Helen+Part+B

=Putting Your Travel Work in Industry=

__//1. International visitor//__

Whilst working in a 5 start restaurant one night, an international visitor form China was seated, and he appeared to not understand any English at all when I greeted him at his table. He appeared very confused by the menu and myself as i was speaking to him in English.

__//2. Staff member of different background//__

A customer is halfway through her meal when she calls the waiter over and complains about that a staff member wearing a 'hijab' ( head covering) is bothering her, and she feels uncomfortable. She has not been exposed to a Muslim woman before, and feels threatened for her safety. The staff member is well known and has never received such a complaint. I know from my travels that there are many many different cultures,customs and religions in the world, all with their own history and heritage. An international based hotel is bound to see a lot of varying backgrounds, and all should be accepted in this multicultural country. I would listen to the customer until she was finished talking,using eye contact and an understanding voice.

Other Aspects of Complaint handling

1. Acknowledge: Establish the nature and details 2. Respond: Advise customer of course of action 3.Take Action: resolve the complaint to the customers satisfaction 4. Report: Refer complaints to a higher authority 5. Follow up: Complete necessary documentation


 * Resolving the situation**

1. I just returned from Tibet, a place where i was not familiar with the language and experienced many communication problems. Since our restaurant was familiar with this sort of problem, one of the Chinese speaking waiters was found to assist with the non-English speaking visitor. This meant the restaurant didn't lose out on any business should the man get frustrated and leave, but he was comforted knowing he was taken care of.

2. To handle the situation, I would write down the womans complaint details for furure reference and recording,then explain to the customer of the woman's religion, and offer to seat her out of view of the staff member if she wishes. I would also make sure that the manager was aware of the situation should it occur another time.

From my travels, i have learned that special care should be taken when addressing those from a different background. Tiibetans are very friendly with a strong, rich heritage that needs to be preserved and respected. A small head nod and smile is usually acceptable for most backgrounds. If in doubt about how formal your language and attitude should be, always aim high and get a feeling of how the guests react. From this you should be able to find the appropriate level. Work ethics vary in each part of the world, I have found that working in one you are not familiar with can be very daunting at first, but the more its done, the more one would settle in to the routine.Alike ethics, personal grooming varies but it commonly found to be at a high standard. Presentation is considered very highly in the industry, and every effort should be made to look a high standard. Family is one of the most important things in life, and obligations may mean work is put to the side. This is not unlike religious holidays, if a commitment to religion is needed, then a persons work may come to a halt for an amount of time. Customs are a part of each country, and non preservence may mean the loss of culture. Respect is needed in the workplace to cater for those from a different background and different ways of performing certain tasks. There are many special needs people in our world, and it is up to each workplace to have a system in place to care for each, for example non English speaking, baby's, the elderly, the blind/deaf, or the physically disabled. Making each one's experience a memorable one is what the industry is all about.