| Ladies and gentlemen waltzing around a splendid | | | | the menu of a vegetarian restaurant listed only |
| ballroom aboard an ocean liner -- this is not a | | | | one salad dressing: carrot ginger. The customer, |
| fantasy. A family reunion in a French restaurant, | | | | however, asked the waitress if there was |
| with a special waiter asking if we would like some | | | | another salad dressing available. 'Yes,' the waitress |
| freshly ground pepper on our fish -- this is not a | | | | answered pleasantly, 'we also have tahini dressing.' |
| dream. It is the job of the hospitality industry to | | | | Do you remember how James Bond, otherwise |
| make perfect meals and perfect accommodations | | | | known as 007 in the movies, preferred his |
| a reality. We all understand the appeal of the | | | | martinis shaken but not stirred? It certainly |
| hospitality industry, and many high paying jobs are | | | | requires patience and a good working knowledge |
| available in hotels, restaurants, clubs, bars, cruise | | | | of English for hospitality workers to deal with |
| ships, cafés, and so forth, catering to a | | | | customers' special requests. |
| customer's every whim. Not much education is | | | | I worked one summer as a waitress myself, |
| required. But learning English is important. Why? | | | | when I was still a college student. I served lunch in |
| Out of curiosity, years ago I went aboard an | | | | the executive dining room of a large corporation. |
| ocean liner shortly before departure. Pushing | | | | Executives would come in and sit around large |
| through an unmarked door, I descended to a level | | | | circular tables, each of which sat ten. One |
| for staff only. On this level, the concrete corridors | | | | afternoon I was serving ten hot tomato soups in |
| were painted battleship gray, just like in the | | | | small bowls. The tray felt very heavy. I was |
| military. The opulence upstairs contrasted sharply | | | | trying to keep the tray steady by pressing it with |
| with the cement downstairs. People do not | | | | my left arm against my body, but I needed to |
| generally know that the business end of the | | | | shift it slightly each time I leaned forward to |
| hospitality industry is a quasi-military operation. | | | | lower a small bowl into its proper position, |
| Miscommunication among staff members and | | | | squarely in front of each customer. As I |
| misunderstandings between customers and staff, | | | | proceeded around the table in this fashion, the |
| therefore, are not acceptable. For good | | | | whole tray started to tilt towards the customers, |
| communication, staff members are often | | | | so I leaned backward quickly to rebalance. |
| expected to have a good working knowledge of | | | | Well, I do not know how it happened, but one of |
| English, a language understood by people all over | | | | those little bowls filled to the brim with hot soup |
| the world. | | | | flew right off the edge of the tray. The bowl |
| I have seen the same thing in fine restaurants. | | | | overturned in the air and the red soup spilled into |
| Upstairs the diners enjoy subdued lighting and soft | | | | a customer's lap, all over his brown business suit. I |
| music. Downstairs the manager and assistant | | | | could not believe my eyes! My heart stopped |
| manager conduct business in a no-nonsense way | | | | beating. |
| under bare light bulbs. The quantity of food | | | | 'I am so very sorry,' I said to the gentleman with |
| purchased each month by a successful restaurant | | | | tomato soup all over his pants. 'I am so sorry,' I |
| could feed a small army, and much of the work | | | | murmured to the hostess of the executive dining |
| downstairs has to do with purchasing and supply. | | | | room, my supervisor, who had leapt up from her |
| To learn the ropes, new employees need to | | | | chair across the room to attend to the customer. |
| know enough English to ask questions of | | | | The businessman, who remained seated and did |
| experienced employees who have been with the | | | | not look up at me, said quietly, 'These things will |
| establishment for many years. That is how | | | | happen.' |
| newcomers learn about procedures and how to | | | | The hostess offered the customer free dry |
| handle customers. A receptionist at the front | | | | cleaning for his soiled suit, which he accepted. She |
| desk of a hotel or a spa must speak English well | | | | said to me: 'It will be alright.' She directed me to |
| enough to take customers' names, addresses, | | | | sit off to one side and rest for a while. The |
| and credit card information. Reception work is a | | | | customer in this case was very gentlemanly and |
| responsible position that requires a high level of | | | | did not take offense at this lunchtime catastrophe. |
| fluency in English. | | | | I cannot say that my knowledge of English saved |
| Most customers speak English, so waiters and | | | | my job, but what would have happened if I had |
| order takers must speak English, too. If the | | | | not known how to apologize properly? |
| waiter wrote on his pad that the customer | | | | There are plenty of jobs available for hospitality |
| ordered a 'super salad,' not the 'soup and salad,' | | | | workers. For example, an article in the New York |
| his mistake would waste food, irritate the cooks, | | | | Times on October 17, 2008, described the sailing |
| and anger the customer. Waitresses may be | | | | of an ocean liner out of New York harbor the day |
| attractive, but if they cannot understand what | | | | before. The cruise ship had been full, with 1,800 |
| the customer wants, ask questions, and reply | | | | passengers paying fares ranging from $2,992 to |
| fluently, they will not last long in the hospitality | | | | $25,445 for the transatlantic crossing. The crew |
| business. | | | | of 1,016 included 107 cooks, four fitness |
| For hospitality employees working in kitchens or | | | | instructors, a disc jockey, and ten 'gentlemen |
| other behind-the-scenes areas, English may be the | | | | hosts' to escort unaccompanied women to |
| only language all co-workers have in common. For | | | | shipboard events. At the website of the Cunard |
| example, a young Korean man was once my | | | | Line, which owns many of these stately |
| student. He was living in New York City to study | | | | ocean-going vessels, you can see job openings for |
| English. He had a part-time job in a Korean | | | | officers of hotel management, butlers, bar waiters |
| restaurant. Since he was intelligent, he was put in | | | | and waitresses, housekeeping and bedroom staff, |
| charge of instructing a new man, who was from | | | | chefs, junior waitresses, and wine stewards. |
| a Spanish-speaking country, but my Korean | | | | Every day restaurants and hotels all around the |
| student did not speak Spanish. The new man, | | | | world post job openings in the same categories. |
| however, understood a little English. My student | | | | Many of these positions require very little formal |
| made an unusual request of me. He asked me to | | | | education and offer high pay. Such jobs have |
| teach him enough English to show the new | | | | enabled many people to immigrate or earn |
| employee how to use the dishwashing equipment | | | | enough money to go to school. Because of the |
| in the Korean restaurant. How could my student | | | | quasi-military nature of the hospitality business, |
| have done this job if he had not been studying | | | | good communication skills are a must and good |
| English at the time? | | | | English is often a requirement. |
| Customers can be hard to please. For example, | | | | Copyright © 2008 Barbara A. |