CHAPTER 6

QUALITIES OF AN IDEAL
TOUR GUIDE

Prepared by: Ms. Geeselli Tolentino

 LEARNING OBJECTIVE

At the of this chapter, you are expected

to:
1. Describe qualities of an ideal tour guide.
2. Explain the meaning and importance of
moments of truth.
3. Explain the cycle service.
4. Discuss the seven sins of service as
applied to guiding.

Prepared by: Ms. Geeselli Tolentino

 LEARNING OBJECTIVE

5. Explain how a tour guide deals with the.

a. students
b. senior citizens
c. “difficult” people
d. habitually late passengers.
6. Describe the role of a tour guide in developing
cross-cultural understanding.

Prepared by: Ms. Geeselli Tolentino

 QUALITIES OF AN IDEAL TOUR GUIDE
1. Enthusiasm – The most important
characteristic of successful guides it the keen
interest for the subject matter and the
travelers.
2. An outgoing and approachable nature – Since
guides are in the business of meeting,
welcoming and working for strangers, it is
important that they be friendly, open in many
types of situations an encourage others to do
the same.
Prepared by: Ms. Geeselli Tolentino
 QUALITIES OF AN IDEAL TOUR GUIDE

3. Self-confidence – developing self-confidence

in a career requires self esteem combined with
experience.
4. A proactive nature - One of the signs of a
leader is the belief to initiate change and the
willingness to assume responsibility for
initiating change.

Prepared by: Ms. Geeselli Tolentino

 QUALITIES OF AN IDEAL TOUR GUIDE

5. Sensitivity – The term sensitivity includes a

wide range of human understanding.
6. Flexibility – This includes the ability to be
adaptable and patient.
7. Authenticity – This characteristic means
genuineness and honesty.

Prepared by: Ms. Geeselli Tolentino

 QUALITIES OF AN IDEAL TOUR GUIDE
8. A pleasant, professional appearance - First
impressions are often lasting and are
frequently based on one’s physical
appearance.
9. Sense of humor – A good sense of humor
can bring people closer together, put them at
ease and help make travel enjoyable instead
of stressful and unpleasant.

Prepared by: Ms. Geeselli Tolentino

 QUALITIES OF AN IDEAL TOUR GUIDE

10. Knowledge – A well rounded body of

knowledge about different topics is very
important.
11. Good communication skills – The most
knowledgeable and sensitive person will not
succeed as a guide without the ability to
communicate well.

Prepared by: Ms. Geeselli Tolentino

 QUALITIES OF AN IDEAL TOUR GUIDE

12. Organization – Time management and

organizational skills are very important skills.
13. Decisiveness – A guide must be able to
make quick decisions.

Prepared by: Ms. Geeselli Tolentino

 QUALITIES OF AN IDEAL TOUR GUIDE

14. Good health – Guiding is strenuous. It

entails a good deal of walking, long and
irregular hours, different diets and eating
schedules; the stress of always being in the
spotlight requires plenty of energy and
flexibility.

Prepared by: Ms. Geeselli Tolentino

 QUALITIES OF AN IDEAL TOUR GUIDE

15. Personal integrity – A strong sense of

ethics is essential to success.
16. Charisma – Charisma is defined as “a
personal magic of leadership arousing
popular loyalty or enthusiasm.”

Prepared by: Ms. Geeselli Tolentino

 MOMENT OF TRUTH

The success or failure in guiding as in any

service industry depends on what is now
commonly referred to as “moment of truth,”
a term coined by Jan Carlzon, president of
Scandinavian Airlines (SAS)

Prepared by: Ms. Geeselli Tolentino

 CYCLE OF SERVICE

To determine whether or not a customer’s

moments of truth are favorable, Albrecht
advises a company or individual to identify
their customer’s moments of truth or those
instances in which the customer comes in
contact with the service and formulates an
opinion.

Prepared by: Ms. Geeselli Tolentino

 THE SEVEN SINS OF SERVICE

1. Treating customers with apathy – Travelers

will forgive many shortcomings in a guide
except apathy.
2. Brushing customers off – A guide who gives
the impression that he or she would rather
be elsewhere turn away customers quickly.

Prepared by: Ms. Geeselli Tolentino

 THE SEVEN SINS OF SERVICE

3. Being cold to customers – The failure of

guides to be sincere and friendly and the
lack of desire to share one’s self with
people express coldness toward business.
4. Treating customers with condescension –
The attitude of treating customers as being
on a lower level is common complaint of
visitors.

Prepared by: Ms. Geeselli Tolentino

 THE SEVEN SINS OF SERVICE

5. Working like a robot – Over the years,

guiding has attracted many robots. Many
guides adapted the “I can do this with my
eyes closed” attitude.

Prepared by: Ms. Geeselli Tolentino

 THE SEVEN SINS OF SERVICE

6. Getting hung up on the rule book – Several

service industry leaders proposed that guides
should refrain from saying “Sorry, our policy
is..” if they are not convinced that deviating
from the rule book is detrimental to anyone.

Prepared by: Ms. Geeselli Tolentino

 THE SEVEN SINS OF SERVICE

7. Giving customers the “run-around” – In

cases where a task falls outside the guide’s
responsibility or expertise, his or her handling
of the situation can make the difference
between a visitor getting assistance or feeling
as if he is getting the run-around.

Prepared by: Ms. Geeselli Tolentino

 WORKING WITH DIFFERENT AGE GROUPS

Students
As many sites and cities around the
world provide ideal learning environments
for children of all ages, the number of
student trips is increasing considerably.

Prepared by: Ms. Geeselli Tolentino

 WORKING WITH DIFFERENT AGE GROUPS

Senior Citizens
Senior citizens are the favorite age group
of guides. The perception of senior citizens
as grumpy and demanding are largely
unjustified.

Prepared by: Ms. Geeselli Tolentino

 Guides should keep in mind the following
when guiding senior citizens:
1. Allow extra time for the tour as many
activities will take longer, such as getting on
and off a motor coach, eating and walking
anywhere.
2. Pause frequently and make several short
stops on walking tours.
3. Be particularly attentive to fatigue or any sign
of stress or illness.

Prepared by: Ms. Geeselli Tolentino

 Guides should keep in mind the following when
guiding senior citizens:
4. Pay close attention to special medical
problems or difficulties and pay special
attention to their status.
5. Since hearing and memory problems are more
common as people age, always repeat
instructions, especially meeting times.

Prepared by: Ms. Geeselli Tolentino

 WORKING WITH “DIFFICULTIES” PEOPLE
Guides, like others who work with people,
meet tourist who complain, those who are late
or those who dominate others. If such scrutiny
is disheartening, guides should note the
following:
1. People travel on tours to enjoy themselves
2. Most people would like to see the guide
success.
3. No one expects perfection.

Prepared by: Ms. Geeselli Tolentino

 ESTABLISHING RAPPORT AND COHESIVENESS
Rapport means a sympathetic relationship and
mutual trust. Many psychologist and human
relations experts advocate learning techniques for
developing rapport.
The following tips can help guides develop
rapport and maintain cohesiveness and order:
1. Be prepared.
2. Adopt an attitude of friendliness and take
responsibility for creating and maintaining harmony.
3. Let visitors know that their enjoyment is of primary
concern.
 ESTABLISHING RAPPORT AND COHESIVENESS
4. Respects others and be careful.
5. Give clear instructions.
6. Don’t give ultimatums that cannot or will not
be enforced.
7. Follow through on promises.
8. Avoid playing favorites.
9. Exemplify the desired behavior.

Prepared by: Ms. Geeselli Tolentino

 WORKING UNDER DIFFICULT CIRCUMSTANCES

In case of customer complaints, guides

should ask themselves these questions:
1. What exactly is the complaint?
2. Is the guest’s complaint valid?
3. Can be situation be resolved easily?

Prepared by: Ms. Geeselli Tolentino

 DEALING WITH HABITUALLY LATE PASSENGERS

Habitually late passengers are common

problem of tour guides.
Giving firm time is very important so that
9:00 o’clock will not be interpreted as 9:09.
Leaving behind a late person is many times
reasonable and justified.

Prepared by: Ms. Geeselli Tolentino

 DEALING WITH DIFFICULT QUESTIONS
1. Questions for which a guide does not have an
answer. – For many guides, particularly new
guides, the most feared situation is being
asked a question they cannot answer.
2. Questions whose answers are controversial –
Guides are often asked questions about
politics, religion, local scandals or pending
criminal cases.

Prepared by: Ms. Geeselli Tolentino

 DEALING WITH DIFFICULT QUESTIONS

3. Questions that are too personal – There are

questions that are very personal that no one
should be asking and no one is obliged to
answer.]
4. Questions that shed an unfavorable light on
the guide or some aspect of the region – Very
often, people ask questions just to see how a
guide will respond.

Prepared by: Ms. Geeselli Tolentino

 In summary, the following factors are
helpful in answering questions:
1. Welcome question.
2. Be gracious, even when the question is
“difficult”
3. Never regard a question as stupid or trivial.
4. Never feel obliged to answer personal
questions.
5. Acknowledge a controversial question, then
move on to more positive points.
6. Use humor when appropriate.

Prepared by: Ms. Geeselli Tolentino

 CROSS-CULTURAL UNDERSTANDING

1. Learn about the people and cultures of the

world.
Through media, literature, school, one can
learn much about the values and preerences
of others.

Prepared by: Ms. Geeselli Tolentino

 CROSS-CULTURAL UNDERSTANDING

2. Travel.
By eating the food of other countries, listening
to music and experiencing their activities
travelers can learn people that is not possible
through reading.

Prepared by: Ms. Geeselli Tolentino

 CROSS-CULTURAL UNDERSTANDING

3. Learn a language.
Learning and using other’s language is one
of the most basic and effective gestures in
attaining positive cross-cultural experience like
“welcome”, “hello”, “please”.

Prepared by: Ms. Geeselli Tolentino

 CROSS-CULTURAL UNDERSTANDING

4. Participate in specialized cross-cultural

training.
Cross-cultural training literature, courses
and seminars are now available for tourist. Since
training is necessary to guide to intensify the
travel experience.

Prepared by: Ms. Geeselli Tolentino

 The following basic guidelines are
recommended by cross-cultural councilors for
those who work with different cultures and
languages:
1. Speak slowly and distinctly until the level of
understanding is established.
2. Pay attention to voice volume.
3. Encourage listener to question what they do not
understand or interrupt, if they need to have
something repeated.
 4. Encourage reassured visitors in their used of
language.
5. Be Patient.
6. Speak in terms of positive rather than
negative.
7. In case an interpreter is present talk to listener
and not to be interpreter.

Prepared by: Ms. Geeselli Tolentino