Hong Kong-based entrepreneur Jerry Wong travelled to Beijing recently to comb the local market for potential opportunities. He has been hoping to open a restaurant in the capital in time to cash in on the huge opportunities the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games will undoubtedly bring.

The service he received from the moment he hit town has left him confused, however. Wong was somewhat taken aback by the overly familiar attitude of the taxi driver, who wasn't intentionally rude, but insisted on chatting all the way from the airport to the hotel.

Wong also found the salespeople at Xiushui Market, a major tourist attraction in the nation's capital, exceptionally pushy. And nearly every waitress he encountered suggested only the most expensive items on the menu, such as abalone and shark's fin, when he asked for a recommendation.

"People were generally nice, but I felt a little uncomfortable," says Wong. Beijing's top commercial facilities are on par with Hong Kong's, he adds, but the service left a lot to be desired.

Cheng Hong, vice director of the Beijing Commerce Bureau, admits that while commercial development is gradually catching up with international standards, service quality is still not up to scratch. This is a significant area of concern in the lead-up to the Olympics, when millions of overseas officials, athletes and visitors will flock to the capital.

The Olympics are expected to generate approximately 28 billion yuan (US$3.46 billion) in business opportunities for Beijing, and roughly half of this will come from tertiary industries and services, according to research by the Beijing Statistics Bureau's accounting department.

"Added value in the service industry is primarily based on knowledge, skills and awareness. People working in the service industry need to know how to put customers at ease," says Cheng.

Improvement measures

Cheng's bureau launched a programme last July to raise service quality in Beijing to international levels by 2008, by providing training to service industry professionals. It requires taxi drivers, shop assistants, restaurant staff and others to get a grasp on basic English expressions related to their jobs, and provides training materials designed for a number of service sectors.

Chen Ji, professor with Beijing Technology and Business University, says these will only impart fundamental skills, however. It is even more important to raise service awareness and introduce professional service models tailored to specific sectors.

He says "invisible service" should be the norm in shopping malls, for example. Assistants should appear when customers need help or have questions, but should be inconspicuous otherwise. This is the kind of non-intrusive service that puts customers at ease.

Golden Resource Shopping Mall, the city's largest, both in terms of retail space and the number of top brands, started professional training courses last year, according to its marketing department.

"I still haven't noticed any improvement," says Tong Limin, a middle-aged homemaker living in an upscale neighbourhood nearby.

"The assistants often follow me and make suggestions, but they don't seem to catch on that I just want to relax and be left to myself," Tong tells China Business Weekly.

Qiaojiangnan Restaurant (South Beauty), a popular nationwide chain of Sichuan-style restaurants, appears to categorize its customers according to the way they are dressed and the amount they spend, says Feng Li, who occasionally eats at South Beauty with business partners, family and friends.

"They've practically bent over backwards to please me when I've hosted business functions there, but they've also been extremely standoffish when I've come in with my parents for a quick bite to eat."

Difficulties

Significantly improving service quality throughout the city within such a short period of time is a daunting task, admits Cheng, who is responsible for the administration of Beijing's commercial sector.

It is estimated that services related to the Olympics will create approximately 1 million new job opportunities in the city. This is complicated by the likelihood that migrant workers from other provinces and poorly educated Beijingers will fill the majority of these positions.

"We will have to invest a lot in training, including all the required facilities and materials. It will be a huge effort," says Cheng.

Training will also primarily depend on businesses owners.

"Improvements to service quality are ultimately determined by the businesses themselves, although the government has issued policies and will continue to offer administrative support," says Cheng. "We can't intervene too much, and we don't have the means to, anyway."

Chen adds that business owners should also seek more training and increase their level of service awareness at first. This will require them to open their eyes and come to terms with their shortcomings.

"The government could organize market investigation programmes and other events," suggests Chen.

The government should also expand vocational education programmes that focus on tertiary industries.

As for disgruntled businessman Wong, he finally decided upon an investment opportunity in Beijing. He is confident and upbeat about his prospects, because he believes his extensive experience in the catering industry will guarantee success.

Wong can also rest easy in the fact that the Beijing municipal government expects 4.4 million-plus overseas visitors in 2008. These kind of impressive numbers should encourage businesses across the city to improve their standards of service.

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