Chinese language - Can I have a smile with the service, please?

BIZCHINA / Weekly Roundup

Can I have a smile with the service, please?
By LIU JIE (China Daily)
Updated: 2006-03-27 07:53

Hong Kong-based entrepreneur Jerry Wong travelled to Beijing recently to
comb the local market for potential opportunities. He has been hoping to
open a restaurant in the capital in time to cash in on the huge
opportunities the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games will undoubtedly bring.

The service he received from the moment he hit town has left him
confused, however. Wong was somewhat taken aback by the overly familiar
attitude of the taxi driver, who wasn't intentionally rude, but insisted
on chatting all the way from the airport to the hotel.

Wong also found the salespeople at Xiushui Market, a major tourist
attraction in the nation's capital, exceptionally pushy. And nearly every
waitress he encountered suggested only the most expensive items on the
menu, such as abalone and shark's fin, when he asked for a recommendation.

"People were generally nice, but I felt a little uncomfortable," says
Wong. Beijing's top commercial facilities are on par with Hong Kong's, he
adds, but the service left a lot to be desired.

Cheng Hong, vice director of the Beijing Commerce Bureau, admits that
while commercial development is gradually catching up with international
standards, service quality is still not up to scratch. This is a
significant area of concern in the lead-up to the Olympics, when millions
of overseas officials, athletes and visitors will flock to the capital.

The Olympics are expected to generate approximately 28 billion yuan
(US$3.46 billion) in business opportunities for Beijing, and roughly half
of this will come from tertiary industries and services, according to
research by the Beijing Statistics Bureau's accounting department.

"Added value in the service industry is primarily based on knowledge,
skills and awareness. People working in the service industry need to know
how to put customers at ease," says Cheng.

Improvement measures

Cheng's bureau launched a programme last July to raise service quality in
Beijing to international levels by 2008, by providing training to service
industry professionals. It requires taxi drivers, shop assistants,
restaurant staff and others to get a grasp on basic English expressions
related to their jobs, and provides training materials designed for a
number of service sectors.

Chen Ji, professor with Beijing Technology and Business University, says
these will only impart fundamental skills, however. It is even more
important to raise service awareness and introduce professional service
models tailored to specific sectors.

He says "invisible service" should be the norm in shopping malls, for
example. Assistants should appear when customers need help or have
questions, but should be inconspicuous otherwise. This is the kind of
non-intrusive service that puts customers at ease.

Golden Resource Shopping Mall, the city's largest, both in terms of
retail space and the number of top brands, started professional training
courses last year, according to its marketing department.

"I still haven't noticed any improvement," says Tong Limin, a middle-aged
homemaker living in an upscale neighbourhood nearby.

"The assistants often follow me and make suggestions, but they don't seem
to catch on that I just want to relax and be left to myself," Tong tells
China Business Weekly.

Qiaojiangnan Restaurant (South Beauty), a popular nationwide chain of
Sichuan-style restaurants, appears to categorize its customers according
to the way they are dressed and the amount they spend, says Feng Li, who
occasionally eats at South Beauty with business partners, family and
friends.

"They've practically bent over backwards to please me when I've hosted
business functions there, but they've also been extremely standoffish
when I've come in with my parents for a quick bite to eat."

Difficulties

Significantly improving service quality throughout the city within such a
short period of time is a daunting task, admits Cheng, who is responsible
for the administration of Beijing's commercial sector.

It is estimated that services related to the Olympics will create
approximately 1 million new job opportunities in the city. This is
complicated by the likelihood that migrant workers from other provinces
and poorly educated Beijingers will fill the majority of these positions.

"We will have to invest a lot in training, including all the required
facilities and materials. It will be a huge effort," says Cheng.

Training will also primarily depend on businesses owners.

"Improvements to service quality are ultimately determined by the
businesses themselves, although the government has issued policies and
will continue to offer administrative support," says Cheng. "We can't
intervene too much, and we don't have the means to, anyway."

Chen adds that business owners should also seek more training and
increase their level of service awareness at first. This will require
them to open their eyes and come to terms with their shortcomings.

"The government could organize market investigation programmes and other
events," suggests Chen.

The government should also expand vocational education programmes that
focus on tertiary industries.

As for disgruntled businessman Wong, he finally decided upon an
investment opportunity in Beijing. He is confident and upbeat about his
prospects, because he believes his extensive experience in the catering
industry will guarantee success.

Wong can also rest easy in the fact that the Beijing municipal government
expects 4.4 million-plus overseas visitors in 2008. These kind of
impressive numbers should encourage businesses across the city to improve
their standards of service.

(For more biz stories, please visit Industry Updates)

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