Panda, Zhangjiajie to Tibet: Navigating Transportation, Tour Guide Changes for American Couple

As a travel consultant, each itinerary I arrange for tourists is like weaving a delicate web. However, changes don't pick convenient days or times, and every journey has its own set of unique circumstances. The 15-day trip to Chengdu, Guilin, Zhangjiajie, and Tibet for an American couple in 2024 was precisely such an adventure, full of twists and turns, but ultimately a complete success.

Guide Mix-up! Exchange of Goodwill

During the first two days of their Chengdu itinerary, the guests gave me some unexpected feedback at the end of their tour. They discovered that the guide arranged for them was a Chinese-speaking guide, not the English-speaking guide they had anticipated. What's more, they were unhappy that the guide had taken them to shopping stops.

Hearing this, my heart sank, and I immediately realized it was a mistake on the local agency's part. While apologizing to the guests, I quickly verified the situation with the local agency. It turned out that the agency had mistakenly arranged the guide. I offered a solution of refunding the difference, but the guests shook their heads, their tone calm yet firm: "No need for a refund."

Faced with their insistence on goodwill, I decided to express our sincerity with a special gift. I carefully selected a pair of Chengdu-style handicrafts - Chengdu Shu embroidery - featuring traditional Chinese flower and bird paintings, both elegant and culturally rich.

I mailed the gift to them before they left their last stop in Tibet. They happily posted a photo on their WeChat Moments with the caption, "This is fantastic!" I was delighted that we could smooth over the unexpected situation with goodwill.

Sudden Flight Cancellation Mid-Journey! Prompt Itinerary Change

However, the challenges didn't end there. Their itinerary was originally planned: an 8-day trip to Chengdu, Guilin, and Zhangjiajie, followed by a 7-day group tour in Tibet. But just four days before they were to leave Zhangjiajie, an unexpected message shattered the peace - their flight from Zhangjiajie to Lhasa was canceled. At that moment, my brain raced, as if I could hear time ticking away.

I immediately called the couple, explained the situation as calmly as possible, and offered a solution: ending their Zhangjiajie tour a day early and arranging a connecting flight to Lhasa.

To minimize their fatigue during the unexpected layover, I also booked them a night at a 4-star hotel near the airport, with the cost covered by us. On the other end of the phone, there was a moment of silence, followed by a relaxed voice saying, "Okay, since it's happened, your arrangement sounds good." Hearing this, half of my anxiety finally dissipated.

The couple faced the unexpected change with the same ease as enjoying their vacation.

They returned to the United States. And my inbox also received feedback from across the Pacific: "Thank you again for addressing our concerns so promptly. Overall, we enjoyed your services, thank you for the experience."

Although this trip had its share of twists and turns, I was incredibly gratified that we were able to win the guests' satisfaction.