Time for gritty Hong Kong charm offensive with a smile
- With many finding better service with a smile across the border, the tourism board’s reboot of a 2002 campaign for city to ‘go the extra mile’ is warranted
A smile costs you nothing, but it could be a good investment. We are talking about the potential rewards for the hospitality industry from making people feel welcome in Hong Kong.
It matters to sustained recovery from the pandemic slump. A city that cherishes a reputation for being safe can do without one for being surly, or service without a smile.
That description may be undeserved. But the perception is not unfounded.
It is to be found, for example, among people who cross the border to the mainland for business, shopping or leisure. Some talk not only of lower prices but also of service with a smile from cheerful people – which they feel they do not always get in Hong Kong.
It can be found in the tourism board’s response to the latest complaints of poor service – rebooting a 2002 production starring actor Andy Lau Tak-wah, encouraging service staff to “go the extra mile”. And it can be found in this week’s launch of the government’s “Let’s go the Extra Mile” campaign to improve services.
This includes a video featuring film stars such as Louis Koo Tin-lok and Stephy Tang Lai-yan. The campaign goal is commendable, but challenging.
Food and beverage, hospitality, and the service industry in general can be a tough business. It still suffers manpower shortages.
Staff work under pressure for wages that give them little to smile about. It will take time to counter negative perceptions.
At the launch, Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Kevin Yeung Yun-hung said the service industry’s image had been tainted by a few bad apples on social media and the pandemic setback. “What we are after is the spirit of serving. We want to push for a genuine welcome for tourists from the bottom of our hearts,” he said.
Hong Kong has never been known for uniformly high standards of service – witness the rerun of a 22-year-old service promotion. The government’s latest campaign is more likely to have a lasting impact if it engages with that reality, rather than blaming recent misfortune that was not confined to this city.
Officials might find better value in striking a balance between Hong Kong’s “gritty charm”, as one commentator put it, and service with a smile that leaves visitors and locals alike with warm memories of it.
