Part_B_Loretta

//On return from my travels I begin working in a large 5 star establishment that deals with many international guests.// //**Identify a potential difficult situation or cultural misunderstanding that could take place within your work place:**// A potential difficult situation which may arise with an international visitor is language barriers. As i do not speak another language, it would be difficult for me to communicate with a guest who was from a non-English speaking country. To overcome this situation, i would have to make an effort to communicate non-verbally with the guest, such as use pictures and diagrams to describe something, as well as using open body language, such as smiling.
 * An international visitor:**

A misunderstanding in the workplace with a colleague could be religious differences. As Australia is a multicultural country, there are many people in the hospitality industry who are from many different backgrounds and religions. A religion such as Islam requires followers to pray 5 times a day. This means that they must be out of work for a few minutes up to 5 times during a shift. Other workers must make sure that they accept this and allow the colleague to have their time to pray.
 * A staff member from a different background**

For both of these situations i would need to use effective listening skills. These include listening to the other colleague or the guest to find out what their specific needs and want are without interrupting them. Use open body language as well as facial expressions so that they know that i am willing to help and understand them. I will speak to them on the same level as i am on, to ensure that they do not think that i am putting them down at all.

1. Find out what the problem is. - this is the first step to finding out what the complaint is about and how i can deal with it. 2. Acknowledge their complaint. - make sure the guest knows that you understand what their complaint is and that you are willing to do something about it to fix it for them. 3. Make a set of actions for the complaint. - make sure the guest who has made the complaint knows what steps you are planning on taking, as well as making sure that they are aware of any outcomes of these steps. 4. Deal with the situation. - ensuring that the guest is aware of what action has been done to fix the problem. 5. Follow up the complaint. - this could take different forms depending on the establishments policies. Employees may need to fill out a complaint or incident form, as well as follow up with the guest how they thought the complaint was sorted.
 * 5 aspects of complaint handling**

An a hospitality worker, or an event or function manager, i am guaranteed to work with or deal with people from many different countries and many different cultures. When dealing with these people it is important to take into consideration the social and cultural differences that we might have. People from different countries address each other differently. for example, when meeting someone i would shake their hand and look them in the eye. For some cultures, getting eye contact with someone else is seen as a threat and is not welcomed. I must make sure that i am aware of this rule in different cultures. Depending on what culture guests are from, there are different levels of formality that i should use. Whilst i must always be dealing with guests in a formal way, Australian backpackers may be more inclined to a chat and a joke than a business man who is very busy and does not his time wasted. Different cultures have different work ethics. Australia is typically known for having a laid back work ethic, and so Australian workers around the world may be perceived like this. This is not always the case, as we know that Australians do in fact work very hard. We must also ensure that we do not stereotype other workers like this. Personal grooming is very important in the hospitality industry. Some workers may come from a culture in which it is not important to be well groomed. These people must make sure that they do comply with the uniform and grooming standards of the establishment that they are working in. Many workers in the hospitality industry have different family obligations. This happens especially because hospitality is not an average 9 to 5 job. Through my own experiences, i know that workplaces must be flexible and accommodate for certain workers who have family obligations. By doing this, the workplace is seen as a friendly and flexible workplace and workers will be happy to continue working there. As Australia is a multicultural country with people coming from many backgrounds and religions, workplaces must accept that workers will require certain religious holidays off work. Just as Christians celebrate Christmas day and Easter and like to have these holidays off work, people from other religions such as Judaism, Islam, Buddhism and Hinduism will require specific religious holidays off work. There are many different customs that people from different cultures take part in. We must make sure that we respect them, and in some instances, participate in the customs of another culture. People from other cultures and backgrounds may require special needs. These may be the need for a translator in order to understand others, as well as special needs concerning food and beverage, such as kosher food for Jewish people and the type of accomodation that they stay in. as workers in the hospitality industry we must make all people feel welcome, whether they are guests or even our own colleagues. By making sure that we accommodate for these people and give them the special requirements that they need, we can make their stay in Australia a welcoming and enjoyable one.
 * My cultural experience**