By Josephine Teo
In 1996 and 1997 when my husband and I lived in Suzhou, China, shopping for suitable work-wear was not easy and television programmes were not particularly entertaining. Last week, while on a short break in Kunming, I encountered the fast-changing face of China.
A sparkling shopping centre within 100m walking distance from our hotel offered a wide range of ladies’ fashion. It was winter and so most of the offerings would not be suitable for use back in Singapore. Still, window-shopping proved to be a pleasant experience. Shop-fronts were attractive. Pieces has been carefully selected and displayed. Lighting and music had been adjusted to suit the theme and target customers. Impressively, many (not all) of the retail assistants had strong product knowledge and good sales techniques.
One partiular shop had retail assistants who extended a warm welcome to anyone who came through the door. “Big sister,” a retail assistant beamed, “the latest range has just arrived! This piece you are holding is made of pure wool, and comes in two other colours. You are very tall and this cutting would look very good on you. You can just try them on and decide later.” Before I could respond, her colleague had already brought the other colours!
The last time I got such attentive service was in Boston – what a pleasant surprise to get it now in Kunming! Elsewhere, the retail assistants might not have been as enthusiastic but they were always polite and never once did I get a dirty-look for browsing, trying but not necessarily buying. One sales-lady chirped, “It’s no trouble. Maybe you will find something suitable next time.”
Something else left a deep impression. One evening, while channel-surfing, I cam across a variety programme where four children aged 8-10 were the finalists in a talent quest. The first contestant was a JJ Lin look-alike. Not only was he able to sing and dance well, he had some groovy moves on his roller-blades.
The second contestant was a boy who had been learning Peking opera since he was four. He did a 关公-number and was most impressive in his voice projection, facial expressions and command of audience attention.
The third contestant was an articulate girl. Tough her routine was not out-of-the-ordinary, she was clearly driven to succeed. The fourth and final contestant was an 8-year old who did a face-changing 变脸 routine. He did not win, but the audience still appreciated his unusual talent.
Besides the talent show, there were many other channels offering dramas or variety programmes of very high standard. I did not sleep till quite late.
The Chinese have always impressed me. Back in Suzhou, our counterparts working for the local government or MNCs showed much talent, energy and commitment. Today, that energy has spread a lot farther and wider.
Not only is the competition keen, we must also expect that when Chinese tourists come to Singapore, they will benchmark the quality of service to the increasingly higher standards available back home.
