American Express: Your Partner Through Thick and Thin

American Express honoured with the Distinguished Salesperson Award for 11 years as it remains committed to backing its customers at all times

It is the 11th consecutive year that American Express has been granted the prestigious Distinguished Salesperson Award (DSA) by The Hong Kong Management Association, but this year is perhaps one of the most extraordinary occasions as  American Express has proven to be a reliable, valuable partner to its customers, colleagues, and the community as they weather the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Susanna Lee, Managing Director, Hong Kong and Taiwan and General Manager, Insurance Asia, American Express said, “We have been serving and supporting customers in Hong Kong through thick and thin for more than a century. American Express is stepping up to provide more assistance and benefits to our stakeholders as we endure these trying times.”

The company had been taking care of its people – for example, in order to ensure its employees stay safe, it has transformed its operations to offer flexible, home-based work arrangements while maintaining excellent services.

American Express has also demonstrated its commitment to providing best solutions to its customers- financial assistance and payment flexibility are offered to both consumer, business and corporate cardmembers.  On the other hand, it has been working closely with partnering merchants in order to find ways to make it easier to conduct business as the retail industry is hard-pressed to deal with the new normal. It has also pledged a US$100,000 grant to the Mental Health Association of Hong Kong to support the community at large.

As the company is deeply committed to caring and helping people achieve a better life, it is little surprise that its people are excellent in delivering quality service and solutions, day in and day out, to their customers. This year, two members of staff from American Express have received the DSA award. They are Bonnie Yip and Christy Kwan, Managers, Premium Segment and Business Development, Acquisition and Partnerships under Global Consumer Services Group.

As a university graduate in marketing studies, Yip is passionate about the profession of sales and feels motivated when she gets her audience on board with the best solution she tailor-makes for them. ‘I enjoy the process of building relationships with different people and organisations,’ said Yip, who is responsible for maintaining relationships with card members and their companies in order to promote the card products. ‘Through effective communication, understanding of the client’s needs, mutual respect, and most importantly perseverance, I believe that if I work hard enough, I will gain the trust from the customer and eventually get the business.’ 

Yip recalled a particular occasion where she made a creative proposition to her business partner: to host an egg-puff making booth for staff engagement activity. While her business partner was reluctant at the beginning, Yip went the extra mile to have multiple meetings with the partner company’s different departments to explain the benefits and cost-effectiveness of the proposed activity. The partnering company finally conceded because of her persistence, and the event turned out to be a great success, to everyone’s delight.  Yip was also praised for her good judgement and sound advice, and her passion for delivering the best solution as she did not yield in face of opposition. ‘As a salesperson, I meet new challenges all the time.  My belief was to keep trying, and never give up,’ she said.

The other DSA award winner, Kwan, also believes perseverance to be the key factor to success, if not the most important factor. 

Once, her client, who was Platinum Card Member, wished to use his card for the purchase of a luxury sedan, which comes with a big price tag. In order to facilitate such a large ticket transaction, Kwan studied the various aspects of the transaction, the client’s card and credit record with her supervisor and the Authorization and Credit Departments in order to find the best solution, and literally went the extra mile with the client. 

‘I even made several trips to the bank to make arrangements with my client, who was really pleased with what I did for him to make the transaction successful,’ said Kwan, who was delighted to achieve outstanding single transaction billing in this case. ‘My success is because of my perseverance and enthusiasm in handling the request.  I would always also reflect on every case because I believe that there are always things to learn.’

‘Knowing that there is no guarantee for success, I always stay hungry and keep pushing myself to achieve more.  Being passionate in what I do, believing in what I sell, and persisting despite obstacles, I always strive for the best in my job.  When I see my achievements, I feel proud and motivated to continue pursuing my goal as a distinguished salesperson.’

Apart from its track record in helping clients achieve their goals in business and life, American Express is also reputed for being a great employer. The company has received the “Best Workplaces in Hong Kong 2020” and “Best Workplaces for Women” recognitions from Great Place to Work. It has also been a long-time winner of the annual Best Employer in Hong Kong award by Aon Hewitt.

American Express currently has more than 114 million business and consumer cards in force, amounting to US$1.2 trillion of worldwide billed business. It boasts millions of American Express accepting merchants, and a robust network of acquirers and bank partners that connect through the American Express Network across the world.