Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
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Facial expressions - smiling, crying and grimacing
are just some of the many ways in which the face
can transmit an enormous variety of emotions.
Customers should be made to feel welcome from the
fi rst moment they meet a member of staff, who should
always smile and greet the customer in a friendly
and polite manner. Negative body language, such
as crossed arms, lack of eye contact or a surly facial
expression should be avoided at all times when dealing
with customers in travel and tourism.
Presentation
How staff and the working environment are presented
to customers is of the utmost importance in the travel
and tourism sector. Time and again, employers stress
the crucial importance of personal presentation among
their staff. Matters such as wearing appropriate dress,
appearance in the workplace, personal hygiene, a tidy
workspace and adopting a positive attitude are key
points to note. What you wear at work says a lot about
you and the organisation that employs you. Wearing
'appropriate dress' does not necessarily mean wearing
the smartest clothes that money can buy! 'Appropriate'
is the key word. If you were a sales representative
for a major holiday company regularly visiting travel
agencies, smart formal clothes such as a suit may well be
the most appropriate. On the other hand, staff working
as camp site couriers would be more appropriately
dressed in casual sportswear. Many people working in
travel and tourism wear uniforms in order to present a
consistent image to the public and help build customer
loyalty, for example customer service staff working for
train companies, travel agency personnel, air cabin
crew and overseas tour representatives. Uniforms help
to create a positive fi rst impression with customers and
make staff easily identifi able if customers need help or
advice.
Uniforms create a professional image
FOCUS ON INDUSTRY
AVIS CAR RENTAL
Customer Service Agents working for the Avis car
rental fi rm at Heathrow Airport are key people
in creating the right fi rst impressions about the
company with customers. To project the right image
to members of the public, all Customer Service
Agents wear the company's corporate uniform
and are trained to be attentive and welcoming to
customers. Avis looks for conscientious, reliable and
fl exible people who enjoy helping others and want
to be noted for their exceptional support at the
company's fl agship airport location.
Weblink
Check out this website for more
information on Avis.
www.avis.co.uk
Close contact with customers on a regular basis makes
personal hygiene an important matter for travel and
tourism staff. This can be a sensitive area, particularly
when supervisors and managers have to remind staff
about the importance of arriving at work in a clean,
hygienic and presentable fashion. All staff working in
travel and tourism, but especially those whose work
brings them into close contact with customers, must:
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Be generally clean;
•
Have hair that is clean and combed;
•
Have fresh breath.
