Etiquette for receiving foreign guests for dinner?

When eating with foreign guests, we should pay special attention to etiquette and the differences between Chinese and foreign cultures and cust

Etiquette for receiving foreign guests for dinner?

When eating with foreign guests, we should pay special attention to etiquette and the differences between Chinese and foreign cultures and customs. Let me tell you something.

Catering reservation etiquette

Reservation is a very important link in the etiquette of business western food, and it is also the basis of business banquet. Only by arranging time steadily and making full preparations can we be all-powerful in our career. Below we will explain in detail how to invite guests to a business banquet as inviters.

Book a restaurant

When booking a restaurant, you should first choose a suitable restaurant. The environment of the restaurant should be suitable for business talks, so the noise of the restaurant should not be too loud, otherwise it will not only affect your conversation with the guests, but also affect people's mood. After choosing a restaurant, you can reserve seats in the restaurant by phone. It is best to book two dates at the same time, which are Tuesday and Thursday of the same week.

The advantage of booking two appointments at the same time is that you can reserve more flexible space. Maybe your guests haven't finalized the time, or you need to meet two guests. In order not to delay your business activities, it is the best choice to book two dates at the same time.

Make a guest list

If you have a series of guests who need to be invited recently, you can list their names from the most important to the least important, and then mark the reason for your invitation, so as to communicate accurately when you call.

Book by phone

When making an appointment by telephone, you can start with the least important guests. The purpose of this is to let you practice and accumulate experience in the process of making an appointment, and to avoid making mistakes when making an appointment with the most important guests by phone. Of course, it is quite normal for guests to refuse your invitation. You can tell the guests that you will call again later to make an appointment. Never ask the other person why he didn't accept your invitation.

It is best to make an appointment by phone a few days in advance, and it is best to do it in the morning near noon, because at that time, most people are thinking about what to eat for lunch, and subconsciously it is easier to accept your invitation. When making an appointment, be sure to specify the address of the restaurant, the contact number of the restaurant and your personal contact number, so as to avoid the guests being unfamiliar with the restaurant and unable to find a place, so if possible, try to choose a restaurant close to the guest's office.

Written appointment

If you invite a very important guest, you need to send a formal invitation letter to the guest's office by express service after making an appointment by telephone to show your respect for the other party and facilitate the guest to find the meeting place. Even if there is no invitation, you should send a formal e-invitation by email.

Ordering etiquette

When the guest accepts your invitation, on the day of the appointment, you need to arrive at the restaurant to wait and greet your guests 5 minutes before the appointment time10-/kloc-0. Naturally, the formal dress goes without saying. After the guests arrive, they are seated under the guidance of the restaurant service staff. This is an important link in the management of western food-ordering food. To sum up, there are the following principles.

First, never order for a guest.

In the etiquette of business western food, you should pay special attention not to order food instead of guests. If you see a guest hesitating or asking for help, you can ask the waiter in the restaurant to give advice and recommend suitable dishes, and never claim to order for the guest without authorization.

Second, the order of ordering.

When the waiter accepts the order, be sure to let the guests order first. You need to wait until the guests have finished ordering. This has two advantages: first, it shows respect for the guests, and second, it can know the guests' preferences and meal order. Especially the second point is very important. For example, the guest didn't order an appetizer, but you ordered an appetizer, so that when you are enjoying an appetizer, your guest can only stare at you, which is a big disrespect to the guest.

Third, the choice of dishes.

It is mentioned above that you need to wait until the guests order, mainly to understand the guests' preferences and the order of eating. In fact, this is also to create a dining environment that caters to customers. If your guests are vegetarians, you'd better accommodate each other and choose vegetarian dishes when dining with your guests. In this way, you can convey that you and your guests are of the same sex in some ways, which will increase your affinity.

Therefore, when ordering, guests should listen attentively to see what the guests have ordered, and then the number of dishes ordered must be equivalent to the number of guests, and the style of the dishes should be similar to that of the guests. For example, if a guest orders an appetizer, you should also order an appetizer, otherwise the guest will be embarrassed to let you watch him eat in front of you; Another example is that the guest ordered a roast steak, so you'd better not eat cold vegetable salad to save a few dollars.

Fourth, alcohol is not necessary.

Should we drink in business western food? In fact, there are no special rules. But under normal circumstances, just like a business lunch, most people don't order wine because they have to continue working in the afternoon. If they drink alcohol, it will affect their work efficiency more or less and have a negative impact on their personal image. If it is a business dinner, you can drink some wine according to the situation. After all, working hours have passed. Of course, you can also symbolically ask the guests if they need some wine. In many cases, the guests will naturally refuse you.

At any time, in business western food, you must drink slower than the guests, drink less than the guests, and don't get drunk, otherwise it's not just a joke, and your image in the eyes of the guests may be completely ruined.

Verb (abbreviation of verb) matters needing attention

Choice of dishes: Be sure to ask before: Is there anything you don't eat? Is there anything you don't eat? This question is actually very critical. The physique of foreigners is very different from that of China. They are allergic to many things. I have received four German engineers before. Everyone is allergic to a variety of foods. Don't touch eggs, seafood and shells. After eating, I feel itchy all over and have serious difficulty breathing. Allergic to flour. Ever heard of it? One of my Italian clients is. What's even more ridiculous is that I met a person who is allergic to eggplant and an Indian. Please don't take it amiss if you hear him say that he is a vegetarian. This is their religious requirement.

For them, if he doesn't bring his own food to China, he should get a special vegetarian diet. Pay special attention to the orderer when ordering. And it's best not to give them anything too spicy. Because they really can't stand the spicy food in China. If they eat some peppers, they will have diarrhea the next day. Even if he can eat spicy food in his own country, he can't eat it: big restaurants in big cities like liuxue86 usually have knives and forks, but if you are a small place, please ask foreign customers to prepare a set of knives and forks for them in advance when eating. They will be a little embarrassed because they are allowed to use chopsticks. Especially when using chopsticks for the first time, it is very troublesome for business travelers if they get dirty.

Serving: Before serving, remind the waiter that the chicken must be taken out before serving. Fish should also try not to order fish heads and other dishes. Don't order anything to eat live fish or shrimp. It's terrible for them to see their heads on the plate. Dogs, cats and snakes generally don't order. Don't tell them we eat these. Otherwise, their dog will feel uncomfortable when he sees us eating dog meat.

dining etiquette

Have a purposeful meal

Since business western food has a purpose, "eating" takes a back seat in the dining process. The most important thing is what information you can learn from the guests or what information you convey to them yourself.

For example, if you want to discuss business cooperation with each other, dining may become the first obstacle. Guests want to know your manners by having dinner together. Most westerners think that the details of dining can reflect many qualities of a person, such as carefulness and emergency ability. Similarly, you may also want to know what kind of person the other person is, whether it is trustworthy and so on through the time of eating together. Business western food is also a platform for mutual communication. As a host, you should take the initiative to guide the dialogue with the guests, instead of burying your head on the dining table and just enjoying the delicious food on the plate.

Pay attention to basic table manners.

In business western food, you represent not only an individual, but also the image of a company, so your every move is also the representative of the corporate image. Pay special attention to the most basic table manners, and the following points need special attention:

1 Never put electronic devices such as mobile phones and tablets on the dining table;

You need to talk when eating, but don't talk when the food in your mouth hasn't been swallowed. It is best to follow the speed and rhythm of eating with each other;

When you leave your seat for a short time, don't put the napkin directly on the dining table, but fold it and put it on the seat;

If the service in the restaurant is slow, you can complain and complain, but don't get angry.

Contents of negotiation

As we mentioned above, business western food is a platform for communication, and its more purpose is to enhance mutual understanding, so business western food should not be regarded as offices and conference rooms. The content of the discussion is mostly limited to oral communication. Be careful not to take out the contract and plan from the briefcase for the other party to see when eating. This will seriously affect the guests' dining, and is often regarded as a bad living habit. If you are not careful, there is a good chance that the document will fall on the food on the table.

Correctly understand the role of business western food as the beginning and lubricant of business negotiation, and don't rush for success. The final decision should stay in the office and conference room.

Who pays for business western food?

Business western food is usually paid by the inviter. If the guest insists on paying the bill, you should at least AA with the guest, but in case the guest is very stubborn, you'd better follow the guest and never argue with the guest about paying the bill. Pay attention to ensure that the credit card has enough credit limit before eating, or bring enough cash to avoid the situation that there is no money to pay.

Start from scratch and pay attention to every detail. Business western etiquette is a necessary condition for communication with westerners. To be a serious "gentleman" or "lady", we must constantly reflect and temper.