Serving in customers’ shoes: versatile mom-turned-shopkeeper at baker brings joy to neighbourhood and offers travel tips to tourists

19-08-2025 10:25 HKT

Sarah's genuine hospitality and dedicated service have helped her rise through the ranks to become store manager. Over the years, she has fostered deep connections with locals and tourists alike, making her a role model in the retail industry.

Commited, sincere and enthusiastic, Sarah, a humble shopkeeper in a chain bakery, has demonstrated exceptional service to international customers by recommending local sightseeing itineraries and suggesting where to enjoy authentic local delicacies. Her engaging character and attention to detail have brought joy to the neighbourhood and local and international customers, underscoring Hong Kong’s reputation as a “hospitable city.”

Sarah is always attentive and goes the extra mile to assist customers.

With 18 years of experience in the retail industry, Sarah has served at several branches of renowned Kee Wah Bakery, including those in Hung Hom, Mong Kok, Prince Edward and Tai Po, rising from a sales assistant to a store supervisor while remaining committed to excellent service.

Early in her career, Sarah was inspired by the hospitality spirit of Wong Yip-wing, founder of Kee Wah.

“During a mooncake shortage one Mid-Autumn Festival, he personally compensated disappointed customers by treating them to dinner,” she recalled.

This incident was an enlightenment to Sarah – retail isn’t just transactional – it builds relationships and human connections.

With her cheerful, talkative nature and warm smile, Sarah strives to offer the best service to every customer. She recalls a Malaysian mother visiting Kee Wah’s Yau Tsim Mong store, initially just browsing.

Sarah gives a colleague tips on service, including what products to recommend to customers with dietary or religious concerns.

Sarah – herself a mother – offered samples and then chatted and bonded with the tourist over parenting stories.

Touched by Sarah’s warmth, the Malaysian mother bought 100 egg rolls as souvenirs for her friends. Sarah personally packed and delivered them to her hotel.

The thoughtful service sparked a lasting friendship – the mother now visits Sarah every time she is in Hong Kong.

At the Hung Hom branch, Sarah helped a family of four tourists plan their route to Central, even sketching them a simple map.

Sarah will even help tourists get to their destination or recommend authentic local attractions to enrich their experience.

She also recommended local experiences like taking in Victoria Harbour’s night view from Central or Tsim Sha Tsui, and trying clay pot rice and fortune-telling on Temple Street in Yau Ma Tei.

She emphasised that exemplary hospitality entails careful observation, patience, and prioritising the guest experience over sales objectives.

By treating guests with genuine sincerity, customers are likely to return.

Winning the Gold Award of “Outstanding QTS Merchant Service Staff Award (Supervisory)” under the Hong Kong Tourism Board’s Quality Tourism Services Scheme, Sarah sets a benchmark for frontline staff.

Echoing the ‘New Outstanding Services Award Scheme’ jointly introduced by the Tourism Commission and the Hong Kong Tourism Board, the ‘Praise Quest – Hospitable Hong Kong’ series will share stories of frontline service practitioners in tourism-related sectors with the trade and the public to promote the spirit of hospitality by ‘going the extra mile’ together.