TThomas-JinjiangDue to work, I frequently transfer through Guangzhou Airport and have stayed at various hotels nearby, including Novotel, Wyndham, Home Inn Business, and Vienna Hotels. To be honest, I rarely review hotels because I simply don't have the time, and I don't really care for the points offered by Ctrip – they're meaningless. This was my first time staying at a Hampton by Hilton in Guangzhou. I have to say, the front desk service and room amenities were absolutely flawless, exceeding all expectations. Even Novotel's service and room facilities don't compare. Before checking in, the front desk added me on WeChat, asked about my needs and arrival time, and reserved a room. For a hotel at this price point, that's truly commendable. The room amenities were also impeccable; the color scheme was very youthful, and all facilities were user-friendly. Although I didn't use the refrigerator, having one at this price is a rare find. The toilet had a heated seat, the shower and water temperature were excellent, and even the shampoo, shower gel, and coffee were of good quality. The shuttle service, using business vans for both pick-up and drop-off, is also a rare luxury for a hotel in this price range. I don't consider myself a picky person. We're all just trying to make a living, so why make things difficult for each other? As long as a hotel meets a basic 60% standard, I'm usually happy. If I like it, I'll stay again; if not, I can't be bothered to leave a review, I'll just choose a different place next time. But here's the problem: why did I give the service a one-star rating, while everything else received full marks for being impeccable and exceeding expectations? It's because of the incredibly rude attitude of the airport pick-up driver. I can understand that people might be stressed, the weather might be bad, there could be traffic, or other reasons for being in a bad mood, but that's no excuse for how a customer is treated. If you don't want to do the job, you can choose not to; that's fine. But for a service industry, the driver is the first person to physically interact with the customer. The drop-off driver, on the other hand, was perfectly fine, at least above average. He helped with luggage and we had a pleasant chat in the car. This is precisely why I'm leaving a review on Ctrip, rather than contacting Hilton headquarters, Black Cat, or 12315. However, if I could rate the pick-up driver's service, I'd give it 0 stars. Due to bad weather in Guangzhou, my first flight was delayed, causing me to rush for my second flight, which I ultimately missed. Exhausted and hungry, I booked the hotel and called the front desk to inquire about the pick-up service. I left my number, the front desk contacted the driver, and the driver called me. I asked how long it would take, and he said at least 20 minutes. I told him we hadn't eaten yet and if it was going to be 20 minutes, we'd grab some food first and then call him. The driver agreed. After we finished a quick meal, I called the driver, who told me which gate to wait at. I'm not sure if I misheard or if the driver misspoke, but I understood it to be Gate 43. However, there's no Gate 43 at T3. So, I called the driver a second time to confirm if it was 43 or 63. He told me Gate 63. We then waited at Gate 63 for several minutes but didn't see the driver. Feeling very tired and wanting to get to the hotel as soon as possible, I called the driver a third time. My intention was to ask how much longer he would be, and if it was too long, we could just call our own taxi. I believe my tone in every call was very friendly, always starting with ”Hello, Master (Shi Fu)”. But this time, the driver eventually said, ”Don't keep calling me.” Excuse me, is your driver a mayor or a provincial governor? Is this how you treat customers? OK, I endured it, because I needed the driver to pick me up and take me to the hotel. When the car arrived, we had a lot of luggage. The driver initially didn't offer any help and stayed in the car. Only when the trunk wouldn't close did he get out, but even then, he didn't try to lend a hand or assist. We had to move all the luggage ourselves, coordinating with the driver. OK, I endured it. Then, once we were in the car and driving, the driver was either on a call or listening to a broadcast (speaking Cantonese, which I don't understand). My colleague and I were chatting very quietly, but the driver's external audio was at least louder than our conversation. Suddenly, the driver told us to quiet down. So, we became silent and didn't dare to speak. Later, after his call or broadcast ended, the driver played music that was at least louder than our previous conversation. Is it only permissible for officials to set fires, but not for the common people to light lamps? Or perhaps the driver thinks that only Cantonese-speaking customers are worthy of service, like some Hong Kongers who are unwelcoming to mainlanders, feeling a natural sense of superiority? In the car, I told my colleague that I would definitely complain. I don't expect your service to be amazing, because I won't be paying tips like foreigners, but you can't be so outrageous. I don't know if this driver is related to the boss or manager, but I don't need to tolerate this. In the service industry, one weak link can truly ruin everything. I will continue to choose Hampton or Hilton hotels in other locations, but frankly, I will most likely not stay at this particular hotel a second time. No one likes to feel unwelcome, and it's a terrible feeling, so I choose to avoid it.
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