Archive for the ‘Life in Beijing’ Category

Apr

City Orientation Tips in Beijing

Posted by: linda

As an expat, getting to know Beijing takes time. A city tour with locals would definitely help.

For Expat:

1. Make a plan. Beijing is a big city, you cannot see everything in half day. Pick up something that you are interested and let your agent know. Shopping for souvenirs, super market, tourist sites, parks, bar street, embassy, etc. There are a lot of options, make a plan so your tour will be efficient.

2. Prepare some questions, such as

a) What kind of mobile service should I use? How to recharge it?

b) What is the traffic like near my area? What is the best way to get around?

c) What kind of shops should I get to if I want to get some DVD/ vegetable / snacks/ home accessories?

3. Be happy and ready to explore. There are so many nice things about Beijing, you will find and enjoy the beauty with a humble and curious heart.

For Agent:

1. Be prepared. Ask some questions before meeting the client. Say the client is from US, he might be interested in knowing where the US Embassy is located. A woman would be interested in shopping. Young clients are eager to know how to spend their night life.

Get a company brochure, a city guide for taxi, a city property map, an English map of Beijing (based on availability, only a few places sell this kind of map and is expensive), camera, notebook, pen, property proposal (if the client has not chosen any apartment yet, you might give some property information while touring and get some proposal to the client directly). A Chinese language learning brochure could light up the whole tour.

2. Be sensitive. The other day, Susan is touring one US client. Kicked by jet-lag, the client is half sleepy. When they arrive at the United Family Hospital, Susan asked the client, “Do you want to go inside and take a look?” The client awkwardly says, “No, I am not sick, I do not want to see the hospital”. Upon arriving every spot even at the fruit market Susan would also ask,” Do you want to take a look?” Luckily the client is polite and very patient, he did not say much after the tour and quickly said goodbye to Susan.

If Susan had noticed a few things she could adjust quickly and make a much more successful tour:

a) Not so many people like to take a walk in a windy and cold day.

b) The client already said he does not want to take a look at first 2 sites, so he is most likely to stay inside the car for the following trip.

c) Ask about the client’s personal interest and recommend something that is valuable accordingly. I am sure he will appreciate it.

d) Read the client’s body gesture and facial expression. Conversation is more than words.

3. Be knowledgeable. Hone your skill by lots of reading and learning from different channels. Keep updated to the current events. Learn about their culture and home town (if time permits). If you are new starter, simply asking the driver, he would be willing to tell. (During my 5 years staying in Beijing, I found drivers are mostly very nice and talkative people.) Carrying a Chinese guide book could be a effective resolution too. I should do that.

4. Design proper line. I’ve seen agent who brings the client back to the same point 4 times during one tour. Unless you are positive the client is retarded and not likely to notice, design a simple and efficient line and draw it on the map before you present it.

5. Send feedback. The orientation does not stop at the end of the day when the client says goodbye to you. Send the client one email with information of the subway map, some photos of the places that the client is interested in, some useful links for the client to find information on the web, and do not forget to mention that you will be there when the client needs help (You cannot always be there, but at least show you care about the client).

Some photos to share: