Bonus day in Egypt

I want to start this unexpected post off with a question: What is good customer service? 

Well I think there are two types. The first is going above and beyond to make an experience better than expected, which is rare. The second is harder and that is to correct something that has gone wrong and turn it into a positive experience. The latter is where my hotel, the Bluebird Hotel in Cairo has excelled.

For one reason and another my hotel shuttle to the airport did not make it on time. We won't dwell on that, as it was really out of their control and they did everything they could. 

Exhausted and rather tired, I arrived back at the hotel by taxi. I was kinda chill about the whole thing as I knew it would all get sorted and I knew that being stressed wouldn't turn the plane around. However I didn't want to let on that Iwasn't  really angry as stuff still needed sorting. As such I had my faux anger on when Ibrahim, the hotel owner, saw me back in reception. 

It was all for nothing, as Ibrahim apologized profusely and swept into action. He took me straight to the airline's offices across town (as I had been advised by the check in staff) and paid for my new ticket. On our way Ibrahim pointed out the Swiss Embassy, which was covered in some amazing street art. Now you might be thinking "that's the least they could do, I would t use the term excelled." And you'd be right.

After the flight was sorted, Ibrahim took me to his favourite Egyptian restaurant for lunch. I had a half duck with rice, a lemon soup and salad. It was all nom and more than I had expected. 

By now it must have been clear that I was totally fine about the whole thing, but that didn't stop Ibrahim taking me to have some Egyptian shisha with his friends. We went to a back alley coffee shop set amongst some of the downtown area's taller buildings. I say alley, it felt more like a courtyard where Egyptians from all types of backgrounds spent the evening chatting and playing backgammon, or at least a game that uses the same board and pieces, I still have no idea how it's played! There were also a lot of kitties. Being here really made me see a different aspect of the culture in Cairo that is a bit more real, for want of a better more insightful term. I even bought a shisha pipe from a friend of Ibrahim's, which I'm having shipped home. I am very excited about using it when I get home.

So, that I think counts as excelling at customer service. Yes our best laid plans went awry, que sera sera, I had an amazing time that ended up being the best day I had in Egypt. So if you are ever looking for a genuine experience of Cairo's downtown on a budget, check out the Bluebird hotel and say hi from me!