Travelbeat Inside Information AYERS ROCK RED HOT WITH JAPANESE TOURISTS What is red hot on the “to do” list of Japanese tourists when they visit Australia? Visiting Ayers Rock (Uluru) of course! Why? Well one reason is because of a tragic love story... A movie about a young Japanese woman dying of leukaemia who shares her dream with her lover of returning to Ayers Rock where she had some of her best memories in life... She dies before realizing this dream but her lover takes her ashes and scatters them over Uluru. Since that movie (Sekai no Chushin de Ai o Sakebu), Ayers Rock has been the romantic aspiration for young Japanese couples who ensure that it is part of their itinerary to Australia. Mike Chep, Area HR Manager for Voyages Ayers Rock Resort, recently enlisted internationally recognised Cross-cultural Customer Service experts, TravConsult, to educate the Resort team on the service needs and expectations, cultural differences and communication skills necessary to successfully interact with Japanese tourists. Chep said ... “Our Japanese Guests expectations are extremely high, with punctuality and speed of service priority. This can be a challenge sometimes due to the unique environment of the Outback. “Although the Japanese only stay one or two nights, we need to ensure that they have a 'wow' experience so we don't disappoint. "Word-of-mouth recommendations rank highly for the Japanese in buying decisions and we want to empower our Voyages staff at that face-to-face interaction. "We want the Japanese guest to experience their best memories here.” The TravConsult Japanese Customer Service Workshops were a huge success with staff immediately applying what they had learned in the workplace. One Restaurant Supervisor reported ... “One of our girls who did the workshop applied what she had learned the next morning at breakfast. "The Japanese honeymoon couple that she had been looking after filled out a Guest Service Satisfaction card with glowing reports and left a tip. "Japanese rarely, if ever tip, so that was a clear indication of how happy they were. This was a direct result of the TravConsult Course.” TravConsult helps businesses improve customer service and increase sales to international customers and its cross-cultural expertise has been widely utilised by organisations and regions serious about increasing their Japanese market share. Trevor Lee, Managing Director of TravConsult, said ... “Japanese people are generally quite shy and reserved so it is crucial to initiate the welcome to them and show patience when serving them. It is vital that we showcase not just our national icons but the Australian friendly and welcoming service. “Acknowledging their presence alone can often be the incentive they need to make a purchase. And if service providers show true Australian friendliness and assistance, the Japanese will enjoy their visit more and no doubt, spend more at the same time.” TravConsult’s General Manager, Lilly Choi-Lee, highlighted the key concepts in their successful training programme, saying ... “If a tourism business is serious about engaging the Japanese market, they need to Welcome them, Acknowledge them and Thank them; we call this the WAT system and it can be applied to customers and visitors from all markets.” Lee said ... “Our strength lies in developing more culturally aware teams that really want to provide a „wow .customer service experience to all visitors and customers. And that means increased sales, return business and word-of-mouth recommendations." (TravConsult) Back to Front Page