Sunday, August 2, 2015

Experiencing the Hospitality in Taiwan



Lunch / dinner boxes and Conductor Chen
Photo: Chen via CTS TV
Warm-hearted people are iconic in the Taiwanese culture. It’s like the food everywhere. It is difficult to not notice it when you travel in Taiwan, unless you don’t speak to any locals during your trip. The little story below may just represent how it rolls in Taiwan.


A few days ago, on a train going south, a grandpa train conductor asked “who can speak English?” 

It was about 7 pm. The car was full of commuters. A girl volunteered. He told her that five tourists from the States telling him that they were hungry with their gestures. But the dinner boxes were sold out.


He wanted the girl to tell them that the dinner boxes on the train were sold out and to ask where they were going. A lady volunteered her dinner box at this time… assumingly it was not opened yet. :P
Through the translation, the American tourists told the conductor that their destination was 3 hours away in Tainan. The grandpa conductor knew that they wouldn’t be able to eat until 10 pm. He felt bad seeing them starving for such a long time.


So he turned on his Woki Toki and asked the train’s next stop to deliver 5 dinner boxes. Unfortunately they were sold out too. The conductor then asked the ground staff to get the dinner boxes from the nearby 7-Eleveven convenient store. 
Finally… at the next stop, the 5 dinner boxes were delivered fresh on the train within 30 minutes. The 5 tourists were surprised and happy that they didn't have to starve for 3 hours. 


Photo: Conductor Chen  via AppleDaily
The entire car witnessed it happen. One passenger shared the story online and it went viral. Local TV and news publishers rushed to interview the grandpa conductor for his excellent customer service. 


The 65-year-old grandpa conductor, Chen, told the reporters that it was his job to take care of the customers. He said he treated every customer the same, no matter where they were from. It was the first time he felt so nervous helping out travelers though. He was sweating to squeeze the English he learned 50 years ago when he was a student.  : ) 


In addition, he welcomed his customers to tell him whatever that they need.  However, his excellent service will be expired soon as he will retire from the Taiwan Railway in September.


Many travelers say the most beautiful scene in Taiwan is the people. What do you think? Do you have any stories encountering warm-hearted locals when you travel in Taiwan? Let us know. If you know how to contact those 5 tourists, please let us know too. 



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