Reflections on Business Etiquette Module

1. Building A Professional Presence
After going through the Building A Professional Presence workshop, I have learnt how to dress up professionally in the corporate industry. I have also learnt the meeting & greetings techniques, how to create small talks and appropriate body language. All these pointers I have learnt is very useful for us in the Hospitality & Tourism industry. This is also my favourite workshop as it is very important.

2. Customers’ Perception
This workshop taught me a lot about perception, from how perception is formed to creating positive lasting impression. Knowing how to create positive impression gives you an advantage and to prevent misunderstanding. I have also learnt how to carry out service recovery. In Customers’ Perception 2 workshop, we were supposed to rate the service of an F&B outlet. I have chosen MacDonald.

3. International Business Etiquette.
This workshop is one of the most interesting workshops. All the groups are supposed to do a presentation on the business etiquette in different countries. The countries presented includes Japan, USA, France, Mexico After this workshop, I have learnt the different unique culture and the appropriate business culture from the various countries. For example in Japan, the degree to which one bends shows the degree of respect to the person. Also, the French people are usually late for meetings and they are straightforward in nature.
Thus, the advantage of knowing international business etiquette prevents us from mis-understanding or offending our clients overseas.


4. Corporate Politics in Perspective
In this workshop, I have learnt various ways to recognize the power players in the organization, ways to size up my boss, getting the boss on my side and impress higher-ups. I have also learnt how to handle and avoid office politics.

I personally find that it is important and essential for us to learn about office politics so that when we enter the working world, we will know what to expect and to better deal with it.

5. Building A Service Culture
In this workshop, I have learnt to differentiate business mission and vision. I have also some leadership principles, service guarantees internal and external customers. Knowing how to build a good service culture is essential when we are in the top management. I generally find this workshop a little too technical and slightly harder to understand compared to the other workshops.

6. The Art of Corporate Entertainment
This workshop is also one of my favourite. In this workshop, I have learnt the “should and should not” in planning a business meal and in dining etiquette, the purpose and how to react when things go wrong.

After this workshop, I have learnt how to handle utensils in the most professional way and basic table setting. The topics taught in this workshop are very useful when we go into the corporate world, as business meals are very common. Knowing the appropriate etiquette will help us create positive impression, which might result in the success of the business deals.

7. Delighting your Customers
In this workshop, I have learnt the different ways we to delight our customers. I realized that the employees are one way to delight our customers. With a good-looking, outgoing, cheerful employee who empathizes with the customers, I’m sure he or she will definitely make the customers day.

In the workshop, we have learnt how to involved in whole team. As my secondary school teacher Mr Kwok repeatedly reminds us, “A chain is as strong as its weakest link.”

In the lecture, we have also learnt more about Disney and Four Season and how they ensure that their employees provide quality service. This workshop made me realized that before a company can delight their customers, they have to delight their internal customers, which is also the employees.

"Being on par in terms of price & quality only gets you into the hand.
Service, wins the game!"
~Tony Alessandra