Communication is one critical aspect of being a hotelier. But so is knowing how to listen. You can be the greatest communicator, using perfect tenses and intonations, but if you do not know how to listen, you can get yourself into trouble with your guests, or even your colleagues.
According to the International Listening Association (yes, there is one), Listening is the process of receiving, constructing meaning from and responding to spoken and/or nonverbal messages (ILA, 1996). It is a process, and has a variety of types. (see types of listening).
But to put it simply, one type of listening I sometimes see with hoteliers (and my kids) is the "I-don't-really-care-what-you-are-saying" method where the receiver is already preparing what he/she is going to say, even before the giver is finished with his/her message.
In my experience, listening with empathy, with an attitude of "I-really-want-to-help-you-so-I-will-listen-not-only-with-my-ears-but-with-my-heart" kind; where the receiver listens with the intent to really seek out the core of the message. This proves to be very effective during complaints of guests, where sometimes, the concern is petty, but the guest just really wants to be heard and acknowledged.
What about you? Have you had any experience where you got into trouble because you misunderstood or spoken out of time?
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