Suzhou Service Attitude: You've Been WARNED! ðŸ˜
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Alright, buddy, let me share with you the not-so-great experience I had in Suzhou, and see if you agree with me:
Let me make it clear first that I won’t generalize, so what follows is my personal experience during my two days in Suzhou!
I visited Suzhou for two days and met quite a few folks from the service industry; their faces seemed so long, and their attitudes... well, not exactly welcoming.
- Friendship tip: As we know, Suzhou is a famous tourist city with stunning classical gardens and water townscapes. However, due to the overwhelming number of visitors, service quality might have suffered.
Everyone was wearing long faces—seeming that I owed them millions from my past life rather than just shopping around! Meaning, they showed no patience whatsoever, as if my presence disrupted their peace. No smiles anywhere!
Honestly, it was both infuriating and amusing at the same time. All the bad service just made me laugh—their response was so bizarre!
- Travel tip: When you run into such situations, try taking deep breaths and not letting negative emotions ruin your day. Remember, happiness is key when traveling; try friendly communication. If it doesn’t work... forget about it!
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Haha, this post is from the May Day holiday. What did you go through during the National Day holiday?
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I went to Suzhou a couple of weeks ago, and I've never encountered a city with such terrible service. Whether it was at tourist attractions, subway stations, high-speed rail stations, shopping malls, or hotels, almost everyone had a cold, sour expression. Even the taxi drivers were arrogant. I had originally planned to spend 4-5 days in Suzhou to really experience it, but after just two days, I couldn't take it anymore and went straight to Nanjing.
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The 'human touch' or local hospitality is really lacking.
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Seriously! At a duck neck shop on Pingjiang Road (right next to a public toilet), I bought both spicy and non-spicy versions because I had kids with me. When I ordered, the owner initially put them in separate boxes. But when they handed them over, it was all in one box. I pointed out I needed two boxes, and they replied, 'They're mixed together now.' When they saw I wasn't happy, they got annoyed and blamed me for not saying so earlier. I've never experienced anything like this. I've been eating these for years, and regardless of where I bought them, they'd always separate them, not just by spice level but even by price. I was totally speechless. =_=
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They act like they're the ones doing us a favor.
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Strongly agree! Service in Hangzhou is genuinely great. But in Suzhou, everyone just pulls a long, sour face.
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Yeah, I visit Hangzhou several times a year. My last trip to Suzhou was 10 years ago, and this time the experience was just as bad.
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Yesterday, I was at the West Branch of the Suzhou Museum buying souvenirs. I picked out a canvas bag, but after paying, I realized they gave me a different one. So, I asked a staff member to exchange it. The staffer who helped with the exchange was very nice, and we thanked them. However, another staff member nearby seemed to think we were being troublesome, even scoffed. As we turned to leave, she was still muttering about us behind our backs.
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It's been over three months since I posted my original note, and it's quite sad to still hear such stories cropping up.
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I want to know how to file a complaint.
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When you're on vacation, you can't be bothered to complain.
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I've been to Suzhou three times in total, and every single time I've left disappointed.
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Exactly! Every time I visit, it feels jinxed. I always run into people and situations I wouldn't normally encounter.
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I just experienced this today. A woman at the Humble Administrator's Garden visitor center and the ticket checker at the Lion Grove Garden both had such long faces, I almost thought I was being overly sensitive.
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They act so entitled, like they're the bosses.
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Extremely cold with terrible service attitude.
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I'm a Suzhou local, and I have to admit, the service attitude of many staff at tourist spots is indeed very poor.
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I arrived last night, and by noon today, I already wanted to leave. It's so different from Shaoxing and Shanghai.