07-13-2009, 06:51 AM
What follows is merely anecdotal experience.
I periodically visit a world famous tourist area that even international celebrities visit from time to time.
Now we all hear the claims that schools in the hospitality/tourism business make: that a hospitality and related degree is a surefire way to gain very good employment, especially in areas where tourists flock to.
I dine out at different places and of course I expect to find all those youngsters trained in some hospitality school...
WRONG.
There are many tourists...British, Chinese, Japanese, Russian, German, French, Spanish...
Waiters and other personnel are typically clueless...they may know a few broken phrases and words, if at all, but cannot function in even the most elementary situation...
Recently a Russian couple had a hard time ordering water...
When I got tired after the waitress and a German couple had been misunderstanding one another for a long time and told her what they wanted, she looked back at me with eyes smoldering with hate...
Another time a Dutch couple complained they wanted Coca Cola LIGHT, and the waiter offered to light their cigarette...all restaurants were pretty upscale (no road houses...).
So...
1 They got that famous hospitality degree but slept through classes
2 Most probably they are untrained personnel, which begs the question why hospitality schools exist.
Of course five stars hotels and such typically do employ hospitality graduates with a minimum proficiency, but those make up only a minute fraction of the entire industry serving tourists.
I periodically visit a world famous tourist area that even international celebrities visit from time to time.
Now we all hear the claims that schools in the hospitality/tourism business make: that a hospitality and related degree is a surefire way to gain very good employment, especially in areas where tourists flock to.
I dine out at different places and of course I expect to find all those youngsters trained in some hospitality school...
WRONG.
There are many tourists...British, Chinese, Japanese, Russian, German, French, Spanish...
Waiters and other personnel are typically clueless...they may know a few broken phrases and words, if at all, but cannot function in even the most elementary situation...
Recently a Russian couple had a hard time ordering water...
When I got tired after the waitress and a German couple had been misunderstanding one another for a long time and told her what they wanted, she looked back at me with eyes smoldering with hate...
Another time a Dutch couple complained they wanted Coca Cola LIGHT, and the waiter offered to light their cigarette...all restaurants were pretty upscale (no road houses...).
So...
1 They got that famous hospitality degree but slept through classes
2 Most probably they are untrained personnel, which begs the question why hospitality schools exist.
Of course five stars hotels and such typically do employ hospitality graduates with a minimum proficiency, but those make up only a minute fraction of the entire industry serving tourists.