Help is at hand to keep track of possessions

Owning more than one home stocked with classy stuff - couture clothing, expensive artworks, vintage jewellery - might sound like a dream. But for people who jet between homes, travel a lot or have sizeable collections, keeping track of what is where can be a burden.

Gratifying work for customer service officers

Many have experienced long queues at banks, leading to a growing number of people resorting to telephone banking.

Derek Lo Chun-shek (below right), a Citibank Citiphone officer, thinks a user-friendly internet banking platform and efficient phone banking, as well as branch services, are key to the future of the financial industry.

Role demands people skills

As you sit comfortably in a restaurant, enjoying good food and impeccable service, you are likely to be blissfully oblivious to the role of the food and beverage (F&B) service manager, who makes sure that all guests leave with a smile.

Stand and deliver for supply chain company

UPS is looking for an experienced and patient service provider with strong communication skills

This job is key to the successful running of a supply chain company. Being a service provider is more than just driving around town, it can pave your way to success.

Added extras become the norm as residents demand more

Gone are the days when property management consisted of little more than providing security, maintenance and cleaning.

Residents and tenants now expect substantially more and leading companies in the sector realise that by offering concierge or convenience services they can upgrade the value of a property and greatly increase the level of customer satisfaction.

Take action

The column for anyone fed up with bureaucracy, frustrated with delays or furious with poor service. Tell us your complaint and we'll try to fix it...

Ho Hee-hwa of Ap Lei Chau wrote to express frustration that Fortress was being unreasonable in refusing to exchange a cordless phone he bought for a more expensive model he was willing to pay extra for.

Towngas employees let off steam

Employees of internet service access seller iCare, a Towngas subsidiary, on strike at North Point yesterday over statutory holiday compensation. They have threatened to storm Towngas customer service centres following a breakdown in talks with management.

Watch firm wants a customer service director

If you are comfortable in a multinational environment and aim to join a team of senior management staff, this job could be just what you are looking for.

A fast-growing and well-established company urgently requires a competent candidate to fill the position of Far East customer service director.

Civil service unions warn against drastic cuts

Civil service unions yesterday warned against severely reducing new recruits' fringe benefits.

Benefits, including the number of holidays, of newly recruited civil servants are being reviewed by the Civil Service Bureau.

The maximum number of holidays entitled by officers range from 14 to 55.5 days, depending on rank.

Joint team to probe rip-offs

Investigations into retail rip-offs will be better handled when two watchdog groups form a joint inquiry team, according to the new head of a shopping industry body.

Frank Lee King-ting, chairman of the Association of Retailers and Tourism Services, said his group and the Consumer Council were setting up a panel charged with quickly resolving consumer complaints.

Post Office expansion

Competition among courier services will increase early next month when the Post Office starts its own same-day express service.

A spokesman for the Post Office, Roy Siu Kwong-fai, said it was finalising details of the service.

'We already have the facilities required, including 128 post offices - we can penetrate every sector and location,' Mr Siu said.

Zim launches fixed-day services

Zim Container Service is upgrading its routes to a fixed-day weekly service in all its ports of call from the middle of the month. The firm's service to the United States and Canada now sails on an ad hoc basis.