SE Freitas: Smile at your customers

The Secretary of State for Professional Training and Employment (SEFOE), Bendito Freitas, asked waiters and hotel receptionists to smile when attending to customers.

“When I go to shop and I ask where the candles are, the worker often points with the lip. This is not very good, they should take us to the area and smile,” said SE Freitas, last week (27/04) during a graduation ceremony for 100 interns for the areas of Tourism and Hospitality at the East Timor Development Agency (ETDA), in Fatuhada, Dili.

According to SE Freitas smiling is important especially for waiters to attract clients.

“If we go to Bali-Indonesia, and in a restaurant, as soon as we sit a waiter comes over smiling and says ‘good morning or good afternoon, what would you like to drink or eat.” But with us, we take our time or don’t come at all. They don’t even ask us if we want to drink or eat something,” said SE Freitas.

He urged graduates to be pleasant when welcoming clients. “That is your job and you must demonstrate an adequate behaviour at your work,” said SE Freitas.

Meanwhile ETDA’s Internship Program Manager Januario Mok said during the training the graduates learnt that three things are very important; ability, behaviour and discipline.  

“We covered all these topics during the training including how to smile and show a happy face. But it also depends on the individuals and his or her character. But those who want to work in a hotel or restaurant must learn to smile and always be happy,” said Program Manager Mok.

Monica Ornai a graduate of the hospitality area said it is very important to smile and be pleasant to clients, as this can promote customers to revisit.

“When serving customers with a smile and happy this will make them happy and they will come back to visit us often at the restaurant or hotel. This is why smiling is so important for me,” said Graduate Ornai.

She was very pleased with the training she received at ETDA because it helped her secure a job easily.

“I am happy because on 2 May I will depart to Australia to work in the hospitality industry there.”