3.2. Stages of the Training Program
The training program requires a general goal: to increase the preparation of the staff of the Sol Cayo Guillermo hotel, for personalized attention to the client, taking into account their non-verbal preferences. It is structured in three stages related through the actions that are proposed and can be adapted to other contexts where the shortcomings for which it has been made are manifested, meaning it has a referential character. The first stage focuses on the creation of the conditions prior to the development of the training program, the second on its execution, and the third on its evaluation. These stages are described in this section.
FIRST STAGE: Creation of the preconditions for the implementation of the training program.
OBJECTIVE OF THE STAGE: To ensure the preconditions for the implementation of the training program based on the preparation of the personnel.
In this stage, the different actions are planned, the material preconditions are ensured, in terms of human potential, resource planning is coordinated with the actors, and the instrument is applied and tabulated, among other actions. This period is essential to sensitize all participating agents with the need of applying the training program, taking into account social demand to increase customer profitability. The proposed actions (1–3) are offered in
Table 1.
SECOND STAGE: Realization of the training program.
OBJECTIVE OF THE STAGE: To develop training actions for personnel.
At this stage, it is proposed to deploy a space for exchange and deliberation, through a general meeting, in which the selected workers take part. It specifically explains what the preparation for personalized customer service consists of, what aspects are assumed in the training program, how long it lasts, what actions and stages are included, and the theoretical and practical elements that are addressed. The opinions of the participants will be analyzed, considering their preparation needs about the subject under investigation. The actions of this stage (4–6) are shown in
Table 1.
From Action 4 the following characteristics of the groups of guests can be determined:
Group 1. They are characterized by being distant people; they prefer a formal treatment; and they dislike expressions of affection (kisses and hugs). This group prefers the interested and consenting positions, and they are uncomfortable with the negative position. They consider the emotional atmosphere to be relaxed; interaction is considered hostile. They reject the authoritarian and sarcastic tone. They are uncomfortable with quasi-lexical elements.
Group 2. They prefer personal distance. They like expressions of affection the staff toward them. They like positions of consent and interest; they are indifferent to neutral positions; and they are uncomfortable with negative ones. This group perceives the emotional atmosphere as very relaxed and the interaction friendly. This group is indifferent to the authoritarian tone. They are uncomfortable with quasi-lexical elements uhm and ay, and they are indifferent to oil-spitting. Group 3. They are characterized by being repeaters. They are clients adapted to Cuban cultural dynamics, including linguistics. This makes them receptive to staff interactions. They prefer an intimate relationship, given in the preference for a proxemics of this type. They like the expressions of affection of kisses and hugs. The preferred positions are those of consent, neutral, reflective, and of interest. They are uncomfortable with the negative posture. They perceive the emotional environment as relaxed. They are uncomfortable with the authoritarian tone and are indifferent to the sarcastic one. They are not bothered by the quasi-lexical elements heard.
Group 4. They are also repeat customers but prefer a more personal rather than intimate distance. They are indifferent to gestures of affection such as kisses and hugs, but they like the handshake. They like consenting, caring, and neutral positions. The reflective ones are indifferent to him. They perceive the emotional atmosphere relaxed (between 1 and 3 on the presented scale) and friendly (between 1 and 3 on the presented scale). They are uncomfortable with the authoritarian tone; they are indifferent to the sarcastic, and they like the friendly. They are bothered by using the quasi-lexical items evaluated.
Group 5. They are people who prefer a social or even public proximity. They are uncomfortable with expressions of affection (kisses, hugs) and are indifferent even to the handshake. They reject neutral, reflective, and negative positions on the part of the staff. They describe the emotional atmosphere of the hotel as neutral, that is, neither tense nor relaxed, and they consider the situation presented as hostile. They reject the authoritarian tone, and they like the friendly one. They are uncomfortable with all the quasi-lexical items shown.
Group 6. They are uncomfortable with all expressions of affection They like positions of consent and are uncomfortable with others. They value the emotional environment tending toward tense (between 6 and 7 on the presented scale). They perceive the interaction as hostile (between 7 and 8 on the presented scale). They prefer distance to be intimate. They are uncomfortable with the authoritarian tone; and they are indifferent to the tone of the friendly and sarcastic tone. They are uncomfortable with the quasi-lexical elements heard. Unlike the earlier ones, these individuals usually consider any other type of non-verbal gestures such as illustrators, used by the staff as aggressive and conflict-generating language.
From Action 5, a set of custom actions were figured out for each customer group, which are described below.
Group 1. The treatment of this group must be very formal, without excessive expressions that denote annoyance or sarcasm, not a very friendly treatment either.
Group 2. They must show an affable treatment, avoid sudden movements, keep personal distance, and take care that the tone is not imperative or ironic. They should refrain from speaking to other workers in an authoritative tone in the presence of clients.
Group 3. The staff can, with this group, have an intimate and friendly treatment, and they are also very pleased that they have preferential treatment with them that distinguishes them.
Group 4. The staff must treat the client with affection, keeping their distance and taking care not to use the quasi-lexical elements described. In addition, they must take care of the tone so as not to use the authoritarian one. They can be friendly with customers, without excesses.
Group 5. Staff must keep their distance and take care not to use affectionate gestures or personal treatment, as well as expressions that can be perceived as affectionate. They must maintain an interested posture without effusive expressions.
Group 6. The staff must be very careful in dealing with these clients. They require docile treatment from the staff. It is recommended to refrain from physical contact and from making changes in the melodic and tonal curve of the voice. The interlocutor’s gaze should not be diverted, so that it is not considered as inattention and avoid using illustrative gestures as much as possible.
Finally, two training workshops will be held. First, the contents of the non-verbal communication are offered, such as importance, functions, components, and individual preferences. In a second workshop, direct advice is offered to workers for the development of personalized attention actions for non-verbal communication. Finally, suggestions for customer treatment are exchanged with workers, and they are considered according to individual and collective opinions.
THIRD STAGE: Assessment of the transformation.
OBJECTIVE OF THE STAGE: Assess transformations in the subjects involved in the research.
In this final stage, actions are carried out (
Table 1, actions 7 and 8), aimed at determining the opinion of the workers, as well as the preparation achieved with the proposed training program.
Action 7 will be carried out through the documentary review of the complaints reports from the quality and customer service department and the reviews left by customers on the TripAdvisor site (
www.tripadvisor.com, accessed on 14 April 2021).
In Action 8, an analytical cut is made on the filling of the self-transformation record, (
Appendix A) through the exchange with the sample of selected workers, so that they expose each of their advances or setbacks in knowledge and level of preparedness reached on the subject.
Workers are asked to send in writing, after being discussed collectively, the main suggestions that, as participants in the implementation of the training program, contribute to its improvement. The workers are asked to show in an artistic way the transformation that they have been able to experience in their way of acting based on what they have learned in the different work sessions (painting, modeling, poetry, staging, and storytelling).
Finally, they are asked to develop the Positive-Negative-Interesting technique [
38] to record the criteria issued by the participants in the written memory of the application of the training program.