Lobby View

Effective communication is the crux

P S Sundar

As China gets ready to host the Olympics this August, emphasis is being laid by the hospitality industry to develop communication skills of employees who will have to cater to international guests likely to sport extreme emotions covering happiness, sorrow, anger, frustration, indifference, let-down, cheating and surprise arising from victory, defeat, disappointment and jealousy associated with the world's biggest game extravaganza.

A 'plastic smile' alone cannot win over such emotional challenges associated with aggressive sportspersons and supporters. Hospitality employees are taught to wear a smile on their faces which, in any case, is a winning start, but not the solution for all challenges. Winning over emotional guests calls for quality service with smile as well as effective communication.

Language mastery is compulsory for this. The only consolation is that international guests speak different languages and hence don't expect hospitality staff to converse with them in their own mother tongue, even when they are weak in the universal language of English. But that does not absolve the hospitality employees from using English for polite and firm communication with such guests. That's why the Chinese hospitality industry is training its staff to be effective in English communication. Korea also did it when it hosted the Olympics and the football World Cup. I request Indians fluent in English to teach them English communication tactics.

But the hard reality is that even in India, I have come across ineffective communication by hospitality executives and staff. While grammar, accent and spelling mistakes can lower the impression about the staff, communication can still be effective if it achieves the intended purpose.

On the contrary, correct communication can still be ineffective if it fails in its mission. Consider for instance a communication I received from an executive of a hotel chain: 'We have received the best hotel award among our group. If you want to publish this, please phone me!' There is no grammatical error, but certainly, it was ineffective communication because, what he meant was that he would be happy to have me publish this news for which he would give all necessary information when I phone him. He is an ever-smiling co-operative forward-looking executive who unfortunately proved his ineffectiveness in communication.

Even contract employees can make a sea of difference with their effective communication skills despite their poor language. I can cite my experience at Taj Ganges, Varanasi where its GM Pradeep Bajpai suggested that I take a ride on the original royal horse carriage used by the erstwhile maharaja of Nadesar Palace, which Taj took over in 1981. Nazeem Mohammed, the soft-spoken buggy carriage driver, welcomed me with a smile, ensured my safe ascent on the buggy and took me on a memorable ride along the 40 acre property. He kept explaining in English that he knew the many facets of the former palace as well as the temple city of Varanasi. He also disclosed that his grandfather Gaffoor Mohammed was the carriage keeper of the king. Nazeem was proud to be driving the royal buggy, explaining how he took care of the horse, Munna, every day. He even kept talking to Munna to turn left, right or stand still when I was taking photographs. This was effective communication - to endear the guest. It speaks highly of Bajpai's effectiveness in making even his buggy driver an effective communicator.