When customer service agent Noble Shaji received a call that a Singapore Airlines (SIA) passenger had fallen unconscious before his flight, little did he know he’d be handling a health crisis that would keep him up all night.
The man, who was in his 60s, had suffered a seizure before his night flight from New York to Singapore in January 2023.
“I ran to the lounge and found the passenger on the floor. I called for the medical team, who informed me that he was not fit to fly,” said the 25-year-old Indian national stationed at the New York office.
“He was travelling by himself, and since he was unwell, I decided to help him.”
For his exemplary display of customer service, Mr Noble was one of the 78 individuals and teams lauded at the annual SIA CEO Service Excellence Awards at The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore last month.
The annual event celebrates the achievements of SIA staff from around the world.
Mr Noble, who moved from India to the United States in 2017 for work, was in town to receive his award.
He still recalls the events of that evening vividly.
As the passenger was being taken to hospital, Mr Noble arranged for the man’s luggage to be offloaded and personally transported his belongings to the hospital, as no one else was available to pick them up. With the station manager absent, Mr Noble was the only staff member on duty that night.
“When the passenger woke up, he insisted on returning to Singapore as soon as possible due to important meetings he could not afford to miss,” Mr Noble said.
“But the doctors told us that his discharge would be possible only with a specific medication, which the hospital did not have.”
Mr Noble then drove around for hours to find a 24-hour pharmacy that carried the prescription medicine, which he eventually found and purchased.
After returning to the hospital with the medication, Mr Noble made sure the passenger obtained a “fit to fly” certificate.
He then booked him on the earliest available flight to Singapore from Newark Airport and drove him to a nearby hotel at 3am, as the passenger had no friends or family in the area.
He also coordinated with SIA staff to make sure they catered to the passenger’s special needs before and during the flight.
“I finally went to bed at around 7 or 8 in the morning, after I was sure everything was taken care of,” he said.
Mr Noble said he joined SIA in 2022 after hearing about the airline’s exceptional support for its employees during the Covid-19 pandemic.
He previously worked in several customer service positions in different sectors and as a ground handling agent at Qatar Airways.
“Receiving this award is a significant honour for me, but at the end of the day, it’s not just about personal recognition; it’s about ensuring our customers have the best possible experience.
“I believe that doing good things will come back to us. It’s always good to do something good, regardless of whether the action is large or small,” Mr Noble said.
