凭借优势脱颖而出
　　
　　刘晓涵做梦也没想到，出生在青海西宁市一个普通工人家庭又毫无海外关系的她，这辈子会有机会出国工作，并且是去那个传说中“最奢华的城市”——迪拜！
　　2004年2月，学酒店管理专业的刘晓涵大学刚毕业，听说迪拜一家“超级豪华”的酒店正在上海招聘中国员工，她就毫不犹豫地从西北家乡赶到上海去应聘。最后，凭借一口流利的英语和靓丽形象，从数千名应征者中脱颖而出，她与另外15个幸运儿一起被这家世界上唯一的七星级酒店录取了！
　　迪拜是阿拉伯联合酋长国（阿联酋）的第二大城市，也是中东最富有的城市。它不仅景色迷人，还是一个用金钱打造的享乐天堂。迪拜的高品质生活，吸引着全球百余个国家的商贾名流来此享受人生，其中包括许多中国明星和富商也常来这里度假。因此，迪拜酒店这次不远万里到上海招聘员工，并非这家酒店看中了中国廉价的劳动力，而是随着入住七星级“帆船酒店”的中国客人越来越多，他们迫切需要一批让华人感到亲切的服务人员。
　　初到迪拜，刘晓涵接受了为期4个月的岗前培训。因为对这座城市满怀新奇，所以每当培训闲暇之时，她都会让酒店内一位阿拉伯女孩陪自己四处逛逛，她在闲逛中最感新鲜的是，迪拜市的每棵树和每块草坪下都有自动滴灌系统，一天24小时用水露滋养着绿色。而这些淡水，全是通过海水淡化处理得到的，所以这样种植一棵树的成本，竟高达三四万人民币！不过种树使迪拜生态环境大为改善，尽管整个阿联酋都是沙地，常年没有降雨，也没有天然淡水，但沙城迪拜却从不缺水，满眼都是绿色。
　　
　　为商贾名流当“管家”
　　
　　培训期满后，刘晓涵穿起海蓝色短裙制服，戴上白手套，成了迪拜帆船酒店的正式员工。她与另外两名中国女孩被安排到酒店的“太空餐厅”工作，主要负责接待中国来的客人，后来她还吃惊地了解到，仅在这个大型餐厅里，就有来自60多个不同国家的服务人员！
　　漫步在迪拜海滨，一座帆船形的宏大建筑“腾空而起”，海市蜃楼般的景致如梦似幻，这里便是刘晓涵工作的地方，也是这座城市的地标性建筑物——帆船酒店。它共有56层，是全球最豪华和最高的饭店，比法国艾菲尔铁塔还高出一截，又因为它实在太豪华，它被世界媒体誉为“全球唯一的七星级酒店”。
　　刘晓涵说，入住帆船酒店的客人一出迪拜机场就有两种“豪华选择”：是坐劳斯莱斯还是乘直升机？因为该酒店的20多辆劳斯莱斯和10多架直升机随时在机场恭候着您。如果您乘机前往，只有15分钟的航程，可以在高空鸟瞰迪拜市容，欣赏壮丽景观，然后徐徐降落在帆船酒店28楼的直升机坪。当然，这种高档享受是要付高昂代价的，在该酒店住宿，即使最小的房间每天也要700美金，而最贵的总统套房每天则高达两万多美金。
　　入住帆船酒店的客人，搭乘快速电梯33秒便可直达200多米高空的AI-Mahara餐厅。进入这个餐厅，它那蓝绿为主的柔和灯光和波浪型设计的衬托，仿佛把人带进了太空世界。晚餐之际夜空璀璨，环视迪拜的天空和海湾，享受地中海风味的高级厨艺，耳畔还飘荡着维也纳著名钢琴师弹奏的《蓝色多瑙河》……，这可谓是人间的至高享受。刘晓涵每天游走在众多中国客人之间，为他们介绍酒店的特色菜以及洋酒等，下班后经常累得浑身散了架似的，但能在如此优雅的环境里工作，她还是觉得很开心。
　　由于工作努力而又善解人意，刘晓涵的服务赢得了客人们的交口称赞。2005年6月，酒店把她从普通服务小姐提升为“贵宾管家”，专门为那些入住贵宾房和总统套房的客人提供饮食起居等全方位服务。
　　“在西方，几乎每个大酒店都有贴身管家，为客人提供人性化服务。”刘晓涵介绍说，当尊贵的客人一踏进帆船酒店大堂，事先指派的管家就会微笑着奉上自己的名片，然后全程陪伴对方为其打点一切。
　　一名合格的酒店管家，一招一式都要经过千锤百炼，仪态和礼节是第一课。比如在与客人说话时，刘晓涵往往会和对方保持一臂半的距离；敲客人的房门时，每次按门铃的间隔控制在7秒左右；走路不能东张西望，一旦眼睛余光扫到周围有客人，就该立即停下脚步为客人让路；送报纸时女孩会将报纸斜靠在手臂上，露出每张报纸的报头，让客人一目了然。此外，作为帆船酒店的专职管家还必须百般技能样样精通，你得会烫衣服，会叠西装，能替客人收拾行李箱。除了照顾客人的生活细节，贴身管家更要兼当客人的“业务助理”。有些想在迪拜投资的中国老总，因为不了解当地情况，办起事来困难重重。刘晓涵就会替他们向当地政府、税务等部门沟通和咨询信息，甚至为他们充当临时秘书和翻译。
　　去年夏天，一位曾在帆船酒店下榻过的北京女CEO又一次光顾这家七星级酒店，刚走进她要的皇家套房，却吃惊地发现眼前的一切竟与上次自己提出过的要求完全吻合：桌上摆着她钟爱的康乃馨、床上特意放了两个红色鹅绒枕头，连电视设定的开机频道都是自己喜欢的CNN……事先她的秘书并未与酒店沟通过，这些细节安排，酒店是如何预先做到的呢？原来这是刘晓涵的功劳。因为她对自己接待过的每位客人都作了“备案”：客人来自哪里，饮食习惯怎样？平时睡的枕头多高，喜欢鹅绒枕还是弹性棉的？爱喝蓝山咖啡还是雀巢？……掌握如此多的“个人档案”，为的是让客人一进酒店就如同回到了自己的家。至于这些信息的来源，自然要靠管家的一双“火眼金睛”。
　　
　　为贵宾服务快乐也艰辛
　　
　　
　　当上帆船酒店的贵宾管家后，刘晓涵的月薪已攀升到2.3万迪拉姆，年收入折合成人民币就是50多万元。在这家世界上最“牛气”的七星级酒店当白领，小刘的现状令国内的同学和朋友们羡慕不已，但在耀眼的“光环”背后，女孩的付出却少有人知。
　　尽管入往“帆船”的宾客多为各国政要、富豪和名人，素质和修养都比较好，然而偶尔也会遇到比较特殊的客人。一次，刘晓涵接待了一位深圳来的女客人，见对方腿部残疾，拄着双拐走路很吃力，而她带的保姆又去办理入住手续了，所以在乘电梯时小刘就自然地上前搀扶住这位女客人，并善意提醒说：“您小心点!”不料这一举动惹怒了对方，女客人猛地甩开女孩的手，气愤地说：“我不需要你的同情和特别照顾，我是正常人!走开!”一瞬间，刘晓涵完全愣住了。“难道我做错什么了吗？她怎么会这样呢？”尽管女孩心里十分委屈，却还是面带笑容为这位客人尽心尽力服务。后来，刘晓涵就此事专门请教了一位资深同行，那位当了近20年贵宾管家的迪拜同事告诉她：“有些残疾人有一种心理障碍，就是生怕别人歧视自己。你上前搀扶她本没有错，但却刺痛了那位女士敏感的自尊心……”他提醒小刘说，以后接待身有残疾的客人时，要小心呵护他们强烈的自尊心，不可表现得过分殷勤，否则容易引起对方反感。
　　抛开隔三差五遭遇的委屈事儿不说，为贵宾们当“管家”本身就是一种很艰辛的工作。因为帆船酒店的口号是“把每一位客人当成国王”，刘晓涵每天都与自己服务的贵宾形影不离，晚上就住在客人的隔壁。早晨，她依据客人的日程表提前起床，守候在客人的门口，保证对方“一天中最早见到的人是贴身管家”。刘晓涵手里永远拿着一个特制手机，客人饿了她马上按动某一个键联系厨房；房间脏了当即通知客房部来打扫；客人外出她负责找好司机；客人病了立刻通知医生……晚上无论客人多晚回来，刘晓涵必须守在酒店大堂接车，客人不睡下，她这个管家也不能睡；即便已经睡下了，如果客人临时有事按呼唤电话，她也必须立刻起身，在第一时间到达“国王”身边。
　　刘晓涵说，当贵宾管家虽然辛苦，但与名人的交流经验是很宝贵的回忆，尤其当客人有良好的回应时，她内心的成就感更是难以言表。有一次歌坛“小天后”孙燕姿下榻帆船酒店，把刘晓涵当朋友般对待，常常叫她不要忙，陪她坐下来聊天，甚至还为她倒饮料；她与篮球明星姚明在酒店内合影留念时，因为身高差距太大，这位篮球巨星还细心地采用了半蹲姿态……
　　
　　两年来在与帆船酒店里形形色色的客人打交道的过程中，刘晓涵渐渐变得成熟练达起来，并从那些精英人物身上汲取到许多宝贵的东西。在她的床头贴着这样一句鞭策自己的格言：“不要回头看，在回头的瞬间，就会有人超过你!”如今，这位青海女孩已成为帆船酒店最优秀的贵宾管家之一，深受中国客人和酒店领导的赏识。
　　
　　Chinese Girl in Dubai’s Super-Luxurious Hotel
　　Zhang Hulin
　　
　　Born into an ordinary workers?family in Xining, capital city of western China’s landlocked Qinghai Province, Liu Xiaohan never dreamed of working overseas, let alone working in Dubai, the world’s most opulent city.
　　Shortly after she graduated from college as a hotel management major in February 2004, Liu learned that a super-luxurious hotel of Dubai was recruiting Chinese employees in Shanghai. She immediately took a trip to Shanghai. After tough examinations and interviews, she and other 15 Chinese were employed by Burj Al Arab ， the world’s only 7-star hotel.
　　Dubai, the second largest city of United Arab Emirates, is the richest metropolis in the Middle East and a paradise of luxury. The quality life there allures business people and celebrities from all over the world to have fun there. It also attracts Chinese celebrities. That is why the Burj Al Arab wants to have Chinese service people on the premise.
　　Like a billowing sail, the 56-story hotel is a landmark of Dubai. Guests of the hotel have two choices at the airport to reach the hotel: they can either take a Rolls-Royce limousine or take a helicopter trip. The hotel has more than 10 helicopters and a fleet of Rolls-Royce limousines at the airport to receive guests.
　　Liu Xiaohan received 4-month training before she was assigned to the Al Muntana Skyview Mediterranean Restaurant to serve Chinese clients. She was surprised to discover that the restaurant had service people from more than 60 countries and regions. Guests take only 33 seconds by elevator to reach the Skyview restaurant suspended in the air more than 250 meters above the ground. Liu worked hard and her service received praise from guests.
　　In June 2006, Liu Xiaohan was promoted to work as a personal butler, an important job designed to provide a full range of around-the-clock VIP services to guests during their stay at deluxe suites and president suites.
　　Liu learned all these courteous ways to satisfy a guest’s needs. Moreover, she keeps a detailed file on Chinese guests who have stayed at the hotel to make sure that their preferences will be met the next time they patronize the hotel. In the summer of 2006, a CEO from Beijing came to the hotel again. To her great surprise, she found in her royal suite that everything was arranged to her satisfaction: carnation on the desk, two red velvet pillows on the bed, her favorite television channel. The CEO’s secretary had not contacted the hotel. Nevertheless, Liu Xiaohan simply knew from her file.
　　Many friends and former classmates are envious of Liu for her salary as a personal butler at the world’s finest hotel, but nobody really knows how hard she works and how hard she learns to improve. As a personal butler, she needs to work around the clock and lives next door to the suite once the guest arrives. Her work schedule fits the guest’s schedule. She gets up before the guest to ensure that she is the first service person the guest sees. She responds to all the needs of her guest. The guest can dial her special service phone to get all the services the hotel provides.
　　
　　In some cases, Liu Xiaohan learns things the hard way. Once she received a physically challenged woman from Shenzhen, who moved around on two crutches. As Liu saw the maid of the woman was going through the check-in procedure, Liu helped the woman into the elevator and said, “Please be careful? The guest flared up, pushing away Liu’s hand and fuming, 襂 do not need your sympathy and special care. I am normal.?Liu felt she was misunderstood and wronged, but she still smiled and did everything she could. Later, Liu Xiaohan consulted an experienced butler about the incident and learned that some physically challenged people were very sensitive and they abhorred discrimination. The experienced butler said, “You were not wrong to help her, but you hurt the woman’s pride.?He told Liu that she should be very cautious in offering help to physically challenged guests and should never be overzealous to offer help or the guest would find her help repulsive.
　　The work brings Liu Xiaohan some unforgettable memories and rewarding moments, especially when she meets Chinese celebrities such as NBA player Yao Ming. Most people appreciate her service and treat her nicely. Working as a personal butler for two years gives Liu a rich experience and precious insight into the successful people. At present, she is one of the best butlers at the hotel, highly appreciated by both her Chinese clients and the hotel management.
　　(Translated by David)