INTERNSHIP MOMENTS

TOUR ASSISTANT

• In charge of doing live commentary every day 8:30AM to 6PM explaining each sightseeing stops the company have, also onboard bus selling tickets. Other duty on the bus is to keep bus clean and ensuring all customers in the bus have tickets. Extra work to do is redeeming online tickets, share selling reports for office staff creating data on how much tickets sold hourly and doing full bus checks for any lost item reported by other staff. In this duty, I worked with bus pilot that assisted me when I felt lost in front of the customers.

• The challenging aspect of the job was multitasking between selling tickets, answering the questions customers ask while doing the live commentary. The main problem faced in this department was dealing with customers inquiry while doing live commentary. When customers ask questions, we have to stop the commentary and that makes other passengers onboard the bus angry because they ride the bus expecting to have commentary to listen.

• Managing the ticketing is another obstacle because the buses do not have enough breaks at each stop for selling tickets and check that everyone has tickets onboard the bus. This too interrupts the live commentary because we have to take our time to check on every customer onboard the bus.

• Then there are customers that argue about no punctuality of interval when being picked up because in the brochure it mentions interval between buses are 20 to 30 minutes. Due to traffic that we cannot control, interval can be very longer than that so these customers that board the bus will start sharing this issue with other customers onboard creating bad image for the KL Hop on Hop off company.

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• Some customers try manipulate with old brochures. Our Operation Hours are 9AM to 6PM with last trip 5PM every day. However, the customers with old brochures that come to buy tickets late at 5pm demand to stay on the bus until 8pm because old operation was 9am to 8pm evening. This major issue is a pain to deal with because we have to reason with the customer and explain the latest information on bus services and operation hours to that customer in front of all other customers onboard. It makes us (tour assistants) look bad in front of other customers when the customer tries to get their point right against us.

• While working as Tour Assistant, I gained skill in Interpersonal skills on working with other colleagues and supervisor throughout whole training course. We worked together in solving issues faced with customers, reporting issues that creating longer interval and informing any sudden events causing road closure to stops. Another skill I gained is from Mesra Malaysia training was Communication skills, where we are taught how to handle situations with angry customers and tourists who do not speak English.

CUSTOMER SERVICE

• Every morning at 8:30AM to 6PM evening working as information counter and selling KL Hop on Hop off and Hop on Holidays products. By 5pm, I will do clean up in the information counter and pack up booth when I am doing ticketing at KLCC bus stop (Stop no.5). Other duties include reporting bus intervals to main office when needed, informing customers the discounts eligible with the tickets they purchase, informing the service of bus operation and product as well as promoting the tourist attractions in the bus routes and around Kuala Lumpur. Here I worked alone with contacting my supervisors via Whatsapp when I need assistance.

• Challenges faced are ensuring that customers understand the product and being clear when explaining the product. If what was explained is not clear, I will repeat again those points they ask. Other problems also when there is not enough time to explain the service because the bus needs to leave, so I refer any information customers have to the tour assistant onboard the bus. The other 2 problems I have are other customers interrupting me when I am talking with customers and calming the customers when they are waiting for bus too long.

• Obstacles faced include taxis that are selling city tours at the same place I am selling the KL Hop on Hop off product. In this issue, I work hard to promote the product I am selling but compromise with the taxis when customers do not have enough time to use my company product.

• I gained Lifelong Learning skills in working independent in Customer Service job duty at handling customers on my own without colleagues ensuring customers ride the bus with full knowledge of the Hop on Hop off bus service as well as assisting tourists with tourist attraction and direction to places inquiries. I gained Discipline Specific Knowledge skills along the way in using marketing skills taught from studies into action when marketing the company products. I even followed the night tours so I can better understand how to sell the Putrajaya Night Bridge and KL City of lights product.