Play the Game of Life
Ryan Petersen's Blog

It is difficult to create a culture of customer service in a Chinese hotel located four hours from the nearest road, with no running water or telephone service. At the Tea Horse Hotel, perched on a steep cliff some 3,000 feet above the Yangtze River, language difficulties and an endless stream of exhausted backpackers further complicated the Korean manager's job. Yet he performed admirably in this difficult role, made even more challenging by the fact that he did not actually work there.


For years unfair practices in the hospitality industry have prevented highly talented patrons from maximizing their true potential. Only very rarely do hotel guests succeed in making the leap to leadership positions within the hotel. But the manager at the Tea Horse was a true exception, having been elevated to general manager within just a few hours of checking in.

The Super Guest was the first to greet new arrivals, explaining hotel policies as he carried their bags up to the room he assigned for them. He also ran the small shop at the front corner of the hotel and managed the restaurant in the main courtyard. He unloaded supplies from the mule caravans as they arrived, washed dishes and was even seen slaughtering a chicken behind the hotel restaurant.

Super Guest hurried about the hotel with all the grace you would expect from a Korean computer scientist on holiday in rural China. Day and night, he could be seen hustling to and fro at top speed, all the while ensuring the Tea Horse's prestigious assortment of vacationing university students and hippy backpackers received the four star customer service they so obviously deserved. His genuine smile and playful attitude belied the level of responsibility that had been so unceremoniously pressed upon him by nobody at all.

The Tea Horse's actual employees were thrilled to have such a cheerful new boss. Even if he did occassionally bark orders at them, on the balance they were much better off now and willingly accepted his authority. He freed them from the need to worry about things like greeting patrons, collecting bills or purchasing food for the restaurant. It was fortunate that Super Guest now handled bill collection, for the hotel's location deep in the wild frequently resulted in problems providing exact change. Super Guest was a wealthy computer programmer who quickly gave change for even the most complicated transactions.

Liberated from the obligations of running a hotel, the employees could now focus on more important tasks like keeping the stove hot to ensure a steady supply of warm Yak Butter Tea. None of the Tea Horse's guests ever ordered Yak Butter Tea. If they did Super Guest would have made the tea himself to ensure it met the hotel's new quality standards.

The other guests could be forgiven for failing to recognize that Super Guest was merely a fellow traveler like themselves. Despite his self-confidence, Super Guest never told anybody he didn't work there for fear they would think him strange. We few travelers who did uncover Super Guest's true identify found him strange indeed. Strangely wonderful.

Labels: china, my favorite posts