Unforgettable Training

I attended a 5 days course on Service Professional recently. This is likely to be one unforgettable training, due to the 'unique' folks at the training. We have a fantastic trainer, a Bollywood hunk, an infatuated female (of the Bollywood hunk) and a 'timid' hyperventilating trainee who later turn into a bold harasser after the course is over.

Our trainer is very professional and able to inject alot of fun into the training. She is an ex SIA trainer and has so many rich experiences to share with her trainees. As I have background in training, I know how hard it is to be a good trainer, who can not only impart knowledge, but to keep the trainees alert and 'entertained'.

The Bollywood hunk sat besides me. His family root is from Northern India and as he is very good looking, he became the 'Bollywood' star in the class. He is an interesting character with rich experience in business and lots of jokes to share with the class. He added 'colours' to the training.

The infatuated female sat at another table with her group. However, she hopped over to our group ever so often to be with her Bollywood idol. If ever I got up from my seat just for a moment, she would 'fly' over and plant herself firmly next to her idol. Each group had our assigned duty, our group always has an extra hand as our infatuated trainee would be hovering around her idol to offer her help. Her own group was often left short handed because of her 'disappearing act' to appear in my group instead.

Then we were asked to sign on her autograph book. Actually it is meant for her idol, but out of politeness we were all requested to write on it. Wow - I thought only children and hot blooded teenage fans go around asking for autograph.

The most unforgettable character is the 'timid' hyperventilating trainee who also sat next to me. Whenever she was asked to make a short speech she would be gasping for breath. She is so timid that the class gave her encouragement and help her along. In fact she got the prize award for the best student in class for her effort.

Well, her true colour only reveals after the training. She has been contacting a few of us, including the trainer non stop many times a day via phone, sms and emails asking us to solve her escalating family issues. She is provided with professional helplines to call (eg AWARE, SOS, National Family Service Centre) but refuses to do so. This has been going ever since the training completed until all of us are under emotional stress. It came to a stage where I called the helpline on her behalf to contact her. But unfortunately I was told she refuses to talk to these professional trained helpers.

Others in the class were also trying to get folks in counseling services to help her. But how to help someone who refuses to help herself? It has come to a stage where we let her know that what she is doing constitute harassment. We are surprise by her behaviour as she seems so timid in class, hardly speaking up. The phrase 'Never judge a book by its cover' is spot on in this case.

How to forget such a training course? Even if I do not enter the service sector, I will never forget this training due to the 'unique' characters. Never have I met so many at a time. This is really something.