Being an Expo Volunteer Makes Me Grow

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(Posted by Wen-Lei Xu, account executive, FedEx Express, Shanghai, China)

Last June 2010 the Shanghai Expo began to recruit volunteers at home and abroad. It was reported that a total of 70,000 volunteers were needed at the Expo Site and another 150,000 volunteers were needed at city service stations.

I immediately submitted my online registration in the hopes of becoming a volunteer and making some contribution to the Expo, which is held in my hometown, Shanghai.

The year 2010 is the Expo year which has attracted worldwide attention. As a young volunteer, after rounds of selections, I became an honorable Expo volunteer working at a city service station. Since I have a full-time job as a FedEx sales account executive, I could not become a “Chinese Cabbage” or full-time Expo Site volunteer. Instead, I served as a “Blue Wizard” or city service station volunteer on weekends for 14 days.

The service station where I volunteered is located at the New World Tower on HuaiHai Zhong Road. Each day, an endless stream of people pass through this area including tourists from other Chinese provinces and foreign countries, many of whom are in Shanghai for the first time, as well as pedestrians just passing by. With the large amount of foot traffic, we had many visitors to our station come and ask for information about the Expo.

Just like with my job at FedEx, we prepared in order to make every customer experience outstanding. We designed several paper boards showing the routes from the New World Tower to every Expo entrance as well as the information about the buses connecting to the Expo site. We also made several paper cards to show the Expo ticket selling outlets and the nearby Expo licensed product stores.

With these useful tools, I become an Expo expert, making every effort to provide the most accurate and helpful information for Expo visitors in multiple languages including Mandarin, Shanghai dialect and English.

Being prepared and providing excellent service at the city service station infused me with the same gratifying and fulfilling feeling that I have on the job. Just like at work, there is nothing better than positive feedback from a satisfied customer.

One day, a family of four people from Wuhan asked me how to get the China Pavilion reservation tickets. Based on the location of the hotel where they stayed, I developed a special action plan for them. Since the reservation tickets are distributed at all Expo entrances, I suggested they go to Entrance No. 3 for the reservation tickets because the number of visitors entering there was smaller.

Following my suggestion, the family got the reservation tickets and visited the China Pavilion. The next day, they returned to our service station to express their gratitude to me.

During my time as an Expo volunteer, I witnessed the number of visitors hit new record highs day after day. On some days with heavy rain or blistering sunshine, I almost wanted to give up. However, the smiles of the visitors after getting the answers from me encouraged me to wear the volunteer uniform proudly.

When I signed my name on the social volunteer form after one day of volunteering, I felt a sense of accomplishment. I contributed to the Expo and to my city. The feeling came from the bottom of my heart.

My Expo volunteer job added a valuable experience to my life. The World Expo, a renowned event with a history of more than 100 years was held in my hometown. As a native, how can I not play a role? For the Shanghainese, it is our love of our city and of the Expo that enables us to share their wonders.

At the moment when I received my volunteer certificate, I felt all my hard work was worth it. It was like receiving a FedEx Bravo Zulu for a job well done. My volunteer hangtag with seven pins is an everlasting testimony of my invaluable Expo experience, which is a proud and unforgettable moment in my life. The knowledge and experience I gained will serve me well both personally and professionally.

I am Wen-Lei Xu, and I am FedEx.

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