PARTICIPANT'S MANUAL
Working Together For The Future Of Philippine Tourism
Rizal Park, Manila -Tel. No.: 525-7082 • Fax: 521-2968 • E-mail: DOTEBP@MNL•SEQUEL•NET
Table of Contents
Page
3 Mabuhay Host Seminar Objectives
Section I MAKING PEOPLE FEEL WELCOME
7 Tips for Using and Remembering Names
8 Making Conversation
Section II YOUR ATTITUDE IS KEY
11 Why do Firms Lose Customers?
12 First Impressions
13 Tips to Make Your First Impression a Positive One
Section III COMMUNICATION
17 The Communication Process
18 Tips for Improving Communication
Section IV LISTENING
21 Tips to Effective Listening
22 Active Listening
23 Active Listening Example
Section V HANDLING CUSTOMER CONCERNS
29 I'm The Nice Customer... Who Never Comes Back
30 Types of Complainants
31 A Framework for Handling Concerns
32 Be Proud If ...
Section VI THE VALUE OF TOURISM
35 The Value of Tourism
36 The Nine Components of the Tourism Industry
37 Tourism Services
38 Knowing Your Local Area
40 Giving Clear Directions
41 Visitors
Section VII NOW IT'S UP TO YOU
45 Tourism Industry Board Foundation, Inc. (TIBFI)
47 Regional Tourism Associations
48 Check Your Level of Hospitality
51 The Importance of Customer Service
MABUHAY HOST
SEMINAR OBJECTIVES
Mabuhay Host has been designed to develop and sustain a tourism workforce capable of providing internationally competitive standards of service to visitors travelling to and within the Philippines.
By the end of this seminar, you will be able to:
1. Demonstrate an understanding of the importance of good customer service skills.
2. Describe the communication process, barriers to communication and listening skills as effective communication tools.
3. Use effective techniques to handle customer concerns.
4. Recognize the nine sectors of the tourism industry and describe the value of tourism to your community, province, and country.
5. Identify tourism attractions, events and services in your community.
Our attitude toward our visitors - whether they are from around the world, across the province or across the street - is a key element of service which forms a lasting memory of their visit.
Courtesy, friendliness and professionalism are essential ingredients of successful tourism industry operations. Mabuhay Host encourages us to take pride in ourselves, in what we do and in where we live.
Welcome to Mabuhay Host
SECTION I
MAKING PEOPLE
FEEL WELCOME
TIPS FOR USING AND
REMEMBERING NAMES
TECHNIQUES
1. Clear your mind so that you can listen to the name and hear it properly.
2. Ask for the spelling and check the pronounciation.
3. Repeat the name in conversation.
4. Use the name when saying good-bye.
5. Write the name down for future reference.
ADDITIONAL TRICKS
______
1. To help you grasp an unfamiliar name, SPELL the name.
Example:
______
2. ASSOCIATE the name with something connected to the person.
Example:
______
3. Some names will have no meaning for you and form no pictures, therefore, you may have to BREAK the name apart.
Example:
______
MAKING CONVERSATION
Knowing how to start a conversation is vital in the tourism industry. A conversation can help a visitor feel welcome and more comfortable in an unfamiliar environment. Also, it may help YOU, as a service professional, gain the information you need to make a sale, solve a problem, or serve the visitor's needs.
SOME SUGGESTIONS FOR
INITIATING A CONVERSATION
1. Use a question or statement to spark interest.
Example:
______
2. Ask an open question about something pertinent to the surroundings or the situation. Ask questions to which the other person will know the answer.
Example:
______
3. Find out about the person's work or interests.
Example:
______
4. Find out if the person is not from your area.
Example:
______
SECTION II
YOUR ATTITUDE
IS KEY!
WHY DO FIRMS
LOSE CUSTOMERS?
Surveys of many kinds of businesses indicate that firms lose customers for various reasons. Choose which one you feel is the main reason why firms lose customers.
q % of customers die.
q % of customers move away.
q % of customers float from one firm to another.
q % of customers change firms because the people giving service are indifferent and show little interest in them or their needs.
q % of customers change firms on recommendation of their friends.
q % of customers change firms because they believe they can buy more cheaply elsewhere.
q % of customers buy according to their whims.
There are four virtues of leading importance to people wishing to work successfully in the tourism industry. They are:
1. COURTESY
2. SINCERITY
3. CONSISTENCY
4. FRIENDLINESS
FIRST
IMPRESSIONS
First impressions are based upon:
______
FIRST IMPRESSION EXERCISE
1. Impression:
______
2. Impression:
______
3. Impression:
______
First impressions are influenced by:
______
It is very important not to make assumptions about our visitors by forming first impressions based on our own values, biases and past experiences. All visitors and customers should be treated with courtesy and respect.
TIPS TO MAKE YOUR FIRST
IMPRESSION A POSITIVE ONE
To the visitor, YOU are the business you work for, and perhaps the only contact the visitor may have with your community.
When you work in the service industry, you are constantly in the public eye. The visitor’s perception of you and your business is based upon the impression you create.
From the first impressions made through personal and telephone contact, visitors will come to a conclusion about what kind of person is serving them, what they may expect in the way of service and whether or not you intend to pay attention to their needs.
1. Make sure that you are appropriately groomed everyday, and check your appearance frequently.
2. Always greet guests as soon as they enter. If you are busy or on the telephone, give a smile and a nod to indicate that you know they are there.
3. Keep your work space, front entrance and public areas clean and tidy
4. Carry yourself with pride and confidence.
5. Never make assumptions. Greet ALL your guests courteously
6. Treat your co-workers politely.
7. Smile, but smile sincerely.
8. Be aware of your posture, poise and facial expressions.
SECTION III
COMMUNICATION
THE COMMUNICATION PROCESS
¨ Communication starts with an idea in the sender's mind.
¨ The sender translates the idea into words and this becomes the message.
¨ The receiver translates the message back into an idea.
When the receiver's idea is the same as the sender's idea, effective communication has taken place.
Verbal Communication: ______%
______
Vocal Communication: ______%
______
Non-verbal Communication: ______%
______
TIPS FOR IMPROVING
COMMUNICATION
1. Ask questions to determine knowledge level.
______
2. Listen to vocal clues.
______
3. Watch for non-verbal clues.
______
4. Use simple words.
______
5. Ask questions if you don't understand something, or feel you may have missed the point.
______
6. Use pictures or diagrams whenever appropriate.
______
7. Use gestures to assist you.
______
Telephone Conversation Sample
Jay : So let me repeat it, ma'am. You will be an hour late. Mr. Klein can go ahead to the convention and you'll just meet him there. Did I get it right?
Mrs. Klein : Yes, That's right. And please' inform him that we're sitting in front.
Jay : I will, ma'am. Is there anything else?
Mrs. Klein : That's all. Thank you.
Jay : You're welcome.
EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS
AMONG FRONTLINERS
SAFETY DRILLS
¨ Fire ¨ Earthquake
¨ Typhoon ¨ Vehicular Accidents
¨ Flood ¨ Hygiene
SAFETY TIPS
Knowledge on:
¨ First Aid
¨ CPR
¨ Personal Hygiene
SECTION IV
LISTENING
TIPS TO EFFECTIVE
LISTENING
1. Use attentive body language.
1.1 Maintain eye contact and avoid visual distraction.
1.2 Be aware of what YOUR body language is communicating about how interested and willing you are to listen.
1.3 Observe the speaker's non-verbal clues.
1.4 Listen with more than your ears.
2. Learn to use your thinking time constructively.
2.1 Keep your mind from wandering by asking yourself questions about what the speaker is telling you.
2.2 Make mental notes that are relative to the discussion topic.
3. Become an observer - control your mouth.
3.1 lt is impossible to speak and step at the same time.
4. Listen with an open mind and avoid prejudice.
4.1 Avoid the tendency to resist ideas that are of no personal interest to you.
4.2 Guard against the tendency to blank out or skip over ideas which you would rather not hear.
5. Don't jump to conclusions.
5.1 Listen all the way through to ensure a complete and accurate understanding of what is being said.
6. Let the speaker know that you hear and understand.
6.1 Give encouraging responses.
6.2 Paraphrase the speaker's message to share your understanding of what is being said.
6.3 Reflect the feelings of the speaker, not just the words.
ACTIVE LISTENING
In some situations, basic listening skills are not sufficient. When someone is angry, upset or sad, you need to deal with the emotion before you can begin to solve the problem. This is accomplished through an additional set of listening skills called Active Listening.
ACTIVE LISTENING basically means putting yourself in the other person's shoes.
STEPS TO ACTIVE LISTENING
Step 1 Remain Calm: When faced with an upset or angry customer, keep your own emotions in check. Do not become defensive. Instead, be prepared to listen.
Step 2 Give Encouraging Responses: Let the speaker know you want to help solve the problem. This can be done both verbally and non-verbally.
ACTIVE LISTENING SKILLS
1. Mirror Feelings: Let the speaker know you understand how he or she feels about the situation (mirroring).
2. Clarify Facts: Let the speaker know you understand the situation by reflecting back the content (paraphrasing).
3. Summarize: Sum up what you understand the speaker to have said and felt in total about the situation so that you can proceed to the next step
ACTIVE LISTENING EXAMPLE
A visibly irritated traveller re-enters the Arrival Lobby of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport and approaches the Tourist Information Desk.
INFO OFFICER:
“How can I help you, sir?”
TRAVELLER:
“Just tried to board a Metered Taxi but the driver said he is going to charge me P500 to reach my destination!”
INFO OFFICER:
“I am sorry to hear that. You must feel so frustrated and tired."
TRAVELLER:
“You bet I am! I am a frequent traveler here in the Philippines and taxi drivers always try to overcharge me. I have a business appointment at the hotel and by now they've probably left, thinking that I missed my flight.”
INFO OFFICER:
“Is there somebody else who knows of your arrival?"
TRAVELLER:
“Except for the hotel, nobody else knows of my arrival. I just hope the hotel has not cancelled my booking because I know that they are fully booked! "
INFO OFFICER:
______
The officer summarizes the situation, reflects the feelings and then clarifies the content before proceeding.
TOURISM / BUSINESS
RELATED EXAMPLE
How I remained calm:
______
My encouraging responses were:
______
How I mirrored feelings:
______
How I clarified facts:
______
MABUHAY HOST SEMINAR
REVIEW EXERCISE
Please complete this exercise. Each question is worth 5 points, totalling 50% of your overall mark.
Name: ______Mark: ______
1. When you use a customer's name:
a) they always feel you are being “pushy"
b) it is rude
c) you lose business
d) you establish a bond
2. The main reason that firms lose customers is:
a) customers die
b) customers are dissatisfied with the service
c) friends recommend other firms
d) customers float from one firm to another
3. The top visitor market to the Philippines are visitors from:
a) Western Europe
b) East Asia
c) North America
d) Northern Europe
4. What forms the most lasting impression on a visitor's stay?
a) the scenery
b) the accommodation
c) courtesy and helpfulness
d) shopping
5. In communication, which part of the message is most powerful?
a) Vocal
b) non-verbal
c) tone of voice
d) verbal
6. Which of the following improves communication?
a) using complicated language
b) making assumptions about your listener's knowledge level
c) choosing the wrong time
d) watching for non-verbal clues Northern Europe
MABUHAY HOST SEMINAR
REVIEW EXERCISE
7. Effective listening is best described as:
a) a concentrated skill requiring practice
b) the process by which sounds are transmitted to the brain
c) a skill that we are born with
d) a chance to think about your next question
8. To solve a problem with a customer who is upset, you must first:
a) tell them to cool off
b) find a solution
c) deal with their emotions
d) refer them to another department
9. When you handle complaints effectively:
a) your customer feels satisfied
b) you feel good about yourself
c) both a) and b)
d) you give in to the customer
10. The primary reason to use tourism publications is:
a) give accurate information
b) show people pictures
c) decorate the walls of your
d) establishment
e) show you support -tourism
SECTION V
HANDLING
CUSTOMER
CONCERNS
I'M THE NICE CUSTOMER...
WHO NEVER COMES BACK
Government of British Columbia, Canada, 1997. Produced under license by American Express International, Inc. Do not reproduce in any form without the prior written permission of American Express International, Inc.