SAGADA, Mountain Province – One hundred fourteen participants attended a two-day training on international hospitality competencies and modern guest approaches and service techniques on Jan. 24 and 25 at the Sagada Homestay.

The seminar was attended by inn keepers, tour guides, drivers, and entrepreneurs, including staff of the municipal tourism offices of Sagada, Barlig, Sadanga, Besao, Tadian, Bauko, and Bontoc and the Provincial Tourism Office.

Three participants from Banaue, Ifugao and one from Kalinga also attended.

Francisco dela Cruz, who was invited as speaker during the seminar, emphasized the importance of making a customer happy, which will make them purchase more goods, food and drinks, stay longer, and return and bring other customers.

He said the quality of greetings to customers is very important as words must be said with correct diction, body language, and must emanate from the heart. 

Individuals who deal with various types of customers, especially those who are difficult to transact with, must maintain kindness, calmness, and generosity.

In housekeeping, there must be sustained cleaning, arranging of furniture and fixture, appropriate lighting, and the area must have a space where a guest can have a 360-degree view of the room and the goods displayed, dela Cruz said.

He related the importance of close relationship and regular feedback mechanism between the frontliners and back staff members. Feedback, he said, is necessary as this guides them in their daily tasks, especially in coming up with proper decision making.

Frontliners represent those who directly entertain the guests, while the back staff members are those who are at the administration and corporate offices.

In most instances, it is recommended that the staff of the back office must have also hands-on experience in some of the front line activities. This will give the middle or higher management better understanding of what is happening in the industry.

Another important concern is delegating authority. Policies are not written on stones, dela Cruz said.

In cases of emergencies such as matters between life and death, the lower management or middle management must decide immediately.

Dela Cruz is an acclaimed resource speaker and consultant who was trained by the late Henry Sy, owner of SM department stores.

He also has enormous experience in one of the largest hotels in the Middle East where he worked as one of the executives for 17 years.

Sagada Mayor James Pooten, Jr. welcomed the participants and thanked the Department of Tourism-Cordillera for sponsoring and holding the activity in the famous tourist destination.