Wk 4 EOC: Physical Attractiveness

A huge factor in being selected for many hospitality positions is appearance. In occupations such as servers, hostess, or front desk hotel associates, they are the people who most often see the customers. According to the text, "Employees in FOH positions are critically important to the delivery of quality service because these employees have direct contact with guests." The sad truth is that humans are a very judgmental species. We tend to make judgments about a person solely on appearance, even before getting the chance to actually speak with them. When reading the text, I found it interesting that "excellent customer service is more affected by service staff appearance, attitude, and skill than by an operation’s physical facilities." Appearance is one of the very first things we look at, then how we are treated, as well as how efficiently an individual does their job.It is important that hospitality staff put their best foot forward because "The personal interactions between guests and FOH staff members define how guests will feel about their treatment in an establishment (Human Resources)." I believe that positions hired based on appearance are okay if it is clearly stated in the job description. Let the person know how you would lie them to dress, that way they can decide if they are okay with those terms before accepting the position. In class we discussed the matter of personal hygiene where the issue was medical and could not be solved. In the matter of a medical issue regarding personal hygiene and its affect on work performance of others, that person could not be fired for personal hygiene because they could not help it. In the case of tattoos, it depends on the environment. If more formal, the person may be asked to cover it up while at the work place.