An investigation into the real situation and some solutions for improving english communication skills of the staff of the food and beverage department at mandila beach hotel

Rationale

Currently, the tourism industry in Vietnam is considered a vital economic sector, leading to the increasing demand for qualifications and staff capacity Along with the continuous development of the tourism industry, the hotel and restaurant business also plays a huge role in meeting the needs of tourists In the past 10 years, tourism has been identified as an important general economic sector that not only brings profits to the country, creates jobs for many workers, but also gradually exploits the resources effectively potential in tourism resources, creating peaceful, friendly and cooperative relations with other countries and peoples in the world

Da Nang is considered as one of the most cities developing tourism hotel in the country and is one of the tourist centers making a significant contribution to the tourism industry the overall success of Vietnam's tourism industry Danang has convenient location along the East coast, with Tien Sa international port, Da Nang international airport, located in the center of the country, Da Nang also has natural tourism resources such as MarbleMountains, Ba Na Hills, etc and humanistic tourism resources such as Cham museum, Linh Ung pagoda Not only that, Da Nang also borders many other famous locations In addition, Da Nang is also famous as the city of bridges,busy entertainment areas, bustling shopping Therefore, Da Nang is attracting more and more domestic and foreign tourists to visit and explore Along with that constant development, the hotel business was born to serve the needs of all guests when coming to Da Nang Thanks to that, the types of services are also increasingly diverse and rich, including restaurant business For a restaurant, the most important thing, the most crucial to the success of the restaurant is the quality of service Because when coming to a restaurant, it means that people want to find a type of dining at a higher level, in which enjoyment is emphasized, here is not only the need to eat but also the needs of the mind Especially for foreign tourists, only when we communicate fluently with them in English, restaurant staff can bring them the best experience. Therefore, improving the service quality as well as improving the English communication skills of the staff at the restaurant will help create a good impression in the hearts of diners, satisfy their needs and make customers return restaurant many more times, contributing to increased profits for the restaurant So during my internship in the restaurant at Mandila Beach hotel ,

I chose the topic "An Investigation into the Real Situation and SomeSolutions for Improving English Communication Skills of the Staff of theFood and Beverage Department at Mandila Beach Hotel" as my graduation topic.

Aims and Objectives

During my internship at the Mandila Beach hotel, I came to the conclusion that the restaurant's staff did not provide the best level of service to meet the expectations of guests, particularly foreign guestsbecause of their English skills Therefore, the focus of my study is to investigate the current situation of English communication skills of the f the Staff of the Food and Beverage Department at Mandila Beach Hotel and some suggestions are given.

This study is intended to:

- Systematize the theoretical basis for English communcation skills of the F&B department in the hotel

- Investigate and collect opinions of foreign guests about the English communication skills of the staff of the F&B department at the restaurant

- Give solutions to improve communication skills of F&B department at the restaurant in the future.

The scope of the study

- About the content: Survey to evaluate English communication skills of F&B department at Halo Bar of Mandila Beach hotel Therefore, some appropriate solutions are provided to improve their English communication skills

- About space: Made within the Halo Bar of the Mandila Beach hotel

Methods of the study

For the research topic: "An Investigation into the Real Situation and Some Solutions for Improving English Communication Skills of the Staff of the Food and Beverage Department at Mandila Beach Hotel", I used the

Qualitative and quantitative method for this study I made a survey and interview to ask customers directly as well as to synthesize, analyze and process information sources information from primary and secondary data from reference sources: internet, hotel documents, supervisor

Organization of the study

This study is organized into 6 parts:

Chapter I: Introduction, Rationale, Aims and Objectives, Scope of the study, Methods of the study, Organization of the study

Chapter II: Theoretical Background, Hotel Business, Restaurant, Food and Beverage Department, Restaurant Business, Some Factors AffectingCommunication Skill

Chapter III: Case Description, The basic information about Mandila Beach Hotel, The Current Situation Of Staff Quality In English Communication Skills Of Food And Beverage Department

Chapter IV: Analysis and Evaluation of the Real Situation at Mandila Beach Hotel

THEORETICAL BACKGROUND

Concepts

2.1.1 The concept of the hotel

As defined by wikipedia: “ The hotel is a popular accommodation business in the world, ensuring the quality and amenities necessary for the accommodation business, meeting a number of requirements for rest, dining, entertainment and other services during the guest's stay at the hotel, in accordance with the motive and purpose of the trip.”

Tourism and hospitality researcher Morcel Gotie has defined: “A hotel is a temporary accommodation for tourists Along with the bedrooms, there are restaurants with a variety of varieties.”

According to the rating standards in Vietnam TCVN 4391:2009: “Hotel is a tourist accommodation establishment with a size of 10 bedrooms or more, ensuring the quality of facilities, equipment and necessary services serve customers ".

Along with the strong development of economy and social life, tourism activities, including hotel business, have also continuously developed in both width and depth The concept of the hotel is also improving day by day, reflecting its level and extent.

According to a group of American authors in the book "Welcome to hospitality", published in 1995, a hotel is defined as follows: "A hotel is a place where anyone can pay to rent a room to spend the night there Each bedroom for rent inside must have at least 2 small rooms (bedroom and bathroom) Each guest room must have a bed, telephone and television In addition to the sleeping service, there can also be additional services such as:Luggage service, business center (with office equipment), restaurant, bar and some entertainment services Hotels can be built near or inside commercial areas, resorts or airports.

The above concept of hotel has helped to distinguish hotels quite specifically from other types of accommodation establishments It is also consistent with the development trend of hotels in the current period.

Up to now, the concept of hotel business has been understood in many different ways, but all summarize about the production and consumption of services Due to the development of today's society, people have recognized both the broad and narrow meanings of the concept of hotel business The broad meaning is the activity of providing services to serve the needs of rest and dining for guests In the narrow sense, it only ensures the service of sleeping and resting needs of guests.

According to the hotel business conditions according to the latest regulations: "Hotel business is a business activity based on the provision of accommodation, food and beverage services and additional services to guests in order to meet their food, lodging and entertainment requirements of visitors at tourist destinations for the purpose of making a profit."

Hotel business depends on tourism resources at tourist destinations Hotel business can only be successfully conducted in places where tourism resources are available because tourism resources are the motivating factors for people to travel The most important customer of a hotel is tourists.

So obviously tourism resources have a very strong influence on the business of the hotel The value and attractiveness of tourism resources determine the ranking of hotels Therefore, when investing in the hotel business, it is necessary to carefully study the parameters of tourism resources as well as the target customer groups and potential customers who are attracted to the tourist destination When the objective conditions affecting the value and attractiveness of tourism resources change, it will require the adjustment of the hotel's technical facilities accordingly Besides, architectural features and the characteristics of the technical facilities of hotels in tourist destinations also have an effect on increasing or decreasing the value of tourism resources in tourist centers.

Hotel business requires a large amount of investment capital

As we can see, unlike other types of businesses that can grow from small to large, the hotel business wants to be successful from the beginning, it must invest a lot in terms of facilities to create its own level because the high quality of hotel products requires the hotel's facilities to be of the same high quality.

In addition, in order to build a hotel business, the cost of infrastructure and land for hotel construction is very high because hotels that want to do well must have a beautiful and convenient location for guests With such locations, land prices also become higher.

The hotel business requires a relatively large amount of direct labor The hotel's products are mainly of a service nature, and this service cannot be mechanized but can only be performed by the service staff in the hotel Labor time depends on the time of consumption of products and services of customers, usually 24 hours a day Therefore, it is necessary to use a large number of direct service workers in the hotel With this feature, hotel managers always face the difficulty of relatively high direct labor costs; it is difficult to reduce this cost without affecting the quality of service for guests.

On the other hand, the manager also faces difficulty in recruiting, selecting, and allocating human resources In seasonal business conditions, hotel managers often consider reducing labor costs reasonably as a big challenge for them.

The rule of the hotel business

The hotel business is governed by a number of laws: Laws of nature; laws of economy - society; laws of human psychology

For example, the hotel business depends on tourism resources.Especially natural resources with repeated fluctuations of weather and climate during the year It always changes according to the law of value and the attraction of resources to tourists Therefore, it causes seasonal fluctuations in the amount of tourism demand to tourist destinations Thus creating a seasonal change in the business Especially resort hotels in tourist destinations near the sea and mountains The problem for hotels is to study the rules and their impact on them Hotels should also proactively come up with effective solutions to overcome their adverse effects and promote their beneficial effects to develop their business.

Meaning of hotel business

- Being a key activity in the tourism sector and carrying out significant duties for the sector.

- A portion of the people's consumption money is used for the consumption of services and goods offered by hotels at tourist locations through the hotel's lodging and food operations As a result, the hotel industry also boosts the local and national GDP.

- The growth of the hotel industry helps increase domestic and international investment capital by releasing unused money from the populace.

- The hotel industry constantly needs a sizable amount of direct labor. Therefore, expanding the hotel industry helps to provide a lot of employment opportunities.

- The hotel industry helps to preserve and restore the working capacity and productivity of people by addressing people's desire for rest while traveling.

- The hotel business also increases the need to learn about the historical and cultural relics of the country and the achievements of its construction and defense, contributing to the education of patriotism and people's pride for the younger generation.

- The hotel business also creates favorable conditions for meetings and exchanges between people from anywhere, anytime, and from different countries and continents in the world This increases the significance of the tourism business in general and the hotel business in particular for the sake of peace, friendship, and great solidarity among all nations.

- The hotel business is the place to witness the signing events of important political and economic documents in the country and the world.Therefore, the hotel business contributes positively to the development of exchanges between countries and peoples around the world in many different aspects.

Concept of restaurant and food&beverage department in the restaurant

A restaurant is an establishment that specializes in the preparation and serving of food and drinks to customers who come to buy and eat there In addition, many restaurants also offer the service of wrapping dishes for customers to "take away" instead of eating at the restaurant (According to Wikipedia)

A restaurant is an integral part of a modern hotel that organizes the business of serving food with high quality during guests' stays at the hotel with a definite capital source and operates for profit purposes.

2.3.2 The concept of food and beverage department and the food service process

2.3.2.1 The concept of the food and beverage department

F&B stands for food and beverage, known as a type of food service in restaurants, hotels, resorts, and food stalls.

You can find F&B services in hotels and independent F&B businesses (restaurants, bars, cafes, pubs, etc.) F&B services in hotels and independent businesses are not the same In addition to providing food services for guests staying at the hotel, F&B services also provide other services such as organizing parties, birthdays, and other events at the request of guests. restaurants, etc At large hotels with a large number of employees, F&B is also in charge of catering for hotel staff.

The scope of F&B activities in each place is also very different In large hotels with full facilities, there will be a refreshment counter and a separate dining area In smaller hotels, F&B services will only be provided in a certain space.

2.3.2.2 The concept of the food service process

The food service process is a combination of professional operations conducted by employees in successive stages that are closely related to each other in order to bring customers the highest satisfaction in terms of service quality and food quality in that restaurant.

Regardless of whether it is a large-scale restaurant or a popular restaurant, in order to serve customers smoothly, efficiently, and satisfy them, it is necessary to strictly follow the standard food service process Depending on the scale and business strategy of each establishment, the requirements for implementing the food service process may increase or decrease the number of steps accordingly.

The concept of restaurant business

Restaurant business is the operation of an apparatus from the management, supervision, reception, cashiers, and service staff to the bartender or kitchen department Each department will be trained according to a methodical process, focusing on its main business to serve customers in the best way and bring in revenue and profit for the restaurant.

Characteristics of restaurant business

The restaurant business is an indispensable business segment in hotels. Especially when life is increasingly improved, eating is no longer just to satisfy human physiological needs; it is also to satisfy psychological needs. The following are the characteristics of the hotel-restaurant business:

- The hotel's guest source is very diverse and rich; its customers come from many different regions Therefore, the hotel must organize meals to suit the culinary culture of the region where the guests come; it cannot force guests to follow the hotel.

- The restaurant business in the hotel needs to have infrastructure and professional and enthusiastic staff to bring guests the most comfortable moments Customers are mainly on tour or come for the purpose of organizing a party, so customers always expect to get better service at home.

- Customers always want to receive the best service; food service must be the most convenient for customers.

The role of the restaurant business

The food service business is an integral part of modern hotel businesses, including the production, sale, and service of food and beverages to guests with the aim of increasing revenue and making profits The food service business in the hotel plays the following important roles:

- The food service business is one of the most important activities in the hotel This service is aimed at satisfying the essential needs of guests when they stay at the hotel as well as the number of visitors in that area.

- If there is a lack of food and beverage service in the hotel business, it will be completely lacking in synchronization, not achieve the "star" standard, and reduce business efficiency because it does not fully exploit the payment ability of guests At the same time, due to the lack of convenience in satisfying the daily dining needs of guests, the hotel's guest source will be reduced.

- The catering service in the hotel ensures the provision of dishes with a beautiful appearance and good quality, meeting the needs of many guests with different customs, ages, genders and preferences Therefore, food service will be the bridge to attract guests to the hotel and consume other services such as accommodation and additional services.

- With good quality and diversity and abundance in business activities, catering services will also determine the reputation and rank of the hotel In other words, the food service business will play an important role in the process of propagating and advertising the hotel brand with consumers and tourists.

- The food service business will contribute to solving the problem of jobs for the hotel's workforce, increasing income for employees The food service business in the hotel also helps the consumption of agricultural products

(food, food, vegetables, ) and helps the food processing industry of Vietnam develop more and more.

The meaning of restaurant in the hotel business

The hotel business is a unified block, including accommodation services, catering, and additional services attached The restaurant business is an activity that plays an indispensable role in the hotel business; it ensures to satisfy one of the basic needs of tourists, contributing to meeting the increasing demands of customers.

If the hotel provides catering services, it will facilitate visitors during their stay, fully meet the diverse needs of guests, fully exploit their solvency, and bring high profits for the hotel This means that the economic efficiency of the hotel-restaurant business is not only reflected in the number of losses and profits, but more importantly, it contributes to the synchronization of the product system to meet the diverse needs of different customer types.

The restaurant business contributes positively to attracting guests to the hotel If the hotel's restaurant provides products that cannot meet the needs of guests, it will not only affect the operation of the restaurant but also directly affect its reputation and ability to attract guests hotel.

A restaurant serving high-quality food and meeting the expectations of guests at a reasonable price will contribute positively to the growth of demand for the hotel Through the quality of its service, the restaurant creates energy that is attractive, attracting guests to the hotel and contributing to prolonging their stay.

The restaurant business contributes to increasing revenue and profit for hotels The role of the restaurant in the hotel business is in fact very clearly demonstrated by the percentage of revenue and profit that the restaurant business contributes to the total revenue and profit of the whole hotel.

2.7.2 Implications for the tourism industry

In order to fulfill the aims of a guest's travel adventure, guests must first satisfy two important needs: eating and resting Sometimes traveling is motivated by the desire to try new dishes from different areas As a result, in the development of tourism, the restaurant business is an important aspect of providing the daily vital needs of guests, as well as one of the factors that satisfy the goal of the guest's trip.

The restaurant business is one of the important parts of the tourism business, so the development of the restaurant business plays an important role in the tourism business, such as:

- Contributing to the exploitation of local tourism resources: as mentioned above, the need for food is one of the needs that cannot be separated from the journey to enjoy the value of tourism resources in an area.

If an area does not have food service units, visitors cannot make their trip On the other hand, the catering business in general and the restaurant business in particular also exploit the value of local culinary culture in their businesses through the food and service styles of their staff.

– Through the exploitation of local dishes, the restaurant business also actively contributes to preserving the unique culinary and cultural values of a region, a region, and a country.

– Through enjoying the food provided by the restaurant, visitors will learn more about the customs, habits, and culture imbued with the national identity of each region of the country Enjoying the delicious food expressed through the presentation, quality, taste, and service style of the serving staff,visitors will feel the quintessence of the culinary art and, from there, contribute to the accumulation of more experience of the tour and thus make a positive contribution to the assessment of the quality of tourists about the local and national tourism products.

Some factors affecting communication skill

There are many types of communication skills that employees need to acquire and practice to become fluent English speakers These skills can be used in combination in different communication situations.

Listening is an essential skill in the process of communicating with customers Listening skills help focus on listening to everyday stories, answer customers' questions by analyzing, contributing ideas, and asking for more information, etc., which will help close the distance and increase intimacy confidentiality between service staff and customers.

The friendliness that contributes to effective communication (trust and understanding) is guaranteed by two factors: sincerity and kindness Staff can start a conversation with guests with everyday questions about their hometown, place of residence, weather, or health status with a positive attitude and always keep a smile on their lips with compliments to help foster trust and sincerity with customers, thereby promoting work efficiency.

Confidence is the key to product presentation Confidence is shown through eye contact and smiles when exchanging information with customers.Besides, confidence will help you succeed in convincing customers to use your products and services.

Mandila Beach Hotel

Address : 218 Võ Nguyên Giáp, Quận Sơn Trà, Đà Nẵng

Located in a prime location - Vo Nguyen Giap street, MandilaBeach Hotel has a panoramic view of My Khe beach - one of the most attractive coastlines in the world with white sand, clear blue water and stunning beauty wonder of tropical nature The hotel was built in 2017, the architectural design is modern in style, honoring the delicate minimalism and harmonious colors to bring guests an unforgettable experience The hotel has a system of 128 luxury rooms and 02 apartments, most of which have beautiful beach views Besides, the hotel also owns modern facilities such as gym, infinity pool, rooftop bar as well as wellness spa area

Besides the comfortable bedroom system, Mandila Beach Hotel also offers guests a wonderful culinary experience Whether you are a guest staying at the hotel or just stopping by to enjoy a hot meal at the restaurant, The Wooden House always brings you deliciousness in every meal Or you can come to Halo Bar to meet friends or enjoy wonderful relaxing moments, sipping a cup of hot coffee or a refreshing tropical cocktail.

The visitor can spend a day exploring other attractive tourist destinations Possessing a prime golden location, from Mandila Beach Hotel, guests can easily move and visit and explore nearby landmarks In addition, the hotel also provides extremely convenient transportation services.

From hotel to airport and vice versa: 3 km (15 minutes).

Hoi An Ancient Town: 25.7 km (37 minutes).

Son Tra Peninsula: 5.9km (9 minutes).

Linh Ung Pagoda: 8.2 km (12 minutes).

Ba Na Nui Chua: 28.8km (40 minutes).

The hotel provides accommodation business, food and drink business,and some additional services such as spa, sport, organizing conferences and seminars, getting a party reservation etc With the steady leadership of the

Management Board and the dedicated service of the staff, Mandila Danang Beach Hotel has been and will satisfy and attract more and more visitors here. Currently, the number of rooms of the hotel is relatively large with many types of rooms to meet the needs of many different types of guests, the hotel targets many groups of customers to exploit, but the number of tourists mainly come to hotels in the country are public visitors and foreign guests. Besides, on the one hand, the hotel focuses on researching the main market of the hotel to penetrate more deeply to expand market share for the hotel, on the other hand, it continues to approach new customer markets, potential customers to expand its business In addition, the hotel also strengthens training and retraining to improve the professional skills of staff at key stages of the hotel

From the results of production and business activities of the hotel, it has been shown that the strength of the hotel is the accommodation business, with a reasonable management apparatus, with a staff of highly qualified professional staff, plus guests The hotel has a diversified and modern hotel system, with customers who are often service guests, so the trend of development, focusing on the hotel's accommodation services is the right direction, and the training and compensation Staff maintenance is a job that not only the hotel but also other businesses are aiming at.

Mandila Beach Hotel’s Operation System

Figure 1 The diagram of Mandila Beach Hotel’s organization

3.2.2 Functions and tasks of each department at Mandila Beach Hotel: Most departments in the hotel must work in shifts, which are separated into one, two, or three shifts based on the goals and nature of the work. Typically, the morning shift runs from 6:00 to 14:00, the afternoon shift from 14:00 to 22:00, and the night shift from 22:00 to 6:00 the next morning Work shifts must arrive 15 to 30 minutes in advance to change shifts and prepare for the job However, there are some business-hour departments at the hotel, such as human resources, sales, and so on I would like to give three major sections that define the operation and services of a hotel as follows.

The Mandila Beach Hotel's food and beverage operations generate significant revenue for the establishment Additionally, food service goes beyond just providing meals on a daily basis and includes events like weddings, conferences, seminars, etc Making a menu to meet the psychological demands of the guests since the food department is the one that directly interacts with them by serving them and collecting their tastes for the kitchen department Besides,serving daily meals to patrons as well as catering to the requirements of large and small parties is the primary responsibility of the culinary department in the hotel restaurant The following actions are taken to concretely accomplish those tasks:

- Make sure the room is cleanly and neatly organized.

- Ensure that the dining area, banquet room, and all tools and equipment used to serve visitors are clean.

- Take precautions to ensure the guests' food safety.

The front desk department is likened to the face of the hotel in communicating and creating relationships with customers, suppliers and partners This department is the bridge between customers and hotel services. This is also an effective assistant of the management in consulting and giving suggestions on the situation of the hotel, the needs of the market, the tastes of customers, future trends, etc., helping the board of directors grasp the situation Guests staying, information on the structure of guests, the source of guests from which to make changes and plans to bring the highest business efficiency to the hotel That task is concretized through the following activities:

- Welcome, receive, handle customer requests and transfer customer information to relevant departments.

- Guide guests, provide check-in and check-out procedures for guests, and collect fees if guests use other products and services in the hotel

- Store guest s’information on the system and report to management on the operation's situation.

- Link and support other departments to complete tasks.

Housekeeping department at Mandila Beach Hotel is the main service provider at the hotel, bringing in the highest revenue in the total revenue of the hotel, is responsible for the rest of the customer's stay at the hotel, and closely and consistently coordinates with the front desk department in selling and providing room service The room department can be divided into small parts with separate functions, more specifically: housekeeping department,laundry department, cloth store, public cleaning department, This department has the following main tasks:

- Preparing rooms, ensuring clean rooms, and always being ready to receive guests.

- Cleaning of rooms, lobby areas, and public areas daily.

- Checking room status, equipment, and other items and products in the room when cleaning.

- Receiving and delivering guest services; reporting related issues to front desk staff.

- Understanding the situation of guests renting the room.

- Coordinating with other departments to serve customers.

English Communication Skills In The Hotel- Restaurant

As the most widely used language in the world, English serves as a bridge between communities, social relationships, and business transactions. Many industries, particularly the hospitality industry, always require their staff to be fluent in English communication skills.

3.3.1 Definition of English communication skills

English communication skills are an organization of rules, behaviors, and interactions derived through daily communication experiences. Communication skills are the exchanges and interactions that occur between speakers and listeners in order to transmit thoughts and ideas and achieve the conversation's aim.

3.3.2 The importance of English communication skills

98% of employers prefer candidates who speak a foreign language to those who do not In addition, up to 95% of firms are ready to pay up to 30% more for candidates who speak English.

Furthermore, because English is the business language, you can fully own the opportunity to work without geographical constraints, exchange cooperation with many foreign partners, and so on.

As can be shown, English has a significant impact on labor productivity, efficiency, and the ability to adapt and learn quickly.

With a foreign language, you can gain access to numerous world cultures and establish acquaintances with many foreigners With a sound communication foundation, you may quickly expand business relationships with partners, clients, and superiors.

3.3.3 Aims of using English in communication

Nowadays, English has become the common language of everyone in the world, so in order to thoroughly understand and best serve customers, English communication skills are the key to communicating with foreign guests.Many restaurants and hotels always require the ability to communicate in English for their staff; this is considered a mandatory skill to be able to communicate with customers in order to serve thoughtfully and most devotedly.

- Expanding job opportunities and a competitive salary

Personnel in the tourism industry who use fluent English communication skills have a huge advantage in their work Besides the factors of skill and professional knowledge, English communication skills are the top criteria in many restaurants and hotels Employers always prioritize candidates with good English communication skills, and that is one of the most important factors in improving your chances of applying for a job Besides, possessing good English communication skills will also be favored and often result in an attractive salary.

- Working with and exchanging international managers

Many large hotel-restaurant chains have foreign managers, so to be able to operate in that environment, it is necessary to have English communication skills to be able to easily exchange jobs with all levels of management.

English communication skills make it convenient and easy to transmit information about all restaurant and hotel operations from staff to foreign managers and vice versa, which helps improve the quality of operations as well as the consistency of the personnel apparatus of the hotel and restaurant.

- Obtaining prospects for career advancement

If other employees in the same position have the same abilities and experience, having strong English communication skills will be crucial to your chances of promotion.

Many restaurants and hotels regularly create opportunities for their employees to attend training courses on English communication skills to improve their skills for career development Therefore, this will be the best criterion for them to select qualified employees for higher positions.

The Current Situation Of Staff Quality In English Communication

Evaluating employee accurately and objectively is not only the task of the human resources department but also the concern of Food and Beverage manager To accurately assess the capacity of employees, managers need to set specific criteria for reference The purpose of employee evaluation can be:

- Review the contract and resign.

Human resource managers often choose the following criteria as a basis for personnel evaluation:

- Complying with working hours and labor regulations

- Complying with company rules and regulations

- Dressing neatly and cleanly in the correct uniform

- Maintaining general hygiene and hygiene in the workplace

- Being friendly with managers, colleagues and customers

- Quickly and promptly dealing with customer requests.

- Caring for customers carefully and thoughtfully, and satisfying their needs.

- Understanding the duties of the job.

- Having professional knowledge relevant to the job.

- Obeying the orders of the manager

- Planning and task management skills

- Ability to adapt to work or work pressure

3.4.2 English communication skills of employees

English is now widely used in Vietnam and other countries throughout the world As a result, many hotels and restaurants prefer workers who are fluent in English For the bulk of staff members in the Mandila Beach Hotel's Food and Beverage department, communication skills rank among the most crucial but challenging English abilities The hotel's visitor base is now extremely diverse, and the majority of the employees must interact with guests daily in English Although it is challenging, the staff is still working to improve their English communication skills in order to provide the finest service possible to visitors to the restaurant at the Mandila Beach hotel.

ANALYSIS AND EVALUATION

Hotel business in recent years

4.1.1 Guest’s Arrival at Mandila Beach Hotel from 2020 to 2022

Table 1: Structure of guests coming to Mandila Beach Hotel from 2020 to 2022

The table shows the number of guests coming to Mandila Beach hotel from 2020 to 2022.

Overall, the amount of visitors who came to Mandila Beach Hotel decreased significantly between 2020 and 2021 as a result of the covid epidemic, and then increased sharply in 2022 Moreover, the number of domestic tourists is higher than the number of international tourists.

In 2020, 21,809 guests were the total number of this year, in which domestic tourists made up 15,864 (72.7%), while the figure for international visitors was 5,945 (27,3%).

The total number of guests decreased by approximately 13,500 in 2021.

In particular, domestic tourists dropped from 15,865 to 6,250 (77%) and from 5,945 to 1,865 (23%) The rate of decline is fairly large due to the COVID-19 padamic all over the world, and it affects many hotels in Da Nang and Mandila Beach Hotel as well According to a report from the sales department, visitors to the Mandila Beach hotel sharply decreased in the first few months of 2021 By the beginning of March 2021, there were 63% fewer visits than there had been during the same time last year This can be explained by the fact that fewer people traveled as a result of the COVID-19 epidemic As a result, 80 percent of early 2021 hotel reservations have been canceled This has a significant impact on the hotel's business.

With approval to completely open to tourists on March 15, 2022, it is a crucial turning point for the tourism sector as it recovers in 2022 The overall number of tourists has significantly increased, with domestic visitors making up 18,731 (70,8%) and foreign visitors making up 7,742 (29,2%) of the total.With such a remarkable return, the hotel has made a lot of profit, and 2022 is also seen as a year of significant transition for the travel and tourism sectors.

Total Domestic Tourists International Tourists

Chart 1: Number of visitors to Mandila Beach Hotel in recent years

4.1.2 Guest’s arrival at restaurant of hotel from 2020 to 2022

Table 2: The structure of guests at restaurant of hotel

(Source: Sales & Marketing Department)The table illustrates the amount of guests visiting the restaurant atMandila Beach Hotel between 2020 and 2022.

It is obvious that the number of guests coming to the restaurant decreased during the given period Notably, the highest quantity of guests belonged to domestic tourists.

It is obvious that the number of visitors to the restaurant decreased between 2020 and 2021 and then increased sharply in 2022 Notably, the highest number of visitors belonged to domestic visitors.

Vietnam's tourist arrivals were by far the highest among the total number of tourists visiting the Mandila Beach Hotel's restaurant, with about 5929 guests (62,47%) in 2020 and 2135 guests (65%) in 2021 On the other hand, the number of Vietnamese visitors to the restaurant increased sharply in 2022, with about 8964 guests (63,88%) In 2020, there were about 1731 Indian guests (18,24%) coming to the restaurant; then, because of the COVID epidemic, the number of guests was reduced in the next year, to about 537 guests (16,35%) in 2022, and gradually increased again to 2155 guests

During the period 2020–2021, the number of visitors in Korea to the restaurant decreased sharply from 725 (7,64%) to 220 (6,67%), followed by the number of other visitors from 720 (7,59%) to 213 (6,5%) Americans were no exception, decreasing slightly in the same period from 385 guests (%) to

180 guests (%) And also because of the strong return of tourists to the hotel in 2022, the number of guests coming to use the service at the restaurant also increased dramatically; specifically, the number of Korean guests increased sharply to 1072 guests (7,64%), visitors from other countries increased to 986 guests (7,03%), and visitors from the America also increased to 855 guests(6,09%).

Number of visitors to the restaurant in recent years

Labor

Table 3 Labors of structure of reception department at Mandila Beach Hotel

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Table 3 above shows the labor structure of the Food and Beverage department at the Mandila Beach Hotel According to each element in the table, we can infer a few observations about the employees in the food and beverage department, such as:

The staff at the F&B Department is composed of 20 employees, including four heads of F&B and 16 servers In the normal season, the number of staff here will be enough for the morning and afternoon shifts, but in the peak season, there will be a shortage of personnel, leading to the need to recruit more short-term casuals to serve guests.

The majority of the F&B crew at the Mandila Beach Hotel is youthful, which makes them well-suited to working under pressure and fitting in with the schedule requirements for the F&B department The majority of them are under 32, which makes them incredibly active and constantly progressing at work.

The majority of the staff members are effervescent, sincere, and friendly with one another because they are all young Additionally, they can handle situations quickly and adaptably Because providing high-quality service is their primary priority, they should be in charge of the task and assist and support other employees in doing it The job does occasionally contain mistakes, though, and handling the problem is not particularly intelligent because of the lack of experience.

Most of the department heads all have university degrees, while the service staff have a variety of qualifications, such as university, college, and intermediate school Therefore, the language level is also different Some staff have English qualifications, but their English communication is not good, and there are a few who are completely poor in this area So this is also one of the points that need to be improved in the F&B department Each employee of the department must be well-groomed, free from respiratory illnesses or disabilities, without any communication impairments like lisps or stuttering,and without any tattoos.

Activities Using English Communication Skills Of The Food And

Table 4 Guests evaluation about the importance of English communication skills of the staff of food and beverage department

Unimportant Neutral Important Very important

Giving instructions about the hotel

Explaining customers' questions about the ingredients of food and drinks in the restaurant

Introducing foods and drinks on the menu to foreign guests

Resolving customer complaints about the restaurant.

Customers in the F&B department are not only domestic but also international Therefore, being good at foreign languages (usually English) is almost a mandatory requirement for staff to become professional staff in the hotel's restaurant Here are some customer reviews to highlight the importance of English communication.

According to the survey, over half of the respondents (42.3%) believed that having good English communication skills was “very important” for welcoming and greeting guests The next statistic was the proportion of visitors who thought it was “important”, which was 27.4% The percentage of guests who perceived themselves as “neutral” and “very unimportant” accounted for the same percentage, 12.4% The remaining 5.5% of visitors were those who believed it was “unimportant”.

The ability to communicate effectively in English also made a big difference when answering phone calls The percentage of visitors who believed this to be “important” and “very important” was virtually equal, at 33.3% and 32.3%, respectively Next to 15.4%, 11.9%, and 7% were the percentages of guests with “neutral”, “unimportant”, and “very unimportant” reviews, respectively.

Additionally, giving instructions about the hotel was also one of the things that F&B staff should pay attention to 31.8% of customers rate this as

“very important”, accounting for the highest percentage Next was the ratio of

“important” and “neutral” ratings, which also had roughly equal percentages at 26.4% and 23.9%, respectively The remaining 10% and 8% were classified as “very unimportant” and “unimportant”, respectively.

Explaining to clients their queries about the ingredients of the food and drinks at the restaurant was the next task that required the English communication skills of the F&B staff Up to 39.8% of customers rated this as “very important” to their trip Because when enjoying a dish in another country, they cared a lot about the ingredients and taste of that dish so that they felt secure when enjoying it The second highest rate was the “important” assessment rate, accounting for 31.3% The number of “neutral”,

“unimportant”, and “very unimportant” guests accounted for a percentage of 10.9% and 9.9%, respectively (equally unimportant and very unimportant). The task of explaining the menu items to international visitors was another one where proficiency in English communication was crucial This was a crucial activity for raising revenue for the hotel as a whole The percentage of guests who rate this as “very important” accounts for 41.8%. Immediately followed by “important” reviews, they accounted for 28.9%. And 11.9%, 11.4%, and 6% were the percentages rated as “very unimportant”, “neutral”, and “unimportant”, respectively.

Introducing Vietnamese culture to foreign tourists was also an activity that required English communication skills Being introduced to one's hometown by others was something of great pride Visitors to Vietnam also wanted to know about the behavior and culture of the place they were visiting This accounted for 35.3% of guests rating it as “very important”. Followed by the percentage of guests who rated it as “important”, accounting for 31.3% Additionally, the frequencies of “neutral”, “unimportant”, and

“very unimportant” were 15.4%, 11.9%, and 6%, respectively.

In addition, giving directions was also an activity that required staff's English communication skills Guests might feel supported and cared for when they receive dedicated directions 32.3% of guests gave this “very important” rating And followed by the “important” rating rate (28.9%).

“Neutral”, “unimportant”, and “very unimportant” assessments accounted for 20.4%, 10.4%, and 8%, respectively.

The last but arguably the most important activity was dealing with customer complaints about the restaurant During the service process, it was normal for occasional problems to occur, and it was important to know how to solve those problems This was an activity that required staff's English communication skills In this regard, up to 40.8% of guests rated it “very important” Followed by 30.8% with an important rating In addition, the rate of “neutral”, “very unimportant”, and “unimportant” evaluations also accounted for 13.4%, 11.9%, and 3%, respectively.

Evaluation

4.4.1 Evaluation of guests about the staff quality in restaurant at Mandila Beach Hotel.

To evaluate the English communication skills of the staff of the Food and Beverage Department of Mandila Beach Hotel, an investigation was made A sample of the questionnaire was answered by tourists who came to the restaurant Accordingly, the survey subjects were randomly selected from

201 tourists, distributed equally from March 28 to April 30, 2023.

Table 5 The guests’ information provided through the questionnaire

Norm The number of people %

Satisfaction tier of the Food and

According to the survey, those between the ages of 18 and 30 made up the least number of respondents (10.9%), followed by those over 40 (26.9%), and those between the ages of 31 and 40 (62.2%) As we can see, there are significant differences in the percentages among the three age groups.

There are 37.8% international visitors to he restaurant, the majority of whom are from America 22.4% of the population is still Korean, followed by21.9%, 10%, and 8% of Indians, people from other countries, and Japanese Most visitors prefer to travel independently, in groups of friends, or with their families 50.2 % of first-time visitors, 27.9 % of respondents who had been at the hotel more than twice, and 21.9 % of repeat guests reported having stayed there To suit the needs of its guests, the restaurant at MandilaBeach Hotel is outfitted with cutting-edge technical tools and alluring entertainment venues In addition, each member of the Food and BeverageDepartment's personnel has a professional education and extensive customer service experience

The majority of visitors to the hotel spend a significant amount of time there, with an estimated 50.2% of them staying for two to five nights Next, with 25.4%, were visitors who stayed over the night The majority of the visitors in this group are business travelers on short trips alone Long-term tourists who wanted to unwind on their trip made up the remaining 14.9% and 9.5% of the total Sometimes a group of friends traveling together check into the hotel By representing 42.3%, this number is quite large Visitors traveling with family made up 25.4% of the total, followed by tourists traveling alone, who made up 32.3% of the total.

The investigation found that 32.8% of people had heard of the hotel online It is quite simple to find information on the Mandila Beach Hotel in the age of technological advancement (4.0) Visitors learned about the hotel from friends in 26.4% of cases, travel agents in 24.9% of cases, and other sources in 15.9% of cases.

Thanks to the good service that the restaurant provides to guests, their feedback about the hotel also becomes positive More than half of the guests rated the restaurant as “very satisfied” (50.2%) “Satisfied” customers also accounted for 31.8% However, there is still some negative feedback somewhere The number of “dissatisfied” and “very dissatisfied” customers accounted for 3% and 6%, respectively.

4.4.2 Guests' evaluation of the staff of the Food and Beverage atMandila Beach Hotel

Table 6 Guests’ review of the servers

Satisfaction tier of the servers

- Guests' evaluation of the server’s uniform:

The server's uniform is a collared shirt that is combined with a colored skirt and a shirt that looks very eye-catching and polite In particular, visitors often come to the hotel to relax and be served in the most attentive and enthusiastic way, so this suit is suitable for all activities taking place at the restaurant and meets all the requirements of the customers quickly and conveniently That's why the server's uniform is very impressive.

- Guests' evaluation of the server’s serving attitude:

Most guests reported being extremely satisfied and satisfied with the way they were served, this figure accounted for the majority of the total survey Furthermore, the server's attitude toward serving was not given a poor review.

- Guests' evaluation of the staff’s foreign language:

Foreign languages are very common in hotels, and hotel staff are often given priority to speak foreign languages The staff of the food and beverage department is no exception; they are the people who are in direct contact with customers every day, just behind the front desk, so English proficiency is essential But now this is still limited in the food and beverage department of the Mandila Beach hotel.

4.4.3 Evaluation of guests about English communication skills of the staff.

Table 7 Guests’s evaluation about English communication skills

English communication skills of the staff.

Satisfie d Neutral Dissatisfied Very dissatisfied

With body language for communication 15.4% 30.3% 16.9% 17.9% 19.4%

Clarity and coherence 16.9% 19.9% 24.4% 21.9% 16.9% The comfort of communicating with guests

According to the survey, the number of guests' evaluations of the English communication skills of the food service staff at Mandila Beach Hotel ranged from very satisfied to very dissatisfied This number brings an alarming situation to the staff of this department.

The rate of customer dissatisfaction (26.4%) had the largest proportion in terms of confidence when communicating with consumers, followed by neutral and “very satisfied” reviews with the same number of reviews, both at 21.9% Followed by satisfaction, which accounts for 18.9% and is still up to 10.9% of very dissatisfied reviews Through the above data, we can easily see that confidence when communicating affects the process of serving foreign guests.

When communicating with customers, body language is equally important Customers are satisfied with the way staff communicate via body language in about 30.3% of cases Very dissatisfied, which accounted for the second highest rate in the rating table with an unusual 19.4%, came right after the satisfaction review Neutral and dissatisfied follow, with 17.9% and 16.9%, respectively Only 15.4% of guests reported being very satisfied, which is the lowest percentage.

The next factor is how clearly staff communicate with customers in English and how coherently they do so The greatest percentage of guests with neutral ratings was 24.4% The rating rates for dissatisfaction and satisfaction are then 21.9% and 19.9%, respectively Finally, the ratings of very dissatisfied and very satisfied contributed the same 16.9% ratio The same ratio exists, but the two ratings are diametrically opposed.

Right after that is the staff's comfort when communicating in English with foreign guests.According to the survey, this problem had the highest percentage of very dissatisfied assessments (21.9%), a startling figure that demands quick attention from employees Followed by neutral, satisfied, and very satisfied ratings of 20.9% and 19.9%, respectively (satisfied and very satisfied share the same rating) Finally, the rating is not satisfied with 17.4%.

The ability of the staff to listen to English is one of the next equally crucial evaluations Because listening to English is essential before attempting to communicate in it In this category, dissatisfaction ranks highest with a 24.4% share Then, 22.9% and 21.9% of people are satisfied and very satisfied, respectively, which is not bad in this regard The next two review categories, which combined for 15.4%, were neutral and very dissatisfied. Last but not least is the assessment of the staff's English-speaking ability. It's really bad that 23.9% of guests are very dissatisfied with the English- speaking ability of the food service staff Followed by very satisfied with 20.9% Satisfied and dissatisfied reviews accounted for the same proportion of 18.9%, and the amount of neutral reviews accounted for 17.4% Through the survey, we can see that the problem of employees speaking English is not good and is really urgent As an employee of a 4-star hotel, serving foreign customers every day is inevitable No matter how good the service quality or the hotel's policies are, without communication and connection, everything will no longer make sense.

Strengths and Weaknesses

+ The hotel's human resources are extensive and of excellent quality, with staff who are responsible, eager, incredibly active, and always progressive at work.

+ Always try to bring guests closeness and friendliness and be ready to help guests at any time.

+ Be aware of your own limitations and always try to learn and improve your knowledge of English communication skills.

+ Always participate fully and responsibly in English training sessions at the company.

+ Not afraid of difficulties and always seek help from managers, supervisors, or people with higher knowledge in the department to be able to expand their vocabulary as well as their English skills.

+ Being aware of your responsibilities when communicating in English with guests is very important.

+ Some staff's foreign language skills are weak, making communication with international guests problematic.

+ Some personnel have poor communication skills and a lack of passion for clients; there are still a few employees who do not fully know their profession and are unaware of their obligations when delivering service. + Employees do not know how to use body language when communicating in English with customers.

+ Lack of clarity and coherence in speech

+ Not confident as well as feeling really comfortable when talking to guests, creating a feeling of boredom and unfriendliness.

+ The ability to listen and speak English has many limitations in terms of vocabulary as well as grammar.

+ F&B staff's management of complaints is not always effective This affects customers' psychology when assessing the quality of service

+ Some employees are not fully aware of their work and responsibilities;they always have a working mindset to gain experience and find a better working environment.

DIFFICULTIES AND SOLUTIONS

Difficulties

Although the food department of Mandila Beach Hotel is the second- most profitable department after the room division, it still has a lot of difficulties to overcome to become better and better One of the difficulties that need to be faced at the moment is improving the quality of the food department staff Especially, improve the English communication skills of the staff so that they can bring guests the best service quality when coming to the restaurant and give guests the most comfortable and relaxing feeling possible. These are a few of the challenges that the restaurant at the Mandila Beach hotel has faced in this regard.

- Not knowing enough English to communicate effectively, which prevents the restaurant staff from taking orders and taking care of customers.

- Being unable to instruct and direct visitors on matters pertaining to food and beverage.

- Being unable to resolve issues for visitors when they arise.

- Being unable to communicate their objectives and aspirations for working with foreign managers.

- Feeling frightened by clients and lacking the self-assurance to engage them in conversation.

- Failing to capitalize on an opportunity to showcase and market the restaurant's products.

Tiêu đề	An Investigation Into The Real Situation And Some Solutions For Improving English Communication Skills Of The Staff Of The Food And Beverage Department At Mandila Beach Hotel
Tác giả	Bui Pham Bao Tran
Người hướng dẫn	Nguyen Thi Bich Giang, M.A.
Trường học	Duy Tan University
Chuyên ngành	English Linguistics
Thể loại	Graduation Paper
Năm xuất bản	2023
Thành phố	Da Nang

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