Course 2009-10. Communication and Customer service for Hospitality. 1st Term. Presntation, practices and answers.

1. COMMUNICATION “ Communication is one of the most persuasive, important, and complex aspects of human life.” (Littlejohn, 2002, p.3)

2. COMMUNICATION OR ONLY INFORMATION?

13. 1. 8 ELEMENTS OF COMMUNICATION 1.SENDER : the person who transmits a message, the subject of the communication 2. RECEIVER : the person who receives the message. 3.MESSAGE : the content of the transmission. Some times it can be distorted for multiple reasons; that is why we have to try to transmit messages in a positive way even though their content is negative. Ex1. Positive way: “we will find a solution to your problem.” Negative way: “Your problem has no solution.” Ex2. Positive way: “you won’t loose anything trying to do it.” Negative way: “anything you do will be useless.”

14. 4. MEDIUM or CHANNEL :this is the instrument we use to establish communication. i.e. radio, tv, internet, etc. 5. NOISE, OBSTACLES, BARRIERS : something or someone that makes communication unsuccessful or impossible. I.e interferences when talking on the phone, someone interrupting a conversation between two people, or when one of the two people involved in the communication is thinking of something other than what the second person is saying. 6. CODE : the group of symbols used to transmit a message. It is important to choose the correct code in order to have a good communication according to the receiver. The language is a code, if our client speaks English we must choose the English language as a code in order to achieve a good communication.

15. 7. ENCODING AND DECODING : (Stuart Hall) This is the process by which a message is understood. 8.FEEDBACK : This is the response of the receiver

16. Here the elements of communication are a) Source: A’s brain b) Sender: the transmitting device that A uses to communicate with B (e.g. mouth, hands, eyes, gestures etc.) c) Message: the idea or thought conveyed by conversation, expression etc. d) Channel: the medium through which the message travels (e.g. air, sound waves, light waves etc.) e) Receiver: The receiving device used by B to receive the message (e.g. B’s eye, ear etc.) f) Destination: B’s brain g) Feedback: the response from B h) Noise source: the words or actions of person ‘C’ that interrupts the communication between person ‘A’ and person ‘B’ Model of communication According to Claude Shannon (1916- ), the basic elements of any general communication system includes the following: a) Source b) Sender c) Message d) Channel e) Receiver f) Destination and g) Noise source An Illustration: Let us consider that person ‘A’ and person ‘B’ are communicating with each other. Person ‘C’ interrupts the communication between A and B (illustrated in figure 1)

17. COMMUNICATION FOR CUSTOMER SERVICE . INTERACTIVE COMMUNICATION: in customer service there are 2 main functions of communication: 1. DIRECT INFORMATION SERVICE. In this situation informants (senders) need the client to be communicative and capable of expressing his/her needs clearly. You can use different mediums, from words to written documents or Internet. 2. COMPLAINTS AND ENQUIRIES SERVICE In these situations it is important to establish a verbal communication and that the data and documents of the case are registered in written language . Someone who wants to work in a hotel has to take into account that establishing a clear, fluent and appropriate communication is fundamental to obtain good results. Establishing the right channels in the customer service department is one of the most important tasks of the service.

19. 1. A uditory communication. Messages are perceived through the sense of hearing. Words, music, sounds and noises take part in this type of communication. In the hospitality sector we can establish auditory communication through different media according to activity and objectives: Direct conversation or face to face communication Phone conversation Radio broadcasting, etc.

20. 2. Visual communication. Messages are perceived through sight. Sign, gestures and images are very important when communicating. There are different media: Letters Contracts. Labels Slides, etc . Complaint forms Invoices Leaflets

21. 3. Tactile communication Messages are perceived through the sense of touch. Affection is conveyed through tactile sensations. Shaking hands or tapping someone’s shoulder can have positive or negative effects, so it is necessary to be very respectful in this matter and know cultural conventions. There are different mediums: Braille Touching someone, etc. Greetings at meetings and negotiations

22. 4. Multichannel communication Messages are perceived through different senses at a time. There are different media through which this is possible: Tv Video Computer

23. CHANNELS OR MEDIUMS OF COMMUNICATION

24. 3. TYPES OF COMMUNICATION according to the people involved Human communication is the field dedicated to understanding how people communicate. It may be broadly classified as, a ) Intrapersonal Communication : people communicating among themselves (e.g. daydreaming, reading aloud) b) Interpersonal Communication : people communicating with others. c) Group Dynamics : communication within groups d) Organizational Communication : Communication within an organization e) Cross cultural communication : Communication across cultures

26. According to Dr. Steele, the precondition for lies in effective communication. The 7 preconditions for success : (Dr. Steele, 2006) 1. Pay Attention : Always pay attention when someone communicates. 2. Mutual Needs : All Communication is based on mutual needs. 3. Circular communication – All communication is circular in nature.( e.g. Giving feedback based on actions or deeds) 4. Communication is language based : For example, in the field of technology we may have a problem where the managers do not understand technical jargon. 5. Purpose : It is necessary to know the purpose of communication in a conversation. Knowing the purpose provides a better focus. 6. One needs to be cooperative but not competitive 7. Human communication is an art and not a science. success

37. Here the elements of communication are a) Source: A’s brain b) Sender: the transmitting device that A uses to communicate with B (e.g. mouth, hands, eyes, gestures etc.) c) Message: the idea or thought conveyed by conversation, expression etc. d) Channel: the medium through which the message travels (e.g. air, sound waves, light waves etc.) e) Receiver: The receiving device used by B to receive the message (e.g. B’s eye, ear etc.) f) Destination: B’s brain g) Feedback: the response from B h) Noise source: the words or actions of person ‘C’ that interrupts the communication between person ‘A’ and person ‘B’ PACTICE 1: elements of communication

40. PRACTICE 4 What does the picture refer to? What type of communication is it?

43. First Sample Paragraph I was most concerned to receive your letter dated _____________ regarding__________ Main Body Sample Paragraph Respond to each issue raised in this part of your letter... Apologise when appropriate... I appreciate how frustrating… Show empathy - Emphasise what you have done or can do... The company aims to consistently deliver a professional service to our customers and I would like to state that on this occasion the level of service you received was unacceptable. Closing Sample Paragraphs Create the correct lasting impression – the last thing you say, will be the first thing the customer remembers Thank you for bringing this matter to my attention and I sincerely hope that that you will have no further cause for any complaint in relation to our service. I apologize for the annoyance/inconvenience that this may have caused to you. The company is actively working to improve service levels and your feedback has proved to be invaluable. Letter Heading / Company logo Address Details Tel. Details Fax Details Email Address Reference Number: Date Customer Address Details Dear xxxx, Re: First Paragraph Second and Subsequent Paragraphs Closing Paragraph Yours sincerely, John Brown Apology: sample letter

46. PRACTICE 4 SOLUTIONS What does the picture refer to? What type of communication is it? Intercultural communication Interpersonal com Complaint form VISUAL COM Braile editing TACTILE COM Face to face com Auditory com/visual Labtop MULTICHANNEL COM Label VISUAL COM Tapping someone’s shoulder TACTILE COM Leaflet VISUAL COM Telephone conversation AUDITORY COM Intrapersonal com Invoice VISUAL COM