Morning Star HK’s premium store debut exudes class but its service needs work
PRESENCE Targeting higher-end clients, Morning Star Travel Service opened the flagship store of its Luxeworld brand in Tsim Sha Tsui’s iSquare shopping mall in April. The brand’s ambitions are reflected in the store design, which is tasteful.
You won’t find piles of leaflets or long queues for service. Instead, in the spacious layout are four work desks with computers and a stylish couch for waiting guests. A members-only lounge area also provides snacks, wine and coffee.
APPEARANCE The young service staff looked neat in their uniforms. They were easily identified by their name tags, except the one who assisted me. Still, she passed me her namecard at the end of our discussion, so I found out whom I had spent 20 minutes with. The service staff were well-trained in product knowledge and were able to recommend a variety of options for a group of family with seniors and children.
EASE The iSquare basement is directly connected to the MTR station and it took me five minutes to reach the shop. I was offered a paper cup of water when I sat down; the comfortable couch allowed customers to sit and wait, while the choice of magazines helped kill time.
SUGGESTIONS Staff need to be more attentive to walk-in clients, as they were occupied with their work and hardly noticed I was waiting. A smiling face would have also helped.
The cruise video playing on the 60-inch TV grew repetitive, and it would be better to play a variety of videos to appeal to a broader range of clients.
Unfortunately, a tour briefing was in session while I was there, and since there was no door to the lounge, the voices were distracting.
This article was first published in TTG Asia, September 7, 2012 on page 8. To read more, please view our digital edition or click here to subscribe.
