How to show welcoming smiles behind your masks

Certainly, a warm and welcoming smile is expressed by a full face and not just the mouth and chin area, and welcoming remarks spoken authentically also help communicate the spirit of hospitality.

As part of the hotel and lodging industry’s eff ort to help guests feel safe about traveling during the current COVID-19 pandemic era, nearly all are requiring hotel staff to wear facemasks.

However, one down-side is of course the fact that our colleagues can no longer share their warm and welcoming smiles as they greet guests at the front entrance, pass by them in hallways and corridors or when serving them in dining and recreational outlets.

Lately, as our trainers have been conducting our “Heart of Hospitality” Certifi cation webcam coaching sessions, many of our participating candidates are expressing that while they recognise the importance of wearing masks, they also feel bad that no one sees their smiles anymore.

Certainly, a warm and welcoming smile is expressed by a full face and not just the mouth and chin area, and welcoming or curtains. Next, crop the photos to zoom-in mostly on the face as one would do for a headshot or passport photo. Then print these pictures on a colour printer for immediate use so you can get in the game today, and order bett er quality copies such as from an online photo printing service or at a local pharmacy chain. I

Doug Kennedy, President, Kennedy Training Network

remarks spoken authentically also help communicate the spirit of hospitality.

However, we wanted to share very simple training tips that seems to be going over well for our hospitality training and certifi cation clients:

First, take photos of your staff members in uniform while briefl y removing their masks and fl ashing their genuine, welcoming smiles we all so badly miss seeing. This does not have to be a professional photoshoot, as an “organic” image may seem more authentic than a professional photoshopped image. Just pick a solid colour

background such as a wall recommend a 4 x 6 size that can be trimmed with scissors, or a sheet of wallet- size pictures.

From there, you can simply tape the picture to hang from the bott om of most name tags or att ach to your staff ’s uniforms with tape or safety pins.

For a more sophisticated looking presentation, order name badge holders that can either hang from a lanyard or bulldog clip.