Perancangan Strategi Komunikasi Multikultural Waiter/Waitress dalam Pelayanan Tamu Internasional di Hotel Le Méridien Taipei

Abstract

Industri perhotelan menghadapi tantangan dalam memberikan pelayanan kepada tamu internasional yang memiliki latar belakang bahasa dan budaya yang beragam. Kondisi tersebut menuntut waiter memiliki kemampuan komunikasi lintas budaya agar pelayanan berlangsung efektif dan menciptakan pengalaman positif bagi tamu. Penelitian ini bertujuan mengidentifikasi bentuk komunikasi lintas budaya, menganalisis hambatan komunikasi, serta merancang rekomendasi strategi komunikasi multikultural waiter dalam pelayanan tamu internasional di Hotel Le Méridien Taipei. Penelitian menggunakan pendekatan kualitatif dengan teknik pengumpulan data berupa wawancara mendalam, observasi partisipatif, dan studi dokumentasi. Informan dipilih secara purposive yang terdiri atas waiter dan supervisor Food and Beverage Service. Analisis data dilakukan secara deskriptif tematik melalui reduksi data, penyajian data, penarikan kesimpulan, kemudian dipadukan dengan analisis SWOT untuk merumuskan strategi komunikasi. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa komunikasi verbal didominasi penggunaan Bahasa Inggris sederhana yang didukung komunikasi nonverbal berupa gestur, ekspresi wajah, dan bahasa tubuh. Hambatan utama meliputi perbedaan bahasa, aksen, dan budaya yang berpotensi menimbulkan miskomunikasi. Rekomendasi difokuskan pada pemanfaatan kekuatan internal waiter untuk menghadapi ancaman dalam pelayanan tamu internasional. Luaran penelitian berupa buku panduan praktis strategi komunikasi multikultural bagi waiter di hotel internasional.

The hotel industry faces increasing challenges in providing services to international guests from diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds. This condition requires waiters to possess cross-cultural communication competencies to ensure effective service delivery and create positive guest experiences. This study aimed to identify forms of cross-cultural communication, analyze communication barriers, and develop recommendations for multicultural communication strategies for waiters serving international guests at Le Méridien Taipei Hotel. A qualitative approach was employed using in-depth interviews, participant observation, and document analysis. Informants were selected through purposive sampling and consisted of waiters and supervisors from the Food and Beverage Service Department. Data were analyzed using thematic descriptive analysis involving data reduction, data display, and conclusion drawing, complemented by SWOT analysis. The findings revealed that verbal communication primarily relied on simple English, supported by nonverbal communication such as gestures, facial vi expressions, and body language. The main barriers included differences in language, accents, and cultural backgrounds, often leading to misunderstandings. Recommendations focused on utilizing waiters' internal strengths to address challenges in serving international guests. The study produced a practical guidebook on multicultural communication strategies for waiters in international hotels