The beggining of my "Kumi Yorisow Tour"

As this is the first article of my blog, I'd like to share of my tour story. I got a tour license from government in 2015. And I had no idea how I should have started my career.

I asked my Canadian friend if your friends would have a plan to come to Tokyo, if so, please introduce them to me. Then I luckily, I was introduced to an American lady. She said she would stay at "Family Inn Saiko"

As I haven't heard of that inn name, I searched. then I found that inn was a tiny but vary popular especially among European people. They got a many five-star evaluation by TripAdvisor. Then I visited that town, Shiinamachi and I fell in love with the town. I was convinced that I could make a tour around this neighborhood. Then, I knocked the Inn and asked if I could give the tour to your guests. All the staffs were very kind persons, they welcomed me and put the leaflet I made there. But at first, there was no response at all. So, I decided to go to the inn to promote it. I though if nothing started when I was waiting. The inn allowed me come to promote the tour in the morning when the guests are at the lobby and table for breakfast !

When I think about it now, I could do anything without being scared. Just dealing with it full of passion. Go to the Inn before 9 am, introduce myself and recommend my tour to the guests, like "Hello, how are you?  Nice to meet you." But most of customers listened to me without dislike. However, most customers was not able to take my tour because they have plans for that day. No wonder, my appearance is too sudden . However, some customers say that It is not good today, but tomorrow is fine. That's how I gradually expanded my sales channels with a great effort.

Even though I had an experience of volunteer guide for a few years, I wasn't confident as a professional guide at all, also it was a neighborhood tour I made, I set the initial charge 500yen per person, named "one coin, neighborhood tour". But when I think about it later, people may have been suspicious because the price was too low!

I remember my first customer was an American man. After the neighborhood tour I took him to my favorite garden. Over all on that day, I felt tense a little bit, and I couldn't do the best job. However, the man said " Thank you for taking me here" He was a gentle man.

And the second tour was a several weeks after the first one. I repeated the practice of the neighborhood tour, and I felt the preparation was perfectly done. The last thing was to have my customers!

The guests in the second tour were two group, from Spain and Macao. And during that tour I felt like I completely did it, my dream came true! I felt spending the happiest moment with good interaction between all of us. After the tour, Spanish man suggested to have a drink together. I really felt grateful.

Gradually customer had given me much more tip than its initial 500 yen. Then I thought this was the time raising my tour cost. I worried that raising occurred reducing customer, but even the higher price, most of people enjoyed my tour. Then soon, I raised the cost 3000 yen which is double price! Also, kindly enough, the inn put my tour information on their own web site as an optional thing. So I could get some booking without directly going to the inn in the morning. Even so, most tour booking was still gotten from face to face. At the same time, I started guiding to other places in Tokyo.  Continue,

 This is the gentle and kind Inn, Family Inn Saiko, 

 And this is my Terrific neighborhood tour in Shiinamachi, 

contact