Shanghai is home to roughly 100,000 permanent foreign residents, and to help these residents with their day-to-day living, Shanghai’s municipal government has officially launched a free hotline for expats needing basic information about the city. The Shanghai Call Centre, which was set up by the Wenhui-Xinmin United Press Group, provides information in both English and Chinese about everything from tourist destinations to culture and sports to medical care, trade and other issues concerning daily living in Shanghai and is sponsored by the information and foreign affairs offices.
Patrick Campbell-Dunn, a student living in Shanghai told China Daily, “I used to have to dial 114, it sometimes takes 5-minutes to get the right information [from the directory service number].” He went on to explain that he once tried to get information about a school, but the 114-Operator could not understand him.
Mercedes Gonzalez, expat director of a Mexican university’s Shanghai office told China Daily, “The biggest obstacle in my life in Shanghai is communication. I can’t read anything.” She says she is still concerned about whether the telephone operators will be able to understand what she says because, like many foreigners, she speaks English with an accent.
Nnongha Alban, a Nigerian postgraduate at Fudan University tried dialing the new numbers at the launch ceremony Friday, relieved Ms. Gonzalez of that worry when he said that “The service is great and I like it.” What did the young Nigerian ask the operators about? He wanted to find a sports club and was recommended one in the downtown area.
The hotline will run 24-hours a day, 7-days a week and is answered by a group of 12 operators, at this time, all of whom are graduates with bachelor degrees. Gu Qi is a graduate of Shanghai International Studies University and is working at the call centre. She told China Daily “The information I provide is from a database that is regularly updated.” Gu Qi spent two weeks training for the operator position and during the trial period answered five calls from Britons asking about residency certificates. She told the paper that she anticipates that many questions will be visa related.
THE NUMBERS:
Calling from within Shanghai dial: 021-962-288
Calling from outside Shanghai dial: 021-962-288
Calling from overseas dial: (8621) 021-962-288