Many establishments all over the world are fond of tourists
and travelers as they are sure sources of steady income. They cause local
businesses to expand and it gets these businesses thinking of creative
activities to engage in while staying in their place. It also enlivens a
healthy competition among local tourism establishments. These make travel,
leisure and food business owners to hire more people, thus creating jobs in any
particular country. But truth of the matter is, even with these positive notes
come the negative ones. Much as local tourism would like to accommodate all
sorts of tourists and travelers, I have singled out here top 8 attitudes of travelers we can all be on
the lookout for and be wary of, lest they wreak havoc to the beauty and calm of
our country’s unique and A-class tourism enterprise.
Loud Travelers
While it’s all right to drink and have a good time in a bar
or restaurant, what we don’t like to see in our establishments are guests who
start creating loud noises after getting drunk, acting as if they own the whole
place! Maybe if these guests rent a more private and enclosed function area,
their loud noises can be ‘tolerated’ somehow. But noise, bordering on
rowdiness, raucousness and rudeness that already affect the peace and privacy
of other guests should not be handled sitting down. If the place has a security
in-charge, which all business establishments must have, then maybe you can
easily keep this kind of guests out, much to your relief!
Wasteful
We all seem to enjoy all things bottomless and unlimited in
different consumer products lately, but what could seem enjoyable to some
consumer items may not be so in majority of hotel establishments. Have you ever heard of flowing, unlimited water in the bath tub or shower? There could well
be flooding in no time!
And if the shower facilities aren't working as they
should, then the room where the defective facilities are should not be occupied
in the first place. It might also be excusable to have wasteful travelers
around if your hotel has an unlimited budget, which is perhaps only possible
for million-dollar earning hotels. Or what about food splurging in a restaurant,
ordering food items more than one can consume? As we go global, we are
strangers no longer to hunger and what our fellowmen in many poor countries are
going through. So it will really be a welcome thing for us to have guests who
have an eye and concern for others' difficult life situations --- these are
guests who keep an eye on their own lifestyle.
Disrespectful
Who wants to feel like you’re being taken advantage of and
being hurt one’s dignity? Nobody. Knowing the culture of a place before visiting
will be worth your while as it will show you how to survive the ins and outs of
the place and be familiar with what is taboo or not in the local community you
will be journeying to. And what’s more, you will be endeared to the locals and
would love to have you keep on visiting their place, as they ask you to bring
your friends the next time you go on holiday.
Vandalizers
The clean and pretty walls of your hotel and restaurant
which you have invested on with expenses that were the result of your blood,
sweat and tears and which you have dreamt of maintaining for future generations
to enjoy are sometimes being threatened by not-so-well-meaning guests. These
could be mistakenly be seen by them as a graffiti wall! Vandalizers of tables,
chairs, walls, benches, even tree trunks in your mini-park can really get to
you sometimes. It does help to shoot up your blood pressure. Yes, we know how
happy these tourists can be for having visited a particular place, but they
don’t have to seek ways and means to have their visit immortalized through a
scribble that says, “Tom was here!” Ruining tourist sites in this manner could
be very disheartening since tourists directly attack the beauty of the location
which is the main attribute why people are drawn to visit these well-maintained
tourist attractions in the first place.
Packrats
If you happen to be a hotel housekeeper and needed to check
on rooms that have just been vacated, you might have the surprise of your life
when you find out that some items have gone missing! Blow dryers, towels,
hangers, even some decorative figurines on the night table and dresser, are
just some things that guests might take a fancy on and they could have happily
checked out with them. In restaurants likewise, if food servers are not vigilant,
they can lose some silverware they invested on i.e. teaspoons, pretty glass
holders and coasters, napkin holders , etc. What could possibly lessen losing
hotel and restaurant property is to have some witty reminder signage posted on
walls, neatly put on nice small, upright table frames with notes about
maintaining the beauty and order of the room. This could perhaps be effective
unless they're also taken away!
Know-it-alls
After a three-year stint in a resort-hotel, I have come
across several guests who can really make you wonder why they left their homes to go on vacation only to give other people a hard time. I'm talking about hard-to-please guests who maintain that they deserve more than what they are getting. Our poor front desk personnel have to always consult our hotel’s officer-in-charge when appeasing guests who demand that their hotel room lacks this and that, forgetting that some amenities go with the kind of hotel room they booked! If you ever come across this type of guests, better make sure you employ the H.E.A.T. method in handling sensitive situations they could stir up. H.E.A.T. is an acronym for
Racists
There has been much talk about equality since the turn of
the 20th century, and we can say that somehow, much has already been
achieved along this line. Wikipedia says that, “Racism is generally defined
as actions, practices, or beliefs that consider the human species to be divided
into races with shared traits, abilities, or qualities, such as personality,
intellect, morality, or other cultural behavioral characteristics, and
especially the belief that races can be ranked as inherently superior or
inferior to others, or that members of different races should be treated
differently”. So be on the lookout for guests who
treat your staff, through their words and actions, with not enough spirit of
good will as to say demeaning things just because their skin is white or yellow
and yours is black or brown. We live in a world without borders now, and
everyone has the right to be proud of their cultural heritage as it is theirs
and theirs alone.
Scrooge Travelers
If we mentioned some wasteful types of guests earlier, we
can also encounter guests who don't seem to shell out any funds for some extra
service they are requesting. Yes, scrooge travelers can be found even among
wealthy-looking foreign travelers. However, this is understandable since we all
want to save up as much as we could when we travel. But this doesn't mean
refusing to pay for a price that demanded labor on the part of our hotel and
restaurant personnel. While it's good to have discounts and promos in service
establishments, these can be done occasionally as come-ons or perks for our
regular guests for them to enjoy a good time on holiday.
So there you have it, our 8 kinds of travelers we wish we
wouldn't encounter in our hotel, restaurant or service establishment! Be on
your toes and prepare yourself and your staff to deal with them should they
appear right on your doorstep. There is nothing to fear if you equip yourself
with the right words, always mindful of your tone of voice since these pointers
will help keep you in control of the situation. Arm yourself with a ready smile
and confront these types of people with charming calm, elegance and grace. Only
then will you see how effective you will be under pressure.
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