Smart Travel: Great service marks Asian travel experience

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Dr. Don and Linda Overend are principals in The Travel Group, a full-service travel agency.|ret||ret||tab|

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After a two-week trip in Hong Kong, Vietnam, Cambodia and Bangkok last month, and a long trip in India last year, we are convinced that Asians are the world's masters of service, hospitality and courtesy. We uniformly encountered smiling faces and an attitude of "How may I help you?" wherever we went, whether a hotel, restaurant, shop, or even in encounters on the streets.|ret||ret||tab|

We remember India, where every hotel arrival brought the staff to the door of our motorcoach to take over our hand luggage, escort us into the coolness of the lobby, provide an instant cool beverage and inquire repeatedly of our well-being. Then we were escorted to our room and fussed over to be sure everything met our wishes and needs. This same pattern occurred everywhere on our Asian trip.|ret||ret||tab|

At a grand hotel in Siem Reap, Cambodia, the young man who operated an old-fashioned bird cage elevator bowed to us each time we entered and left, learned and used our names the first day of our stay, and always bowed and inquired of our health wherever in the hotel we encountered him. The desk clerks, housekeeping staff and restaurant staff also knew our names immediately and were quick to greet us and inquire about our health and needs.|ret||ret||tab|

We did some shopping in Saigon (now Ho Chi Minh City) in some excellent silk clothing shops. |ret||ret||tab|

Since the clothing was for women, they made a great effort to make sure that the tagalong husband was comfortably seated and served a cool drink. And that he was always advised of the progress of her shopping.|ret||ret||tab|

Throughout the tours our guides, drivers and escorts worked very diligently at making sure we were comfortable, happy and well informed about the areas we were visiting. They always answered our sometimes less-than-bright questions with great courtesy and smiles and we immediately felt that they really enjoyed our presence on the tour.|ret||ret||tab|

We have talked to hotel staff members, waiters and shopkeepers, and they uniformly told us that, in Asian culture, it is considered a pleasure and an honor to be of service to others. Many young people purposely enter the service industries to be able to exercise this determination to make other people happy and satisfied an attitude that seems to be at odds with that of the Western world. As in the United States, the service industry does not pay the highest wages, but apparently it does pay in job satisfaction.|ret||ret||tab|

It's nice to visit a place where you feel that you are liked and appreciated. So, when you visit Asia and by all means do so prepare to be amazed and pleased at the courtesy, smiles, bows and general pleasantness of the people you encounter everywhere. It is a way of life that you will seldom find at home.|ret||ret||tab|

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