THE chief executive of China Light and Power has interesting ways of spending his spare time.
Ross Sayers presides eagerly over kite-flying competitions aimed at instilling the idea of teamwork and customer service. He welcomes thousands of members of the public to open-day, Canto-pop shows at the huge power station at Castle Peak.
At the company's annual safety day, the tall, lean New Zealander operates a stall selling hot dogs to staff, raising money for Friends of the Earth.
The managing director of Hong Kong's largest power utility is now completing a programme under which he has talked face-to-face with all 6,000 staff telling them of a new culture of service.
Unusual? Yes, but very much in the Sayers' style which in a former corporate life saw him launch a controversial revamp of the chaotic and inefficient railway service of New South Wales in Australia, using similar strategies.
'I've run a chain of breweries and a firm in textiles,' explains the 53-year-old chartered accountant. 'I'm used to seeking consumer satisfaction.' Why bother? Surely CLP has a captive customer base; if anyone who lives in Kowloon or the New Territories doesn't like the company, there is no alternative source of electricity. They've got the market sewn up, so why the stress on better service? This sort of attitude won't wash with Ross Sayers. 'We've got to remember we're a public utility,' he repeats. 'Public. We've got to serve them and give good value for money.' It's no mere public relations gesture but a serious attempt to change the way the company deals with its customers.
