rerc style tutorial

8/20/2019 RERC Style Tutorial

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Quotes and Greetings

1© Coyle Hospitality Group

When To Use Quotes In Your Report

If you can remember it, we appreciate it when you can quote:• The first 3-4 words the staff member says to you• The last 3-4 words that staff member says to you

We really do not need quotes any other time in the report unless it wasmemorableand significant.

Caution: Your report will be brought to scrutiny and sent back to you if youquotetoo much or submitvery long quotes. It simply is not credible that anevaluator could quote more than very, very small bits of a conversation.

Note: We also do not condone the use of recording devices as it is illegal incertain areas.


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Punctuating Quotes

Rule Example

1. Punctuation (periods, commas,question marks) always goes insidethe quotes.

Tom said, "I hope you enjoyed yourmeal."

. !uotes within a sentence are preceded y a comma.

Tom said, "I hope you enjoyed yourmeal," with enthusiasm.

#. $o not quote yoursel%. Tom asked, "&ow did you enjoy yourmeal'" I told him that the meal wasgood.


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Paraphrasing

!uotes are ery important in demonstrating how a sta%% memer

communicated with you, ut you must e 1* accurate. It is much

etter to paraphrase a %ew words you are sure aout than taking a sta

at a long quote.

+or instance, it is per%ectly acceptale to write the %ollowing

When I collected my coat, Tom thanked me and told me to, "Get home

safe."


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Greetings and Salutations

The sta%% memer-s opening and closing quotes are ery important, so please

tune your ear and take note o% how sta%% memers greet you and rememerwhat they said when the interaction came to a close.

lso, the tone with which those greetings and salutations were gien is

important.

Wrong Way Right Way

Tom greeted me pleasantly when I

arrived at the host podium.

Tom smiled and greeted me with,

"Hello," when I arrived at the host

podium.

Tom thanked me as he hung up the

phone.

Tom said, "Thanks," in a positive tone as

he hung up the phone.

Tom thanked me by name when Ireturned the check.

Tom said, "Thank you Mr. [Last name],"when I returned the check.


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Eyes, Teeth, and Tone

© Coyle Hospitality Group 5

/hen employees interact with you, always keep the reader aware i% the sta%%

memers were making eye contact (002), smiling (T00T&), and what their

tone o% oice was (T340). /e need all three o% these components during

greetings and when interactions come to an end.

1. s I approached the host podium, Tom smiled, made eye contact with oth my

guest and me, and said, "5ood morning," in a cheer%ul tone.

. Tom answered the phone a%ter three rings with, "5ood morning. This is Tom." &is

tone o% oice was %lat and usinesslike.

#. 6larence was already looking away when he said goodye to us.

7. $uring the reseration call, 6onnie-s tone o% oice rightened only when I asked

aout the wine selection aailale at the restaurant. 3therwise, her tone was pro%essional and een.

8. %ter the initial greeting, Tom made little eye contact with us during the

interaction9 he was mostly looking at the computer. /hile his demeanor remained

pro%essional, he did not smile.


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Names and Descriptions


Names

2ta%% memer:s names can e gathered %rom nametags, usiness cards, check:s, or

oerheard during the course o% an ealuation. ;e sure to indicate how it is you learned

a sta%% memers name when you %irst re%erence it. &oweer, 6&5 does not want you to

ask sta%% memers %or their names, as that will gie you away.

Referencing Names

3nce you learn a sta%% memer:s name, use it instead o% generic monikers like serer or

artender. ?eserations, may I help you'@ I said that I

needed to make a reseration, and phrodite said she could help me with that.


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Descriptions

I% you are unaware o% a sta%% memer:s name, please proide a description using the

%ollowing %ormat

Gender - height, hair style/color, outstanding characteristics.

0=amples

A Bale C D-", uEEed lack hair, tattoo on neck

A +emale C 8-F", lack hair in low ponytail

A Bale C 8-D", nearly shaed head, glasses

Staff Labels

/hen descriing multiple sta%% memers %or whom you hae no names, re%er to them

y their position, assign them a numer, and descrie them. ?e%er to them y their

position and numer therea%ter.

0=ample

/e approached the podium and saw two sta%% memers in attendance. &ost G1 (+emale

C 8-F", lond oed hair, glasses) greeted us with, "&ello %olks," while host G (+emale

C 8-1", long straight rown hair) looked at us and smiled. I said to host G1 that wewanted to sit outside. &ost G stepped %rom ehind the podium and said, "?ight this

way."


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Subjectivity and Tone


6lients use our reports to coach employees and improe

serice. There%ore, the report must e

• $etailed

• 3jectie

• +ullyCsupported

It is true that your opinion does matter, ut it secondary to

the %acts o% what happened. our jo %irst and %oremost is

that o% a reporter. ou are there to interact, osere and

report. I% your report relies too heaily on point o% iew,

emotion or what you perceie as wrong or right, your

crediility as a reporter will e undermined, and the whole

report ecomes compromised.

/e do want your opinion, ut we want it at the end o% the

interaction in a separate paragraph.

&ae you eer had a per%ormance

ealuation at work'

&ow would you %eel i% your oss said

that you were too casual or seemed ored with how you approached work'

I% you cared aout your jo, you would

welcome the criticism, ut you would

want speci%ic e=amples presented to you

thought%ully and ojectiely, so that you

could improe.


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Example

Wrong Way Right WayI approached Tom at # PB and he made eye

contact and casually greeted me with, "&ello." &eseemed ored. I asked Tom aout the location o% thenearest TB and he did not seem to care as he

pointed out the %ront door and said there was anTB two locks away on Began 2treet. I thankedhim, and Tom let go a sigh and said, "Hh huh."

I approached Tom at # PB and he made eye

contact and greeted me with, "&ello." &is tone o%oice was %lat, and he did not smile. I asked Tomaout the location o% the nearest TB. &e pointedout the %ront door and said there was an TB two

locks away, on Began 2treet. I thanked him, andTom said, "Hh huh," as he was looking ack at thecomputer.

The - ?ight /ay- paragraph supplies eidence. It uses

%acts aout Eyes, Teeth, and Tone to tell the readerwhat happened. This is reporting.

Tom came across as though he was ored. &e pointed out the door and his closing was in the %ormo% a sigh. It seemed like he wanted to do only whatwas the minimum required o% him.

The guest perspectie is saed in a "wrapCup" orsummary paragraph. This is perspectie.


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Telephone Interactions


/e need each part o% the %ollowing %or eery interaction that happens oer the

phone

• 0=act time o% day you called.

• The numer or e=tension that you called.

• The greeting gien y the sta%% memer.

• The sta%% memer-s tone o% oice during the greeting.

• Tone o% oice throughout the call.

• 2alutation gien to close the call.

I% you dial %rom a hotel room and use a preCprogrammed utton, please indicate

this in the %ollowing manner

I called room service by using the pre-programmed button on the guestroom

phone

4ote Phone calls go ery %ast. Take notes immediately.


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Format Points


tem Rule !orrect ncorrect

Tense ?eports are always written in past tense.

"e #s$ ?eports should e in %irst person. Hse -my guest and I- when

applicale.

/e requested the check. I requested the check.

By guest requested the check.

Dates 2pell out day, month, numer, year. Bonday, 2eptemer 1, 8. JK1K8

Numbers 4umers under ten are spelled out. 3ne, two , three, nine. 1, , #, J

%yphens Hse hyphens %or 1 and aoe when that egins a sentence9 use

ordinals otherwise.

TwentyCone minutes later Tom called. Twenty one minutes later Tom called.

!ontractions $o not use contractions. /ill not, cannot, I would. /on-t, can:t, I:d.

Exclamation &ar's 2tay away %rom them completely.

(#oid Emphasis 2tay away %rom emphatic adjecties. Lery, neer, always, %inally.

!apitali)ation $o not capitaliEe sta%% memer positions. manager, serer, artender Banager, 2erer, ;artender

$o not capitaliEe the names o% %ood or drinks within the

narratie, e=cept when a proper name or location is inoked.

+rench %ries, pepperoni piEEa +rench +ries, Pepperoni PiEEa

(& * P& Hse capital B and PB, no periods. 1 B, 1118 PB 1 a.m , 1118 pm

Phone Numbers 4o parentheses, gie area code 1CDJCF# (1) DJCF#

Staff Descriptions In parentheses, use the %ollowing %ormat (5ender C height, hair

styleK color, outstanding characteristics)

(Bale C D-", uEEed lack hair, tattoo

on neck)

Eye !ontact, Teeth,

Tone +ETT

Bust e included %or eery opening and closing interaction. Bandy made eye contact, smiled, and

said, >&ello,@ in a %riendly tone o%

oice.

Bandy said, >&ello.@

-itchen 6omment on portion siEe, temperature, isual appeal, andmeeting e=pectations.

!hec'list !on#entions 6omments are required %or all standards scored M4o: or M4K: in

the checklist.


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Common Pitfalls To Avoid


tem Rule

%anging*Dependent nteraction I% a %uture action is e=pected or promised, make sure you rememer to %ollowC

up in your report. +or instance, i% the sta%% memer promises to do something

%or you, please report i% that action was indeed completed.

.Generali)ation /ombs. $o not egin interactions or insert generaliEations that draw conclusions. +or

instance, neer egin a paragraph stating, "The serice was good," 3r that

"Nenni%er was an e=cellent serer."

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