Communication, Customer Service and Grooming
Communication, Customer Service and Grooming tests whether you can communicate clearly, read body language and recover a service failure. Expect telephone, email, complaint and grooming scenarios.
Core rules
- The 7 Cs of communication: clear, concise, concrete, correct, coherent, complete and courteous.
- Active listening means focusing, not interrupting, paraphrasing and confirming. Open questions explore; closed questions confirm.
- Non-verbal signals - eye contact, posture, tone and personal space - carry meaning; they must match the words.
- Grooming standards usually cover clean uniform, pressed clothes, neat hair, trimmed nails, fresh breath, minimal jewellery and closed shoes. Hygiene is part of food safety.
- Service recovery: listen without arguing, apologise for the experience, take ownership, act within policy, follow up and record.
Worked example: A guest complains that the room was not cleaned. Reasoning: listen fully, thank the guest for telling you, apologise for the inconvenience, confirm the specific issue, arrange immediate cleaning or a room move if appropriate, inform housekeeping and front office, then follow up. This works because it addresses both the practical problem and the guest's sense of being heard.
Traps
Do not blame a colleague or another department in front of the guest. Do not promise compensation you cannot authorise. Do not use slang in written communication. Do not let poor grooming or a distracted posture undermine a polite script.