COMMON

COMPETENCY 5:

PROVIDE EFFECTIVE
CUSTOMER SERVICE
SUMMARY OF LEARNING
OUTCOMES:
1. Greet customer,
2. Identify customer needs
3. Deliver service customer
4. Handle queries through
telephone, fax machine, internet
and E-mail
5. Handle complaints, evaluation
and recommendations.
SUMMARY OF ASSESSMENT
CRITERIA:
1. Guests are greeted in line with
enterprise procedure.
2. Verbal and non-verbal communications
are appropriate to the given situation.
3. Non-verbal communication of customer
is observed responding to customer.
4. Sensitivity to cultural and social
differences is demonstrated
5. Appropriate interpersonal skills are used
to ensure that customer needs are
accurately identified.
6. Customer needs are assessed for
urgency so that priority for service
delivery can be identified.
7. Customers are provided with
information
8. Personal limitation in addressing
customer needs is identified and where
appropriate assistance is sought from
supervisor.
9. Customer needs are promptly
attended to inline with enterprise
procedure.
10. Appropriate rapport is
maintained with customer to
enable high quality service
delivery.
11. Opportunity to enhance the
quality of service and products
are taken wherever possible.
12. Use telephone, computer, fax
machine internet, email efficiently to
determine customer’s requirements.
13. Queries/ information are recorded
in line with enterprise procedure.
14. Queries are acted upon promptly
and correctly in line with enterprise
procedure.
15. Guests are greeted with smile and
eye to eye contact.
16. Responsibility for resolving the
complaint is taken within limit of
responsibility.
17. Nature and details of
complaints are established and
agreed with the customer.
18. Appropriate action is taken to
resolve the complaint to the
Customer’s satisfaction wherever
possible
WELCOMING AND
GREETING THE GUEST
Learning Objective: After
reading this information sheet,
you must be able to:
1. Welcome and greet the guest
as per industry standards.
Welcome of a Client
Never neglect the first contact
with the client. Welcome is an
element full of importance in the
future comfortment of the client.
A person badly welcomed will be
very badly disposed toward you
and thus will be of exigencies and
very difficult to serve in spite of
all your efforts to satisfy him.
• Be very polite and always smile
• Never let a client wait all alone at
the restaurant door, he might get
the impression he is not welcome.
• Whatever time he comes; do not
take an attitude which means he is
bothering you.
Be warm in your welcome but
natural. He is your host but do not
seat him down at the table where
the remains from the previous
client are still on.
• If you do not have any more tables
do not drop him. Try your best to
make him patient, give the delays he
shall have to wait and eventually send
him to the bar but do not forget him
there. Go and see him, propose the
menu, maybe he would like to choose
and give his order.
• Make a little psychology, from this
contact; try to get what type of guest
he is. The knowledge of his character
will help you to serve him better.
• Always remember to show
him the way to his table and
never forget to pull the chair/s
out and help him sit down.
• As soon as the guest enters
the restaurant, acknowledge
his presence by greeting “
GOOD MORNING,
AFTERNOON, EVENING “
Greet your guest by their name if
they are returning guests using
prefixes like MR. , MRS., DR. ,
ATTY. , if you know them.
• Never use their first name.
• If the guest is a repeat guest say,
“I AM GLAD TO SEE YOU
AGAIN”.
• Check details of reservations
based on established service
standard policy.
SELF – CHECK OF 5.1-1
TRUE or FALSE: Write TRUE if the
statement is correct and FALSE if the
statement is wrong.
1. Welcome customers upon arrival in
accordance with enterprise standards.
2. Always remember to show him the way to his
table and forget all about him.
3. The knowledge of his character will help you
to serve him better.
4. Be natural and always smile, have an eye
contact with the customer and always say
thank you.
5. Whatever times he comes, do take an
ANSWER KEY 5.1-1
1. TRUE
2. FALSE
3. TRUE
4. TRUE
5. FALSE
Title: WELCOMING AND
GREETING THE GUEST/S

Objective: Given the necessary

cleaning materials, you should be
able to welcome and greet the
guest of the restaurant based on
industry standard.
Steps/Procedure:
1. Be familiar with the set up of the
dining room. Find out what tables
are designed for 2, 3, 4 people and
which ones are reserved for those
with reservation.
2. Stay at the outlet entrance.
a. Approach the guest, look at each
one, greet them with a smile and
mention their name and title, if
known.
b. Show the way to their table. With
hands outside outstretched, “ this
way please” or “ May I suggest a table
for you, Sir/Ma’m
3. If there is no available table,
tactfully inform the guest/s and
advise them to wait at the lounge.
Graciously look at the host and say”
I’m sorry Sir/Ma’am, but we are fully
booked at the moment, do you mind
waiting at the lounge and I’ll call you
once a table would be available.
4. If the guest has a reservation,
make sure his table is prepared in
advance. Tell the host” We have
prepared a nice table for you or
your party. This way please.
5. Lead the guest towards the
table. Walk a little ahead of them
when escorting them to their table.
Endorse them to the captain or
waiter and assist them in getting
seated
LEARNING OUTCOME 2
IDENTIFY CUSTOMER NEEDS
CONTENTS:

1. Identify customer needs

ASSESSMENT CRITERIA
1. Appropriate interpersonal skills
are used to ensure that customer
needs are accurately identified.
2. Customer needs are assessed
for urgency so that priority for
service delivery can be identified.
3. Customers are provided with
information
4. Personal limitation in addressing
customer needs is identified and
where appropriate assistance is
sought from supervisor.
IDENTIFY CUSTOMERS NEEDS
Learning Objective: After reading
this information sheet, you must be
able to:
1. Identify customer’s needs.
Responding to Customer’s needs
Customer satisfaction depends in
large measure on the extent by
which the dining staff are able to
address customer’s need and
expectation
Aside from physical needs (food, drinks
and entertainment) customers have
strong ego needs. They want immediate
and consistent attention, expect to be
given importance and recognition, to
be appreciated for their patronage or
comments. They also expect to be
informed of important information in
advance so as not to be placed in an
embarrassing situation. And most of all,
they want to get their money’s worth (
need for profit)
Here are some measures whereby the
dining staff can satisfy customer
needs.
A. NEED FOR ATTENTION,
APPRECIATION AND RECOGNITION
1. Greet the customer with a warm
smile.
2. Give customers prompt, undivided
and consistent attention.
3. Call customers by their name or
title if known, or address them sir or
Ma’am.
4. Do not discriminate, even
those who do not give tips as well
as those who appear demanding
or irritating; treat all customers
equally in terms of attention and
service.
5. Show appreciation rather than
irritation when customer airs
some comments or complaints.
6. Never criticize or insult a customer
as this will hurt his ego.
7. Never attempt to argue or prove the
customer wrong.
8. Be very sensitive to the guests
feelings. Never embarrass him in front
of others, or talk to him in a loud or
arrogant voice.
9. Never attempt to correct the
customers for any mistake (like
mispronounced word, improper use of
appointment)
B. NEED FOR INFORMATION

1. Be familiar with company

products, facilities and services to
be able to answer guest queries
correctly.
2. Inform the customer in advance
of any information that are
important for him to know.
Example: During taking order,
mention out of stock items,
change of standard
accompaniment, etc.
For banquet bookings: tell about
extra charges, corkage fees, etc.
3. Never settle question with “I
don’t know” answer. Refer to the
right person if not familiar with
the item asked.
C. NEED TO BELONG AND TO BE
ACCEPTED
1. Be friendly, maintain gracious
expression and smile when talking to
customers.
2. Give every patron a warm greeting.
3. Welcome back a repeat customer.
4. Make each guest feel very
important, give him full attention
give some extra service beyond the
call of duty
5. Get to know guest’s preferences
and favorites like his favorite
table, dish, drink, and offer it to
him before he asks for it.
6. Be generous in expressing
gracious remarks like “ Hope you
enjoy your meal”. “ Have a nice day,
Sir
D. NEED FOR SAFETY OR
SECURITY
1. Take note of items left by guests
in the dining room or anywhere in
the hotel.
2. Help in maintaining safe
environment in the dining area.
3. Never used damaged tables,
chairs and any service equipment in
the room or any outlet so as not to
cause accidents.
Guests who may pose to be source
of trouble should be calmed down
tactfully. If they attempt to make
trouble, report to security officer
It is not enough to have business
goals and strategies related to
providing an excellent customer
service experience. Service is
about interaction and execution.
Every crew is responsible for how
they manage interactions with
customers (both internal and
external) and this includes
identifying his needs.
Identifying customers needs
occurs through active listening
and effective communication.
ACTIVE LISTENING
Active listening is "listening with all
three ears". To be effective, you need
to hear what is being said AND
understand emotions. Emotion is
interpreted through tone, voice
inflection, body language and your own
intuition (gut feeling). Active listening
contains three concepts: words, tone
of voice and body language (55% of
communication comes from our body
language).
An example of using active listening
to identify needs...
A regular customer always wants to
talk. He is always cheerful, uses
open gestures, smiles yet needs
nothing specifically. He asks you a
lot of questions and is eager to
share personally relevant information
about himself (need = value as a
person, identified by the body
language, tone of voice and words)
EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION
The key to communication is
simple, clear, positive and
enthusiastic. Customers choose to
use your business because they
have needs.
You find out what a customer
needs by asking and then actively
listening to their response.
Your goal is to understand three
things:
What they want
When they want it
How they plan to use it

Customers are not always able to

articulate what they need. By
asking key questions and probing
for more information you can
define their need.
Remember, ALL customers need to
feel valued.
CHALLENGES
What gets in the way of your ability
to actively listen? Identify one
common barrier. Once you have
accurately assessed a customer's
needs, your next step in the
process of engagement is to
efficiently and effectively MEET
their needs. This means doing it
right AND doing the right thing.
This includes:
Knowledge of your products and service.
This requires knowledge beyond your
department to focus on identifying what
your business products or services are
(features) and how the product or
service will assist the customer in
enjoying value (benefits). Knowledge is
the key to recognizing and seizing
opportunities to cross sell additional
programs/services or value-sell related
programs/services, both techniques to
add increased value to your customer.
Remember, the goal is to meet the
customer's need. When we engage
in cross selling and value selling
techniques we are trying to suggest
additional or complementary
products/services that the
customer will want or need. We are
not pushing products. When done
effectively, both the customer and
the business win.
Problem solving and decision-making.
Customers desire their need to be
addressed as quickly as possible. The
more people or time it takes, the
greater chance of dissatisfaction. Do
you have the skills, desire, knowledge
and opportunity to solve problems
and make decisions at the first point
of contact with the customer? If the
answer is "no", consider the following
questions and strategies within your
department:
• Do you require additional training
and understanding of the products
and services your business offers?
• What can you do to make this
happen?
• Do you want to solve problems and
make decisions on the spot?
• Do you require support in
understanding policies and
guidelines and the kinds of creative
alternatives you have to choose
from?
AT ALL POINTS OF
CONTACT WITH
CUSTOMERS WE NEED A

“WHAT CAN I DO
ATTITUDE”
TRUE OR FALSE. Write TRUE if the
statement is correct and FALSE if the
statement is wrong.
1. It is necessary to know your products
and services when identifying
customer’s needs.
2. Active listening means not
understanding what the customer’s
wants and emotions.
3. Customer’s desire their needs to be
addressed as quickly as possible.
4. Attendant should be alert in
responding to customer’s needs
and requests.
5. Meeting customer’s needs is
doing the right thing and doing
it right.
ANSWER KEY 5.1-2
1.TRUE
2.
3.TRUE
4.TRUE
5.TRUE
DELIVER SERVICE TO
CUSTOMER
Learning Objective: After reading
this information sheet, you should be
able to:
1. Deliver service to customer/s
CUSTOMERS JUDGE A
RESTAURANT, BAR OR HOTEL
NOT ONLY BY THE QUALITY OF
FOOD AND FACILITIES, BUT
ALSO BY THE KIND OF PEOPLE
WHO SERVE THEM
CUSTOMER
“Customers are the most important
person in the organization. They are
not dependent on us --- we are
dependent on them.
They are not an interruption of
work… they are the purpose of it.
We are not doing them a favor by
serving them… he is doing us a
favor by giving us the opportunity
to do so.
Customers are not a cold
static… they are flesh and
blood; a human being with
feelings and emotions like our
own, and with biases and
prejudices.
They are not someone to argue
or match wits with. Nobody
ever won an argument with a
customer.
A customer is a person who
brings us his wants and needs. It
is our duty and job to handle
them in a way that profits both
him and us.”
ACTIVITY:

With the message above, make a

group (three members) and make
at least 3-5 QUOTE or
SAYINGS about customers.
Two Kinds of Customer

Satisfied Customer
Whose needs and expectations
were met
May or may not return to do
business with the company again
Feelings may be between neutral
and good
Loyal Customer
Whose expectations were
exceeded
Felt delighted with the product
and service
Will usually help with the
business through word-of-mouth
advertising
Will stay with the company even
when there is new competition
Defining Quality Customer Service
The quality of service given to
customers.
The ability to constantly satisfy the
needs of a company’s internal (ex. Co-
workers) and external customers (ex.
Clients)
Not just about satisfying customer
alone, it is about delighting
customers so that they will continue
to do business with the company.
TOURISM CUSTOMER SERVICES
Reasons Why Customers Leave
1% Die
3% Move
5% Seek alternatives or develop other
relations
9% Begin doing business with the
competition
14% are dissatisfied with the product
68% are upset with the treatment
they received
Reasons behind Quality Customer
Service
Growth in service providers in
today’s business
Customer’s expect it
It makes economic sense
To the customer, you are the
Company
BENEFITS OF Quality Customer
Service
Increased Sales
Delighted Loyal Customers
More Customers Through
Repeat Business &
Recommendations
Great (Public) Image
An Edge Over Competition
Zones of Customer’s Expectations
1: Zone of Indifference
(Unstated/Expected)
Customer expects his basic needs
and wants to be fulfilled.
Respect and courtesy are good
examples of these expectations.
Zone 2: Zone of Satisfaction
(Stated/Expected)
Customer tells the company what he
wants and what he expects to
happen.
Six Elements in Quality Customer
Service
1. Make a good (and lasting) impression
2. Show competence by listening to
customers
3. Create personal relationships with
your customers
4. Give customers more than what they
expect
5. Resolve conflicts quickly
6. Thank people for their business and
value their feedback
Communicate in the Workplace
Learning Objective: After reading
this information sheet, you should
be able to:
1. Determine the proper way of
communicating to people in the
workplace; and
2. Follow telephone etiquette.
Introduction:
Communication is of vital
importance to efficient and happy
workplaces in the tourism industry.
Without good communication
skills, customers could be left
unsatisfied and work colleagues
would frequently be at war with
each other.
The tourism industry is so
competitive that customers
would go elsewhere to make
their travel arrangements next
time, and staff turnover would
be extremely high. In short,
poor communication skills costs
tourism companies money that
they cannot afford to lose, and
will therefore not allow.
Therefore, one of the very first
things students wanting a career in
this industry should do is to ensure
that they have good communication
skills, hence the inclusion of this
module in this course.
Communication in the workplace can
be formal or informal. Formal
communication tends to be
structured and delivered through
channels like letters, memos, meetings
Informal communication does not
need to be so structured. Today,
email is a good example of informal
communication; however, verbal
conversations are also a common
form. Verbal, also referred to as
oral communication, relies heavily
on non-verbal communication to
support the spoken word.
HANDLING RESERVATIONS
CALL STEPS AND PROCEDURES
1. Greet the caller and offer
assistance. (Note: Smile, as if you are
talking to your customer face to
face. Remember, a smiling face brings
out a smiling voice.)
2. Get necessary information and
note down the necessary request in
your notepad. (Be very cordial and
friendly but do not overdo.) Jot down
the following information:
• Name of guest
• Address and contact number
• The kind of business he/she wish to have
with the hotel.
• Other important information.
3. If the request is not available on the date
mentioned, inform the guest but suggest
other options.
4. If you are not aware of the query or you
lack knowledge, refer the guest to the
proper authorities.
5. Confirm all the details of information
received from the caller.
6. Thank the caller.
Note: Do not stay too long
conversing with your guest in the
telephone, 3 minutes is the most.
Pointers in learning names of
guests quickly:
Listen carefully to the person’s
name when it is pronounced.
If you do not understand a name,
ask the person to repeat it.
Write the name as it sounds if
the pronunciation is difficult.
Use the person’s name.
Link the name to something so
that you can remember it.
Self Check 5.4-1
Write TRUE statement is correct and FALSE if statement
is incorrect and write your answer in the space provided
for.
_________1. Without good communication skills,
customers could be left satisfied and work colleagues
would frequently be at peace with each other.
_________2. Formal communication tends to be structured
and delivered through channels like letters, memos,
meetings and company policies or procedures.
_________3. In answering telephone calls, always greet the
guest by saying “hello”.
_________4. If you are not quite sure of the answer to
information to the query, refer the caller to the proper
authorities.
_________5. Always thank the guest when terminating a
call.
ANSWER KEY
5.4-1
1. FALSE
2.TRUE
3.FALSE
4.TRUE
5.TRUE
Title: HANDLING TELEPHONE
CALLS
Objective: Given the necessary
cleaning materials, you should be
able to handle telephone calls.
Equipment: Simulation room,
telephone, fax machine
Supplies/Materials: pen, paper,
forms
Steps/Procedure:
1. Greet the caller and offer assistance.
(Note: Smile, as if you are talking to your
customer face to face. Remember, a smiling
face brings out a smiling voice.)
2. Get necessary information and note down
the necessary request in your notepad. (Be
very cordial and friendly but do not overdo.)
Jot down the following information:
• Name of guest
• Address and contact number
• The kind of business he/she wish to have
with the hotel.
3. If the request is not available on
the date mentioned, inform the
guest but suggest other options.
4. If you are not aware of the query
or you lack knowledge, refer the
guest to the proper authorities.
5. Confirm all the details of
information received from the
caller.
6. Thank the caller.
UNDERSTANDING GUEST SERVICE
Learning Objective: after reading this
information sheet, you must be able
to:
• Understand guest service.
The reader must understand that the
front office in a hotel is the first
point of contact. The Front Desk
Staff is in direct contact with the
guest and can enhance or mar the
first impressions on a guest of the
property.
They must, therefore, have excellent
customer skills. This means that
people working in a hotel bring the
difference in creating a positive
guest experience. Most hotels of the
same category are physically
comparable to their competitors.
Rooms, lobbies, coffee shops etc.,
look almost alike. But the people who
work in them make guest experiences
different.
It is better understood when one
looks at the front office agent as
the host and the customer as the
guest. This throws the perspectives
and attitudes at totally different
level. At home we go that extra
distance to welcome guests, give
them unrivalled hospitality with food
and drink, keep them safe and
anticipate and attend to their every
need.
Providing a guest experience is a
cycle of events that starts with
the front office agent acting as
the host with her attitudes
making sure that mindset and
whether they meet the guest’s
expectations, needs and
perceptions resulting in a
response.
COMPONENTS OF A GOOD SERVICE
Attitude
What is an attitude? An attitude is
the way one communicates mood to
others, who respond accordingly. A
happy host will get a happy response
just as a sour person gets a negative
response.
Positive Attitudes
• Being optimistic
• Feeling good about oneself
• Feeling good about others
• Feeling good about life
• Seeing the best in others
• Expecting good things to happen
• Seeing the bright side of all
situations
• Being enthusiastic
• Being creative and open
• Anticipating successful encounters
• Each customer is an exciting
challenge
Negative Attitudes
• I am bored
• I do not have time
• It won’t work
• I cannot get organized
• I’m too busy
• I don’t know what to say
• I am nervous
• I cannot do it
• I don’t stand a chance
• I don’t have energy
• Nobody likes me
• I am not good enough
• Others are better than me
• I cannot win
• It’s not my day
• I’m scared of customers
Obviously, positive attitudes have a
greater range of benefits.

Benefits of Positive Attitudes

• Creates enthusiasm
• Enhances creativity
• Magnifies positivity
• People like you
• Boss likes to work with you
• You become helpful
• Makes others positive
• Wins cooperation
• You become popular
MY SERVICE
A service is the total experience that a
customer gets through people, when
satisfying a need. Service touches all the
senses of a discerning customer. Here
are the different components of service:
Sense of sight. Customers like to see a
well-groomed person. The way the front
desk is kept neat and orderly creates the
service experience just as the decor of
the lobby and the artifacts that adorn it.
Sense of smell.
A guest is influenced by how fresh
a lobby smells. It gives him or her
confidence of the hygiene
standards of the establishment.
The aroma of food in the dining
industry is well known. Appetizing
smells trigger hunger and want. The
chef builds this into the total food
preparation and presentation.
We have known coffee shops to
crush coffee beans to give that
fresh coffee aroma to the
passers-by to attract them to the
restaurant. Similarly, a guest
evaluates you on how you smell.
A light perfume or cologne
conjures up images of hygiene
and freshness.
Sense of hearing. There are things that
should not be heard by the customer
and things that should. A customer
does not want to hear front desk staff
fighting among themselves, back office
discussion, rude language, slang,
technical jargon, etc. What they like to
hear is the courtesy shown by the
front office agents, the use of their
name, suggestions in case of doubt,
low tone and words of etiquette like
“Thank you”, “Please”, “May I help you”,
Sense of taste. Taste defines the
customer’s ultimate experience.
Chefs have gone to extents to
provide the experience with
innovative use of spices, cooking
method and beverages. It is common
to find wine enhancing the flavours
of sauces and extracts of herbs to
marinate meats. The taste of meat
cooked in earthen ovens is different
from those cooked on charcoal spits.
Tastes are the distinctive signature to a
cuisine offered by an establishment. The
chef’s skill provides the experience. Taste
can be interpreted in another way as far
as front desk staff is concerned- the
taste of quality service! The investor has
already built in taste in the aesthetics
shown in the interior design and decor.
Guest immediately recognizes the quality
of the property by the appointments,
furnishings, carpeting, etc., used in the
physical product.
Sense of touch. The temperature
levels in the lobby and in the guest
room, the softness of the bed and
bathroom linen, the fluffiness of
the pillow are some examples that
create the touch experience. Front
Office staff can enhance the sense
of touch by providing clean
registration cards, clean room keys,
baggage tags etc.
UNDERSTANDING CUSTOMER
NEEDS AND WANTS
We must first understand the
difference between needs and
wants. Needs are essential to
human well-being. These could
include those that are essential to
human survival such as food, water,
clothing and shelter at the basic
level, to those that are essential for
social survival.
Wants are the cultural
manifestation of those needs. An
American needs food just as an
Indian. While an American may
interpret this need by wanting
hamburgers and fries, an Indian
will demand rice and curry. An
American interprets clothing in
terms of a demand for jeans while
the Indian the sari.
Abraham Maslow, a social
scientist, brought the concept of
needs most dramatically by
proclaiming that:
1. All humans have needs.
2. These needs can be collated into
five broad categories.
3. The categories have an
ascending hierarchical order.
4. That one must be satisfied to move
to the other. (Later scientists proved
that all needs can co-exist together in
varying levels of importance to every
individual).
This has been very clearly illustrated
through the famous Maslow’s Need
Hierarchy as shown below:
The needs start from the bottom and
we shall examine how they reflect in
providing the perfect guest
experience.
Physiological Needs. These are the
basic needs for survival such as
food, shelter, water, clothing, air
and sex (for procreation of human
species). The hotel and restaurant
industry recognises basic needs and
meets the need for food through by
offering a spread of cuisines and
shelter by providing a “home away
from home” through its choice of
rooms.
Restaurants provide guests with
food, potable water and proper air
circulation. To the employees the
industry provides, free duty meals,
uniforms, house rent allowance or
staff accommodation and proper
working conditions. The kitchens
and laundry which are very humid
and hot especially in hot climates
are provided with proper exhausts
and fresh air supply.
Security Need. the security need is
both physical and emotional. The
guests want to be sure that the
property they are visiting is
physically safe from anything that
may endanger the body. They want
to make sure that their rooms are
safe to sleep in.
Hotels provide locks, fire warning
systems, sprinkles, fire fighting
equipment, latch chains, peep-
holes etc. to satisfy this need o1f
physical safety. Guests want to be
warned of the wet floors and the
name of callers before responding
to telephone. The same true of
staff to announce themselves
when they knock on a door or ring
the door bell.
Guests need for emotional security
comes in many ways. First is the
need to be welcomed and
recognized in an establishment.
Guests want to make sure that
there are people who will serve
them and welcome them with
warmth and sincerity. Staff must
be hygienically clean and free from
diseases. This they notice by the
way staff groom themselves.
Guests want to make sure that the
raw materials used in food
preparation are fresh and that the
cooking utensils are clean and
sanitized. They also value their privacy
as also being treated with courtesy
and respect. The hospitality industry
is concerned about this aspect for its
employees too. They provide safe
working conditions and give safety
training, especially in the use of
equipment and carrying heavy loads.
Emotional security is provided to the
employees through orientation
programs so that they feel secure
quickly in the organization. Providing
job descriptions and training helps the
employee realize what is expected of
them and hope that they can perform
to the best of standards. Grievance
procedures, suggestion systems,
performance evaluation are all
organizational processes meant to give
employees emotional security.
Belonging. Human beings are social
animals. They prosper and grow when
interacting with others. Hotels and
restaurants are great social spots to
meet this need. The popularity of
pubs and taverns called ‘locals’ since
the early days in Europe till today
was to serve this precise purpose.
Local people met at these pubs to
learn about new developments in
their community and the world.
This has continued to date where people
can meet for business or pleasure.
Business entertainment has become part
of the relationship building between
business stakeholders. The hotels and
restaurants have responded well.
Employees are empowered with this need
for belonging by giving them identity cards
to identify them with the organization.
Establishments provide social clubs where
employees can meet for sport or social
meetings.
Status and Self Esteem. While
status is the way others perceive
us, self-esteem is the way we
perceive ourselves. Hotels and
restaurants provide the perfect
platform to satisfy varying status
needs. This shows from the rating
system from one to five-star. Each
is distinguished by the pricing, level
of service and food offer based on
the customers need and want
Self Actualization. This is a state
when human beings reach their
potential and are able to control
and contribute to the
environment. The hotel industry
has recognized this and has come
with innovative methods to meet
this need. Some restaurants permit
guests to choose their raw
materials and method of cooking.
In this case, the customer is in
total control of the selection and
preparation process. Hotels and
restaurants also involve guests to
help the establishments to respond
to their needs. They invite guests
to give their impressions of the
total experience by filling guest
comment forms. Guests now feel
that they can contribute to the
establishment’s prosperity.
SELF CHECK 5.5-1
Multiple Choices: Choose the best answer from among
the four choices and write your answer in the space
provided for.
______1. It is a cycle of events that starts with the
front office agent acting as the host with her
attitudes making sure that mindset and whether they
meet the guest’s expectations, needs and perceptions
resulting in a response.
a. guest experience
b. guest arrival
c. guest departure
d. guest stay
_____2. It is the way we perceive ourselves. a. status
b. self-esteem
c. self actualization
d. belonging
_____3. The hotel and restaurant industry recognizes basic
needs and meets the need for food through by offering a
spread of cuisines and shelter by providing a ______________
through its choice of rooms. a. good service
b. needed training
c. home away from home
d. food service
_____4. The temperature levels in the lobby and in the guest
room, the softness of the bed and bathroom linen, the
fluffiness of the pillow are some examples that create the
a. unforgettable experience
b. warm experience
c. cold experience
d. touch experience
_____5. IT is the total experience that a customer gets
through people, when satisfying a need. a. service
b. customer service
c. public service
ANSWER KEY 5.5-1
1. A
2. B
3. C
4. D
5. A
Title: Handling Customer
Complaint

Objective: Given the necessary

cleaning materials, you should be
able to handle telephone calls.

Steps/Procedure:
1. Let the customer air his/her
complaint.
2. Don’t let negative feelings
cloud your judgment towards the
customer.
3. Empathize with the customer.
4. Work actively to come up with
a solution.
5. Agree in the solution.
6. Make sure that what you
promised to do gets done.
ANSWER KEY: