"Small things mean a lot and cost nothing."
I arrived in front of the bank early. It was still closed, so I looked around for a place to sit. Near the bank there was a hotel. I looked, they had a big reception and a small coffee bar. I went to the hotel and sat in the hotel lounge. There were few people around. My plan was to sit for a few minutes and order something to drink. 5 minutes went by and no one came from the coffee bar. I got up and walked to the receptionist and greeted him, he greeted me back. This how the conversation went:
Me: Good morning
receptionist Good morning
Me: Could you please tell me what are the prices for the rooms here?
Receptionist: First before I answer you about the prices you have to pay for the time you spend sitting down without asking for permission.
Me: I am sorry, but I wasn't served coffee or tea. and I am sure you do not charge people for sitting in the hotel lounge. I saw a coffee bar, so I waited,but no one came.
Receptionist: We only serve our hotel residents.
Me: Thank you. You made that clear.
The receptionist gave me the prices and I thanked him and walked away.That was the end of the conversation and of the story.
I left the hotel I did not look back. But, later in the day, I thought of what happened. This is a hotel and the receptionist working there has to be hospitable and has to speak the language of hospitality. I was surprised by his remarks, and I thought it was unprofessional and I did not want to start an argument. I think this a lesson we all need to think about when learning or teaching hotel and tourism. Small things mean a lot and cost nothing.
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Read more on the language of Hospitality:
Train Your Hotel Team To Use The Language Of Hospitality: Part One | By Doug Kennedy
Train your Team TO use the language of Hospitality: Part Two
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