SENDER --> CHANNEL--> RECEIVER

SENDER --> CHANNEL --> RECEIVER RECEIVER <-- CHANNEL <-- SENDER

INFORMATION: is the content of a message, the sensations we receive from the medium in which we find ourselves. It is composed of 3 parts:

COMMUNICATION: is the action of transmitting information. Its components are.

A good professional of the hospitality industry has to be good at communication through technology and at interpersonal communication, that is why we will study what kinds of communication there are and how to be good at them. In hospitality activities different models of communication are used according to each situation taking into account:

•The objectives•The people involved in the process•The context

Communication with the client has to be bidirectional, there has to be a feedback, the client has to be a receiver but also a messenger. This means that the most important thing is to listen!!.

A good professional of the hospitality industry has to be good at communication through technology and at interpersonal communication, that is why we will study what kinds of communication there are and how to be good at them. In hospitality activities different models of communication are used according to each situation taking into account:

•The objectives•The people involved in the process•The context

Communication with the client has to be bidirectional, there has to be a feedback, the client has to be a receiver but also a messenger. This means that the most important thing is to listen!!.

All communication has information but not all information is communication. All communication has information but not all information is communication.

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1. 8 ELEMENTS OF COMMUNICATION

1.SENDER: the person who transmits a message, the subject of the communication

2. RECEIVER: the person who receives the message.

3.MESSAGE: the content of the transmission. Some times it can be distorted for multiple reasons; that is why we have to try to transmit messages in a positive way even though their content is negative.

Ex1. Positive way: “we will find a solution to your problem.” Negative way: “Your problem has no solution.”Ex2. Positive way: “you won’t loose anything trying to do it.” Negative way: “anything you do will be useless.”

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4. MEDIUM or CHANNEL :this is the instrument we use to establish communication. i.e. radio, tv, internet, etc.

5. NOISE, OBSTACLES, BARRIERS: something or someone that makes communication unsuccessful or impossible. I.e interferences when talking on the phone, someone interrupting a conversation between two people, or when one of the two people involved in the communication is thinking of something other than what the second person is saying.

6. CODE: the group of symbols used to transmit a message. It is important to choose the correct code in order to have a good communication according to the receiver. The language is a code, if our client speaks English we must choose the English language as a code in order to achieve a good communication.

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7. ENCODING AND DECODING: (Stuart Hall) This is the process by which a message is understood.

8.FEEDBACK: This is the response of the receiver

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COMMUNICATION FOR CUSTOMER SERVICE.

INTERACTIVE COMMUNICATION: in customer service there are 2 main functions of communication:

1. DIRECT INFORMATION SERVICE. In this situation informants (senders) need the client to be communicative and capable of expressing his/her needs clearly.You can use different mediums, from words to written documents or Internet.

2. COMPLAINTS AND ENQUIRIES SERVICEIn these situations it is important to establish a verbal communication and that the data and documents of the case are registered in written language.

Someone who wants to work in a hotel has to take into account that establishing a clear, fluent and appropriate communication is fundamental to obtain good results.

Establishing the right channels in the customer service department is one of the most important tasks of the service.

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2. TYPES OF COMMUNICATION according to the sense used

• There are 3 senses implied in the communication process:

Vision

hearing

touch.

• Taste and smell can also be considered. • Also we have to consider common sense, which is the most important for customer service.

Therefore we can establish 4 types of communication:

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1. Auditory communication.

Messages are perceived through the sense of hearing. Words, music, sounds and noises take part in this type of communication.

In the hospitality sector we can establish auditory communication through different media according to activity and objectives:

Direct conversation or face to face communication

Phone conversation

Radio broadcasting, etc.

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2. Visual communication.

Messages are perceived through sight. Sign, gestures and images are very important when communicating. There are different media:

Letters

Contracts.

Labels

Slides, etc.

Complaint forms

Invoices

Leaflets

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3. Tactile communication

Messages are perceived through the sense of touch.

Affection is conveyed through tactile sensations. Shaking hands or tapping someone’s shoulder can have positive or negative effects, so it is necessary to be very respectful in this matter and know cultural conventions.

There are different mediums:

Braille

Touching someone, etc.

Greetings at meetings and negotiations

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4. Multichannel communication

Messages are perceived through different senses at a time. There are different media through which this is possible:

Tv

Video

Computer

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3. TYPES OF COMMUNICATION according to the people involved

Human communication is the field dedicated to understanding how people communicate. It may be broadly classified as,

a) Intrapersonal Communication : people communicating among themselves (e.g. daydreaming, reading aloud)

b) Interpersonal Communication: people communicating with others.

c) Group Dynamics: communication within groups

d) Organizational Communication: Communication within an organization

e) Cross cultural communication: Communication across cultures

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An analysis:

From the illustration and the listed components of communication, it can be interpreted that communication is not just what we say. Communication may occur by means of conversations, expressions, gestures or visual sense.

But effective communication occurs only when the three important aspects of communication are in the right proportion :

1) visual (used in seeing: the visual sense)

2) audio (pertaining to, or employed in the transmission, reception, or reproduction of sound) and

3) kinesics (the study of body movements, gestures, facial expressions, etc., as a means of communication)

Therefore, in general, human communication may be defined as,

“the process in which all of the three important aspects of communication are involved in the right proportion, in order to exchange information between humans in an effective manner.”

“the process in which all of the three important aspects of communication are involved in the right proportion, in order to exchange information between humans in an effective manner.”

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According to Dr. Steele, the precondition for lies in effective communication.

The 7 preconditions for success: (Dr. Steele, 2006)

1.Pay Attention: Always pay attention when someone communicates.

2. Mutual Needs: All Communication is based on mutual needs.

3. Circular communication – All communication is circular in nature.( e.g. Giving feedback based on actions or deeds)

4. Communication is language based: For example, in the field of technology we may have a problem where the managers do not understand technical jargon.

5. Purpose: It is necessary to know the purpose of communication in a conversation. Knowing the purpose provides a better focus.

6. One needs to be cooperative but not competitive

7. Human communication is an art and not a science.

successsuccess successsuccess

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