When Mrs Tan Boon Hwa needs help in a department store, she does not crane her neck for a young, trendy salesman.
Instead, she looks out for silver-haired sales staff who are more 'approachable, courteous and friendly', she says.
A regular at Metro Paragon, the 52-year- old housewife often shops at the Joan Allen and Ann Kelly sections for clothes.
The sales staff there, she says, are around her age and know her so well that they take note of her tastes and even inform her when new designs arrive.
It is this warm, personal level of service that is giving older sales workers a good name in the competitive retail industry.
LifeStyle found that a large number of workers in four out of five major department stores here are aged above 40.
Robinsons and Takashimaya each has 60 per cent of its retail staff in their 40s and above. Metro and Isetan each has more than 40 per cent, while Tangs has 20 per cent.
Scattered over all the various departments, older workers often win internal service awards and overseas training stints for their contributions to the company.
A spokesman for Takashimaya says older workers are an asset to the company because of their experience and familiarity with the company culture.
This means the older sales staff can help train younger recruits.
Isetan also says it retains its older staff because their 'commitment preserves the service culture' of the company.
The Singapore Retailers Association (SRA) says full-time older workers with experience and product knowledge command more pay than younger, less experienced recruits.
The companies LifeStyle contacted declined to reveal how much more they are paid. But Metro reveals its entry-level pay packet for a junior retail associate at $950 per month - excluding commission - applies to all recruits, regardless of age.
The association adds that while older workers may be better at interpersonal skills and are more patient with customers, they tend to be 'less nimble on their feet and tire more easily' on the job.
Still, oldies are valuable and many companies are dangling awards and gifts as incentives to prevent them from leaving.
Staff at Tangs who have worked for 25 years each receive a Rolex watch worth $9,000. Tangs also has a scheme that allows older workers to continue working by renewing their contracts every year.
At Takashimaya, loyalty awards and gift vouchers are given to those who have been with the company for at least five years.
Those past 62 years old and eligible for retirement can also extend their employment on a yearly basis.
Avid Robinsons shopper Anna Heng feels that older sales staff are better able to handle customers. The 44-year-old housewife says the more seasoned staff can anticipate the needs of customers by offering alternative suggestions.
'This willingness to go the extra mile is what makes customers happy,' she adds.
This article was first published in The Straits Times on Jul 20, 2008.
