Explain how to give quality customer service to a guest in Canada

Assignment Type: Group.

 

Learning Outcome: Explain how to give quality customer service to a guest in Canada, taking into consideration unique cultural differences.

 

Preface: As well as being culturally diverse in population, Canada receives, and benefits from, many international visitors every year. When serving guests from other cultures, it is important to understand the cultural differences involved.

 

Your class has been asked to host a group of guests to Red River College. The group is a combination of Canadian-born and visiting international educators. You will conduct a tour of the PGI campus and serve them lunch in Jane’s Restaurant. To make them feel welcome and impress them, you will want to respect their communication styles and unique needs based on cultural differences. You have been asked to educate your classmates on how customer service behaviors or practices can be adapted for cultural differences.

 

Assignment Details: Attached are topics that would be considered components of the outlined customer service encounter. Each component states one of many mainstream Canadian norms for some reference. Your instructor will assign you three specific sections to work on. Working as a group, research the main-stream Canadian norm for this topic, your research should also include any Indigenous cultural information. Add to the information already stated.

 

Next, research the non-Canadian cultures assigned by your instructor and explain how the customer service procedure would be altered based on the cultural difference. Use the mainstream Canadian perspective as a starting point, then research the non-Canadian culture, and based on their cultural perspective, then suggest how the service would be altered. It is important to explain the value predominant in that culture that relates to the change in service components.

 

Submission: Once you have completed your research, prepare a 10-15 minute power point presentation for your classmates on your findings. Prepare your power point presentation and send via email to your instructor by the due date instructed in class. You will be given time in class to present your information, sharing your slides using Power Point.

 

Evaluation: Refer to your rubric in the LEARN page for Cultural Awareness Assignment.

 

Canadian Norms (Students to find examples if they differ for Indigenous examples)

1. Appropriate greetings

· Make eye contact, firm handshake, smile.

· Verbal greeting would include Hello, Good day, and nice to meet you.

 

2. Appropriate business dress

· Expected that you would follow the guest speaker dress code if you were the tour guide.

· Servers would follow the dress code in Jane’s.

 

3. Punctuality

· Punctuality is important as time is valued and it is rude to be late to start a meeting or arrive late to a planned meal.

· Keeping to a schedule is appreciated and expected.

 

4. Appropriate/inappropriate business gifts

· Gifts should be modest and not expensive. Gifts that would be given in this situation can include coffee cups, water bottles, pens.

· Gifts may be tied with a bow so the gift is visible or loosely wrapped in paper. If wrapped, it is not rude to open in front of the giver.

 

5. Use of technology cellphones for business meeting.

It is rude to always check your phone during a meeting. Phone should not be on desk.

It is not appropriate to video or record people doing a presentation unless authorized. As well as taking pictures of slides. Copyright issues.

 

6. Typical food/beverages for lunch

· Typical beverages at lunch may be water, soft drinks – both served with ice. Coffee and tea are often served with the meal or with dessert. On a special occasion, a glass of wine may be served with lunch.

· Food at lunch may be served both hot and/or cold. Typical food would include hot soup, cold salads (often topped with warm protein), or a hot plate with a cooked protein, starch and vegetable. On special occasions, sweet dessert would be served such as cakes, pies or ice cream.

· It is not inappropriate to refuse food or make special requests.

 

7. Topics of conversation

· Topics of how much money one earns, sex life, political beliefs and religion are not topics openly discussed.

· Canadians respect privacy and would not ask about family unless information is volunteered.

 

8. Business cards

There are no specific protocols for business card exchange.

 

9. Appropriate/inappropriate gestures

· Canadians stand two to three feet apart during conversation. Inside this distance is considered personal space.

· Use of the middle finger is a vulgar gesture, eye rolling is disrespectful, not making eye contact is interpreted as negative.

 

10. Seating arrangements

· There are no special seating arrangements based on hierarchy.

· Sometimes, the special guest or head of the business would be seated at the end of the rectangular table, which is referred to as the head of the table.

 

11. Utensils

· Utensils will reflect the food served and will be pre-set.

· Either a soup spoon or salad fork, dinner fork and knife and a dessert spoon or fork (depending on the type of dessert).

 

12. Table manners

· The napkin is placed in your lap. If you leave the table before the meal is complete, the napkin is placed in the seat of your chair.

· It is inappropriate to slurp soup or drinks.

 

13. Societal hierarchy or the norms regarding age, gender and family status

· In North America, there is equality in age, gender and family status.

· North Americans take pride is describing “everyone is equal.” However, ranking in business is based on level of the manager.

 

14. Serving sequence and style

· Sequence is soup or salad, entrée and then dessert with coffee or tea.

· These are all served on a plate or bowl. Each plate is cleared before the next course is served.

 

15. Appropriate meal times

· Most business meetings are scheduled between 9am and 5pm.