Mogule For Orking With Colleagues and Customers

Work with colleagues and customers
ADMASS UNIVERSITY, ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA Page 1

Unit Descriptor
TVET PROGRAM TITLE: Hotel Operation Level I
MODULE TITLE: Work with Colleagues and Customers
MODULE CODE: CST HOP1M 07 1012
NOMINAL DURATION: ----25-----Hours
MODULE DESCRIPTION: This module describes the performance outcomes,

interpersonal, communication and customer service skills and knowledge required to work
in the service industries. This is a core unit underpinning all other units involving interaction
with colleagues and customers.
Key required skills and knowledge for this role include meeting personal presentation
standards, establishing rapport with customers, determining and addressing customer
needs and expectations, dealing with complaints, working in teams and using appropriate
communication techniques and mediums and to be culturally aware when serving
customers and working with colleagues from diverse backgrounds. It requires the ability to
communicate with people of different social and cultural backgrounds with respect and
sensitivity and address cross-cultural misunderstandings
Application of the Unit

Application of the unit This unit applies across the service industries to all job roles and
levels and in particular to the full range of tourism and
hospitality industry sectors and environments. It applies to those
who deal directly with customers as well as back-of-house staff
or those working in reception areas; in an office; and on tour or
on site, such as food and beverage attendants, housekeeping
attendants, porters and concierge staff, guides, front office
personnel, tour coordinators, event coordinators and retail travel
consultants.
Pre-Requisites
Prerequisite units Nil
Employability Skills Information

Employability skills The required outcomes described in this unit of competency
contain applicable facets of employability skills. The
Employability Skills Summary of the qualification in which this
unit is packaged will assist in identifying employability skills
requirements.
Elements and Performance Criteria Pre-Content

Elements describe the Performance criteria describe the required performance needed
essential outcomes of a unit to demonstrate achievement of the element. Where bold
of competency. italicised text is used, further information is detailed in the
required skills and knowledge and/or the range statement.
Assessment of performance is to be consistent with the evidence
guide.
Elements and Performance Criteria
ELEMENT PERFORMANCE CRITERIA
1 Communicate with 1.1 Conduct communication with customers and colleagues

customers. in a polite, professional and friendly manner.
1.2 Use language and tone appropriate to a given situation in
both written and spoken communication.
1.3 Source relevant information about products and services
and provide information clearly to customers.
1.4 Use appropriate non-verbal communication in all
situations.
1.5 Observe and take into consideration non-verbal

communication of colleagues and customers.
1.6 Show sensitivity to cultural and social differences.
1.7 Use active listening and questioning to facilitate effective
two-way communication.
1.8 Select an appropriate medium of communication for the
particular audience, purpose and situation, taking into
consideration the characteristics of each medium and
the relevant factors involved.
1.9 Use communication medium correctly and according to
standard protocols and organisation procedures.
2 Maintain personal standards.

presentation

2.1 Practise high standards of personal presentation
according to organisation requirements, work location,
impacts on different types of customers and specific
3 Provide service to requirements for particular work functions.
colleagues and
customers.
3.1 Identify colleague and customer needs and expectations
correctly, including customers with special needs, and
provide appropriate products, services or information.
3.2 Meet all reasonable colleague and customer needs and
requests within acceptable organisation timeframes.
3.3 Identify and take all opportunities to enhance service
4 Respond to conflicts quality.
and customer
complaints.
4.1 Identify potential and existing conflicts and seek solutions
in conjunction with parties involved.
4.2 Recognise customer dissatisfaction promptly and take
action to resolve the situation according to individual
level of responsibility and organisation procedures.
4.3 Respond to customer complaints positively, sensitively
and politely and in consultation with the customer.
4.4 Refer escalated complaints to the appropriate person
according to individual level of responsibility and
organisation policy and procedures.
4.5 Maintain a positive and cooperative manner at all time
5 Work in a team. 5.1 Demonstrate trust, support and respect towards team
members in day-to-day work activities.
5.2 Recognise and accommodate cultural differences within
the team.
5.3 Identify work-team goals jointly with colleagues and
relevant others.
5.4 Identify, prioritise and complete individual tasks within
designated timeframes.
5.5 Seek assistance from other team members, supervisors and
managers when required.
5.6 Offer assistance to colleagues when required to ensure
designated work goals are met.
5.7 Acknowledge and respond to feedback and information
from other team members.
5.8 Negotiate changes to individual responsibilities to
meet
reviewed work goals.
6: Communicate with customers and colleagues from diverse
6.1 Valuing customers and colleagues from different cultural groups

7: Address cross-cultural miss-understandings
7.1 Identifying issues that may cause conflict

7.2 Addressing difficulties with appropriate people and seek assistance
Making efforts to resolving misunderstandings
content
Welcome
Icons........................................................................................................................
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What you will learn.................................................................................................
.......
1 A communication skills
What is communication? ........................................................................................
.......
Types of communication ........................................................................................
.......
Barriers to communication.....................................................................................
.......
Non-verbal communication .....................................................................................
.....
Blocks to listening ..................................................................................................
.......
Active listening .......................................................................................................
......
Communicating at
work
Communicate in a professional way .....................................................................
...
Speak in clear language ........................................................................................
.....
Communicate with people from other cultures.....................................................
.
Check instructions ..................................................................................................
......

Ask questions..........................................................................................................
.......
Writing at work........................................................................................................
......
Answer the telephone.............................................................................................
....
Take messages .......................................................................................................
......
Section summary....................................................................................................
......
2 Providing customer service skills
What is good customer service? ............................................................................
...
Help customers with special needs .......................................................................
....
Provide information to customers ..........................................................................
....
Section summary....................................................................................................
......
3 Responding to conflicts and complaints

Conflict with a customer.........................................................................................
.....
Customer warning signs ........................................................................................
.......
Conflict between workmates..................................................................................
...
Steps to resolve a problem ....................................................................................
......
Section summary....................................................................................................
......
4 Personal presentation

Uniforms .................................................................................................................
.........
Posture ...................................................................................................................
.........
Section summary....................................................................................................
......
5 Working in a team
What is a team? .....................................................................................................
......
Meetings..................................................................................................................
.......
Make decisions and set priorities ..........................................................................
.....
Ask for assistance ..................................................................................................
.......
Giving and responding to feedback ......................................................................
..
Negotiate changes in your work ............................................................................
...
Section summary....................................................................................................
......
6: Communicate with customers and colleagues from diverse___________________________
Valuing customers and colleagues from different cultural groups ..

7: Address cross-cultural miss-understandings_______________________________________
Identifying issues that may cause conflict

Addressing difficulties with appropriate people and seek assistance
Making efforts to resolving misunderstandings.

1 A communication skills
What is communication?
Message
SPEAKER LISTENER
Feedback
Communication is a two-way process.

SPEAKER sends a message and listens for feedback.
LISTENER listens to the message and sends feedback.
FEEDBACK (something back to us, a response) from the LISTENER. Otherwise,
we cant be sure they understood what we meant.
Who are your customers and colleagues? They can be:

colleagues in the workplace
external customers such as suppliers and government agencie
s or training
providers
other industry sectors
local groups
We can have dealings with colleagues and customers in the workplace such a
n agency
or hotel, out in the field at and event or on tour and we can communicate in p
erson or
on the phone.
The communication process

The way you communicate with your customers will influence their level of sa
tisfaction

with the service you provide, whether they will use the services of your busin
ess again
and whether they will recommend you to their family and friends. Dont f
orget that
communication with your colleagues (those you work with) is just as important.
To be effective in the tourism, hospitality and events industry you must have
excellent
communication skills i.e. make sure that the message being sent and receive
d is via a
language which both the sender and receiver can understand and is su
pported by
appropriate body language. You must:
be clear and ensure that the message conveys the purpose and int
ent to the
receiver.
speak in a language appropriate to the receiver. This includes the
choice of
words, the tone of voice and the speed and volume of speech.
write in a language which is appropriate and avoid jargon and words w
hich may
be ambiguous. Be precise and ensure that the message is clear to the re
ader.
explain the features and benefits of products and services so that the
customer
can understand exactly what they are purchasing and that they will mat
ch their
needs/wants. You must also explain fully the terms and conditions of the
sale or
booking/registration to ensure that the customers have an understa
nding of
their liabilities.
Choosing how to communicate

After working out that there is some information or advice you need to commu
nicate to
a customer or a colleague, you need to think about the most appropriat
e form of
communication to use. You need to consider the options.
Should you communicate in person or would it be better to use the telephone

? Should
you communicate by email or send a formal letter?
Your choice will, of course, depend on what it is that you are communicati
ng and to
whom you are communicating. Other factors that will influence your m
ethod (or
channel) of communication include:

the type of communication method the sender or receiver has access t

o, e.g. if
your customer does not have email access then you will need to choose
another
way of communicating
the type of format you need to use, e.g. confirmations by letter may r
equire a
standard letterhead
the degree of formality necessary
deadlines that you may need to meet
the travel organisations procedures or policies.
P
L
What is effective communication?
E
The tourism, hospitality and events industry is about communicating the
right attitude,
with the appropriate social behaviour. Effective communication in
volves sharing
information, ideas and opinions; a dialogue between people. This is ofte
n called two-
way communication and occurs when the sender is able to obtain feedba
M
ck concerning
how the receiver is decoding the message sent.
S
Asking a few questions to confirm the receiver understands or askin
A
g them to do
something or to demonstrate their understanding would provide this feedb
ack.
The following diagram shows a simple model for effective communication.
Feedback
Message
Receiver
Sender
Feedback

The benefits of two-way communication are that it:
generates much less frustration than one-way communication

tends to be more accurate than one-way communication
will increase confidence in the receiver about their accuracy of
interpretation of
the information received
is more likely to promote willingness in the receiver to decide an
d act on the
basis of the information received
increases morale
may require more time initially, yet because of the increase in ac
curacy it will
save time and effort in the long term because mistakes do not need
to be
corrected

creates a positive relationship between sender and receiver, and re
duces
defensiveness and hostility which can adversely affect communication.
The importance of effective communication

In the tourism, hospitality and events industry effective communication is im
portant for
many reasons. . Effective communication should allow you to:
better understand the needs and expectations of your colleagues and c

ustomers
avoid potential mistakes or communication problems
develop more positive relationships with you customers and colleagues
.
Characteristics of effective communication

So, how do you know when you are communicating effectively or not?
There are a
number of factors that point to good communication skills, including:
an awareness of appropriate non-verbal communication

appropriate listening and questioning

an ability to identify potential conflict or any existing conflict

an awareness of cultural and social differences
an awareness of the types of special needs your customers or colle
agues may
have.
appropriate dress and appearance
Appropriateness is a key word. What is appropriate in one situation

may be very
inappropriate in another. What is appropriate will depend largely on the cont
ext you are
in, the people you are communicating with and the way you choose to comm
unicate.
Activity 1
Feedback
a) How do you show you have understood someone?
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
b) How do you show someone that you didnt understand their message?
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
Methods of communication
What are some different ways we communicate with other people at work?
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________

F or I? Communication
1. You tell the manager you are resigning from your job.
2. Your supervisor tells you what a great job you are doing.
3. You tell your supervisor that a personal problem means you cant come to
work tomorrow.
4. You tell your workmate that a personal problem means you cant come to
work tomorrow.
5. Your supervisor tells the team about a new procedure.
6. You tell your workmate that your daughter is getting married.
7. You tell your supervisor that your daughter is getting married so you need
two days off work.
8. Your manager tells you the date of your performance appraisal.
9. You tell your workmate how nervous you are at the thought of a performance
appraisal.
Types of communication
We communicate for different reasons and with different people. Some kinds of
communication are more formal than others.
Formal = public, serious, official, may need a record to refer to later
Informal = personal, private, casual
Activity 3
Formal or informal?
Look at each communication. Is it formal or informal? Write F or I in the box.

F =Formal
Who? Topics Suitable methods
I = Informal
Workmates
Supervisor/manager
Customers/guests
Staff from other hospitality

Businesses
Government departments
The union/industry association
Local community
Media
Other?
Activity 4
Communication in your workplace
1. Who do you communicate with in the workplace?

2. What kinds of things do you communicate with them about? Note some ideas in the
Topics column.
Type of Barrier Example
Many
1. differentbarriers
Physical things can
be a Background
barrier between the speaker and the listener.
noise
Feeling rushed or tired
3. Look at the methods of communication at work from Activity 2. Put these into the Methods column.
Deafness
2. Cultural, language Speaker and listener dont speak the same language
or social Speaker and listener come from different cultures or social
differences
groups so they understand words, situations or gestures
differently
3. Problems with the Speaker speaks too quickly

Message Speaker speaks with a strong accent
Speaker uses words that the listener doesnt know e.g. slan
g
or jargon
Speaker uses non-verbal communication that says
4. Personal feelings something different

The listener to their
is a type words (see
of person following
you dont like section)
and beliefs about The listener should know this or be able to do this
the other person
Barriers to communication
Look at the communication model again. The red zigzag lines are barriers that can block or
confuse messages.
Communication barriers can lead to frustration, confusion, customer dissatisfaction and
sometimes conflict or danger.
Activity 5
Barriers to communication
Look at these thoughts.

What kind of barrier is blocking the communication?
What feelings will the speaker and listener have?
pointing?
Why is he Thats so rude!

Why wont she
look at me?
Thats so rude!
Rich people they

think they own the
place!!
She never listens

to me properly
Those (a nationality),
they always act
superior.
Im exhausted
I just want to
go home.
Dont they speak

ANY English?
Doesnt he
speak ANY
Chinese?
Non-verbal communication
Non-verbal communication is all the ways we communicate without using words. Another
word for this is body language.
Some experts say that only 30% of the meaning in a message is carried in the words, and
70% of the meaning is sent by body language.
Listeners notice body language, often unconsciously (without realising it).
Activity 6
Non-verbal communication
Look at the two speakers below.

Which person do you think really means what they are saying? Why?
Speaker 1
Oh, thats really

interesting!
Speaker 2
Oh, thats really

interesting!
POSITIVE or O NEGATIVE or CLOSED BODY

PEN BODY LANGUAGE
LANGU
AGE
Mouth relaxed
Smiling
Making eye contact Facing the person
Arms and legs
relaxed
Leaning forward Mouth turned down
Frowning
No eye contact,
looking away
Arms crossed in front

of body
Hunched shoulders
More positive bo More negative body language

dy language Body turned away Monotonous tone of voice
Nodding Hands on hips Voice too soft or too lou
Varied tone of voi d
ce Jiggling a foot, tapping a finger, checking watch
Normal volume
All non-verbal communication communicates something to the listener.
Open body language says:
Im listening
Im happy
Im interested in what youre
Im confident and respectful
saying
I enjoy my job
Ill do my best to help you
Im a professional

Closed body language says:
Im not interested in what

Im unhappy youre saying
Im distracted Ive got better things to do
Youre bothering me Im blocking you out
Activity 7
How important is non-verbal communication?
Try these two activities.

1. Watch a television program where people are talking e.g. a soap opera. Turn the volume
down, and see how much you can follow of what's going on.
2. Sit on your hands. Now talk with people in a small group for 5 minutes without moving
your hands and arms.
Talk about your experiences with other learners.
Activity 8
Non-verbal communication from customers
You work in a restaurant and you are watching some customers.

Could you guess what they wanted or were feeling from their body language, before they
spoke to you?
YES / NO / SOMETIMES / NOT SURE
Think about these situations.

Show how you think these customers might show their feelings in their body language.
1. A customer has been talking but now he is ready to order.
2. A customer is not happy with her meal.
3. A customer wants to order another drink.
Blocks to listening
Listening is just as important as speaking. If the receiver doesnt listen properly,
communication isnt effective (doesnt work properly).
There are many different ways of not listening properly. Everyone does it, but we can learn
to do it less by noticing it in ourselves.
Activity 9
Blocks to listening
On the following page, you can see the words or thoughts of some listeners.
Are they really listening to the person speaking to them?
If they are not listening, what are they doing

He thinks hes so
smart, I wish hed
leave me alone! I dont like her
purple hair!
Ill
wait
until
she
s
finis
hed
her
stor
y,
th
en I
ll tel
l her
abo
ut th
e ti
me I

Youve got a
backache? I had
a really bad one
last week
What will we
have for tea
tonight?
Mm-hmm
uh-huh

Active listening
You can get better at listening actively by practisi
How you can listen actively
1. Dont interrupt the speaker.
2. Concentrate on what the speaker is saying to you. Avoid your personal listening
blocks.
3. Send non-verbal signals which show you are paying attention e.g. make eye contact,
use open posture, and nod.
4. Encourage the speaker to continue by using murmurs or short words of
encouragement.
Uh-huh Mmmm
5. Summarise what they have said.
So you think that So you want me to
Activity 10
How does it make the speaker feel?
Look at the words and phrases in the box below.
Circle some words to describe how it makes the speaker feel when you listen actively.
respected disrespected valued

important unimportant silly
encouraged embarrassed they are boring
judged ashamed you are interested
you are bored a nuisance bothering you
Activity 11
Active listening
In this activity, you can practise active listening.
Talk together about what you felt and learned during the activity.
.

Summarising
Summarising is a useful communication skill when feelings are strong, e.g. when someone is
angry. You do it by summing up what the speaker has said and repeating it using similar
words. You should try to acknowledge the way the speaker feels, as well as what they are
saying.
It is useful because:
it slows down the interaction, giving a calmer feeling
it lets you check you understand what the problem is
it shows the person you are really listening and trying to understand
It shows you understand they are upset.
Here are some ways you can summarise what a person is saying.
So what you
And you think thats the
mean is So what you are saying
reason
I see So you feel So you think
I can see you are upset/in a

You seem angry with that hurry
Activity 12
Summarising
In this activity, you can practise summarising what someone has said.

Asking questions
Asking questions is an important communication skill. In the workplace, you might need to:
check a request (get clear what the person means)
check the details of a task
chat with a customer and put them at ease.

You can be more effective if you understand the different types of questions you can use.
Closed questions
People can only answer yes or no to these questions.
Ask a closed question if:
you want a clear decision from someone
time is short.
Do you want me to
book you a ticket on
the tour?
Will you be staying

on tomorrow, sir?
Are you in
Room 203?

Open questions
These questions ask for more information.
Ask an open question if:
you want to encourage someone to talk to you
you need a specific piece of information.
Open questions begin with words such as:

How ? When ? Who ?
Where ? What ? Why ?
What time are you

leaving tomorrow?
What are you planning

to do today?
How did you like the

show?

Activity 13
Question Open Closed
1. Can I help you?
2. What would you like today?
3. Would you like some garlic bread?
4. When do you want to take the tour?
5. Would you like to take the tour tomorrow?
6. Where should I store the spare toilet rolls?
7. How will you pay for that?
8. Do you understand?
9. What will you do first?
10. When should I take my lunch break?
11. Can I take a break now?
Open or closed questions
Are these questions open or closed?

Activity 14
What is the best question to ask?
1. Kara is cleaning rooms. One guest is just walking out as she wheels her trolley up.
What is the best question for her to ask?

a. Are you going out now?
b. When would you like your room cleaned?
c. May I clean your room now?
2. The chef has put up the quantities for preparing the evening menu but has just written
Potatoes 3. The kitchen attendant thinks this is probably wrong its not many
potatoes.
What is the best question for the kitchen attendant to ask?
a. How many potatoes should I cut up?
b. Do you want me to cut up all the potatoes?
c. Did you mean 3 kilos of potatoes?
3. Pat is at reception when an elderly couple come up looking a bit confused.

What is the best question for Pat to ask?
a. What room are you in?
b. How can I help you?
c. What do you want?
4. The elderly couple want to see the city but arent sure where to start.
What is the best question for Pat to start with?

a. Would you like to see the harbour?

b. What kinds of things are you interested in?
c. How long are you spending here?
Understand the communication model.
Know about some barriers to communication.
Know about some blocks to listening.
Use non-verbal communication to encourage a speaker.
Listen actively.
Ask open and closed questions.

Communicating at work
Communication is very important in the hospitality workplace because it is a service industry

where you will deal with customers all the time. Effective communication is important to:
understand what customers want so you can provide good service
give customers a good impression of the business
help workmates get along in their teams
prevent misunderstandings.
When you are communicating at work, you should use your whole toolbox of
communication skills active listening skills, questioning skills and non-verbal
communication skills.
Communicate in a professional way

Communication at work is different from communicating at home.
We use more formal, professional language instead of the informal ways we talk to each
other in our private lives.
We also behave more formally and politely to people.
Here are some ways to behave in a polite, professional and friendly way when you are
communicating with others at work:
use pleasantries (polite social words) such as please and thank you
stand up when you are introduced to someone
introduce yourself and any other people with you
use peoples names in conversation


open doors for others, especially customers
always offer a chair to elderly and special needs customers.

Many bigger hospitality businesses have clear guidelines (protocols) about workplace
communication. For example:
staff may be required to answer the telephone in a particular way
it may not be okay to address senior staff by their first name.

Informal language Formal language
Yep
Uh-huh
Nope
Nah
Sure
Okay
No worries
Not a problem
Hang on
Hang on a tick
Just a sec
What was your name again?
I dont understand
What?
What did you say?

Huh?
Whats your problem?

Have you got a problem?
Youse
Youse all
Mate Buddy
Darl Love Dearie
Activity 15
Use formal language
Look at the informal language in this table. How could you say these things in a more formal

Type of Meaning
and professional way? Example
language
Slang Words that a particular social group deadly

use instead of standard words. Very aggro
informal, more common in talking Its cactus, mate
than writing.
dodgy
flat out
Idioms The meaning is well-known to native Raining cats and dogs

speakers of English, but is not literal Beat around the bush
Bite off more than you can chew
Use some elbow grease
Jargon Special words or expressions that Vacant dirty room

are used by a particular profession Mitre corners (on a bed)
or group. Often meaningless to
outsiders.
Acronyms A word formed from the first letters SOP OHS

of a name. PPE MSDS
FIFO DND
Unclear Australians often run words Goodonya

speech together, which is hard for non- Doyewanna?
native speakers to understand.
Speak in clear language

This is another part of speaking formally, not informally. In our private lives, we may use
slang, idioms, jargon, acronyms and unclear pronunciation, because we know the people we
are talking to will understand what we mean.
But at work, it is important to use standard English words and pronounce them clearly.
Otherwise, your customers and workmates may not understand you.
In the following table are some examples of different types of informal language.

Activity 16
Communicating at work
In this activity, you will practise communicating at work. Use the communication skills you
have learnt in this unit, such as active listening, questioning and summarising. And make
sure you speak clearly.
Communicate with people from other cultures

In hospitality, you will probably often have customers from different cultures.
Also Australia is a multicultural nation so you will often have workmates from cultures
different to yourself.
Different culture
People from other countries and cultures may do some things differently from you, such as:
dressing differently
eating different food
speaking differently
using different non-verbal communication (body language)
treating relationships between men and women differently.
What is polite or acceptable in one culture may be rude or unacceptable in another.

Can you think of any examples?
You cant know and understand everything about every other culture. But it is important to
learn something about the culture of the people who will be visiting your hospitality
workplace, so you can understand how to treat them correctly.

Different language
Many international visitors to Australia have some knowledge of English, but have difficulty
with the Australian accent and the use of idioms and slang.
So how can we communicate well with people we may not understand very well? Or people
who do not understand us very well.
Be patient and tolerant when you dont understand what someones behaviour
means.
Show interest and acceptance so your customers enjoy their visit and your
workmates feel accepted in the workplace.
Speak clearly and avoid running words together or using slang.
Watch for signs that the listener doesnt really understand what you have said.
You may need to repeat yourself slowly and clearly, restate what you have said in
different terms.
Ask your supervisor for advice if a situation makes you feel awkward or unsure.
Activity 17
Communicate with people from other cultures
Your trainer will organise an activity where you find information about another culture.
1. Once you have gathered some information, share it with the rest of the group. Then
you will all know a bit more about some different cultures and how people from
different cultures like to communicate.
2. Now together work out some guidelines for communicating well with people from other
cultures.

Check instructions
Supervisors often give instructions verbally and sometimes they may not be clear to you.
It might be because:
the instructions were not detailed enough
there was too much at once so you couldnt remember it all
you didnt have time to ask questions
you didnt understand some of the words
you didnt understand the persons accent
you felt silly for not understanding.
Check you understand

What can you do if you get instructions that arent clear to you?
Here are some ideas.
Can you just hang on a minute? Ill

grab a pen and paper and make a list
of instructions to remind myself with.
Could you tell me a bit more slowly

please? It was a bit too quick for me
to remember it all.

I think I've got it. Could you just

show me how it's done now, to make
sure?
Request What questions might you need to ask to do

the right job?
Tom, can you clean the Which storeroom do you mean the food or chemical
storeroom please? storeroom?
When should I clean it? Right now, sometime today, this week,
next time we do a big clean?
Request Key words and questions to check understanding
Can you set up the function OK six round tables thirty chairs the hot water
room please Jackie? Use six urn, is that the one in the kitchen?
round tables and thirty chairs.
Well need the hot water urn
too.
Can you please go through that again one

step at a time?
It was a bit quick for me to follow you.
Ask questions
Asking questions is an important way to check that you understand something.

Some question words you could use are:
Should I ?
Is that what you mean?
So you mean I should
Sorry, can you repeat that?
Can I check, do you mean ?
Can you show me how ?
Can you explain exactly what you want me to do?
Another way to check you understand is to identify key words and action words.
Here is an example:
Activity 18
Check your understanding
In this activity you will be practising asking questions to check your understanding.
Your trainer will organise this activity for you.
Here is an example:
Writing at work
At work you may have to write messages to people.
Some examples might be:
an email to your supervisor to say what dates you prefer for holidays
a message to a guest from someone who has called on the telephone
a note to the head housekeeper saying that a room needs attention
an entry in the porters diary to tell the people on the next shift some things that need
to be done.
You might also have to fill in forms, such as:
registration forms
luggage tags
maintenance request forms
incident and accident reports.

Activity 19
Writing at work
What writing do you need to do at work?
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
Clear and simple

Keep your writing clear and simple. People only need the important information.
Before you send a message, check what you have written. Check that:
the meaning is clear
all the important information is in included
spelling and grammar are correct.
Activity 20
Read and write an email
Here is an email from a housekeeping supervisor to people in her team.

Read it and then answer the questions below.

Read an email
1. Who is the email from?
_____________________________________________________________________
2. What information does she want from each team member?
_____________________________________________________________________
3. When does she prefer they do not take holidays?
_____________________________________________________________________
4. Why?
_____________________________________________________________________

5. How many weeks holiday can a team member take in total?
_____________________________________________________________________
6. When does Mirabelle need this information?
_____________________________________________________________________
Write an email
Write a short reply to Mirabelle.
Tell her when you want to take your holidays next year. If it is during school holidays, give
her a reason.
Write your message in the following space.
Check your message to make sure that:
the meaning is clear
all the important information is in included
spelling and grammar are correct.

Answer the telephone

When you answer a telephone at work, you give the caller their first impression of your
organisation. So every time you answer the telephone, be polite, professional and assist the
caller as much as you can.
Guidelines for answering the phone
Look at these guidelines. Why do you think each one is important?
1. Ask your supervisor how you should answer the phone
Good morning, Jasmina

Restaurant, Keeta speaking.
How may I help you?

2. Answer the phone promptly.
3. Have a pen and a note pad by the phone.
4. Do not answer a call with food or chewing gum in your mouth.
5. Do not answer the phone while speaking to someone else.
6. If you need to put a caller on hold:

introduce yourself and the business
ask them if they mind being put on hold.
Good afternoon, Wattle Park Hotel,

Jane speaking. Im sorry, I have
another call at the moment.
Can I put you on hold please?
Take messages
If you have to take messages at work, either from the telephone or from a person face-to-
face, be very careful when you write down the message. You need to get it right. This may
mean that you have to ask questions until you are sure about the message.

Here are some suggestions to help you take messages down correctly.
Dont write and listen at the same time.
Check with the person on the other end of the phone or the person you are talking to.
Read back the message.
When you are taking a telephone message, take down these details:
the caller's name
the name of the person the to whom the message is directed
the time of the call
the details of the call purpose or action to be taken
time for a call to be returned or when the caller will phone back
the callers contact number.
Confirm the message

When you have taken a message, check you have the message right. An easy way is to
repeat the message to the caller.
Here is an example. The key words that you will put onto a message form have been
highlighted.
I'll confirm the details you have given me if that is all right?
Your name is Mrs Julie Parks. You want to book a Standard Room for 3
nights from 27 29 November this year. There will be 2 adults and a
th
child in the group. You expect to arrive at 3 pm on 27 . Your contact
number is 04 8769 2314.
Is that correct?
Ill pass this message on to George Hobart who deals with our
reservations. He will contact you as soon as possible.
Activity 21
Take a message
Here is a message that has been left on the answering machine at work. It is for the
restaurant night shift supervisor, Rita, and you need to write a message for her.
Read the message and highlight the main points that you need to write down.
Good morning, this is Jacob Bronson speaking. Its 1 pm on Friday. I would like to make
a booking in your restaurant for this Saturday. I would like to come at 7 pm, and there
will be 6 people in the group, plus a toddler. Can you arrange a high chair for the
toddler? I hope this is OK. Can you contact me by this evening on 07 9345 7291 to
confirm please? Thanks.
Now write down the message for Rita.

Activity 22
Using the phone at work
1. What are some situations where you might have to answer or use a phone in a
hospitality business?
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
2. Does your workplace have a set of guidelines for using the telephone?
If so, what are some of the important points in it?
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________

Activity 23
Answering the telephone and taking messages
In
thi
Know how to communicate at work in a professional manner. s
act
ivit
yy
Know how to communicate with people from other cultures. o
u
wil
lp
Check instructions. rac
tis
e
an
Communicate in writing at work. sw
eri
n
gt
Answer the telephone and take messages at work. h
et
elephone and taking a telephone message.
Section summary
Now you have completed this section you should have developed the following skills and
knowledge.
Tick each box if you are satisfied that you have those skills and knowledge.

Notes
2 Providing customer service skills
What is good customer service?

Hospitality is a service industry. Part of your job is to give customers a happy experience so
they will return and recommend your establishment to others.
Here are the four steps to providing good customer service:
1. Connect with the customer.
2. Find out what the customer wants.
3. Meet the customers needs and requests.
4. Add a little bit extra when you can.
Good customer service is based on good communication.
You need to use your toolbox of communication skills with customers to provide good
customer service.
1. Connect with the customer

This helps customers feel confident that you will take good care of them.

Use an open question in your greeting e.g. Good morning, how can I help you?
Use active listening to show the customer that you are genuinely interested in what
they are saying.
Use open body language.
2. Find out what the customer wants

Use a mix of open and closed questions.
Use open questions:
to show interest in customers and get them chatting
to seek information so you can start to work out what their needs are.
Good afternoon, maam. What

would you like today?
Do you like spicy food?
Use closed questions:

to get facts
to control the discussion and
keep the customer focused.
Watch your customer's body language.

Are they happy with your service? Do you need to find out more?
3. Meet customer requests

Do your best to meet customer requests promptly.
If there is a delay, keep the customer informed.
If you cant meet a customers request in a reasonable timeframe you should:
apologise
recommend an alternative
refer them to your supervisor or manager.
Your scope of authority

This means that you shouldnt do things or make decisions which are not part of your normal
job role.
If a customer makes a request that is outside the scope of your job, you should:
seek help from another staff member
refer the customer to your supervisor.
The guest in 305 threw his car

keys at me and asked me to
get his laptop from his car. Can
you deal with him please?
Customer requests must be reasonable. You are not expected to:

break the law

humiliate or demean yourself (make yourself feel bad)
do anything that is unsafe or dangerous.
If you are ever asked to do something you feel is not right, excuse yourself and immediately
contact management.
4. Add a little bit extra when you can
This will depend on the department you work in.

You can do this through things you say and things you do.
Things you say Is there anything else I can help you with?
Nice to see you again.
I look forward to seeing you again soon.
Use the customers name if you know it.
Put a smile in your voice on the telephone.
Things you do Smile.
Listen actively if a customer wants to chat.
Open the door for a customer or let the customer walk through
first.
Give information suggest things to do, places to go, talk
about venue facilities.
Offer to help if you can see that a customer needs it.
Activity 24
Practise customer service skills
Your trainer will organise an activity so you can practise using customer service skills.

Help customers with special needs

You may regularly deal with customers who have special needs.
You should take special care with them, without making them feel they are a nuisance.

Activity 25
Helping a customer with special needs
Discuss together:
What kinds of people may have special needs?
How might you be able to help these customers?

Provide information to customers

Good customer service means being able to answer customers questions.
Information about your business

You need to know about the hospitality business you work in things like:
restaurant or caf opening hours
room types
leisure facilities (gym, pool, sporting facilities)

laundry facilities
medical facilities
emergency assembly points.
Information about your local area

You also need to know about your local area the things a visitor might want to see and do.
You may also need to know about local transport and where to get transport timetables.

Activity 26
Know information about your business
1. If a guest asked you for some of the previous information, could you tell them?
If not, what would you do?
Provide customer service skills.
Understand what is good customer service.
Help customers with special needs.
Find out some information about the business and local areas.
2. Find out 5 things about the hospitality business you work in. Share these with others in
the group.
Activity 27
Know information about your area
Find out information about a tourist attraction or facility in your area which might be of
interest or use to visitors.
Share the information you find with the rest of the group.
Section summary
knowledge.
Notes
3 Responding to conflicts and

complaints
Guests generally expect friendly service, clean and well maintained facilities and a level of
quality in line with what they paid. They are dissatisfied if they feel their needs or
expectations have not been met.
Conflict with a customer

There may be many reasons for conflict with a customer or guest.
Some common examples are:
they believe a staff member was rude or unhelpful
facilities closed e.g. pool, restaurant
expectations not being met room size, windows, ventilation

dissatisfied with food or service in food outlets
dissatisfied with accommodation or services the room too noisy, too cold, no view

cleanlines
booking mismanaged
a mistake with an account the guest may have been charged for items they didnt
use
something broke down e.g. hot water, air conditioning
noise from other customers.
Some complaints are reasonable, some are

unreasonable. Either way, they need to be resolved
calmly and promptly.
If a customer is complaining, how might they be

feeling?
Customer warning signs

A customer may show warning signs of becoming angry or distressed.
The customer might:
speak more loudly and quickly
argue with staff or another guest
swear or speak rudely
cry
make twisted facial expressions
physically touch someone
slam doors or make other noise
throw or kick something.
If you see these warning signs, ask for help from your supervisor or a workmate.

Conflict between workmates

In the hospitality industry you work with a lot of different people. They all have different
personalities, ways of doing things, ideas, ways of communicating and many more
differences. Because of the differences, there could sometimes be conflict or arguments
between workmates.
Reasons for conflict
Some reasons for conflict between workmates include:

work pressure
bad communication which causes a misunderstanding
prejudice about all sorts of things from which football team the other person
barracks for, what kind of car they drive, through to issues of ethnicity, gender, body
shape and age
intolerance about difference in opinions
difference in beliefs
people gossiping about others
a team member not pulling their weight.


Step Example
1. Calm the person My room hasnt been cleaned today. I came

Use active listening back after a hot day to have a nice shower
and the dirty towels are still all over the
Use open body language
bathroom floor.
Dont interrupt
2. Check you understand So let me just check your room hasnt

Summarise to make sure you been cleaned at all?
understand the problem What is your room number, sir?
Ask questions to gather all the
information you need
3. Respond Im very sorry.

Apologise Thats very annoying for you.
Express understanding of their feelings I will contact my supervisor at once.
State what action you will take: Can someone clean your room later today?
correct the situation
refer on to supervisor
other possible solutions
give a time line
4. Act Ive contacted my supervisor and she has

Do what you said you would do. arranged for a cleaner to do your room at 7
pm tonight while you are at dinner. It will
take about 20 minutes. Is that okay, sir?
Is there anything else I can do for you, sir?
Once again, I apologise for the

inconvenience.
5. Follow up
Your supervisor will do this.
Steps to resolve a problem

Remember:
You don't have to accept verbal or physical abuse.
If you feel worried or uncomfortable, call your supervisor.
How to apologise
Use the customers name if you know it.
Show concern. State that you understand they feel upset, inconvenienced or
distressed.
Say you are sorry. Even if the business is not to blame for the problem, you are still
sorry about the situation and for their upset.
Do not make excuses. Dont tell the customer it was the fault of a particular individual
or department. They do not want to know whose fault it was they just want it fixed.

Im so sorry, maam. Ill contact my Im so sorry, maam. One of the
supervisor and get it done as soon cleaners didnt turn up for work today
as possible. so weve been short-staffed.
Thank the customer for complaining. They have brought a problem to your attention,
so it can be fixed. It will help your business do better next time.
Refer to your supervisor

You may have the power, within your job role, to deal with some complaints or problems.
However, you may need to refer other complaints problems to your supervisor, who will
make a decision about what to do.
Activity 28

Dealing with a complaint
A customer has complained about their meal and left it half-eaten. What should you do?
A Offer them a free meal
B Offer them a refund

C Check with your supervisor
D Offer them a free drink.
Activity 29
Your workplace complaints procedure
1. Do you have a procedure in your workplace for handling complaints?
2. What are some main points in it?
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
3. Have you ever had to deal with a complaint at work? If so, what did you do?

Story 1 Story 2
A customer in the caf complains that his A guest at the hotel comes to reception after
cup of coffee has spilt into the saucer. He her first night and complains that her room is
refuses to drink it. noisy because it overlooks the main road.
What should you do? She is tired and grumpy as she didnt sleep
last night. She is staying for 5 nights.
What should you do?
Story 3 Story 4
When a guest is checking out she complains A family sitting by the door of the caf
that extra charges have been put on the bill. complains that it is too cold. The door
She says she didnt use the mini bar or make doesnt shut properly and you would have to
any telephone calls but these are on her bill. run over and shut it yourself every time
She is very angry. someone entered and left..
What should you do? What should you do?
Story 5 Story 6
The breakfast service in the restaurant is A guest arrives at the hotel after a long flight.
over at 10.30 am and the staff are packing He has to make an important presentation in
up and cleaning the area. the afternoon and he made a special request
Three customers arrive at 11.00 am wanting when he booked that his room would be
ready so he could have a nap. The room is
breakfast. They said they werent told what
not ready and he is very upset.
time breakfast finished.
What should you do?
What should you do?
Activity 30
Handling complaints
Below are some problems which can happen in a hospitality business.

What could you do to resolve each situation?
Discuss ideas in your group and then share your ideas with the rest of the group.
Handling complaints
What could you do to resolve each situation?

Know how to recognise signs of conflict.
Know how to resolve a conflict with a customer or workmate.
Section summary
knowledge.
Notes

5 Personal presentation
Area Standard in hospitality work I meet this standard
Personal hygiene Shower daily, use deodorant

Clean teeth daily
No body odour, bad breath or smelly feet
Clothing Uniform as required

Clean, tidy, ironed
No stains, rips or tears
No tight or revealing clothing
Hair Clean, brushed and tidy

Long hair tied back
Women not too much makeup and
Face
perfume
Men clean-shaven or neatly-trimmed
facial hair
Hands Clean hands

Nails clean and trimmed
Clean, not worn out, fit correctly
Shoes
Non-slip sole, covered toes, no high heels
Decorations Jewellery, nail polish, false nails, facial

piercings, tattoos check your workplace
policy
First impressions are very important. A customer will see your personal presentation as a
sign of the standards and quality of the business. If they see staff with dirty or crumpled
uniforms and messy hair, they may feel that the hygiene of their rooms and food will be
similar.
So you need to put care and attention into your personal presentation.
Activity 31
Personal presentation checklist
Read the list below. Tick the box if you meet this standard every day.

Uniforms
Many hospitality businesses have policies and procedures about personal dress and
presentation, including uniforms.
Uniforms must be kept in good repair, with no frays, rips or tears. If your uniform gets worn
or damaged, you should promptly exchange it for a new item or get it repaired.
The type of uniform you wear will depend on your job. For example, if you work in the
kitchen you will wear a different uniform from the porter.
NOTE:
If you work in a kitchen or restaurant, you must not wear your uniform outside of the work
area. You might bring germs from outside into the work area.
It is against the law and you or your employer might be fined.

Posture
Posture is how you stand and move. Your posture is a kind of non-verbal communication. It
can tell people about your attitude to your job.
Customers can see you when you wait on them, serve them at the bar or walk around the
property doing your job. They form opinions based on what they see.
Activity 32
Posture
Discuss together:
What would customers think if they saw these things around the venue?
The bar attendant slouching against the bar
Two room attendants having a noisy chat and a laugh in the corridor
A maintenance person snoozing at lunch time on the lawn
The receptionist with his shoes off and his feet up on another chair
A kitchen attendant in her uniform smoking outside the restaurant or caf
A porter playing computer games on the computer at his desk.

Know the importance of a clean, tidy appearance and uniform.
Know the importance of posture.
Section summary
knowledge.
Notes

5 Working in a team
What is a team?
A team is a group of people who work together to achieve the same goals or have a
common interest or need. They can be found in the workplace; but they can also be found in
the home, clubs, community, school or sport.
A team can be a formal team such as a work group or footy team; or an informal team such
as a group of people who go for a walk at lunchtime.
Team goals
The teams goals are what need to be achieved by the team. Here are some examples of
team goals.
Providing hotel reception services so that guests are checked in and checked out
quickly, accurately and with a good customer service attitude.
Cleaning rooms within the timeframe set by the head housekeeper, and following
workplace procedures, so that they are clean and comfortable for guests.
Playing the football game fairly and following the rules of the game, so that all team
members are able to participate, but with the aim of winning the premiership.

Activity 33
Being in a team
1. Are you part of a team, or have you been in the past? If so, what was the team?
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
2. What was good about being in a team?
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
3. What was bad about being in a team?
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
4. What words do teams make you think of?
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________

Teams in the workplace

Your workplace will probably have many teams or groups. Some example of teams at your
hospitality workplace could be the:
reception team
housekeeping team
maintenance team
cleaning team
portering team.
Activity 34
What teams are in your workplace?
Discuss these questions together.
1. What teams are there in your workplace?
2. Which one do you belong to?
3. What is the purpose of the team you belong to?

What makes a good team?

Look at some of the things than can help people be a good team together.
Listening
Sharing
Discussing
Helping
Trust
Questioning
Joining in

Do you do these things? All the Some of Never

time the time
1. Listen to instructions and follow them accurately
2. Complete my own workload on time
3. Help out other team members when needed
4. Come to work on time and do my job reliably
5. Share information about the job with my

workmates
6. Talk about problems and be prepared to listen to
others ideas
7. Ask for help when I need it
8. Accept that we are all different and that some

people will have different opinions
9. Trust my team members and not gossip about
them
Activity 35
Are you a good team member?
Here is a list of things that a good team member does at work.

Have a look at them, and tick if you think you do these things all the time, some of the time
or never.

Activity 36
Being a good team member
What could you do in these situations to be a good team member?

Talk together about different things you could do or say.
Situation 1
Your supervisor keeps getting annoyed that your work area is really messy. You and your
workmates agree, but theres no system or rules to follow.
Situation 2
You think that the store room would work better if it was organised differently. Your team
mate says its fine the way it is and why change it.
Situation 3
One of your workmates is Muslim and is fasting before Ramadan. Your workmates keep
asking him to join them for lunch and talking about food in front of him.
Situation 4
You have had a very busy morning. A lot of guests arrived at once and now you are having a
little rest before lunch. A team mate looks busy, but he didnt come and help you when you
were busy, so you ignore him.
Activity 37
A team activity
In this activity, you will experience being part of a team.

Activity 38
Who would you rather work with?
Our attitudes (things we think) and behaviour (things we do) affect how we get on with our
workmates and how well our team works.
Read the attitudes and behaviour of Paddy and Trish below.
Who would you rather work in a team with? Why?
Dont ask me,

I dont like that I dont know.
maintenance bloke let
him find out himself.
Its not my job!
Why do they send

emails?
I cant be bothered Its the end of my shift
with that! someone else can clean
Paddy
it up.
Ill see if I can find someone

who can answer your
question. Ill have to learn how to
do some new things in
this job.
Here let me
help you.
Trish
That looks dangerous

Ill just clean this up and then Ill tell maintenance.
the next person will have a
clean bench to start.

Meetings
Meetings are an important team activity. Many workplaces have meetings regularly, for
example each morning at the beginning of the shift, or once a week. They can be held to:
make plans
keep up to date with whats happening
improve cooperation.
This is a time to:

learn things that affect your job
have a say about things that affect your job.
Everyone should be free to have their say, and everyone should be listened to.
Some meetings are informal and some are formal with an agenda and notes of the meeting
kept. However, whatever type of meeting, as a team you can come up with more ideas than
you would on your own.
Activity 39
Your workplace meetings
1. What meetings do you have at your workplace?
2. How do people show that they want to speak at your meetings?
3. Do you get a chance to give your opinions at meetings?
How do you behave at meetings?

People behave differently at meetings.
Some people make comments, ask questions and give ideas during meetings.
Other people mainly watch and listen. These people may have good ideas but find it difficult
to speak in front of others. They may not completely understand but maybe they are afraid of
showing that in front of their team.

What do you do in meetings? Often Sometimes Never
Ask questions if you don't understand something
Wear your iPod and turn the volume up
Join in the discussion
Make smart comments
Think about something else more interesting
Listen when others are talking
Only listen when its something youre interested in
Feel upset if you say something and others don't

listen to you
Dont say anything at all
Activity 40
How do you behave at meetings?
Read each item below. Based on an activity in the Horticulture Toolbox for Indigenous Learners,
Then tick the box that best describes how you behave at meetings.
Australian National Training Authority (ANTA) 2002
I already know that

Not AGAIN!
wont work.

Make decisions and set priorities

In your work, you will sometimes have to make decisions and set priorities (decide what is
more important to do and what is less important).
Order of Jarnikas tasks Time it will

priority take
Tidy up the shelves in the store-room. She said she

40 minutes
would do this at the last weeks team meeting
Clean her cleaning equipment and put it away 30 minutes
Have a tea-break 20 minutes
Finish mopping the corridors that she started before lunch 50 minutes
Call her sister to check whats happening tonight 10 minutes
Check next weeks roster on the noticeboard 10 minutes
Give the carpet in the lobby a quick vacuum her

30 minutes
supervisor asked her to do this as an extra
Go to the weekly team meeting at 3 pm 30 minutes
Fill in the sick leave form for the day she was sick last
10 minutes
Week
Activity 41Make decisions and set priorities
Jarnika has just come back from her lunch break. Its 1.30 pm and she has a lot of things to
do before she finishes at 5 pm. Help Jarnika to decide on her priorities for these tasks.
Number Jarnikas tasks in their order of priority the order you think she should do them in.
Start with Number 1 for the most important task.

Ask for assistance

There may be times when you cant do something on your own. Dont be afraid to ask for
help. Often there are service peaks that require some help for 5 or10 minutes and then it's
over. You might need to let your supervisor know that you need help, or ask a workmate.
Ask politely and thank the person who helped you.
Always be prepared to help others in return.
How to ask for assistance

When you are asking for assistance, you can say things like this:
Excuse, do you think you Could you please .?

could help me? Im having
trouble ..
Would you mind If you have some

helping me. I dont time, can you help
think Ill be able to Please can you help me, me with .?
finish . Im not sure what to do
here.

Activity 42
Practise asking for assistance
Here are some situations when you might need assistance.
With a partner, take it in turns to ask politely for help.
1. A room has been left very dirty so will take longer to clean. This will put you behind in
your schedule and you know there are a lot of arrivals in the afternoon.
2. A coach of tourists arrives. They need a quick check-in and their luggage taken to their
rooms. You know you wont be able to do it by yourself as quickly as the guests would
like.
3. There is a sudden rush in the bottle shop, with many customers waiting to be served.
4. Every room service breakfast tray has been requested at 8.30 am.
5. The chef has asked you to peel the potatoes and cut up the carrots for dinner. You
have started but you dont think you will be able to finish them in time.

Giving and responding to feedback

Giving and responding to feedback is an important part of communicating.
Positive feedback
Feedback can be positive. You might praise someone for doing a good job or for helping
you. Or someone might praise your work.
Negative feedback
However, you might need to give negative feedback to a workmate if there is a problem. You
should:
state what you believe the problem is
discuss a way to resolve it.
Or your supervisor or a workmate may give you some negative feedback.

Suggestions for giving negative feedback Dont say this Say this
Be specific, not general

State the facts. Dont talk about your feelings
You didnt clean up the
or what others have said. You never clean up the storeroom.
you finished your shift l
Dont generalise You always, You
never
Focus on the problem or the behaviour, not This made it difficult for
Why are you so lazy?
the person hard to find things.
Use your communication skills Is there a reason why y

Ask questions there may be a reason or the storeroom? (e.g. pe
explanation you dont know about. Clean it up now, you cant get away been ill)
Listen actively, so the person feels valued. with slackness! It just makes more So you were ill last nigh
Use summarising to check your work for the rest of us. I dont care the energy to do it. I ho
understanding. what you were planning to do after better.
Talk about how to improve the situation. work If this happens again, y
Use positive non-verbal communication to supervisor or ask anoth
calm any strong feelings. you.
Giving negative feedback

Here
71 are some suggestions for giving negative feedback.
Ways to respond to negative feedback Dont say this Say this
Acknowledge anything you are responsible Its not my fault. Yes, Im sorry I didnt clean u
for. I couldnt help it. storeroom last night at the e
Dont make excuses. No-one offered to help.
Explain your own view of the situation. I was sick. Nobody takes any notice of me. Im sorry I made a problem f
Point out anything you did well. It just gets turned against you as if being people. I was sick last night.
Acknowledge things you could do better. sick is doing something wrong. to get all my other work done
I guess I should have asked
didnt want to be a nuisance
Talk about what you could do to prevent the Well, what did you expect me to do? Next time I feel sick and can
problem from happening again. Ill let you know/ Ill ask for h
Ask what else you might do to improve your What else have I done wrong? Is there anything else you ca
performance. could do to make my work b
Responding to negative feedback

Sometimes you might receive some negative feedback from your supervisor or a workmate. Ma
ybe you have done something incorrectly.
Treat negative feedback as an opportunity to learn how to do something better next time.
It can be difficult to stay calm when this happens.
Listen actively to what the person is saying.
Ask questions to try to understand what the problem really is.
Here are some ways you can respond to negative feedback.

Activity 43
Giving and responding to negative feedback
Your trainer will give you some situations where you have to give and receive feedback.
Use the previous suggestions, and practise giving feedback to a workmate and responding
to feedback.
Negotiate changes in your work

Sometimes you may want to make a change in your work routine or make something new
happen. You might have to negotiate with your supervisor or workmates about it. This
means talking it over, seeing what the problems might be and trying to find a solution.
You might want to negotiate things like:
the time you start and finish work
when to take your holidays
extra training to help you do your job better
flexible hours
some time off work to study or care for someone who is sick.
When you want to negotiate with a workmate or supervisor, for example to take time off
work, keep these things in mind.

What does negotiating mean? Example
Both sides can have their say about a You can ask your supervisor for the time off
change. Understand the importance of teams.
work as you have an appointment.
Your supervisor may ask the reason and how
urgent it is and talk about whether or not this is
Identify what makes a good team.
possible and why.
What youSet
arework
asking for must be
priorities. You must have a good reason, and not ask for
reasonable (fair and realistic). time off work at a particularly busy period.
When people
Knowcant
how agree
to ask on solution, Your supervisor may let you have time off work,
foraassistance.
they might come to a compromise they but not on the day you asked for. You are happy
both give way a little and meet in the with this as you will be able to change the
Give and receive feedback.
middle. appointment you made.
Some things are not

Negotiate negotiable.
changes in yourThis
work. If it is a particularly busy time, the time off is not
means they cant happen. negotiable your supervisor will not allow it.
Other things are negotiable. This If the time you want off work is not at a busy
means they might be able to happen. time, your supervisor may let you take it.
Activity 44
Negotiating changes at work
In this activity, you will practise negotiating some changes at work. Your trainer will organise
this activity for you.
Section summary
knowledge.
Notes
6. communicate with customer and colleagues from

diverse
6.1 Diversity Defined

Diversity can be defined as acknowledging, understanding,accepting, and valuing differences among peopl
e with respect to age, class, race, ethnicity, gender, disabilities, etc. (Esty et al. 1995).
In the context of managing employees and serving customers, the term diversity
means all of the significant differences between people, including perceptions of
differences, that need to be considered in particular situations and circumstances.
Often the most significant differences are the least obvious, such as our thinking styles
or beliefs and values.
There are multiple dimensions of diversity which may be more or less significant in
different business functions and relationships:
Gender Age
Culture Ethnicity
Regional culture Sexual orientation

Mental and physical abilities Education

Religion Language
Literacy Work experience
Functional role and status Economic status
Family status Carer roles
Geographic location Work style
Communication style Learning style
Thinking style Management style
Personality Ideology
Profession Industry
Organisational culture
Companies need to embrace diversity and look for ways tobecome inclusive organizations because diversit
y has the potential to yield greater work productivity and competitive
advantages (SHRM 1995). Stephen Butler, co-chair of theBusiness-Higher Education Forum, believes diver
sity is an invaluable competitive asset (Robinson 2002). Managing
diversity is a key component of effective people management in the workplace (Black Enterprise 2001).
Demographic changes (women in the workplace, organiza-tional restructuring, and equal opportunity legi
slation) will require organizations to review their management practices
and develop new and creative approaches to managingpeople. Positive changes will increase work perform
ance and customer service.
The number of dual-income families and single workingmothers has changed the dynamics of the workpl
ace.
Changes in the family structure means that there are fewertraditional family roles (Zweigenhaft and Dom
hoff 1998).
Significant changes in the workplace have occurred dueto downsizing and outsourcing, which has greatly
affectedhuman resource management. Globalization and newtechnologies have changed workplace practic
es, and there
has been a trend toward longer working hours (Losyk1996). Generally speaking, organizational restructur
ing
usually results in fewer people doing more work.Changes in federal and state equal opportunity legislatio
ns
have made discrimination in the workplace illegal.
Benefits of Diversity in the Workplace

Diversity is beneficial to both associates and employers.Although associates are interdependent in the wor
kplace,respecting individual differences can increase productivity.Diversity in the workplace can reduce la
wsuits and increase marketing opportunities, recruitment, creativity, and busi-
ness image (Esty et al. 1995). In an era when flexibility andcreativity are keys to competitiveness, diversit
y is critical foran organizations success. Also, the consequences (loss of
time and money) should not be overlooked.
Challenges of Diversity in the Workplace

There are challenges to managing a diverse work population. diversity is more than simply acknowledg-
ing differences in people. It involves recognizing the valueof differences, combating discrimination, and pr
omoting inclusiveness. Managers may also be challenged with losses
in personnel and work productivity due to prejudice anddiscrimination, as well as complaints and legal a
ctionsagainst the organization (Devoe 1999).
Negative attitudes and behaviors can be barriers to organi-zational diversity because they can harm worki
ng relation-ships and damage morale and work productivity (Esty et al.
1995). Negative attitudes and behaviors in the workplaceinclude prejudice, stereotyping, and discriminatio
n, whichshould never be used by management for hiring, retention,and termination practices (could lead t
o costly litigation).
Required Tools for Managing Diversity

Effective managers are aware that certain skills are necessary for creating a successful, diverse workforce.
First, managers must understand discrimination and itsconsequences. Second, managers must recognize th
eir own
cultural biases and prejudices (Koonce 2001). Diversity isnot about differences among groups, but rather a
bout dif-
ferences among individuals. Each individual is unique anddoes not represent or speak for a particular gro
up. Finally,
managers must be willing to change the organization ifnecessary (Koonce 2001). Organizations need to le
arn howto manage diversity in the workplace to be successful in the future (Flagg 2002).
Unfortunately, there is no single recipe for success. Itmainly depends on the managers ability to understan
d
what is best for the organization based on teamwork andthe dynamics of the workplace. According to Ro
osevel(2001), managing diversity is a comprehensive processfor creating a work environment that includes
everyone.
When creating a successful diverse workforce, an effectivemanager should focus on personal awareness. B
oth manag-ers and associates need to be aware of their personal biases.Therefore, organizations need to de
velop, implement, and maintain ongoing training because a one-
day session oftraining will not change peoples behaviors (Koonce 2001).
Managers must also understand that fairness is not neces-sarily equality. There are always exceptions to th
e rule.Managing diversity is about more than equal employmentopportunity and affirmative action (Losyk
1996). Managers should expect change to be slow, while at the same time
encouraging change (Koonce 2001).
Defining culture
There are numerous definitions of culture that refer to patterns of behaviour

and belief, for example:
The complete way of life of a people: the shared attitudes, values, goals, a
nd
practices that characterize a group; their customs, art, literature, religion,
philosophy, etc.; the pattern of learned and shared behaviour among the
members of a group.
www.digonsite.com/glossary/ag.html
Learned behaviour of people, which includes their belief systems and lang
uages,
their social relationships, their institutions and organizations, and their

material goods food, clothing, buildings, tools, and machines.
www.nde.state.nv.us/sca/standards/standardsfiles/social/geoglos.html
The learned values, beliefs, perceptions, and behaviours of specific groups

of
people;
www.gainsctr.com/curriculum/juvenile/glossary.htm
the customs, beliefs, and ways of life of a group of people.
What these definitions tell us about culture is that it is a learned way of life
that is shared by a group and that the group may be bound together because
of their ethnic origins, professional status, religious convictions, gender, the
area they live in or a shared interest.
Our cultural values are so ingrained in us that we automatically behave a

certain way. This is part of the reason why we sometimes find it difficult to
understand behaviour that is not the same as ours. For example if you are
brought up in a society where it is polite to avert your eyes when talking to

other people, you will probably be quite uncomfortable when people look
straight at you during a conversation. And on the other hand, if you are
brought up in a society where looking people in the eye when talking is the
accepted practice, you may think it rude of someone not to do this when you
are talking with them. You may interpret this as an act of defiance against
your authority that they are not listening or are not interested in what you are
saying.
Our cultural background and beliefs influence the way we live our everyday
lives, for example:
How we act when we meet someone for the first time
Who made our breakfast
How we ask to speak to someone on the telephone
Whether and how we prayed today
What we think about men and women
How we apologise
What sort of events we will go to
How we relate to other workers who are younger or older than we are
What we believe is polite behaviour
The way we express emotions like anger, happiness
What we think will happen when we die
The importance of family to us
What control we believe we have over our own health and life
What rituals we follow
Every culture has its own way of doing things, its own set of rules. Most of us
experience some feeling of discomfort or confusion when we are faced with
behaviour we dont understand, especially if the behaviour doesnt follow the
rules of our own culture. We tend to automatically believe that our way is the
right way and this is when misunderstandings and conflict can occur. This
is especially true when someone elses behaviour offends our own values.
There is no right and wrong in these situations. What seems automatic and
correct to you could be quite alien to a person from a different culture. The
really important point to remember is that we dont all define ourselves in the
same way.
All of us belong to one or more cultural groups and we all know and work
with people who belong to different cultural groups.
Defining cultural awareness
Cultural awareness is about realising that people belong to a diverse range

of cultures and that they will, accordingly hold different values, behave
in different ways, have different ways of viewing the world and different
approaches to the way they live their lives.
Cultural awareness is about having the resources to relate positively to people
from a diverse range of cultural backgrounds and appreciate the contribution
that different groups make to a rich and dynamic society.
Two useful resources to support cultural awareness are knowledge about

other cultures and the development of a range of skills that will help you to

interact effectively with colleagues, clients and members of your community
from a diversity of backgrounds. That is what this learning guide is about:
providing you with an opportunity to develop and apply your knowledge and
skills.
ACTIVITY 2
Exploring your own culture
Think about the following questions and write your answers in your
workbook or journal.
Questions about friends
1. What key attitudes to life in general do you share with your closest friends?
2. Are there any key attitudes (that is attitudes that are particularly important
to you) that you do not share with one or more close friends?
3. Do you all dress in a similar way? If so, how?
4. What are your favourite shared recreational and fun activities? Do all of
your friends participate in the same activities, or do you divide into sub-
groups?
5. Do you share any traditions with your friends? If so, what are they and how
did they develop
Questions about family

6. Do you share family traditions? If so briefly describe them and their
origins
7. Can you identify and describe some particular ways of behaving shared by
members of your family?
8. Are there any unwritten rules about how different members of the family
are allowed to behave?
Questions about work

9. Can you identify and describe particular codes of behaviour in your
workplace?
10. Do you belong to a particular group or sub-culture at work? If so how
would you describe this group
1.3 Cultural Differences
Below is a list of things that we have in common but do differently:
Language spoken
Australians speak many different languages at home.
English is not always a persons first language.
Religious and Other Beliefs
Religious beliefs of co-workers and clients will vary enormously.
Religious beliefs fundamentally affect how we behave, what we eat, how
we dress.
Attitudes to family

Attitudes to work


Relationships between fa We all have different attitudes to the young, to the old, to parents,
mily members vary betw brothers and sisters.
een cultures.
The relative importance of work and family varies between cultures.

Attitudes to The Boss change between cultures
Roles of individuals in society

Different cultures have different beliefs about the roles of individuals.
Men, women, young people, old people, sick people or children are
treated differently within different cultural groups.
Holidays and celebrations

Different cultures have different holidays.
We all celebrate major events in different ways.
The way people communicate with each other
Body language varies - amount of touching, forms of greeting, eating
habits, sneezing, spitting, belching, walking past people.
Every culture has taboo subjects.
The way we ask and answer questions will depend on our culture.
The way we begin and end conversations will depend on our culture.
The way we seek information will depend on our culture.
Strategies to promote respect for cultural diversit

y
Anti-discrimination
Discrimination means the treating of one person less favourably than another
due to personal characteristics. Under current legislation in Australia, it is
illegal for any establishment to discriminate against customers/clients or staff
on the basis of sex, marital status, pregnancy, sexual preference, race and
nationality and physical and mental impairment. There is anti-discrimination
legislation at both state and federal levels. All establishments should make
staff aware of this legislation and what it means for day-to-day work
practices.
Legislation passed at the federal level makes it unlawful to discriminate on

the grounds of race, colour, national or ethnic origin, sex and disability. For
example:
1. The Racial Discrimination Act 1976 prohibits discrimination on the
grounds of race, colour, national or ethnic origin, immigration (or that of
a relative or associate);
2. The Sex Discrimination Act (1984) prohibits direct and indirect
discrimination with regard to sex, sexual harassment, marital status,
pregnancy and dismissal on the grounds of family responsibilities;
3. The Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission Act 1987
prohibits breaches of human rights by the Commonwealth and
discrimination in employment on the basis of race, colour, sex, religion,
political opinion, national extraction or social origin, age, medical
record, impairment, marital stereos, mental, intellectual or psychiatric

disability, nationality, physical disability, sexual preference, trade union
activity.
4. The Disability Discrimination Act (1992), prohibits discrimination on
the grounds of disability.
In New South Wales the Anti-Discrimination Act 1977 also covers

discrimination on the grounds of gender, sexual preferences, marital status,
race, physical and intellectual disability and age.
In the workplace and therefore in your not-for-profit organisation -
YOU have the responsibility to behave in a non-discriminatory way and
use non-discriminatory language when interacting with clients, staff and
management.
Discrimination can also occur when people are excluded. Ignoring different
groups can exclude them
7.1 Cross-cultural misunderstandings

Problem areas associated with communication
Sometimes we are misunderstood or we dont receive the message in a

way that someone else intended us to receive it. This can cause conflicts or
serious misunderstandings when working with other people and clients.

Misunderstandings may be more likely when working with other people who
are quite different to us as we may not understand some of their cultural
values and beliefs that influence how they give and receive information. It is
important to be aware of possible problems and to know what to do when
they arise. Problems or barriers in communication come from a number of
areas:
Competencies for Managing Culturally Diverse Teams

Translating the old formula for productivity into a formula for team effectiveness gives
us the following formula;
Status When there is a superior/subordinate relationship, Team Effe
communication tends to be one-way. The superior speaks ctiveness
and the subordinate acknowledges and agrees. = Potentia
Pressure of time When a person is in a hurry, conversation is only one-way.
l Team Eff
Abbreviated sentences are used and thoughts tend to run
together. There is a high risk of misunderstanding. ectivenes
Value judgments A value judgment is the allocation of an overall worth to the s Fault
communication. When listening, people tend to allocate a y Process
value of right or wrong and true or false.
Inattention Lack of interest is the main cause of inattention. You can also Knowing t
have a mind overload when there is a lot of activity around
hat the m
you, which makes it difficult to concentrate entirely on the
communication directed to you. ajority of p
Jumping to conclusions This happens when you hear the start of a message, assume rocess fau
the conclusion and/or the essence of a message then
lts are hu
disregard everything else being said.
man in ori
Emotions Anger, fear, hate and love may cause you to behave and
communicate irrationally or incoherently. gin, effecti
Inconsistency People are confused when a person giving instructions later ve manag
changes his/her mind and gives conflicting instructions.
ers
If this happens too often, the person on the other end
focus on t
may switch off or not respond until the details have been he huma
checked with someone else. n factors.
Physical barriers People who have a hearing disability have a physical barrier
to communication. Other barriers might be excessive noise, There is a
fatigue, stress, illness and individual discomfort.
mple rese
arch evidence confirming that employees are most strongly
motivated and rewarded by the following top three factors:
Meaningful work, sense of accomplishment
Good workplace relationships, feeling valued and involved
Continuous learning and career development
3: Cross-cultural communications
Misunderstandings and conflict arise between clients and workers - or
between colleagues - for many different reasons. Often it is simply because
people are different. Wouldnt it be a boring world if we were all the same!
Cultural awareness means that you can accept and show respect for other

cultures even if certain practices seem strange to you or mean you are
inconvenienced.
Difficulties can occur because of poor communication, a lack of patience or

because people make judgements based on their own cultural values.
English translations or the use of slang words can be stressful to people

from other cultures. So can speaking too quickly or at too low or too high
a volume, not listening actively, not asking questions, using offensive body
language and gestures and/or inappropriate humour.
3.1 Interpersonal skills
Working in a volunteer involving organisation probably means that your

workplace will or does involve face-to-face conversation and discussion with
other staff and clients of the organisation. The main interpersonal skills you
need are:
Good personal appearance
Clear communication skills
Initiative in social interaction
Teamwork
Personal appearance
Personal appearance includes dress and grooming which must be of a
high standard. Your organisation will have specific standards for personal
presentation. Make sure that you are clear as to what these guidelines are. The
workplace culture as well as your own values and beliefs will determine what
you wear.
Communication skills
Communication involves sending and receiving a message which is
understood clearly. When we send and receive messages, not only do we
speak, but we also send non-verbal messages.
Verbal communication involves questioning, listening and answering.
Non-verbal communication involves body language which includes facial
expression, eye contact and posture
Communication involving either verbal or non-verbal elements - or a

combination of both - requires interpretation. This process is dependent
on the receiver giving consideration to understanding the words, motives,
feelings and needs of the sender. When working with co-workers or clients
from other cultures it is important to consider how your messages may be
interpreted by the receivers, and how their cultural differences may influence
their interpretation. The receiver may interpret the message quite differently
to your intention and this could lead to misunderstanding or conflict.
Social interaction
Social interaction is the way you conduct yourself with others. It also involves
verbal and non-verbal communication such as the volume and tone of voice.
Social interaction occurs on all occasions that you deal with other people. It
broadcasts your attitude towards them, establishes that you feel comfortable

with them and invites them to react to you in the same way. Being friendly
and approachable normally means people will be the same with you.
You must interact socially with people you work with and clients of your
volunteer involving organisation in a variety of ways.
Teamwork
Teamwork is your ability to work with others for a common purpose. In your
organisation you may interact with other staff members on a daily basis in
order that the establishment functions smoothly. There will be a constant
flow of information to and from your work area. Knowing how to work with
others to achieve a common goal is an important interpersonal skill.
Benefits of Cultural Competence
Research and experience demonstrate several benefits from developing cultural

competence through cross-cultural training and experience:
Cultural Self-Awareness: Greater consciousness of our own ways of seeing

the world and how we acquired them. Increased understanding of our own
culture and our ability to explain it to others.
Confidence: Increased sense of control and competence in cross-cultural

encounters. Less stress and uncertainty in complex situations.
Trust and Openness: Improved mutual understanding leads to higher levels of

trust among people. Increased awareness of cultural complexities leads to
greater openness to other perspectives and more creative problem-solving.
Interpersonal Skills: Better listening and communication ability. Improved

ability to build bridges between people from different cultures, develop and
foster good relationships and collaborations.
Functional Fitness: Learning, Effective communication, Compatibility
Psychological Health: Less stress & defensiveness. Coping with change
Intercultural Identity: Finding the third culture.When both parties to an

intercultural encounter learn and apply the skills of cross-cultural communication
and, neither culture is dominant - we meet as equals in a third culture.
While there are clearly aspects of the various dimensions of diversity we have studied
that we can fairly safely generalise about, human beings are ultimately too complex to
fit neatly into any particular categories.
We need to improve our information and understanding, but we also need to accept that
when working with or managing diversity, we are dealing with individuals rather than
categories.
Self-assessment: (CHCCS405A) Work effectively with culturally diverse

clients and co-workers
NAME
DATE
NAME OF ORGANISATION (if
applicable)
Key to completing columns 1, 2 or 3:

1 = I feel quite confident that I can always do this
2 = I might sometimes need some help
3 = I have no experience in this area
Apply an awareness of culture as a factor in all human behaviour
Can you/do you know how to ? How well can you What evidence do you have
do this? to demonstrate this?
1 2 3
Work in a culturally appropriate
manner.
Work in a way which creates a
culturally and psychological safe
Resolve cross-cultural misunderstandings
environment for all persons.
Can you/do
Review you know
and modify ?practices
work How well can you What evidence do you have
in consultation with persons from do this? to demonstrate this?
diverse cultural backgrounds.
1 2 3
Identify issues which cause conflict.
Consider cultural differences if
difficulties or misunderstandings
occur.
Effort is made to sensitively resolve
differences, taking into account
cultural differences.
Difficulties are addresses with
appropriate people and assistance
sought when required.

Contribute to the development of relationships based on cultural diversit

y
Can you/do you know ? How well can you What evidence do you have
1 2 3
Demonstrate respect for cultural
diversity in all communication and
interactions with clients, colleagues
and customers.
Use specific strategies to eliminate
bias and discrimination in dealing
with clients and co-workers.
Communicate effectively with culturally divers persons
Can you/do you know ? How well can you What evidence do you have
1 2 3
Demonstrate respect for cultural
diversity in all communications with
clients, their families, staff, customers
and others.
Constructively use communication
to develop and maintain effective
relationships, mutual trust and
confidence.
Where language barriers exist, efforts
are made to communicate in the most
effective way possible.
Seek assistance from interpreters or
other persons as required.

For questions where you have ticked column 1 AND have also been
able to say what sort of evidence you could provide to demonstrate your
skills and knowledge, you may wish to skip the associated topics in the
learning guide at least initially.
Where you have ticked column 2, then you have some knowledge of and
skills in the area so you might want to read over the topics to refresh your
memory then see how you go on the assessment activities.
If there are questions about working effectively with culturally diverse

clients and co-workers to which you have ticked column 3, then these are
the topics you should concentrate on in the following learning materials

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Work with colleagues and customers

ADMASS UNIVERSITY, ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA Page 1

MODULE TITLE: Work with Colleagues and Customers

MODULE CODE: CST HOP1M 07 1012

NOMINAL DURATION: ----25-----Hours

MODULE DESCRIPTION: This module describes the performance outcomes,

Application of the Unit

Employability Skills Information

Elements and Performance Criteria Pre-Content

Elements and Performance Criteria

ELEMENT PERFORMANCE CRITERIA

1 Communicate with 1.1 Conduct communication with customers and colleagues

1.5 Observe and take into consideration non-verbal

2 Maintain personal standards.

ADMASS UNIVERSITY, ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA Page 3

6.1 Valuing customers and colleagues from different cultural groups

7.1 Identifying issues that may cause conflict

What is communication? ........................................................................................

Communicate in a professional way .....................................................................

ADMASS UNIVERSITY, ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA Page 5

2 Providing customer service skills

What is good customer service? ............................................................................

3 Responding to conflicts and complaints

ADMASS UNIVERSITY, ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA Page 6

What is a team? .....................................................................................................

Valuing customers and colleagues from different cultural groups ..

Identifying issues that may cause conflict

ADMASS UNIVERSITY, ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA Page 7

Communication is a two-way process.

Who are your customers and colleagues? They can be:

The communication process

ADMASS UNIVERSITY, ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA Page 8

Choosing how to communicate

Should you communicate in person or would it be better to use the telephone

ADMASS UNIVERSITY, ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA Page 9

the type of communication method the sender or receiver has access t

The following diagram shows a simple model for effective communication.

ADMASS UNIVERSITY, ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA Page 10

The benefits of two-way communication are that it:

generates much less frustration than one-way communication

defensiveness and hostility which can adversely affect communication.

The importance of effective communication

better understand the needs and expectations of your colleagues and c

Characteristics of effective communication

an awareness of appropriate non-verbal communication

ADMASS UNIVERSITY, ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA Page 11

an ability to identify potential conflict or any existing conflict

Appropriateness is a key word. What is appropriate in one situation

a) How do you show you have understood someone?

ADMASS UNIVERSITY, ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA Page 12

5. Your supervisor tells the team about a new procedure.

6. You tell your workmate that your daughter is getting married.

8. Your manager tells you the date of your performance appraisal.

Look at each communication. Is it formal or informal? Write F or I in the box.

ADMASS UNIVERSITY, ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA Page 13

Staff from other hospitality

The union/industry association

1. Who do you communicate with in the workplace?