I was recently told by the GM of a 4-star that Kathmandu has really good training colleges for hos­pitality. So good in fact that they do not recruit inexperienced staff unless they have done a degree in hospitality at one of them. So maybe that’s the reason why ser­vice in the new hotels and restau­rants is definitely improving. Or am I just going to better places? Winky face!

Years ago, I seem to remember that service with a smile came as part of the deal. Whether a restau­rant or corner shop, the staff seemed happy and smiled. Then somewhere along the way the smile was lost. Could it have been that in the earlier days those staff were the owner’s family? Or perhaps just hap­py-go-lucky youths who didn’t see their working careers in the shop or restaurant, but this was just some­thing along their life path? May­be when working in restaurants, hotels and shops then became a ‘real job’, certainly in the bigger towns and cities, the smiles van­ished, to be replaced by frustra­tion that there seemed nothing better in life.

But now, with good edu­cation, training and mentor­ing, perhaps the youths feel these ‘jobs’ are paths to good careers in hospitality or retail. And the smiles are back! Well, most of the time.

I was horrified to hear from a friend last night what happened to her work colleague from Sri Lanka who was staying in one of the older 4-star hotels. Being obviously Asian and dark she was treated quite indifferently by the staff. Despite the fact she was on the Executive Floor. When her white colleague arrived to stay in the same hotel he was as horrified to see the difference in treatment they received.

I was extremely happy to know, with the help of my friend, that they checked out of that older establishment and into a new­bie in town. A newbie where I know they have a training department and whole training routine for staff so that their stan­dard in Kathmandu remains the same as their standard throughout the world. I assume that involves treating everyone equally. Certainly when I have, frequently, been there, both Nepali friends and non-Nepali friend receive the same level of ser­vice and care.

That same Sri Lankan lady also revealed to my friend that she can­not wear a kurta shalwar on an Asian airline flight. My friend was puzzled, as this is her ‘comfort dress’ for flights. No, replied her Asian colleague, I get better service when wearing jeans and a t-shirt than when wearing traditional dress. Presumably she then looked less ‘vil­lage’ and more ‘modern’. Equality isn’t taught to airline staff then. So could it be where I see smiling faces others do not?

On the other side, I have seen how some people treat waiting staff. On first meeting I will assess you on how you treat the staff. You might not get a second meeting if you treat them badly. That’s not to say I don’t sometimes lose it at waiting or other staff. Shelf stackers in a well-known super market come to mind. And we all know how much I love our local taxi drivers!

But in general, I feel those who have grown up in a culture where class or caste differences are high­lighted and ingrained are at a disad­vantage when it comes to manners. I’m sure you will let me know if you disagree. On the other hand those of us, regardless as to whether we were middle or working class, who had Saturday or holiday jobs when at school, know what it’s like to be on the other side of the counter. And having an after-school job didn’t mean you were necessari­ly poor; it was just what everyone did. It taught us humility and independence at the vital, impres­sionable age. And looking back, it has certainly made us more understanding of servers. With the exception of taxi drivers of course! Another winky face!