1999 Customer Reviews

"We are finally back in New York after our tour to Silk Road and also after spending about a week in Beijing. First let me say that our experience on the Tour was very positive overall and we are very impressed with EduTours. We will not hesitate to recommend EduTours to other people in the future. In fact we have already recommended EduTours to many of our friends in Beijing and when I was posted to Beijing with UNDP we have used your company many times for our guests. Women Shi Zhong Guo Tong! We are very familiar with China, having spent five years in Beijing and having travelled extensively to many areas of China, including many poor areas where we have projects on Poverty Allevation. So we understand the business, social and cultural environment in china very well. I take this opportunity to provide you with some feedback:
What you are doing well: 1. Very fast prompt reply to all queries by email. Excellent email website. Comprehensive information on your tour. 2. Itinerary, hotels, etc organised carefully. 3. Pricing competitive. 4. You are receptive to feedback. This is a very important feature enabling you to improve your service. In fact, I suggest that as part of your standard procedures, you should ask guests to fill in a form to provide feedback (like for hotel service).
Problem: It is unfortunate that the problem with the train happened. How can we be informed suddenly on the day that the train schedule has been changed? Maybe more explanations should have been provided and what alternative arrangements would be made to make our journey smooth. (instead of us asking for it). I understand that sometimes it is the problem with your local agent. Certainly, they did not explain clearly what caused the change in schedule and who was responsible. It is important to accept responsibility and then to propose alternatives (e.g. some suggestions: next train, no disruption in programme, extra performance or special dinner to make up for the time having to wait for the next train, provision of bathroom to have a shower as it is very hot during that period).
The idea is: 1) Advise the guest of the problem asap, 2) explain what caused the problem, 3) accept responsibility, 4) fix the problem asap, 5) offer some token compensation to minimize the disruption/incovenience caused. That way, the guests will be inconvenienced but will be understanding.
In the end we were happy with the resolution but only after we got angry and had to request for a few things ourselves.
Improvement: Meals in general were good. However, the quantity was too much. I think this will vary from guests to guests, groups to groups. Maybe it is advisable to ask the guests/groups, as the tour progresses, on whether there should be a change in menu or quantity. For us, 2 adults and 2 children, 12 dishes pre meal were just too much! I know this is the standard but maybe it is time to change the standard! Most days we would be happy with 3 or 4 dishes or even 1 sandwich for lunch, for a change. The idea is to be flexible, if possible, to the requirement of the guests. Maybe it is too difficult to change the standard meals but if you manage to tailor it more to the guests taste (especially for foreign guests), it will be a major improvement in your service (for all tours actually!).
Conclusion: Mr Wang, please take these suggestions in good spirit. As I said, overall the experience was very good. In fact it was one of the better tours we have been on in China, as we have travelled extensively. We look forward to using your tour agency again in the future and we certainly hope to refer other guests to you."

"We are finally back in New York after our tour to Silk Road and also after spending about a week in Beijing. First let me say that our experience on the Tour was very positive overall and we are very impressed with EduTours. We will not hesitate to recommend Travel China Guide to other people in the future. In fact we have already recommended Travel China Guide to many of our friends in Beijing and when I was posted to Beijing with UNDP we have used your company many times for our guests. Women Shi Zhong Guo Tong! We are very familiar with China, having spent five years in Beijing and having travelled extensively to many areas of China, including many poor areas where we have projects on Poverty Allevation. So we understand the business, social and cultural environment in china very well. I take this opportunity to provide you with some feedback:
What you are doing well: 1. Very fast prompt reply to all queries by email. Excellent email website. Comprehensive information on your tour. 2. Itinerary, hotels, etc organised carefully. 3. Pricing competitive. 4. You are receptive to feedback. This is a very important feature enabling you to improve your service. In fact, I suggest that as part of your standard procedures, you should ask guests to fill in a form to provide feedback (like for hotel service).
Problem: It is unfortunate that the problem with the train happened. How can we be informed suddenly on the day that the train schedule has been changed? Maybe more explanations should have been provided and what alternative arrangements would be made to make our journey smooth. (instead of us asking for it). I understand that sometimes it is the problem with your local agent. Certainly, they did not explain clearly what caused the change in schedule and who was responsible. It is important to accept responsibility and then to propose alternatives (e.g. some suggestions: next train, no disruption in programme, extra performance or special dinner to make up for the time having to wait for the next train, provision of bathroom to have a shower as it is very hot during that period).
The idea is: 1) Advise the guest of the problem asap, 2) explain what caused the problem, 3) accept responsibility, 4) fix the problem asap, 5) offer some token compensation to minimize the disruption/incovenience caused. That way, the guests will be inconvenienced but will be understanding.
In the end we were happy with the resolution but only after we got angry and had to request for a few things ourselves.
Improvement: Meals in general were good. However, the quantity was too much. I think this will vary from guests to guests, groups to groups. Maybe it is advisable to ask the guests/groups, as the tour progresses, on whether there should be a change in menu or quantity. For us, 2 adults and 2 children, 12 dishes pre meal were just too much! I know this is the standard but maybe it is time to change the standard! Most days we would be happy with 3 or 4 dishes or even 1 sandwich for lunch, for a change. The idea is to be flexible, if possible, to the requirement of the guests. Maybe it is too difficult to change the standard meals but if you manage to tailor it more to the guests taste (especially for foreign guests), it will be a major improvement in your service (for all tours actually!).
Conclusion: Mr Wang, please take these suggestions in good spirit. As I said, overall the experience was very good. In fact it was one of the better tours we have been on in China, as we have travelled extensively. We look forward to using your tour agency again in the future and we certainly hope to refer other guests to you."

"Dear Nelson, it was very well organized and executed. I thank you, Wang Chi-ri and the rest of your team, and I will surely recommend your company Travel China Guide with other friends travelling to China."

"Dear Nelson, the tour was very well organized and executed. I thank you, Wang Chi-ri and the rest of your team, and I will surely recommend you with other friends travelling to China."

"Thank you for your message and follow-up after the tour. I am very impressed with your company and your service. Yes, after I heard of the delay in airport pick-up in Kunming, I was naturally very concerned. However, my parents quickly re-assured me that it was an unfortunate small mistake and it did not cause them much problem. In fact, they were very satisfied with the tour guide in Kunming. After he arrived late, he was very apologetic and sincere in his regret. My parents liked this tour guide very much. They said that he was very educated and knowledgeable about Kunming. He was a nice, friendly, and experienced guide. They learned a lot from him, and enjoyed their visit very much. In Guilin, they also liked the guide. However, her personality was different from the Kunming guide. She was not that talkative or active. Still, a very nice lady, but my parents felt that she was more slow and did not provide much information about Guilin. They prefer a tour guide who is more excited, talkative, and friendly. This will cause them to feel more excited about the trip and enjoy it more. Please do not misunderstand, my parents said they liked both guides very much, but the Kunming guide was better.
Only complaint they had was the Hotel in Guilin. I know the Sheraton is a 5-star hotel, and is situated in a good area with busy street markets across the hotel. However, my parents complained about the bad smell of the hotel. They said the condition was not so good. Even my mother became sick for 2 days in Guilin, and she thinks it was partly related to the bad smell and poor air-circulation in the hotel. I am not sure if this is just one case. I just wanted to provide you the comment, so you can check again. If our guests complain, you may want to consider finding another hotel. Aside from that, the entire trip and itinerary was excellent. My parents said they will recommend it to their friends.
If we have any other plans to visit China, I will definitely you again. Thank you again for your great service."

"Thank you for your message and follow-up after the tour. I am very impressed with your company and your service. Yes, after I heard of the delay in airport pick-up in Kunming, I was naturally very concerned. However, my parents quickly re-assured me that it was an unfortunate small mistake and it did not cause them much problem. In fact, they were very satisfied with the tour guide in Kunming. After he arrived late, he was very apologetic and sincere in his regret. My parents liked this tour guide very much. They said that he was very educated and knowledgeable about Kunming. He was a nice, friendly, and experienced guide. They learned a lot from him, and enjoyed their visit very much. In Guilin, they also liked the guide. However, her personality was different from the Kunming guide. She was not that talkative or active. Still, a very nice lady, but my parents felt that she was more slow and did not provide much information about Guilin. They prefer a tour guide who is more excited, talkative, and friendly. This will cause them to feel more excited about the trip and enjoy it more. Please do not misunderstand, my parents said they liked both guides very much, but the Kunming guide was better.
Only complaint they had was the Hotel in Guilin. I know the Sheraton is a 5-star hotel, and is situated in a good area with busy street markets across the hotel. However, my parents complained about the bad smell of the hotel. They said the condition was not so good. Even my mother became sick for 2 days in Guilin, and she thinks it was partly related to the bad smell and poor air-circulation in the hotel. I am not sure if this is just one case. I just wanted to provide you the comment, so you can check again. If our guests complain, you may want to consider finding another hotel. Aside from that, the entire trip and itinerary was excellent. My parents said they will recommend it to their friends.
If we have any other plans to visit China, I will definitely use you again. Thank you again for your great service."

"Thanks so much for the wonderful tour you organised for me during my recent trip to China. My tour guide Angela and the driver Mr Jiao were fantastic. They are both assets to your company and I would appreciate it if you would pass on my sincere thanks to them for the great service they gave me during my stay in Beijing. I thoroughly enjoyed all of the spots we visited. I especially enjoyed the Hutong tours. I have one suggestion however. Have you ever considered a bike tour to places such at Tianamen and the Palace. It would make a lot of sense to me that with the traffic conditions in Beijing and the short distance from the hotel to these spots, a bike tour on this day would be quicker and more flexible than taking a car over to these particular places in the thick traffic. I would thoroughly recommend this tour to anybody. It was very interesting, informative and I had the time of my life."

"Thanks so much for the wonderful tour you organised for me during my recent trip to China. My tour guide Angela and the driver Mr Jiao were fantastic. They are both assets to your company and I would appreciate it if you would pass on my sincere thanks to them for the great service they gave me during my stay in Beijing. I thoroughly enjoyed all of the spots we visited. I especially enjoyed the Hutong tours. I have one suggestion however. Have you ever considered a bike tour to places such at Tianamen and the Palace. It would make a lot of sense to me that with the traffic conditions in Beijing and the short distance from the hotel to these spots, a bike tour on this day would be quicker and more flexible than taking a car over to these particular places in the thick traffic. I would thoroughly recommend this tour to anybody. It was very interesting, informative and I had the time of my life."

"We have now returned to The Netherlands after a couple of days in Hong Kong. We have had an excellent holiday. Tibet was very interesting, weather was great, scenic spots were very good and the hotel reasonable. The boat trip through the Three Gorges was also very exciting with good accommodation although the weather was not very good, a lot of rain unfortunately. At all locations we were met by good English speaking guides and transport was well arranged. In view of the weather or our physical condition, we sometimes had to change the schedule. This was never a problem and the guides provided good advise and support. Very flexible. All in all the logistics of the trip went very well, which was a great relief and substantially contributed to the success of the holiday. I would like to take the opportunity to thanks you for your kind support and hope that if and when I plan another trip through China, I can use your services again. Where applicable I will recommend your company to friends who are in the process of planning similar trips through China."

"We have now returned to The Netherlands after a couple of days in Hong Kong. We have had an excellent holiday. Tibet was very interesting, weather was great, scenic spots were very good and the hotel reasonable. The boat trip through the Three Gorges was also very exciting with good accommodation although the weather was not very good, a lot of rain unfortunately. At all locations we were met by good English speaking guides and transport was well arranged. In view of the weather or our physical condition, we sometimes had to change the schedule. This was never a problem and the guides provided good advise and support. Very flexible. All in all the logistics of the trip went very well, which was a great relief and substantially contributed to the success of the holiday. I would like to take the opportunity to thanks you for your kind support and hope that if and when I plan another trip through China, I can use your services again. Where applicable I will recommend your company to friends who are in the process of planning similar trips through China."