In the two years he’s been a tour guide, from his days as a rookie to the more experienced guide he is now, Kai has had to overcome the emotions and emotional labor of simply being a person, whether in the workplace, with family or in a relationship. Tour guides are people too and have to adjust their emotions while working and ensure no matter how they feel, they can still sell Taiwan to customers as best as possible.
While you may think every MyTaiwanTour tour guide is familiar even with the furthest corner of Taiwan, in truth, they never stop learning. Every tour guide at some point will face questions about a place they’ve never been, so it’s important for them to do their research and also take the opportunity to learn from their colleagues. Learning how to overcome the fear of not knowing, is a good way for a guide to move on from their rookie status.
Kai recalls leading a tour where a group of families would often argue and quarrel. How guides and drivers handle conflicts between guests is crucial. During this particular tour, Kai found a way to get along with the whole family and ultimately make the tour a success. How the tour guide reacts in these circumstances can be the defining point of a trip.
Staying motivated is important for tour guides. Many of Kai’s guests will give feedback on TripAdvisor or leave him a message written on hotel note paper. The fact that guests feel comfortable enough to leave him positive feedback and justify his efforts is very rewarding to him and makes the struggles of the past seem worth it.
Kai feels that the concept of the paying customer being the boss shouldn’t apply in tour guide, tourist relationships. MyTaiwanTour guides build a mutual trust with their guests over the course of a journey and it is much more than a customer, service-provider relationship and Kai hopes this continues.
