Why is YourChinaPal.com different from other guide services?

Traditional guided tours in China are fraught with commission grabbing excuses to visit certain shops or sights. This is completely forbidden for our Pals to take part in. Your China Pals never receive any commissions from the places you go, assuring that you are getting the highest quality experience, and not just being taken for a ride.

We employ young and energetic university students or recent grads (often English majors, or related courses of study), and we keep our overhead at a minimum. Because of this, we don't need to charge the exorbitant, it's-on-the-expense-account, inflated prices that some similarly-themed businesses do. We're about people helping people and expanding cultural understanding - our prices just allow that to happen.
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Can I request a certain gender, look or quality for my China Pal?

No, we don't allow this as we are NOT a dating or escort service. We have the highest standards for our Pals, and you can be assured that no matter which helper is assigned to you, they will be able to assist you with competence. However if you were referred to our site by one of our satisfied customers and they recommended a specific helper to you, we will try our best to arrange this for you.

NOTE: We do not tolerate any sexual or romantic advances towards Pals. Any misconduct will immediately terminate our service and be reported to the police if necessary. We take this seriously, and hope you will too.
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If we are a small group, do we each need to pay the fee?

The fee (as outlined on the Payment & Pricing page) is per Pal, not per group member. Only one fee needs to be paid. So, if you have a group of 4 people, the price per person would be only $12.50/person ($50 ÷ 4).

To maintain the quality of service the Pals provide, we highly recommend that a group contain no more than four people. Should your group be larger, we suggest hiring an extra guide. If this is the case, please contact us about group discounts.
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Will I have the same Your China Pal or a number of different Pals if I need them for a number of days?

This is decided on a case by case basis. Some clients prefer to have the same Pal for all of the days because they can become better acquainted. It also gives the helper a better understanding of the client's interests and what they might enjoy onwards in the trip.

On the other hand, some clients prefer having a new Pal every day because they enjoy meeting new helpers and gaining the various perspectives they each have.

We will try our best to accommodate which ever you prefer, though sometimes consecutive days with the same Pal is not possible due to conflicts with university schedules, exams, or other commitments.
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How do you find Your China Pals?

Many of them are university students that we have taught or worked with previously. Frequently, we find them by word of mouth from our trusted friends and colleagues. All Your China Pals are interviewed and tested before we consider them for employment to assure a maximum level of quality in both their ability to communicate with foreigners and to responsible and knowledgeable Pals.
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What qualities do you look for in a Pal?

All Pals must have three things to be considered for the position:

1. English language ability: they must be able to effectively communicate on a variety of topics in a straight-forward and well-pronounced way.
2. Location knowledge: They must be well versed in their city's intricate details. They will be required to be familiar with the culture, history and best sightseeing spots, as well as have the ability to cultivate new and exciting ideas for travel.
3. A great personality: Lets be honest, even the most knowledgeable and fluent guide can only take you so far in making your experience the best it can be. We won't settle for less than excellent, and so require all Pals to be interesting, thoughtful and fun.

Can Pals travel between cities?

This, again, is decided on a case by case basis, but it's generally something we try to avoid. Though we have a responsibility towards assuring our customers have the best experience possible, we also have a responsibility for the safety of our Pals. However, the YourChinaPal Network is continuously expanding and offering helpers in more and more cities across China.
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What expenses am I responsible for? Do I tip?

Here is a guideline you can follow for what expenses you should expect to pay, and what you need not worry about.

^*Pals are not required to refuse tips, but none are ever expected.

Will I be taken to a lot of over-priced shops so Your China Pal can make a commission?

Absolutely NOT. Though it is common-practice for Chinese tour guides to take their groups to local shops so they can be fleeced by the merchants (and the guides rewarded) - we strictly forbid this behavior in Your China Pals.

Our Pals will often know the best (and cheapest) places to shop and may suggest these places to you, but will only take you places that are to your benefit. If you ever suspect that a Pal has accepted a commission or any form of compensation for taking you some place, please This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it immediately.
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