Monday, November 09, 2009

My Shanghai Visit

I was in Shaghai in first week of November, full week and enjoyed a lot except food. It was a business trip for one week.

We landed on 2nd Nov on Pudong airport. The security is very good and Chinese government is still scare about swine flue.

My company had already booked a hotel for us. Ibis has the worldwide chain of economy hotel. I realised that it so economy that even they do not bother about basic requirements. The hotel is close to our office as compare to other hotels. As it is chain of worldwide hotels, we were expecting good services. We enter into the hotel at 8.00 am. Front office staff was so busy in their work; they had not time for us. We interrupted them. The girl just saw us and told, wait for ½ hours. After ½ hour we asked about the room offered to us. “Oh, we don’t have the housekeeping staff available, they come at 9.00 am, you will get the rooms at 9.30 am.” the girl told us in her broken English.

We tried to speak their manager, but in vain. At last we got the rooms at 9.30 am. They even don’t know the basics of hospitality industry. May be our experience is unique, but Ibis must have train their staff. They don’t understand the English, they can’t speak proper English, and besides this they do not have proper training to handle the customers.

With taxi driver, first day, we moved a lot and got the taxi, while going back, oh, they are same as in our Pune, at least 5 taxi drivers refused to drop us at Hotel. The reasons were same as our Pune, Mumbai taxi and auto-rickshaw drivers give.

First two days, we were charged 36 rmb, on one day one driver charged us 29 rmb and another day 49 rmb, off course they give the bills. Same as our Indian drivers do. We can fight with our drivers, but here we can not even communicate. One driver was speaking with me about whether in his own language. Very funny.

The Shanghai is very beautifully developed city. We can only think to convert the Mumbai into Shanghai. When I compare, the China and India, one thing is sure, the people are same everywhere. They have same emotions. They work for money and they are greedy. The attitude is moreover same. When I was discussing few people about the governing system, they seem to be not happy. They do not speak or they follow the rules & orders do not mean that they are satisfied with the system there. In India, we have a democracy. They say, every system has some advantage and disadvantage. No system is perfect. But the result can be made perfect. This is shown by China. They are far ahead from us. Good roads, systems, transports, facilities, areas for leisure everything. But they do not have many news channels.

Indian political parties need to think really badly.

1 comment:

PHANI said...

Dear Mr.Vinod,

Its really interesting to read your Shanghai experience. India and China are too big to be disciplined, control and manage as everybody say.

As per your experience, we are far better than China in any industry (not just hospitality) but for productivity. Guest relations are poor.

In Hyderabad, we have VOLVO buses for local transport.

Enlightening experience.

Keep sharing and keep mailing.

warm regards.

Challa S.S.J.Ram Phani

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