mall. So it's a whole ecosystem in itself that we've created in Changi.

Rick Denton: 13:26

And we're going to talk about this a little bit later in the episode. It's even becoming clear to me beyond our earlier conversations, why a role like yours is so sought after by other airports when you're describing something that isn't just an economic engine inside the airline industry itself, but rather for the community as a large and what that could do for business development there. I want to pivot for a second and that is because we are talking I'm talking to you in Singapore. Thank you for staying up late at night. I appreciate that. And I know that Singapore is a amazing destination. I've mentioned not having the chance to be there but I hope to some time. It helped me visualize Singapore as a future traveler. What would traveling to Singapore be like? What should I see? Where should I go? What should I eat?

Andrew Tan: 14:16

Okay, well you land in one of our four terminals.

Rick Denton: 14:20

Oh good. Okay, I like to start with the airport

Andrew Tan: 14:23

10 years. Most of your almost every flight and I think I can safely say almost every flight would have a jet bridge so you're an air conditioned comfort away. So you won't get your paparazzi taking photos of you down the

Rick Denton: 14:36

but in Singapore. I'm glad to have the air conditioning I know that part of the climate.

Andrew Tan: 14:43

You will you will take travelators if it's a citizen long distance go down to the immigration Hall. The immigration Hall is tall and spacious because border control can be scary and stressful. Right. And after clearing immigration you Pick up your luggage. Again, a very tall, spacious hall. Terminal tree, for example has a lot of greenery you imagine you're in a park and your back comes out we have, we have quite stringent targets. I think I can honestly say probably comes out faster than a lot of other airports. Okay? Pick up your bags and a short distance later. If you're taking a taxi, there's a nice orderly queue. You don't have to worry, worry about being conned, because we published guidelines on taxi fares. It's metered taxis. There's no you must use my airport taxi and pay 50% more. Right, it's all there. Right? I actually view it more as a service than a commercial thing. We don't, you know, like get money and and from that. Yeah, right.

Rick Denton: 15:50

Yeah, I mean, another like even I want to hear more about the city. I'm interrupting you, I apologize for that. It's just even you're describing the immigration Hall designing it to be beautiful to be attractive to the traveler, all the way down to the taxis of making sure that the customer the passenger, the person experiencing this doesn't have you reduce as much stress as possible in this that it's not necessarily a commercial enterprise for the airport, but rather it is a delivery of experience for the customer, the passenger to make their memory of chunky something special. Now I'm in the taxi and I'm heading to the city tell me about I'm a tourist, I can't wait.

Andrew Tan: 16:23

So you would go down a wide Avenue wide by Singapore standards. But it's nice and clear. Because a long time ago, we decided the airport has to be a showcase and you you don't want to go to some narrow roads. And that changes your impression of Singapore. Right? So you take the main expressway, you'll be in town and as you hit towards the viaduct, you'll see things like the Singapore Flyer, which is a giant Ferris wheel, you will see Gardens by the Bay, which is two glass domes of air condition greeneries so so if you're from the tropics, you will see greenery from temperate countries. So depending on whether you're where you're staying, you could stay at one of our integrated resorts if you're a gambler, right?

Rick Denton: 17:13

I probably not me, but I'm very well aware of it. Yes,

Andrew Tan: 17:17

yeah, or the Sentosa Island which has a Universal Studios. So I think it also depends on what the traveler wants if you like culture and history I tell a lot of my my friends from far away that if you have only a few days and you want to experience Asia, Singapore is the place to be because ethnically we got Chinese origin people we have Malay origin we have Indian origin and in a lot of other mixes. So it's a good exposure to Asia because we're a bit in between the West and a bit in on in on the

Rick Denton: 17:50

fact that you're to use a a an oft used phrase for America of you it sounds like you're the melting pot of Asia there in Singapore of coming together and being able to experience all of those cultures. Before we we move on, I want to I love some of the sights and the visualization. I'm an eater. I love eating tell me about if I if I am there for three days, what do I want to eat? What do you want to make sure that I don't leave the city without enjoying from a meal perspective.

Andrew Tan: 18:19

Okay, this is probably a contentious issue because everyone has their own favorites. Of course. As my guests are asked you, how's your tolerance for spicy food? Because I think over here being a melting pot. We've got a lot of different rice influence, right? I think I would bring you to Little India, which is the Indian version of Chinatown. Okay, don't call it Chinatown. We call it town. No, just kidding. We do have a

Rick Denton: 18:51

well done sir. I see that dad jokes are universal. I like that.

Andrew Tan: 18:56

Yes, um, and Little India. We will take you to eat banana leaf. Now what is banana leaf it's it's from India. It's from the Tamil Nadu region, which is south east of India. And there's a banana leaf on the table and they scoop rice and curries and pickles and vegetables. And traditionally you eat it by hand. So it's while you can taste lots of flavors on one leaf. So that's banana leaf, if you like, kind of spicy food. Other ethnic food is, let's say the Malay food so there's this thing called Massey llama. Which literally translated means fatty rice is rice that's been cooked in, in coconut. The coconut oil I'm not cooked coconut milk. Okay. And season with with other leaves. Again, I'm not a cold fried anchovies and peanuts and a spicy kind of pace.

Rick Denton: 20:00

Holy cow that sounds really good. Yeah.

Andrew Tan: 20:03

And for Chinese food, this depends on whether you want to try food from the north or China or South of China traditionally, I think most of the people from Singapore from the south, so I would describe it as maybe a lighter tastes. But as you go off, it becomes more spicy like hot pot. So the world's your oyster hearing

Rick Denton: 20:30

Andrew, little change of pace here, although my stomach is still kind of rumbling thinking about all the good food that I clearly need to get on a flight and get to Singapore. But one of the things about that flight to Singapore, typically anywhere from the Western Hemisphere, that's a long flight and travel can be somewhat wearing so the lounge can be a nice little respite in our travels and so I'd like for you to take a respite here join me in the first class lounge let's have a little fun here. What is a dream travel location from your past?

Andrew Tan: 21:00

When you say past is like my past life like Cleopatra. And

Rick Denton: 21:05

I've never had a guest ask that but you can you can own the answer any way you want to own it.

Andrew Tan: 21:11

Dream travel locations. Okay. I think that's a hard question because I've I lost count but I've I think I've lived in more than 10 countries. So actually, when it comes to holiday time, I'm a slob. I like to stay at home. I like that. Yeah. And I think in terms of travel, my goal is just keep on going to places I've never been.

Rick Denton: 21:39

Okay. Well that's I want to know where your your dream travel occasion of the future is. It sounds like that answer is anywhere that you've not been to yet I like that open ended aspect of it. And that doesn't surprise me someone who is housed and based at an airport that has access to the globe you truly could go just about anywhere on a nonstop flight from there. We talked about food Andrew, I'm curious what is your favorite thing to eat?

Andrew Tan: 22:09

Everything! Good question. You

Rick Denton: 22:13

were a man after my heart. I like it.

Andrew Tan: 22:15

Oh, okay, this, I guess. Top of my mind is this is a local dish called laksa. So it's it's a It's noodles cooked in a in a curry coconut curry broth. Right. Wow. Okay, now specifically, I like it with a type of cocoa which locally we call see. It's a type of cocoa and light is a blood cocoa so I like it rare.

Rick Denton: 22:43

Okay. Oh gosh, this sounds really really good. I love especially part of the reason this podcast is global. So I get to hear perspectives around the globe. And I love hearing the food stories around the globe. So I'll keep an eye out for that one when I'm heading to Singapore in the future. On the other side, Andrew What is something your parents forced you to eat but you hate it as a kid?

Andrew Tan: 23:06

it's liver.

Rick Denton: 23:09

Amen. Okay. With you there. Yeah,

Andrew Tan: 23:13

but I've I've grown up I love pate now so yeah,

Rick Denton: 23:17

well good for you. I still haven't quite gotten there I can tolerate it but liver is a dish no I'm out I'm agree with you there. So with all of your travels, even though it sounds like your desires to stay home, but I know that you're still traveling quite a bit what is one travel item not including your phone not including your passport, you will not leave home without?

Andrew Tan: 23:38

Huh. I think travel adapter which I recently learned on a trip to Europe now I forgot my travel adapt.

Rick Denton: 23:51

Intro let's go back to talking about your role. Oh, I can certainly see, as we talked about at the beginning how that role is important in elevating the airport experience around the globe. I want to walk through kind of what do you do? You've shown up it's your first step at that new airport that reached out to help you improve their overall operations. Just walk me through your thoughts. What are you looking for? How do you sense what an airport really needs?

Andrew Tan: 24:19

Yeah, I think it's not like it's in a manual. It's it comes off the years of having an occupational disease that when you go on holiday, you start picking apart cues and whether the staff smile and said thank you. But typically what I'll do is I'll walk the floor from curb side to check in security immigration to the gate and the same thing for arrivals. I I think I would do it during the peak. I don't like to have an interaction of the local managers guiding me which happened on what I did were right. I swear to God, there were three golf buggies In a convoy, you're not gonna see anything, because every manager and his supervisor under him is going to make sure everything's running, which is, right, you kind of want to be a mystery traveler and, you know, like a fly on the wall or behind standing behind a pillar and observing. And then you can actually see what happens. I always look, I try to look through the lens of a traveler, because then you have a certain perspective, if I look through the lens of an airport operator, or an airline guy, I'll probably say, Yeah, but that happens because you create excuses. So I have to switch mindsets into I'm a passenger, I deserve a certain experience and look at it that way.

Rick Denton: 25:41

You have in that sentence, almost encapsulated, one of the key principles of customer experience. And it's why you and I were brought together how we came to know each other is that spirit of, I'm not gonna be able to design a airport experience a passenger experience a customer experience in the boardroom, in a conference room, I gotta get out there. And not only do I have to get out there, I can't do it through the lens of me, the operations leader who knows all and this is why the process works that way, but rather, through the lens of the customer. And that's so true in so many other areas. And it's a failure point. For a lot of businesses, I talk a lot about that both on the show and with clients is of don't try to design that with the your corporate lens, or in your conference room lens. But rather get out there, listen to the customer, observe the customer live with the customer, be the customer and it sounds like you as a traveler, have a leg up there that you can absolutely be that traveler. You know, one of the things that I imagine that you do see, when you're there is the technology. And that's a key part of airport operations. So those of us that have been traveling for decades now, I still remember paper tickets like actually going and the red carbon on the back of it and all of that. So technology clearly has evolved now, a lot are in love with it as the way to solve and improve customer experience. And that's true. I know that you've also seen how that doesn't work completely. Technology is not the complete solution. How should we contextualize technology in the context overall, to ensure a great customer experience?

Andrew Tan: 27:21

I think firstly, it starts off with who is the user. And when I say user, it could be the passenger who has to use a kiosk to check in Yeah. It could be the airline who has to top up the stock of boarding pass paper. It could be the IT technician who has to maintain the system. So you have to look at these users. Now, in I think in Singapore, we are lucky because a lot of us are digital natives. Well, at least my kids are not.

Rick Denton: 27:59

You and I have a very similar view there. My kids are

Andrew Tan: 28:02

when you have when you have digital natives that they're not worried about pressing a screen. Right? Right. But as as you get to the elderly, there, they're not going to be so confident. So right at the passenger eye example today, I just happen to walk through a walk by a self service kiosk and I saw a man struggling. And it was just a simple case that he didn't press the logo of the airline. So maybe there needs to be some video that says please press here or something. Yeah. Yeah, we we've actually done in some off screen savers. So if you walk past a kiosk, when when it's like in hibernating mode, it's a little butterfly, the idea is that kids will see the butterfly and they'll oh, I want to press right. So look at the customer now, if we appreciate that there's going to be digital natives who are going to have trouble using the cell service then how do you facilitate Do you have staff there to help? Or do you set up a counted aside to help such passengers who may or may not passengers who maybe have who are differentiated differentially differentially able? Right, right? Yeah, so I think we have to look at these things. Another case study is an airport may want to BIOS technology and say okay, I'm going to speed up the process it looks sexy. But if the process requires physical checks, for example, COVID Tez COVID vaccination and your systems and your machines are not geared up to check that then your machines are just gonna get a Deus because passengers will still no go to a counter. Why do I want to cure the machine if I have to go to the counter anyway? So I think all all these have to be reviewed. And as an airport when you Put in such facilities, do you get buy in from the airlines, the airline will say No way, I'm going to allow you to put my system there or how much you charge me. So all this has to be looked into in totality. It's never easy, but I think as as, as we step up, of course, the adoption is gonna be higher and higher.

Rick Denton: 30:20

Yeah. And you lead with something there. Actually, you closed with the idea that you got a lot of stakeholders, you've got the airlines, right, that are involved that you can't just do technology, because if your airlines aren't interested in it, or don't want to pay for it, then you can't do that. You started with another stakeholder. And that was someone who was touching at a screen that you could tell this, they hadn't done the logo correctly. And it's about understanding the why of that. And getting in there and understanding what that customer is experiencing not only what they said, but what they're doing. And then learning from that, and improving on that. That bringing technology and humanity together requires understanding that customer who's standing there, tapping at the screen, or maybe not tapping at the screen, frustrated that they're not able to accomplish what they want to accomplish. We are close to the end of time here, Andrew. And I want to close out with a little bit of fun. You've told me some of the things that are absolutely delightful. And I continue to look over your shoulder there the beauty that is the Changi Airport. I know that there are some long layovers that come through there. And I know passengers are going to be finding delights beyond the ones that you mentioned, are there some hidden delights, some treasures in the airport that may not be as widely known that are incredibly delightful.

Andrew Tan: 31:35

That's a really interesting point as a as a local in Singapore, I've always zoomed through the airport, right? Especially if you work for an airline, you think you know the system and you go show up in the last minute? Because I think that oh, minus six minutes, I can step on the plane. But anyway, I've been there. Yeah. So I think once I started working for the airport, and then I've seen a lot of hidden things that local passenger, but someone with 12 hours would spot. We have koi gardens. So Terminal One has a cactus garden. Terminal One also has the, I think with the first open air airport swimming pool

Rick Denton: 32:17

Hang on there, you got into a swimming pool?

Andrew Tan: 32:19

Yes, we have an open air swimming pool at terminal one next to the terminal, one hotel, it even becomes like a party scene. And that's even a cue sometimes because a lot of the people from coal countries, that's their last spot of sunshine, you know, and they want to gain some sun and no way. That's awesome. So that's Terminal One is an example. Terminal two, we have a butterfly. No, sorry, cactus garden. Yeah. And actually, terminal two is a bit different because it's more regional flight, so you don't have that many long layover. So I think the butterfly garden and we used to have a gaming center. Yeah. Oh my gosh, I mean, this is awesome. Domino tree as a butterfly garden, Koi ponds. And you know, you mentioned first class lounge. And I remember terminal tree. Actually, if you walk in some of the waiting areas, the seats, it is like being in a first class lounge. And it's free days.

Rick Denton: 33:20

Nice. Oh, man. Well, let's, let's end there. First of all, I just want to end with visualizing this, I'm still stuck on the swimming pool. Everything else is beautiful as well. But the fact that there's an open air swimming pool, that becomes a party scene that that cracks me up. So folks, if you're listening, just book your flight to Singapore to the airport, just go hang out at a party at the pool. But clearly know the city of Singapore is something that folks would want to get to see Andrew, how can folks get in touch with you to learn more if they if they have an airport operations that they're responsible for? They want to talk to you about that, or they just want to talk to you about passenger aviation and customer experience.

Andrew Tan: 33:54

Sure, our website is www.cai.sg. Or you can look me up on LinkedIn.

Rick Denton: 34:04

Okay. Yeah, I'll get I'll get both of those into the shownotes. Folks scroll down as usual, click the links and you'll get in touch with Andrew Andrew, what a fun conversation that I really enjoyed getting to at least live virtually in Singapore for a moment. Both the city and I cannot wait to experience some of the travel elements that you describe the food elements you describe. And then the airport itself what an absolute delight the airport must be. And thank you for sharing and opening my eyes and helping me learn about this, this entire consulting arm of helping other airports around the world achieve some of the level of greatness that Chun Hee has and I hope to see more and more airports around the world match what you've got. Andrew was wonderful talking with you today. Thank you for being on CX passport.

Andrew Tan: 34:47

Thank you. It's been a great pleasure. You've been a wonderful host. Thank you and hope to see you in Singapore and Changi jewel.

Rick Denton: 34:56

Thanks for joining us this week on CX Passport. Make sure to visit our website cxpassport.com where you can hit subscribe so you'll never miss a show. While you're at it, you can check out the rest of the EX4CX website. If you're looking to get real about customer experience, EX4CX is available to help you increase revenue by starting to listen to your customers and create great experiences for every customer every time. Thanks for listening to CX Passport and be sure to tune in for our next episode. Until next time, I'm Rick Denton, and I believe the best meals are served outside and require a passport.