Oasia hotel manager races to recover elderly couple's lost phone on SIA flight, saves their cruise plans
With less than 24 hours before their cruise, an elderly couple arrived at a hotel in a state of panic.
The husband had lost his phone on a Singapore Airlines (SIA) flight — a device holding not just contacts, but treasured photos and videos from their travels.
Duty Manager Muhammad Ridzwan Bin Ramly, 40, recalls being on shift at Oasia Hotel Novena when the couple approached the concierge desk for help in February.
"The wife came up to me and said they needed help to call the airline," Mr Ridzwan said. "Only then did she tell me her husband may have dropped his phone on the plane."
Realising the urgency of their situation, Mr Ridzwan immediately asked for their boarding pass, which had all the details he needed to contact SIA.
"I immediately searched for the airline's lost-and-found contact number," he added.
Mr Ridzwan understood that the couple's desperation went beyond just the phone. They had been travelling extensively before Singapore and the device held priceless memories from their journey.
With his help, SIA soon got in touch with news that the phone had been found. As the couple's cruise was departing the next morning, Oasia Hotel Novena even covered the courier fees to ensure the phone would reach them as quickly as possible.
"So after about seven hours from the first time they reported to me, the phone was delivered to the hotel, and they got on the cruise ship," he told Stomp on Dec 5 when presented with a Goody Bag.
Having spent 15 years in the hospitality industry, lost-item requests are nothing new for Mr Ridzwan, who has helped guests recover countless belongings.
Items get reported missing "two to three in a week," he shared, adding that they are "mostly phones, wallets and sometimes shopping bags."
He recently handled another missing-phone case involving an Indonesian couple, in which he coordinated with their Singapore-based family members to ensure the item's safe return.
This year, Mr Ridzwan earned the Outstanding Award in the 31st run of the Service Gold Awards by the Singapore Kindness Movement.
He told Stomp that what keeps him motivated are the small, heartfelt gestures from guests, like a simple comment or review. These brighten his day and remind him why he does what he does.
"Put yourself in their shoes — only then can you truly understand what others are going through and find possible solutions," he added.
