If a Bonsai Tree Falls in a Danish Forest: When a Copenhagen Front-Desk Agent Meets a Japanese Tour Guide

Abstract

A group of Japanese tourists arrive at a 4-star hotel, situated in the city center of Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark. Upon arrival, the Danish-born Japanese tour guide is the first to enter the hotel, while leaving his group of tourists in the bus. He then spends about 15 minutes with the front desk agent, checking details of the stay. Finally, after he is satisfied, he assists the tourists with checking in to their rooms. Afterwards, the guide overhears the front desk agent discussing and venting about the “annoying and time-consuming” process with a coworker in Danish. What should the hotel management do?

Citation

Simonsen, B.E. and Chen, P.-J. (2017), "If a Bonsai Tree Falls in a Danish Forest: When a Copenhagen Front-Desk Agent Meets a Japanese Tour Guide", Trade Tales: Decoding Customers' Stories (Advances in Culture, Tourism and Hospitality Research, Vol. 14), Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 103-110. https://doi.org/10.1108/S1871-317320170000014017