Few can claim to have Madam Vijayalakshmi Ramalingam's track record.

Having worked in Robinsons' linen department for 30 years, the senior sales supervisor has a pool of regular customers who have been going to her for more than 20 years.

Some, like the Sultan of Johor's family, have spent up to $40,000 on bed linen in one visit.

'If you provide good service, customers will come back and look only for you,' she says.

Even with her standing among high-profile customers, she is not one to give preferential treatment.

'Whoever the customer, I always start by asking about their home decor, colour of the flooring and curtains before I make any recommendations,' she says.

She was retrenched from an electronics firm when she was 27 years old. But that did not faze this mother of one, who joined Robinsons soon after.

The outgoing 57-year-old has come a long way since.

In the 1990s, she bagged the Gold and Star Excellence Service Awards, a national award co-organised by the Singapore Retailers Association.

With her career switch to sales, she has come to love the opportunity to meet new people every day, she says.

'Good service can be taught, but it is better if it comes from within you,' she adds.

This article was first published in The Straits Times on Jul 20, 2008.