Q & A: Guide and Tipping
1.How to meet your guide? - Top
When you choose our package tours with guide service included, your local guide will meet you at the airport, the railway station, the port or at the hotel. If the guide is At the airport, port or train station, the guide will hold a greeting sign with the name of one of your group member’s name on it (usually it is the name of the person who contacted with us and organized the tour). The guide will stand in the place where she/he can be easily located and seen as you come through the arrival gate. In some cases that the guide will need to meet you at the hotel at which you are staying. The guide will call you the night before to set a meeting time and place to wait for you in the lobby.
Sometimes our guide use China Highlights Meeting Sign and Your Name Sign or only use Your Name Sign
Why our guides sometimes use "China Highlights Meeting Sign and Your Name Sign" to meet you, sometimes only use your "Name sign"?
Unlike the big whole sellers who select and promote only few popular places like Beijing, Xi'an, Shanghai, Yangtze and Guilin, China Highlights provides customized travel services to every corner of China according to our client's very unique interests. China is such a big country that there are so many places that have never received any foreign tourists before, we may have not prepare our China Highlights meeting sign on some of the off-the-beaten-roads. In this case, our guide will write your name on a piece of paper to meet you (That is the Name Sign). While in popular places, our guide will use China Highlights Meeting Sign and your name sign to meet you at your arrival place.
One of Our Tour Guides"I would like to say thank you very much for the marvelous service and comfort provided by CITS Guilin and in particular I would like to congratulate our tour guide, Zhang Gao-yong on his highly informative and friendly presentation. His anecdotes and warm sense of humor greatly enhanced my appreciation of Guilin and Yangshuo. "
--Chris de Fries from Highgate WA, Australia
Zhang Gao-yong, English name John, has been a tour guide for more than 15 years. After getting his university education in Guilin, he went to Australia from 1990-1991 for further English language and tourism study. Knowledgeable and experienced, he has a good sense of humor. He loves his job and is always recommended by his tour group members.
1.Recommended guide by A & K tour and Butterfield & Robinson tour, world famous sport tour company, for both local and national guides
2.Top guide for biking and hiking in CITS of Guilin
2.Do I have to tip in China? - Top
No tipping of guides & drivers is required.
We at China Highlights believe that everybody deserves a fair deal and traditionally guides and drivers have depended on tips and commissions as their sole source of income. Most travel agencies even make the guides pay to take a tour. We feel that this is not a good practice and not in the best interests of the customers because guides then depend on making their income in other ways. We have been moving towards a better, fairer system for a number of years but we have now introduced a system where we pay the guides and drivers a good and fair tour fee. We draw our guides from a pool of guides who we have selected that meet the high standards that we have set. This new system means that no tipping is required for guides and drivers; we ensure that they are fairly compensated for their services. There should be no pressure from the guide for any other payments or to buy from any particular shop. Of course, we realize that some people might like to tip a guide and driver for outstanding service, but this tip is then a tip in the true sense, and not their sole income.
3.What about the Chinese tour guides? - Top
China has tens of thousands of trained and licensed tour guides. Some of them are professors, librarians, and teachers, working part time. There are exams once in a couple of years. Only the passed are qualified to work. China's travel companies are categorized into three classes. Class 1 can work directly with foreign tour operators. Tour guides working for this class are usually more experienced. English language is the first foreign language and most spoken by tour guides. They work according to pre-arranged schedules by his employer and talking about your tour sites is his basic job. Beyond these, he has to talk with the person who sends him.
4.What should I do if I can not find my guide? - Top
Upon your arrival: Our guides will surely be waiting for you at the airport upon your arrival. However, if for some extraneous reason you cannot find our tour guide upon arriving at the airport, then please call our toll free number for help. It would be wise to keep a contact list with our office number on it in an accessible place in the unlikely event that you have a problem.
At scenic areas: Some of the popular tourist spots in China can be crowded during the peak seasons and China's public holidays. Some guests may lose their guide in a crowd. When you find the guide is not with you and can not find he or she in the immediate area, please follow the following steps:
1. First of all, Don't Panic'. Relax and breathe. Realize that your guide is not far away and he or she is actively looking for you. You will be found soon.
2. Secondly, stay where you are and let the guide find you. Do not move far away. This will ensure that you are found in a timely manner.
3. Lastly, if there seems to be a problem with your guide finding you, find the nearest phone and call our free toll number and your travel advisor will help you to find the guide.
5.Which languages do you your tour guides speak? - Top
Guides speaking major European languages are available in the major tourist cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, Xian and Guilin. Other language guides may be available but they need to be booked a head of time.
In smaller cities we cannot guarantee a full range of services but we are happy to make a request for you.
6.What will my guide do? - Top
Your guide is our representative "on the ground" in each city. He/She will make all the necessary arrangements trying to ensure that your stay is all you want it to be. The guide will help you to check into the hotel, arrange all transport for your tour as well as assist with shopping. Your guide will accompany you during your stay and will also provide interesting information about China and the sights that you will see during your stay. In short, if you need something just ask, and the guide will do their utmost to help.
Custom Tailoring: Design your own tour with our help to meet your unique interests, You don't have to compromise, do exactly what you want to do! Let us assist you to tailor-make your own China Experience. Tell us what you need now!
- Top -
