For the right person with the right guidance, the hospitality industry can offer countless fulfilling and people-oriented careers. New Orleans & Company and LSU Continuing Education are partnering for the second year to offer this guidance. The Hospitality and Tourism Professional Certificate Program serves as a steppingstone to a lifelong career in hospitality. Successful completion of the program can count as credit towards a degree with LSU Continuing Education.
10 hours of expertly taught coursework over 5 weeks will polish the participants' skills in guest services, effective communication, conflict management, and emotional intelligence in a hospitality setting. Participants will return to the workforce with new soft skills and a vision for their future careers.
2 hour, once-a-week classes will begin on July 29th
Nominate your employees by Friday, May 30th, 2025
As a manager or owner, your employees' success is your success. Seamless and tailored customer service sets a business apart-- investing in professional development for your team is an investment in your business's future.
This program is FREE for participants, and employers are only asked to pay for the participating employee's time spent in class. The program will be filled by selected hospitality professionals-- nominate your rising stars and kickstart their professional growth.
The Hospitality Certificate Program is an exciting partnership that allows employers to offer an enhanced development opportunity for team members while earning continuing education credits - all free of charge. Aside from the education piece, the program boosts employee morale, allows them to grow their network and supports their overall career growth.
- Tara Minamoto, Director of Training & Development at Windsor Court
About the Program
The program will be taught by management expert E.J Smith, MBA, and contain the following interactive lessons:
July 29: Exceptional Guest Service
Participants will learn:
- How to handle guest inquiries professionally and courteously.
- Techniques for personalizing guest experiences and creating memorable interactions.
- The impact of small gestures on guest satisfaction and loyalty.
- Skills that are transferable across various hospitality sectors.
August 5: Effective Communication
This training module will provide instructional training including brief role-plays on the following areas:
- Using Open-Ended Questions vs Closed-End Questions to better understand customer needs and to resolve problems and issues.
- A Five Step Approach for Active Listening to understand better understand customer wants and needs and how to tailor services accordingly. This can lead to greater customer satisfaction and loyalty.
- Understanding and Using Empathy to help staff put themselves in their customer’s shoes, which helps them anticipate and meet their needs more effectively.
- Techniques for Clear Verbal Communication to ensure customers understand what services are available and how to utilize them best is essential. It also helps customers feel comfortable and at ease with the hospitality of the staff.
- Understanding and Using Body Language (Non-Verbal) Communication Effectively to help staff use the best body language to positively impact their customer interactions and how to read customers’ emotions and respond appropriately.
- Understanding Cultural Differences to Enhance Positive Experiences. This can be especially important when verbal communication is limited (e.g., if the customer does not speak the same language as the staff).
August 14: Conflict Management Skills
Participants will roleplay and discuss different types of conflict that may arise as work, as well as learn about the following subjects:
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The five myths of workplace conflicts and how to overcome them.
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The impacts of unresolved conflicts with customers.
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Effectively deescalating tense situations.
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Using open-ended questions to uncover the root causes of conflicts.
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The importance of using the customer's name and positive words.
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Managing unrealistic customer request or expectations.
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The four-step method for problem-solving, showing empathy, and resolving conflict.
August 19: Emotional Intelligence (E.I) for the Hospitality Industry
In this role-play-based training session, participants will learn:
- The four basic elements of emotional intelligence: self-awareness, self-regulation, social awareness, and relationship management.
- An individual self-assessment of E. I. Interpreting their personal E. I. picture.
- Using E.I. to go beyond the standard “How can I assist you?”
- Using E.I. to strengthen communication skills. This will help your staff express clearly and listens actively to guests’ concerns.
- Using E. I. to build and maintain better customer/ guest relations. This means understanding the guests’ preferences and cultural backgrounds to offer recommendations that better align with their preferences.
August 26: Career Navigation, Professionalism, and Certificate Presentation
Participants will cover:
- Tools for assessing their strengths and career goals.
- Future career paths in their industry.
- How to fine-tune professionalism in guest-interactions and across the hospitality industry.
Participants will meet from 3-5pm on November 11th to reflect on and reinforce the course content, offer feedback, and discuss how they have applied their new skills in the work place.
