The Korean Standardization Association (KSA) held a ceremony at the Grand InterContinental Hotel in Seoul on June 27 to award the Korea Service Grand Prix 2012 prizes for establishing customer-oriented service management systems and making prominent achievements by conducing activities to innovate service quality in overall management. 

Korea Service Grand Prix 2012 nominations in each category were selected based on 2011 sales amounts, market shares, and service quality levels as well as from recommendations from specialized organizations and experts.

A screening panel of judges from the Korea Service Management Society, the Korean Society for Quality Management, and the Korean Production and Operations Management Society selected finalists in each field. A final screening committee determined 20 Korea Service Grand Prix 2012 winners in consideration of evaluation outcomes, social esteem, and other factors.

The buzzword for service management activities that has emerged from the latest prize evaluations is authenticity in a more complex business environment in which unpredictability prevails, real-time feedback is possible with customers in a “smart” era, and the number of interested stakeholders rises. 

Many Korea Service Grand Prix 2012 prize-winning CEOs have turned out to demonstrate authentic leadership.

Senior lecturer Scott A. Snook of Harvard Business School said authentic leaders should be truly honest about themselves, because they can maintain transparent and humane relationships with staff members only when they reveal their own mistakes and limits, thus strengthening organizational capability in the long term perspective.

The evaluation of the Korea Service Grand Prix 2012 winners was focused on overall service management systems capable of improving companies’ consistent values and performances. It is a Korean version of the United States’ Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, corresponding to the standards of the domestic service industry. The U.S. quality evaluation method is widely used in Europe, South America, Japan, Singapore, and Australia. 

Corporate applicants’ staff satisfaction has been reflected in the form of KS-ESI, a staff satisfaction index jointly developed by the KSA and Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology.  

Kumho Resort and Lotte E&C made history by winning the Korea Service Grand Prix 2012 in the overcall grand prize category for the eleventh consecutive year. KT Kumho Rent-a-car won the prize in the overall grand prize category for 10 years in a row. The companies that won the prize in the same category for a fifth consecutive year are Samsung Card, Shinsegae Department Store, Master Motors, Dongbu Insurance, Shinhan Card, Hyundai Home Shopping, Korea Life Insurance, Aju Capital, E-mart, Lotte Mart, Lotte World, Kumho Express, Hyundai Motor, and Lotte Department Store. 

Shinhan Life, Lotte Card, and Lotte Super were honored with the Korea Service Grand Prix 2012 award in the customer satisfaction grand prize category.

Inducted to the Hall of Fame were Hyundai Department Store in 2005, Samsung Seoul Hospital in 2006, Home Plus in 2008, Samsung Life Insurance in 2010, Samsung Fire Insurance in 2011, Shinhan Bank in 2011, and KEPCO in 2011.