Overview

The hospitality and tourism industry is highly internationalized and global. Employees in the industry often interact with customers from different cultural backgrounds. Intercultural communication can help employees communicate effectively with these customers by allowing them to identify and adapt to cultural differences. ICC helps employees respect the norms of people from other backgrounds and establish effective communication and interaction (Just a moment. . ., z.d.).

The manager of a hotel in Utrecht has been interviewed to write this case.

The hotel is located on the outskirts surrounded by nature and close to the city centre of Utrecht. Most employees in the hotel communicate in Dutch, but there are different nationalities in the hotel. This results in situations where cultural miscommunication can appear.

This case is written by students from the University of Applied Sciences in Amsterdam, Kozminski, Poland & Tecnológico de Monterrey, Mexico.

In this case we will analyze how cultural miscommunications can be managed between Dutch culture and other cultures. The hotel is located in Utrecht and has visitors from all over the world. Therefore, cultural miscommunication can appear. Two situations are explained in more detail.

Cultural Miscommunications

1. One time there were guests visiting the hotel from the east. They asked the employees of the hotel to do a lot of work for them. For example, these guests wanted to go to a soccer game. They expected the employees to arrange and buy the best and most expensive tickets for them. And they also wanted the hotel to pay for the tickets in advance. For this hotel, but probably for most hotels in the Netherlands, their service stops here. In this case the employee of the hotel gave the guests a website where they could buy the soccer game tickets themselves. The hotel wants to give their guests the best possible service, but within limits. Providing this much help is usually not common in the Netherlands.
   
   The guests expected the employees to take care of everything for them. They are used to the fact that an employee is there to help you with whatever you need, that includes arranging tickets for a soccer game. It is inhibitive for them to experience an employee who is not able to help them with things that are actually out of their jurisdiction. But it is also the other way around, which means that it is inhibitive for Dutch hotel employees to provide this much help. They are not used to guests demanding this much service.
   
   The difference between these is probably for the most part the difference in hierarchy. Which means that the hierarchy between employee and guests in the East differs from the hierarchy in the Netherlands. At which the hierarchy in the eastern countries is that customers come first and that the employees provide all the services and help the guest needs. So there is a big hierarchy difference between guest and employee. While in the Netherlands the hierarchy difference between guest and employee is much smaller, and therefore also the amount of services the employees are willing or able to provide.
   
2. Another example was when there were guests visiting the hotel from Israel and they wanted a room with a balcony. Unfortunately this wasn’t possible because but the hotel was completely full, there was only one room and it had no balcony. They wanted this problem solved immediately, but in their hotel that was not possible since they wanted them to move other guests from their room just to give them the room with a balcony.
   
   It might be normal for them that in the place where they arrived all their problems would be solved by the simple fact of being from Israel, but that couldn’t be done there since all the guests have the same value for them and that is something that they don’t understand or don’t have in their culture. They believe that they have the power to send anyone to fulfill the things they want, and with this act they intimidate others, becoming somewhat afraid of what might happen.
   
   In the Netherlands it isn’t so common that they help them as much as they wanted, which is why there was this culture clash between the Israelis and them. In Mexico, on the other hand, it is very common that if you treat the people at the hotel very well, they offer or lend themselves to do you the favors they deem necessary so that you have an excellent experience in the place you are, it depends a lot on how they see you arrive. It’s how they’re going to treat you. At the end of all the Israelis had to take the room without a balcony but they are very upset.

Hofstede Dimensions

Kuwait is an Eastern country. In Kuwait the Power Distance is very high. They have a high score of 90 (out of 100) on this dimension, meaning that it is a society where the less powerful members accept the unequal distribution of power, i.e. the hierarchical order of the society is acknowledged and expected. Their power distance is way higher than in the Netherlands. In the Netherlands the power distance scores 38 out of 100. They have high independence, equal rights and the hierarchy is also low, which means that they don’t strictly follow order because superiors are accessible (Hofstede Insights, No Date). In this case the guests from Kuwait showed that their power distance is high, they are used to the fact that they’re guests, and by that they should be higher in the hierarchy. But because of the low hierarchy and power distance in the Netherlands, the employees were not willing to provide the service the guest wanted.

Kuwait scores low in individualism which means they value long term relationships and family. They have a close group of people around, they help each other and are very loyal. The individualism in the Netherlands is very high. Individuals are expected to take care of themselves (Hofstede Insights, No Date). In this case the guests from Kuwait were expecting the employees of the hotel to help them no matter what. This is a result of the low individualism. But the Dutch employees did not provide this help because they are used to people taking care of their own things.

Lastly, masculinity is higher in Kuwait than in the Netherlands. In the Netherlands not everything is about work. There is a good work/life balance and equality is very important, also at work. In Kuwait there is a little more masculinity which results in the fact that it is important to work hard and be serious about your job (Hofstede Insights, No Date). In this case guests of the hotel expected the Dutch employees to just do what they said, because that’s how it works in their eyes. The employees did not provide that service, because they don’t see that as their job and they don’t see themselves as only help due to equality.

Looking at individualism Israel is a blend of individualism and collectivistic cultures. It’s a culture that values individualism, self-expression, and personal growth. People in this culture may prioritize their own needs and goals, and may not place as much emphasis on group loyalty or tradition. Communication is likely to be open and honest, with people expressing themselves clearly and directly (Hofstede Insights, 2021). This we can see in the miscommunication, the guest prioritized their own needs and goals above the needs and goals from in this case the receptionist and other guests in the hotel. Israel has a blend of masculine and feminine values. It values performance and assertiveness, which are typically associated with masculine cultures. However, it also suggests that showing status through material possessions is also important, which is more characteristic of feminine cultures.

Overall, it can be said that Israel may not fit neatly into either category, and it may be more accurate to describe it as a “balanced” culture (Hofstede Insights, 2021). Although due to the high masculinity the Communication Style Is also very masculine: Israelis tend to communicate in an expressive manner, accompanied with many hand gestures. They often speak quite loudly and at a fast pace, which can give an impression that they are yelling or irritated. However, it is most likely their usual tone of communicating. The last explanation describes the way the guests talked to the receptionist.

Outcome

Every unique situation has a unique outcome, and it is impossible to be trained for each scenario no matter how much experience one might have. Following basic protocol without making anyone uncomfortable is the safest option.

The outcome leads to understanding that one needs to study and understand their surroundings and people’s preferences before making a certain move. Things can only be noticed by observing and learning the differences compared to what one might be used to. Presumptions are harmful and leads to confusing expectations.

The outcome for hierarchy is to understand that not each country or cooperation works the same way and has different ideas of respect. It’s best and safest to respect everyone equally ignoring their post or job title.

The outcome of guest expectations is also quite similar to understanding that customer service is different everywhere and just because you might be used to one doesn’t mean that it is provided everywhere.

Mainly understanding that the outcome of exceeding expectations is undesirable and makes one uncomfortable.

In the end the service is provided and it’s main goal being customer satisfaction but it comes with its limits and boundaries which need to be respected by both sides of the party.

Unfortunately sometimes even after best efforts the outcome might not be favorable and leave a customer upset, but again these differences are on both sides making this experience upsetting for both ends of the party.

Possible Solutions

Understand if what you are demanding is exceeding what is normally expected and in other cases learn and respect the different systems to avoid making one uncomfortable.

What the guests are asking the establishment if it is too much for them, since in The Netherlands it is not customary to do so many things for the guest, you should not always do what the client says and that is fine, but it is difficult to explain it to someone who believes that he is always right and what they says should be done.

With flatter hierarchy an average employee has more responsibilities and engagement in decision-making due to the flatter hierarchy. For management, this has multiple benefits:

1. A greater level of coordination and communication, which can lead to better creativity and innovation.

Listening actively:
Listen closely to what the customer is saying instead of paying attention to the anger behind their words. If you listen actively to the words they say, you can easily determine what’s making them so upset and how to resolve the problem. For example, a customer could walk into the store and say, “Your product stopped working three days after I bought it. I’m really shocked by the poor design.”

Staying calm:
When customers express their emotions, aim to stay calm and manage your own emotions. It helps to take a practical approach to problem-solving rather than a personal one. Typically, a customer’s comments and criticisms are about the product or experience rather than about you as a customer service representative. Allow the customer to voice their concerns without interrupting to show you respect their feelings. When you respond, choose neutral language and validate their feelings if it’s appropriate.

Offering solutions:
Once you understand why the customer feels the way they do, you can offer a solution. If the customer denies your proposed solution, review your internal policies to learn if you can offer something additional to satisfy them. It’s important to meet the customer’s expectations if you can do so within reason. Here are some examples of statements to introduce solutions:

“I know this isn’t how you want to start your day, and I can offer you this solution.”
“There are several ways to resolve this. We can find the one that best suits you.”

“In my experience, this solution is the best way to approach this. Does that seem alright to you?” “I understand your problem, but I’ve handled the same cases before. I can help you.”

If you deliver a message that may be disappointing to the customer, try to counter it with a positive message that still addresses their feelings. For example, you can say, “While I’m unable to issue a full refund, I can give you store credit or make an exchange for a new product.” This may help the customer focus on the positive aspects of the solution and how the organization can help them resolve the issue.

Demonstrate active listening by using the same language your customer is using. You can say something like, “That’s definitely surprising. Let’s check why the product stopped working unexpectedly.” This response recognizes the feelings of the customer without escalating their emotions.

A greater level of coordination and communication, which can lead to better creativity and innovation.

Authors

University of Applied Sciences Amsterdam
Student: Caitlin Thöne (LinkedIn)
Block 2., Semester 1

University of Applied Sciences Amsterdam
Student: Zara Salim (LinkedIn)
Block 2., Semester 1

Kozminski University
Student: Yashwinj Vanjani (LinkedIn)

Tecnologico de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey
Student: Julissa Montijo Quintero (LinkedIn)