Afternoon Tea in London ☕️🧁
Updated: Aug 18, 2020
...speaking of which, it reminds me of my very own experience at another posh London Hotel...
A US based corporate client who I was coaching, was visiting London.
He was keen to experience the traditional afternoon tea that London is world famous for.
Based on the time schedules etc we did not have the flexibility to make a table reservation in advance.
As having worked in the industry for over 20 years and also being seasoned users of hotels, we are aware that most places are not always full and can manage a table for 2, and decided to walk in.
We were greeted by the lady at the front desk (in my understanding a trainee or a new recruit) who as per normal service requirements, asked if we had a reservation.
We said no.
She looked at us very seriously and said "Well the afternoon tea is for £ 60 per person. I can offer you a table if you can pay that."
Both of us were a bit taken aback by this direct 'straight off the bat' message.
What we took back is "She thinks we cannot afford it!" or "She would not say that to any other guest who may have been suited." (we were in Friday dressing).
That set the tone for the rest of the afternoon. I was annoyed. My client felt unwelcome in a city he was so wanting to visit and experience.
Now all this could have been different if only she had communicated, differently.
Having said that, it's important to know that ALL COMMUNICATION originates from a thought, a feeling, an emotion or a mindset.
When these are positive, the communication and the response is positive. when any or all of these are negative, the communication and response is negative.
With this...some top tips that I would love to share about our underlying mindset when we communicate:
How are you feeling in yourself in that moment? Tired? Exhausted? Have to carry on?
How are you feeling about the person you are communicating with. Are you judging them based on how they look, dress, sound? (We do this all the time even if we say we don't...and the fact is WE JUDGE in less than a second)
Check what's the underlining thought you have at the time you are communicating...are you thinking about this from 'your perspective'?
Is this positive, neutral or negative.
My guess was this hotel staff must have been on a long shift and had been standing for a while and probably in need of a break....and when we walked in she assumed that we were tourists who could't possible afford the experience (probably because her salary would not afford this)..
So what's the way out?
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