I’ve been leading international tours and training tour directors and guides for years. I love learning about cultures and sharing stories with fellow professionals. Last year I was privileged to get to know a wonderful professional Bulgarian local tour guide. Boby, the local tour guide, took my online tour management class but I’m sure I learned as much from her as she did from me.
As a local guide, Boby has worked with groups from around the world. She has also traveled extensively so she has an amazing understanding and ability to express and share her experiences. Her insight has given my students a wonderful understanding of what the local guides may be feeling as they work with visitors from around the world.
When one of my students expressed her concern and fear of delivering narration for the first time, Boby shared her first experience. I think it’s good advice for all new tour directors and tour guides.
She said, “I can tell you a story about my very first presence in front of a large group from USA. I am a Bulgarian and English is not my mother tongue. On the other hand, at that time (I was twenty-four just graduated from the university and was very shy), Bulgaria was a communist country and we did not really see Americans, nor we had any idea about the difference between British English and American English. Believe me, there is a great difference.
However, I had to talk in front of forty-two Americans, who I did not understand at all. I was about to cry and wanted to hide, but I was at work and had a week ahead and a lot to talk about. I am sure everybody has his moments of being shy and feeling uneasy.
Then the tour director (he was an American of Polish origin) came to me and said in Polish (yes, I know Polish)—he said—just talk, keep talking. Don’t worry that you make mistakes, don’t worry about how good or bad you sound. When you are talking people do listen. They will understand you and even will help you.
That was all I needed. Just talk and don’t think of what you look like and how you sound. You sound great and you look tremendous—I am positive about it. Wish you luck. Go for it.”
As tour directors and guides our jobs are never boring. No matter how prepared we are surprises and challenges still happen. I call it “job security.” If everything always worked perfectly, we may not be needed. Here’s how Boby handled one of her challenges.
“I am from ex-communist country. Once in the ’70s I had a group of Americans. That was very rare at that time. The group had two hours only for lunch before departure. We had the first course served and then the group was totally neglected because, imagine—the daughter of the Prime Minister had her birthday party in the same restaurant.
All the staff went to serve her party. A prime minister’s daughter is extremely important. We waited for more than thirty minutes. Nobody came to serve us. When I found out the reason and talked with the manager, he dared not tell his staff to serve the Americans. Can you imagine how the tour members took that?
They were hungry, did not have much time due to the departure time, were hurt, had pre-paid the tour and the food, and were treated as a “second” class or even worse—enemies.
I went to check out what was going on. With the bad news I came to the group (I was a guide but it was in my country and my city). I told the tour director the real situation and he presented it in such a manner that all the members laughed loud. With a very nice sense of humor he told them the situation. They laugh and laugh and that laughter brought the manager’s attention, who came as pale as a white sheet of paper.
He was begging for silence, being scared for his position, and promised the world to the Americans if only they won’t laugh so much and so loud.
We finally had an extremely fast and perfect service plus a good laugh. I am sure that the tour members remembered that for long time, told it to their friends, and laughed over and over again.” I’m sure she is right.
I always admire Boby’s professionalism and commitment that every one of her groups has a great experience. Her attitude is always positive and she never seems to complain and is always grateful. Here’s an example of why I am so impressed and feel privileged to call her a friend.
