Wednesday, December 10, 2014

Going Nuts Over Nuts

Cho Hyun-Ah, the daughter of Korean Air’s CEO, resigned over a flap about macadamia nuts.

The New York-Seoul flight had just left its gate at New York’s JFK airport when Cho, sitting in first class, took exception to being served macadamia nuts she had not asked for, in a packet instead of a bowl. The chief purser was challenged over his crew’s knowledge of in-flight service procedures, after which he was asked to leave the plane, causing an 11-minute delay in arrival of the flight as a result of the unscheduled disembarkation.

Korean Air — South Korea’s flag carrier — initially apologized for causing “inconvenience” for passengers but defended Cho’s action as a “reasonable” move to improve in-flight service. The Korean newspaper Dong-A Ilbo said Cho’s action had exposed the “sense of entitlement and supercilious attitude” prevalent among the rich.

In 2003, the passengers of Singapore Airlines flight SQ321 were inconvenienced when it was commandeered and outfitted  into a private hospital ship, complete with two neurosurgeons, two intensive care nurses, oxygen equipment and a drip, to fly someone's wife back from London. The news team of tabloid ‘TODAY’ was trashed for the report they made of a speech about the event, which was based on factual material quoted from an official press release.  Apparently the offending point had to do with a phone call made by Singapore High Commissioner Michael Teo to No. 10 Downing Street, hoping for some intervention to jump the NHS queue for a brain scan, and inconveniencing the British prime minister.

That's the difference between Korea and Singapore.

20 comments:

  1. Same same lah but outcome very different.

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  2. Apparently they forgot that the 2 egg theory of state ( I get 2 eggs in my char kway teow, you get one or none) di not apply elshwere. By the way was the bill for the expensive outfit paid (out of his own pocket) as declared?

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    1. Even if it was paid for, he would have recovered back in no time with the appt title of SM that paid 3mil p.a.
      Which other country can beat that ?

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  3. supercilious (suːpəˈsɪlɪəs,sjuː-/Submit adjective)
    - behaving or looking as though one thinks one is superior to others.

    "a supercilious lady's maid"

    synonyms: arrogant, haughty, conceited, disdainful, overbearing, pompous, condescending, superior, patronizing, imperious, proud, lofty, lordly, snobbish, snobby, overweening, smug; More ...

    Like.

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  4. Yeah, you missed one important remark shared by the public

    "Apparently some members of owner families like Cho see their companies like their own kingdom," it added.

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  5. That is why it would be damn bloody good to send all of them to work in other countries, without any links to Sin Inc.

    Without the coddling, I dont think 90% will get promoted or even acknowledged. How in the world can these people get invited to sit on advisory boards etc.... is it based on character, abilities or expired academic achievements or merely another elite ???

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  6. She is by the way also on the advisory board of our local NTU business school.

    Going by her executive role as In-flight Director, she has every right to correct the incompetency of the crew member who tried to come up with "lies and excuses". In her defence, she probably did the right thing to reprimand the crew (a tad overboard since the flight has left gate). Consider how some crew members have shirk their responsibilities in the recent ferry tragedy that resulted in many lost lives, she was probably right to want to instill the "service with right procedures" in her airline staff. Imagine if one can't even serve the nuts appropriately, how not to take short cut in major things?

    What was wrong was the Captain of the flight - he should have taken a stand and refuse her demand to deplane the crew instead. Then again, he is following the entrenching 'hierarchy order" based on Korean's tradition. That sadly, was the outcome of the children/adults who lost their lives in the ferry when they followed the Captain order to stay in the room.

    Moral of the story = the "integrity of the system/procedures" have to outlast any elected or appointed leaders who come and go. If an airline or nation for that matter, can change and bend its procedures based on the whims and fancy of its highest commander, then of course, you will have to concede that "The Inc /nation will be in danger is xx failed to be around to govern".

    THAT is the acid test.


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  7. A dictator DICTATES, as simple as that.

    A tyrant will not just dictates, he/she will impose.

    As for despots, they dictate, impose and abuse.

    patriot

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dictators dictate
      Tyrants tirade
      Despots defecate

      Delete
  8. //Apparently the offending point had to do with a phone call made by Singapore High Commissioner Michael Teo to No. 10 Downing Street, hoping for some intervention to jump the NHS queue for a brain scan, and inconveniencing the British prime minister.//

    Because he has lost face in the public. People knew he was "nobody important" when in UK, and has to line up just like any commoner given the egalitarian society there. He didn't get privilege treatment there, and his ambassador has to openly beg and ask for his behalf. Ego hurts.

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    1. Ha! Ha!

      Yeah...all those photo ops with Her Majesty, politicians of the day could just help immigration & customs only.

      No way are the Brits going to allow Q jumping... if word ever got out... the entire establishment in UK sinks.

      Yes, he paid for the private 4 engined 747 flight.... less than a million I guess.. including all the bells & whistles with medical stuff.

      Whats a million to a person with endless earning power even after death?

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    2. Except for the Queen, even the PM and his Ministers have to wait in line if they opt for public hospitals.
      Could it have happened here?

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  9. Remember one infamous father & son had to donate their special property discount to charity only after it was found out the special discount was not offered to anyone else except to 2 public servants.

    Why it was perfectly legal & OK to offer special discount to 2 public servants in the highest public office is really beyond my simple understanding of the Rule of Law in this country when it is not even morally OK to send mangoes to a MP ?

    Then the infamous son has to increase his own salary to the highest limit to supposedly compensate for the lost discount ? Is that how they want to send us the message that no one can ever mess about with their loss benefits ?

    They say greed has no boundary. How true ?

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    1. The 2 public servants should have been charged with corruption.

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  10. Oh yes , Tattler the difference between South Korea and Singapore is that those who did not live up to public expectation resign, while ours will turn around and ask why not or something to that effect !

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    1. Some of them even committed suicide, as in Japan.

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  11. Is only a 11 mins delay and Ms Cho has to resign.

    In contrast, Ms Saw of SMRT insists in staying on 'for responsible leadership' after several major cock-ups and delays. She haughtily said 'people can board or wait for next train'.

    Sigh…that's indeed the difference.

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  12. I thot Saw was right to stay and try and clear up some of her mess. For sure you wont get that with the PAP if they get voted out. In fact, they're likely to make things VERY difficult for any incoming govt. Look at all the TC shenanigans.

    What was wrong to me was all the bonuses etc she still got despite the mess! Just like all the perks an old MP we have still gets, even though he does not do the job he's being paid for.

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    Replies
    1. In business... ethics is spoken but seldom practiced.
      After all, its in the contract. Just like a contract with the devil.

      And everyone smiles and nods and are so diplomatic.
      But each carries a very sharp sickle and sometimes a knuckle duster and hatchet.

      Delete