Dhammika Kalapuge launches new public program “Sinhalen Customer Service”

Service excellence trainer Dhammika Kalapuge presented his first-ever Sinhala public program on Customer Experience, titled ‘Sinhalen Customer Service,’ on 12 October 2025, at the Cinnamon Grand Hotel. The event attracted over 200 participants.

Dhammika said:  “Often, I facilitate in-house programs on this subject in both English and Sinhala for corporate clients. In addition, we have conducted public programs from time to time in English for the benefit of SMEs and individual participants. Recognising the growing demand for such learning in Sinhala, we identified the need for a dedicated Sinhala program. Therefore, this new program was designed exclusively in Sinhala, using simple and practical terms that participants can easily relate to. The objective was to convey the powerful fundamentals of creating a customer experience culture in an easily understandable manner through visuals and rhyming expressions. I strongly believe that when behavioural change is the goal, the message must touch people’s hearts, and that is best achieved through one’s mother tongue. This was the guiding principle behind the delivery of this program.”

Dhammika’s sessions are known for their engaging storytelling and real-life examples. This program highlighted the importance of meeting the ever-rising expectations of customers. “By incorporating practical case studies that mirror today’s service realities, we encouraged participants to stay inspired and positive in their journey to deliver exceptional service. We discussed the significance of managing every point of interaction—whether physical, digital, or hybrid—and transforming them into memorable moments. Building a strong service culture is vital in today’s competitive environment to deliver lasting customer experiences.

From birth to death, human beings seek care. Service is this care in action. Although rooted in common sense, true service excellence is still uncommon. Technology can bring efficiency, but only people can deliver empathy. Serving others is an innate human quality that has weakened over time. The program reinforced a simple concept—being brilliant with the basics—because fundamentals remain constant. 

“My aim was to remind people of what they already know and inspire them to adopt a positive mindset guided by the theme ‘Sri Lanka So Lovely, Serving Lovingly.’ In Sinhala, it is expressed as ‘Sri Lankawa Sundaraya, Sathkaaraya Sumihiriya,’” Dhammika added.

Many participants described the program as life-changing, educational, and inspirational experience. Veteran business strategist and author Deepal Sooriyaarachchi, who attended the event, said: “Although the country aspires to develop a manufacturing economy, what is immediately possible is to grow the Tourism sector as a fast growth trajectory. When we see increase in tourism numbers, the service they experience at every touch point must be consistent with the Sri Lankan Brand Promise. Dhammika’s initiative must be appreciated in that context. If we are to reach the full benefits of the service economy customer service must be across the board. In that bringing the best in class knowledge and exposure in Sinhala is of paramount importance as communicating in mother tongue is the best way to change attitudes of people. Changing attitudes is what we need in this regard. Dhammika presents his sessions with real life case examples and very practical behaviours that can deliver results. We need more of these interventions. We owe a big thank you to Dhammika for his contributions.”