AIRPORT PICK-UP

Dear tour guides;

I'm sharing an old article, a basic guide on airport pick-up for you all to reference, as a learning lesson for newcomers. If it's helpful, feel free to adapt it to your own needs; if not, just consider it a little something to brighten your lucky day, and may all your wishes come true 🍀💚😘

Article content:

Back then, I meticulously wrote down the entire process of engaging with guests from the airport to the hotel to share with young enthusiasts aiming to become inbound tour guides (guiding international visitors around Vietnam). It was quite a challenge to write, indeed 😅.

Though I don't use it now, I've kept it polished in case you need it!

I've applied this knowledge throughout nearly 18 years of bustling in the vibrant tourism industry 🤩.

AIRPORT PICK-UP

I've divided this into 3 main parts: Greeting, Instructions, Hotel Check-in.

1. GREETING:

• Good morning Vietnam! How was your flight?
• I'm Mr Phuc or Mr Happy (Chinese: Foo, Cantonese: Fook, Japanese: Fuku, Korean: Potori) from Pathfinder Travel, and I'll be your local tourist guide for your 5-day tour in Southern Vietnam.
• How should I address you? (Your preferred form of address? Full name or title?)
• It'll take about half an hour to reach your hotel from the airport. Your hotel is right in the city center, close to Ben Thanh market, so you can easily access everywhere from there!
• Please double-check your belongings before we hop into our car.

2. INSTRUCTIONS:

After getting into the car, you introduce the driver to the tourists and start giving them basic instructions for enjoying their tour perfectly!

• Just after we leave the airport, don't be surprised by the traffic and the number of motorbikes here! Saigon, HCMC, is the largest city in our country, so it has the largest number of motorbikes, around 7 million!!??
• With such crowded traffic, you might find it difficult to cross the street here! But don't worry, I have a secret technique to teach you how to cross the street here, I call it "Kungfu A Foo Style":
  • Firstly, show your TWO HANDS and WAVE like Kungfu A Foo (Kungfu Panda🤣), and make a little noise "Dzo dzo dzo, wait wait wait, let me go!"
  • Secondly, keep walking or stand still when you feel something dangerous, but NEVER RUN AND NEVER STEP BACK! Because drivers here never stop, they just avoid you in front of you or right behind you, if you run or step back, that makes them nervous to avoid!!??
  • Lastly, and most importantly, at intersections (crossroads with traffic lights), drivers can turn right even on a red light, so please pay attention even at the pedestrian crossings!
• The climate in Southern Vietnam only has 2 seasons, and now it's the rainy season (from May to November), so when you go out, please remember to bring a raincoat (poncho) and an umbrella, and wear comfortable clothes. Also, please use sunscreen and insect repellent!
• For currency exchange, 1 USD is approximately 24,688 VND, which means you can buy a bottle of Saigon beer on the street! With 3 USD, you can have a bowl of PHO, a famous local specialty! (These days, I help guests recognize and compare 9 banknotes ranging from 5,000 VND to 500,000 VND to avoid any regrettable misunderstandings or frustrations for the guests.) You can exchange money at some currency exchange centers in downtown or at jewelry shops around Ben Thanh market, near your hotel.
• Please be cautious when using some local services, especially on the street.
  • Some service providers such as taxi drivers, coconut sellers, cyclo riders may try to mislead you about the amount of money: for example, FIFTEEN or FIFTY, one five (15) or five zero (50), you should clarify this from the beginning! It's better to write it down!
  • When you're on the street or in a crowd, please take care of your bags, cellphone, and camera. Although it's very safe in our place, it's still a very big city! In any big city, we should take precautions against unfortunate incidents!
  • Some recommended taxi brands: Green Mai Linh taxi,...
• No taps in Vietnam have pure water, so please drink bottled water (or super cold happy water- Saigon Beer😆😆😆😆😆😆)
• Ice from family-run restaurants may not be suitable for your stomach, so avoid ice in local drinks
• Some Vietnamese words I can teach you: Xin chào, Cám ơn, Ôi Trời ơi!..... => How to bargain: Bao nhiêu? Đắt quá! Bớt đi!

3. HOTEL CHECK-IN:

• It's about five minutes more to arrive at the hotel. Please prepare your passports and valid credit cards for the check-in procedure.

After check-in, show guests the time and place for breakfast, swimming pool, spa. Give them a hotel map and business card. Ask if they need a wake-up call for tomorrow morning. Tell them the tour program for the next day and the meeting point, time:

• Tomorrow morning, breakfast is served from 6 am to 10 am in City View Restaurant on the 19th floor.
• The swimming pool and fitness center are on the 18th floor. The casino is on the 2nd floor.
• Do you need a wake-up call tomorrow? => Yes, at 6:30 am, please! Okay, I will inform the receptionist to set up the wake-up call for you at 6:30 am.
• Here is the map and the hotel business card. Please keep it with you when you go out of the hotel. From the hotel, you can visit many places of interest, such as Ben Thanh market for shopping, City Hall, Notre Dame Cathedral, War Remnants Museum, Reunification Palace, etc. And some famous restaurants such as Ngon, Barbecue Garden, etc.
• Tomorrow we'll go to Cu Chi Tunnels in the morning and have a city tour in the afternoon, so I'll meet you in the lobby at 8 am.
• Enjoy your stay and see you tomorrow 🙂

The guide should wait in the lobby for 5 minutes and ask the receptionist to call and check if the guests' room is alright:

• I call to ask how your room is => Very nice!
• I’m so happy to know that! Have a good time! See you later 😉

Hope this basic knowledge can be of help to ACE!

Have a wonderful day!