On Thursday, January 29th, five students from our university's Theatre Studies Club performed as "customers" at the "JR Kyushu Hospitality Championship Company-wide Tournament" held at Namiki Square (Higashi-ku, Fukuoka City).
This competition is held annually by Kyushu Railway Company as part of its customer service improvement measures, in which conductors, drivers, and station staff take on tasks that simulate actual service situations and compete on the basis of their responsiveness and customer service quality.
This was the first time that a student appearance was made possible through consultation with the company's Customer Satisfaction Promotion Department. Until now, company employees have played the role of "customers," but with the desire to recreate a more realistic situation closer to the actual scene, the university was asked to "ask for the cooperation of students who can act in a position closer to that of a regular user." There were high expectations for the natural acting and observational skills that only students from the Theatre Studies Club could have, which led to this appearance.
On the day, they used their acting skills to create a situation that was just like the real thing, contributing to creating an environment where participants could engage more practically. At the end of the competition, the company offered words of thanks, and to conclude the event, five students took to the stage, receiving warm applause from the audience.
Kaneshige Rinon (3rd year, Department Faculty of Collaborative Regional Development, Department of Regional Development, Hakata Seisho High School) from the Theatre Research Club said, "I used the expressiveness and communication skills I have cultivated through my daily activities and tried to act from the perspective of customers who actually use the stations and trains. It was a great experience that helped to enhance the sense of realism of the tournament."
Going forward, our university will continue to actively provide opportunities for students to learn practically through collaboration with local communities and companies, and to develop the skills to succeed in society.
[Student Department]
