Hospitality English is not about knowing perfect grammar or every tense and participle; it’s about knowing the appropriate tones, the correct phrases, and having the confidence to use both under pressure. Guests can be very forgiving of a lack of English vocabulary or a heavy accent if they feel taken care of, so it’s important that your strengths make up for your weaknesses. In Welcome Session 1, we discuss tone and how it can affect the guest’s perceptions: it can make them feel unheard, that you don’t care about them, or that their problem is trivial and not a priority to you, leading to further issues. We also discuss certain phrases that are technically correct and sound perfectly fine in day-to-day conversation but can sound rude or aggressive in a hospitality setting. These small changes are arguably more important to improving your hospitality English than simply memorizing grammar or flashcards.
Tone can be the difference between getting a tip and getting a bad review. The exact same thing, said differently, can leave completely different impressions on a guest, both good and bad. This is why it is so important to understand tone and how it affects the meaning of a phrase or a conversation. By taking on a light, happy tone, even bad news can be received well whereas having a flat, disinterested tone can leave a guest to start noticing other problems during their stay, even if they are otherwise happy.
Phrases such as “wait here” or “hold on a sec”, while not necessarily rude when used in conversation, can be seen that way in a hospitality setting. Guests can feel like they are just being commanded around or that their time is not important. Instead, it’s important to use alternative phrases such as “Please take a seat while I check for you” or “Please allow me one moment and I will be happy to assist you.” While they accomplish the same goals, they convey two different feelings to the guest: instead of being ordered to do something and that their time doesn’t matter, they feel like their comfort is a priority and that they will be taken care of shortly. It is important that the guest feels acknowledged and that their time is appreciated, not taken for granted.
Join us in Welcome Session 1 to learn more about tone, polite phrasing, and everyday terms that you should not be using in hospitality!
