Tam Sang, an assistant floor manager at Wellcome supermarket who joined the store as a trainee 2 1/2 years ago, shares the same views.

'My colleagues are like my family. I care about working with them as much as getting on well with them outside of work. If you treat people right, you will get their respect in return. This will lift the team spirit and morale among staff.'

Pew products are crammed into the marketplace every day, and the supervisors said they had to have a grasp on market trends. They supported their frontline staff by offering them training to understand these trends.

Angie Leung Pak-ying, supervisor of cosmetic chain Sasa, said complimenting the team helped boost morale.

'I have been with Sasa for four years. I follow my staff's progress closely and give those who have done well compliments in our daily briefings,' she said.

Woody Lee Chi-fai, supervisor of LZ LifeZtore which sells furniture and household accessories, believed creating excellent team spirit with his colleagues won him the award.

'I don't simply allocate duties to my staff for every project I work on with them. I always listen to their work problems and help them find solutions. With such team spirit, we can serve our clients better.'

All the winners in the Supervisory Level said they regularly encouraged their teams to support each other.

Jims Yiu Wai-ming, who works for Nuance-Watson at the Plaza at Chek Lap Kok, said that working effectively as a team was the key to good customer service.

'Our colleagues help each other out whenever a customer needs advice. We want to be attentive to our customers as a team.'

The winners all show a passion for their jobs and believe that what they do can make a difference in an industry where customers have become more demanding.

Kage Wong Kai-chun, a supervisor at mobile phone company Nokia, said communications skills were essential when it came to getting ideas across to both his team and his customers. 'I use my communication skills extensively, and I also think it's important to respect my colleagues and the team.'

Winnie Tang Wing-yee, a senior assistant restaurant manager at Tsuen Wan's Pizza Hut, said the award was all down to her team. 'We are meticulous, we can tell what our customers want and offer them the right service even before they ask for it,' she said.

Mak Chi-hang, a supervisor at Haagen-Dazs enjoys talking to customers, and even remembers their names and their favourite flavours. 'I feel like I'm meeting with old friends when I go to work every day, and this is one of my biggest motivations. This is how we keep improving our service.'