Married to her first love and a mother of three, Nancy Chow radiates an aura of friendliness and hospitality with her big, wide smile—qualities that befit her role as the Restaurant Manager of
WOK°15 Kitchen.
Growing up in Ipoh, Malaysia, Nancy started working shortly after completing her primary school education. “My first job was working at a coffee shop near my house when I was 13 years old,” she recalls.
“The pay was low and I was working 12 hours a day, but I stayed there for four years and worked my way up to the position of head coffee maker before I left for Kuala Lumpur in search of better job opportunities.”
Nancy landed a waitressing job in a seafood restaurant in Kuala Lumpur, and picked up a fount of knowledge on the different types of seafood. It was also during her stint at the restaurant when she met her husband who was a fellow colleague.
FROM STRENGTH TO STRENGTH
At the recommendation of her friend, Nancy quit her job at the seafood restaurant after five years and ventured to Singapore.
“My friend got me a job at a factory, and I was there for two, three years before moving on to a Chinese restaurant at Chinatown,” she shares.
Since then, she has been making her way up in the F&B industry having worked with many well-known Chinese restaurant groups in Singapore before joining the Club’s Chinese restaurant in January 2011 as a Senior Supervisor.
Despite the demanding work schedule, the 50-year-old F&B industry veteran remains passionate. When asked what has kept her motivated all these years, her response is immediate—the satisfied look on her customers’ faces is her greatest reward and drive.
Nancy’s attention to detail and little gestures endear her to the customers—from remembering the preferences and dislikes of her usual customers to anticipating their needs, such as serving a condiment of their must-have cut chillies before they ask for it.
“It is my duty to make them feel valued and welcomed,” adds Nancy with earnest. “Besides, once they feel your genuineness and sincerity, they will see the value of quality service and return, bringing their friends and family along with them.”
Interestingly, it is her daily interaction with her customers that broke her out of her introvert shell.
“I used to be very shy but since working in the F&B industry, I have become bolder and will even initiate conversations with my customers. They are like my teachers, having taught me many things, and not just in terms of customer service but also life lessons. Therefore, I always encourage my colleagues to get to know the customers and engage in conversations with them whenever possible,” adds Nancy.
OVERCOMING CHALLENGES
This year marks Nancy’s 12th anniversary with ONE°15 Marina.
With her excellent work ethics and attitude, Nancy was promoted to the role of Deputy Restaurant Manager in a span of just a few years, and when the position of Restaurant Manager came up, her then F&B Manager encouraged her to step up.
“I am not afraid of hardships, nor will I shy away from challenges, but I was indeed a little apprehensive initially as I do not know any English and am not IT savvy—and the role does require these skillsets. However, I was greatly emboldened by my bosses’ faith in me, and I went ahead with it,” she shares.
Nancy remains truly grateful for the trust and support of her supervisors and the management, considering her basic educational background and lack of English speaking skills. Now, in her sixth year as Restaurant Manager, Nancy has since picked up some basic English phrases and can even reply to simple emails.
Paying it forward, she makes it a point to share her valuable experience generously with her colleagues and strives to build a united team. As much as she takes it upon herself to lead by example and emulate the professionalism she expects from her team, Nancy believes it is okay to make mistakes as there are no perfect leaders.
To ensure the team morale remains high throughout the day, she also reserves her teachings to after the restaurant has closed. “If I were to reprimand them on the spot, they would most likely be affected negatively, and it is very difficult to provide quality services to customers when you are not in a good mood,” Nancy explains.
“My ultimate goal is making sure that all my customers will know me by name because of the great guest experience they have received at the restaurant.”
