The success of a tour agency, or for the matter any supplier of customer sevice depends not only on the product knowledge of its staff but more so, on the way they communicate with their clients. These communication skills can be divided into three distinct categories: language skills and personal and social skills.

        Employers in Britain are expressing increasing concern over the lack of basic language skills demonstrated by many workers; and this applies not merely to a lack of foreign languages, but to a lack of competence in the way they use their own mother tongue. Written communication to a client which demonstrates poor sentence construction, grammar or spelling reflects not just on the employee, but on the company itself. When such correspondence goes out under the signature of a senior member of staff, the image of the company suffers a still more serious blow.

        Personal and social skills are still more important, but fortunately it lies within an individual’s power to exercise these skills. There is still a tendency in Britain to look down upon jobs which involve serving the public, which is all too often confused with servility. In order to compete with their European colleagues, the English must be prepared to offer the same level of ‘service’ in their service industries as they do. The acceptance of the credo ‘the customer is always right’ is the first move towards creating the right atmosphere for serving behind a counter, in a travel agency as in any other shop. Customers expect to be received warmly, and with a genuine smile of greeting; staff are expected to be unfailingly cheerful, whatever stress they may have experienced during their workday. These qualities need to

        become second nature to counter staff.

        First impressions weigh heavily, and staff will also be judged by their dress and appearance. Tourism employees must be prepared to adjust to the constraints that the job imposes, if they wish to succeed in the industry. Employers will insist on neat hairstyles, suitably discreet make-up, overall good grooming and appearance — often to the extent that counter staff in agencies will be required to wear a uniform — and personal hygiene is essential.

        Deportment, too, is important. The way employees sit, stand or walk says a great deal about them and their attitude towards their customers. Staff who are exposed to the clients’ view will be expected to look alert and interested when addressing their clients, to avoid slouching when they walk, and to sit upright rather than slumped in their chairs. These non-verbal signals all say a lot about the attitude of the company to its customers. The scene of employees filing their nails and talking to their friends on the telephone, while customers try to attract their attention, is a common one in training videos, but one that encourages us to think about how we present ourselves in public. A warm, welcoming smile and friendly manner when greeting a customer approaching the counter will convey a positive view of the company, and make the customer feel at home and in a buying frame of mind. Attentiveness to the customer is not only polite, it ensures that vital needs are recognised, enabling the employee to match needs with products. When talking to customers and greeting them, the employee should maintain eye contact and a manner which will breed confidence in the agency and its  staff’s product knowledge. Even handshakes are important cues to confidence; they should be firm and offered willingly. Use of the client’s name enhances the relationship.

     Even the way in which staff answer the telephone can help to generate the right image of the company. Telephones should be answered quickly and competently. As there are no dress and appearance ‘cues’ from which the client can make a judgement, the voice becomes the sole basis of judgement. Trainers emphasise the need to smile, even over the telephone as an impression of friendliness can still be conveyed in the voice. If clients are asked to hold on, they should be given the reason, and regularly checked to ensure they are still holding. If the person they are trying to reach is busy, an offer should be made to call them back and there should be a follow-up to ensure that they have been called back. Similarly, if the employee cannot give an answer immediately to a problem, they should offer to call the client back with the answer in a short while, and do so. A failure to call back is one of the most common sources of frustration to clients, and can easily lead to a loss of business to a competitor.

                                   Adapted from The Business of Tourism,

                                      J. Christopher Holloway (1998)

37   What makes a tour agency more competitive than others?

A.   Employees who have completed compulsory training with the tour agency

B    Employees who have the potential to communicate competently in all

             languages

C    The ability of well-informed employees to communicate effectively with their customers

   D     Academically qualified employees capable of communicating proficiently in the local           

             languages

38   What nationality do. you think the writer is?.

A   British

B   Canadian

C    European

D    American

39 ‘First impressions weigh heavily’ in Paragraph 4 means that

A    physical appearance is very important

B    employees must be physically attractive and healthy

C    physical beauty is an important criterion for employing staff

D    employees must don the agency’s uniform to look neat and tidy

40   What was the writer’s purpose when he wrote Paragraph V?

A    To underline the importance of communication skills

B    To highlight the importance of non-verbal communication

C    To emphasise the importance of meeting the requirements of the customers

D    To stress the importance of training employees before they serve the customers

41 Which of the following statements are considered effective telephone skill?

           1    Smile when speaking on the telephone.

  11   Reason with the caller when he is being difficult.

  111Check periodically on the caller who is still on hold.

    IV  Answer the telephone when you are comfortably seated.

           A 1, 11             B 1, 111               C 11, 1V              D 111, 1V

42   Under which category would you classify The Business of Tourism?

A Journal         B Brochure     C Magazine           D  Reference book          

43   A suitable title for the passage is

      A Tourism: How to Become Successful

      B Tourism: How to Serve Customers Effectively

      C Tourism: The Importance of Communication Skills

      D Tourism:   The Importance of Non-Verbal Communication