Business Etiquette and Professional Grooming Workshop for ZESA National Training Centre Staff

In the Hospitality Industry, providing quality dishes is not the only thing that matters. Good appearance is very important.  First impression is the best impression a customer is satisfied with. It is therefore, under this premise that  ZESA National Training Centre Staff underwent Training in Business Etiquette and Professional Grooming conducted by the Institute on 27 January and 3 February 2018 at the ZESA National Training Centre.

The purpose of the Workshops was to empower ZESA staff with effective communicative skills necessary to communicate with Guests, VIP’s; Prestige Customers; Public and Corporate clients with tact and diplomacy; develop confidence and communicative competences for the marketing and public image of the National Training Centre; develop the marketable and progressive image of the ZESA National Training Centre; endow staff with skills for exquisite customer service; build appropriate professional and specialised demeanours, codes of conduct and behaviours demanded by business etiquette and in the Hospitality industry.

Areas covered included Business & Social Etiquette for the Hospitality Industry; Cross-Cultural Awareness and Managing Cultural Diversity in the Hospitality Industry; Business Protocol, how to receive International Guests, how to interact and walk with Guests, Official forms of address, Personal Hygiene, Professionalism & Image Management, Customer Service Etiquettes; Etiquette and Manners for a true Hotelier and Communication Skills in the Hospitality Industry. Under business etiquette and protocol, participants were exposed to Importance of Hospitality in Business; Protocol of Handling Guests, VIP’s, Prestige Customers, Government Officials and Business Corporates. First Impressions; Moral Values for the Hospitality Industry;  Concierge and Essential Services and Personal Diplomacy in the Hospitality Industry were also availed to the participants. Under Professional Grooming & Deportment, understanding the professional dress code was also underscored.

The balance of the Workshops consisted of interactive groups and plenary discussions. Workshop participants identified several key contextual factors that unpacked contemporary issues in relation to the rules of decorum in the Hospitality Industry and the business community at large.