Service excellence is not an accident. It is a discipline — learned, practised and repeated until it becomes second nature. Achieving Excellence in Guest Service is Josephine Ive’s enduring guide to that discipline, taking the reader from the first impression a guest forms at the door to the finer points of turndown, valeting and the world of true luxury. First published by Pearson Education Australia and long used as a foundation text in hospitality training, Achieving Excellence in Guest Service is now available as an ebook. Across eleven chapters, Josephine Ive moves methodically from principle to practice. The opening chapters establish what service actually is, who delivers it, and why first impressions endure — then broaden into the international guest, etiquette and manners, and the art of communication in all its forms, from body language and handshaking styles to telephone manners and the phonetic alphabet. From there the book turns firmly practical. It addresses what to do when things go wrong, the daily business of guest service in all its variety, hot and alcoholic beverages, and — in the chapters that give the book its particular character — the extra special service of the butler and valet: making a comfortable bed, evening turndown, running a bath, unpacking, pressing, polishing shoes and packing a suitcase properly. A final chapter on luxury introduces the reader to fine wines and champagnes, caviare, cigars and spirits, so that they may speak of these things with quiet confidence. An appendix maps the content to Australian and City & Guilds competency standards, and three glossaries — champagne, menu terms and sporting jargon — make the book a lasting desk reference long after the first reading. •        The essence of service, and why first impressions last

•        Guests from around the world: cultures, countries and international language

•        Etiquette and manners — including forms of address for royalty and VIP guests

•        Communication: conversation, body language, listening, names, telephone manners

•        Handling complaints and difficult situations with composure

•        The full range of guest service requests, from airport meets to picnic hampers

•        Beverages: hot drinks, alcoholic drinks and glassware

•        Butler and valet skills: turndown, baths, unpacking, pressing, shoes, packing

•        ‘Top flight’ luxury: wines, champagnes, cognacs, caviare, cigars and spirits

•        Appendix of competency standards and three reference glossaries Written for hotel and resort staff, butlers and valets, front-of-house and food and beverage teams, hospitality students, and managers responsible for setting and holding a service standard. Equally valuable to private household staff and to anyone whose work depends upon the quality of a personal encounter.