Miranda Cooper, American TESOL Institute / Anne Marous, Tishman Speyer

As we know, depending on the business, excellent customer service can seem like a foreign concept in any corner of the world. Miranda Cooper teamed up with Anne Marous to encourage young hopefuls to perfect the customer service and problem-solving skills they’ll need to secure job opportunities in Cambodia’s hospitality industry.

Cooper and Marous introduced simple scenarios: How will you react when you’re approached by an unhappy customer? How are the job skills different for someone who works in an airport? A hotel? A tour bus company? The team used worksheets and role playing to get students thinking about the skills they’ll need to earn a job.

The pair also took a trip to Siem Reap to show students a hospitality school they will have the opportunity to apply to attend.

Since Anne Marous returned to the U.S. from Cambodia in the spring, she has decided to take her career in a new direction. She will study social work in graduate school next year.