Accommodation etiquette in foreign-related interactions and taboos

In foreign-related interactions, accommodation etiquette mainly includes two basic aspects.

One is to arrange the accommodation for the guests.

The second is your own accommodation when visiting a foreign country.

There are two main ways to arrange accommodation. One method is for guests to arrange their own accommodation. Second, the host arranges accommodation for the guests as the host.

In the specific process of arranging accommodation for foreign guests, you should generally pay attention to three aspects.

First of all, you must fully understand the living habits of foreign guests.

It has been emphasized that different countries have different customs, and everyone has their own unique living habits. Generally speaking, foreign guests attach great importance to personal hygiene. For them, a bathroom where they can take a hot shower at any time and a clean toilet that can be used alone are the basic conditions that their temporary residence should have. Secondly, the accommodation location for foreign guests must be carefully chosen. Usually, you should be arranged to stay in a foreign-related hotel with superior conditions and complete facilities. Under normal circumstances, foreign guests officially received on official business should not be accommodated in hotels or guest houses with slightly inferior accommodation conditions than foreign-related hotels.

In addition to taking care of the personal living habits of foreign guests, respecting their unique customs, and meeting their special requirements, there are also the following points that should be paid attention to.

First, it is the budget status required to arrange accommodation for foreign guests.

Basic two is the actual reception capacity of the proposed accommodation location.

The third is the reputation and service quality of the proposed accommodation location.

The fourth is the surrounding environment of the proposed accommodation location.

The fifth is the traffic conditions of the intended accommodation location.

Sixth, it is the distance between the proposed accommodation location and the host party and related workplaces.

Finally, we must enthusiastically take care of the living needs of foreign guests.

"Feeling at home", considerate and considerate should be carried forward in the reception staff. It should be noted that care and consideration for foreign guests should be limited to not interfering with the other party’s private life and not restricting the other party’s personal freedom.

When traveling abroad to visit, visit, work or study, most Chinese people will stay in hotels and restaurants. Some people may stay directly in foreigners’ homes. First, let me introduce the etiquette when staying in a hotel abroad. Although foreign hotels vary greatly, most of them have complete facilities and better conditions. Especially those hotels with star ratings can provide high-quality services to every guest.

Generally speaking, the etiquette of accommodation hotels that is popular around the world mainly includes the following four items:

First, you should pay attention to politeness. When staying in a hotel, you should treat everyone you meet with courtesy. Be courteous to others when passing through corridors, entering elevators, or receiving various services provided in the hotel. We must fully respect and consider all types of hotel staff who serve us.

Second, one should remain silent. A hotel is a place designed for guests to rest, so keeping quiet is considered a basic rule of the hotel. In public places inside the hotel, you must pay attention to lowering the volume of your speech and walking softly. Even in the guest room where you stay, you should keep quiet and not make noise that is inconsistent with the surrounding environment.

Third, we should pay attention to hygiene. When staying in a hotel, good personal hygiene habits are often very important. Specifically speaking, in terms of hygiene, the main issues to pay attention to when staying in a hotel are: It is best not to smoke in the hotel, including in the guest room where you stay. It is expressly stipulated within the hotel that smoking is prohibited in public places, and this rule must be observed consciously. Do not cook in the guest room where you are staying, or set fire to burn personal belongings at will.

Do not wash or dry personal clothes in your guest room, especially do not hang them in public corridors, outside windows facing the street, or on balconies. Do not litter your personal belongings in your guest room, or throw trash on the ground or out of the window.

Fourth, regulations should be strictly observed. When staying in a foreign hotel, you must first understand the relevant regulations, and then strictly abide by them.

State-run hotels, especially high-end star-rated hotels, usually have the following regulations.

First, two adult homosexuals are not allowed to live in the same room. Only members of the same family can be exempted.

Secondly, guests are not allowed to stay with other outsiders in their guest rooms.

Thirdly, guests are not encouraged to meet visitors of the opposite sex in their guest rooms, especially guests of the opposite sex. Under normal circumstances, the hotel's front lobby or coffee shop is regarded as an ideal place for hotel guests to meet guests.

Fourth, it is not recommended that hotel guests who do not know each other visit each other. It is very presumptuous to randomly visit someone you don't know or invite them to join you for entertainment.

Fifth, hotel guests are not allowed to wear "bedroom clothes" such as underwear, nightgowns, vests, pants, etc. in public places inside the hotel. Being shirtless or disheveled is also not allowed.

Sixth, it is not allowed to take away public items from guest rooms or other places in the hotel and keep them as your own.

There are three other things you need to pay attention to when staying in a hotel in the country.

First, when many people are traveling together, do not stay in separate accommodations. Not only is it best to stay in the same hotel, but it's also best to stay on the same floor. This allows everyone to take care of each other and is conducive to collective action.

The second is to learn as much as possible about the special rules of foreign hotels. Next, let’s briefly introduce the basic etiquette that should be observed when staying in a foreigner’s home.

Under normal circumstances, they mainly have the following three points.

First, it should be consensual. Direct accommodation in a foreigner's home abroad usually only occurs during private visits. This is usually not allowed when traveling on official business. When staying at a foreigner's home, the guest and the landlord often have either a personal relationship or a rental relationship. In both cases, the most important thing is that both parties must be completely willing, and it is best to have an appointment in advance. Because foreigners emphasize personal privacy and are taboo about others interfering with their private lives, they don't like letting outsiders stay in their homes. If foreign friends do not take the initiative to propose, it is best not to propose it yourself first, or even wait to leave. Of course, even if the other party invites you kindly, you don’t have to force yourself if you don’t want to.

Second, fees should be paid. For ordinary people, no matter what the circumstances are, they should consciously pay a certain amount of fees for staying at a foreign friend's home. If there is a lease relationship with the landlord, it goes without saying that you need to pay for performance of the contract. Even if you have a close personal relationship with the landlord, you should pay a certain fee. If you stay for a long time, you should pay more attention to this point. Even if the landlord does not have to pay the rent himself, he should at least pay for the TV bills, phone bills, fax bills, etc. he uses on a daily basis out of his own pocket.

Third, you should take care of yourself. When staying in a foreigner's home, no matter whether the time is long or short, whether the host and the host are acquaintances or strangers before, you should pay attention to your own behavior and behave yourself in every aspect. Do not create conflicts or cause trouble due to your own unconsciousness, let alone because of His actions were careless and caused criticism. In this regard, the most important thing to note is the following three points.

First, we must abide by the agreement. Any agreement between the tenant and the landlord, whether written or oral, ranging from the date of rent payment to the specific requirements for the tenant's living habits, must be strictly adhered to.

The second is to respect the landlord. To respect the landlord, in addition to treating him with courtesy, you must also be careful not to interfere with his private life.

Do not break into his room without permission, or take, move, or use his personal belongings.

Third, take care of things. In foreign countries, when houses are rented out, they are often rented out together with the furniture. When staying in a foreigner's home, regardless of whether you pay rent or not, you must consciously take care of the landlord's belongings.

Content expansion: Foreign-related etiquette taboos

Foreign-related etiquette generally refers to the norms of interpersonal behavior that Chinese people must abide by when communicating with foreigners. As a standard and normative approach to foreign-related interactions, it is like the "international traffic rules" that every foreign-related personnel must consciously abide by.

Complying with foreign-related etiquette has four main functions: first, it is conducive to the maintenance of personal image, unit image and national image; secondly, it is conducive to the display of one's own good quality and education; thirdly, it is conducive to increasing the number of Mutual trust and understanding between Chinese and foreign parties; finally, it helps to develop friendship between the two parties. Foreign-related etiquette is mainly suitable for more formal occasions and is very maneuverable. When learning foreign-related etiquette, you must not only understand its main emphasis, but also avoid many taboos that need to be avoided. In short, it means how to "do something" and "what not to do" when interacting with foreigners. Below, we briefly introduce some of the more important etiquette and taboos related to foreign affairs.

1. About dressing up

In foreign-related interactions, everyone’s dressing up is regarded as the most vivid description of their own upbringing, and is regarded as a reflection of their own communication. It is related to the degree of respect of the object, so you cannot do it on your own.

(1) Important things to pay attention to

1. Three-color principle

In formal occasions, foreign personnel, especially men, should consciously distinguish the color of their clothes. The total number of colors is limited to three. Foreign personnel are dressed in more than three colors, which is dazzling and makes it difficult to give people a sense of solemnity.

2. Three Uniforms

When men wear formal attire on foreign occasions, they should try their best to make their leather shoes, belts and handbags the same color, and all three should be black. optimal. The more status a person has, the more he must pay attention to this point in foreign-related activities.

3. Three Major Occasions

When participating in foreign-related activities, you must not keep your dress the same and adapt to all changes. Instead, you should dress according to the specific occasion you are in. And make it different. According to convention, the dressing of foreign personnel mainly falls into the following three major occasions:

First, official occasions. Business occasions, that is, working hours. The overall style of dressing in official occasions should be solemn and conservative. At this time, foreign personnel should dress in suits, uniforms or skirts. Specifically, men's clothing should be blue or gray suits or uniforms, and women's clothing should be monochromatic skirts, dresses, or uniforms.

Second, social occasions. Social occasions here refer to the time for socializing and entertaining after official activities. The overall style of dressing in social occasions should be fashionable and individual. In common social occasions such as banquets, dances, mutual visits and parties, foreigners should wear fashionable clothes and formal attire. Currently, dark Chinese tunic suits and single-color cheongsam can be used as "quasi-dress" for Chinese men and women respectively in grand social occasions.

Third, casual occasions. Leisure occasions generally refer to time for personal free activities after official activities, such as home, fitness, sightseeing, shopping, shopping, etc. Dressing for casual occasions should be comfortable and natural as the overall style, and people can often do it on their own. In casual occasions, sportswear, jeans, jackets, T-shirts, etc. are the most appropriate choices. If you wear a suit or skirt on this occasion, you will look serious.

4. Jewelry Wearing

When participating in foreign-related activities, the jewelry worn by foreign-related personnel must be consistent with their status, preferably as little as possible. In official occasions, women are usually not suitable to wear jewelry and feminine jewelry such as earrings and anklets. They are only suitable for social occasions.

It should be noted that when wearing jewelry, it is usually not advisable to have more than three types, and each type should be limited to two pieces. When wearing multiple pieces of jewelry, you should try to keep them of the same texture and color.

5. Women’s makeup

When participating in foreign-related activities, women should generally wear makeup. In international communication, makeup not only means self-esteem and self-love, but also a sign of attaching great importance to the person you are communicating with. In official situations, it is advisable to wear light makeup; in social situations, the makeup can be slightly heavier; in casual situations, there is no need to wear makeup. The three should not be generalized.

(2) Important taboos

1. Six taboos on clothing

In official occasions, foreign personnel should avoid being too messy, too bright, and too revealing. , too see-through, too short, too tight, these are the six taboos in dressing. In foreign-related official activities, women are particularly prohibited from exposing their breasts, shoulders, navel, back, toes, and heels.

2. About suits

In formal occasions, it is better for men to wear dark single-breasted suits, white shirts, and black leather shoes. When wearing a suit, it is best not to wear a woolen sweater, cloth shoes or sandals, or carry a backpack. Always button your suit when standing. It is not advisable to carry a pen in the outer pocket of a suit jacket. Trademarks on suit jacket sleeves must be removed.

3. About ties

When wearing a suit, you must wear a tie. In official situations, it is advisable to wear a tie with a solid color or a geometric pattern. Black ties or floral ties should be used with caution. It is best not to use a "one-pull" or "a-card" tie. The tie after it is tied should not be longer than the belt. In general, there is no need to use a tie clip. When clipping the tie clip, it should be between the fourth and fifth buttons of a seven-button shirt from top to bottom. The higher it is, the worse it is.

4. About shoes and socks

When participating in formal events, it is generally not appropriate to wear sandals, slippers or travel shoes, and it is not appropriate to go barefoot without socks. When men wear suits, they usually avoid wearing nylon socks and white socks. When wearing skirts, women should never wear torn socks, two pairs of socks, or fitness pants instead of socks. When a woman wears a skirt, it is unsightly and impolite if her socks are exposed.

2. About the meeting

When meeting foreign friends for the first time in foreign-related activities, it is necessary to abide by the relevant meeting etiquette. Taking this matter lightly will often leave a bad impression on the person you are interacting with.

(1) Introduction

In foreign-related interactions, introductions are divided into two types: self-introduction and introduction of others, with different specific requirements.

1. Self-introduction

When introducing yourself, there are two points that you must pay special attention to. First, it is concise and concise. Self-introduction is usually as concise as possible and should generally not be longer than one minute. Second, the content is complete. The self-introduction used in official situations should generally include the four basic contents of the unit where the person works, the specific department, the position held, and the complete name. They should be "completed in one go" and cannot be separated from each other.

2. Introducing others

When introducing others, the most important etiquette issue is the order in which the two parties are introduced. The basic rule is to "respect the elder first", that is, when introducing a woman and a man, the man should be introduced first and then the woman; when introducing an elder and a junior, the junior should be introduced first and then the elder; when a superior and a subordinate are introduced, the senior should be introduced first. Introduce subordinates and then superiors; when introducing guests and hosts, introduce the hosts first and then the guests.

In a foreign affairs reception, if there is more than one person from the guest and the host, the host person must be introduced first, and then the guest person. However, when introducing the personnel of each party, they should generally be introduced in order from high to low according to their specific positions and identities.

(2) Handshake

When meeting and breaking up, people mostly shake hands as a courtesy. When shaking hands, the following two points should be paid attention to.

1. Sequence

When shaking hands, the order in which both parties extend their hands is crucial.

Its basic rule is "the distinguished person comes first", that is, when a woman shakes hands with a man, the woman should reach out first; when an elder shakes hands with a junior, the elder should reach out first; when a superior shakes hands with a subordinate, the superior should reach out first . The situation when the guest and host shake hands is quite special: when a guest arrives, the host should extend his hand first to show welcome; when the guest leaves, the guest should extend his hand first to ask the host to stay. It should be pointed out that the order of extending hands when shaking hands is divided into men and women, age, and age, and is limited to social and leisure situations; in official situations, it is usually only based on the position and only the guest and the host.

2. Main taboos

When shaking hands with foreigners on official occasions, there are the following six main taboos that should not be offended. One, absent-mindedness. Second, use your left hand. Third, wear gloves. Fourth, wear sunglasses. Fifth, use both hands to hold hands with the opposite sex. Sixth, cross patterns appear when multiple people shake hands at the same time.

(3) Business cards

In official activities, it is a communicative practice to exchange business cards with people you have just met. Both the host and the guest should be "prepared" for this.

1. Hand over your business card

There are four things to note when handing your business card to a foreigner. First, you should stand up and hand it to the other party. Second, you should use both hands, or your right hand. Third, you should face the other party head-on with words. Fourth, you should pay attention to the order. Usually, when two parties exchange business cards, the person with the lowest status should present his or her business card first; when one person exchanges business cards with multiple people at the same time, they should proceed in order from superior to inferior or from near to far.

2. Accept business cards

There are five basic rules for accepting business cards: First, you should stand up or face the other party. Second, you should use both hands, or your right hand. Third, you should read the business card carefully after receiving it. Fourth, it should be put away respectfully. Fifth, you should then give the other party a business card of your own.

3. Main taboos

Generally, business cards used for foreign exchanges should not be printed with personal photos, aphorisms or private phone numbers, and should not be altered or altered. Add, subtract, subtract.

When accepting a business card from a foreign guest, it is not appropriate to place it on the table, in your trouser pocket, or hand it to others for circulation.

(4) Topic

When talking with foreigners, you should carefully consider the specific topic you choose.

1. Topics that should not be chosen

The following three types of questions should not be chosen when talking to foreigners. First, it is a low-key topic. Such as disasters, murders, tragedies, scandals, etc. Second, criticize other people’s topics. "Those who talk about right and wrong must be right and wrong." Foreigners often feel the same way. Third, the topic involves privacy. In particular, personal privacy topics such as income, age, marriage, health, address, experience, etc. should not be mentioned proactively.

2. Topics to choose

When talking with foreigners, choose the following three categories of topics. Generally there will be no problems. First, the topic that the person you are communicating with is good at. Second, a light-hearted topic. Such as sports, competitions, film and television entertainment, leisure vacations, fashion, customs, cooking snacks, weather conditions, etc. Third, the topic is elegant. Elegant topics such as philosophy, history, geography, literary classics, etc. can be discussed in the conversation, but do not pretend to understand or do the same thing.

3. About the discussion

In foreign-related exchanges, the specific arrangement of seats is often very particular.

(1) Basic considerations

When arranging seats, the basic methods at home and abroad are different. When arranging seats on foreign-related occasions, international conventions should generally be followed.

1. Our country’s traditional practice

When arranging seats side by side, our country’s traditional practice is to “put the left first”, that is, the seat on the left is considered to be higher than the seat on the right. At present, this method is still commonly used in China when holding meetings and formal group photos.

2. Internationally accepted practice

When arranging seats side by side, the internationally accepted practice is "right first", that is, the seat on the right is considered to be higher than the seat on the left. It has been widely used in foreign-related situations.

(2) Specific operations

1. Meeting guests

When meeting guests, the standard practice should be for the host and guest of honor to face the main entrance side by side indoors. When sitting, the guest of honor sits on the right and the host sits on the left. The other attendants of both the guest and the host should be arranged in order on the side of their superiors according to their positions.

If the host and the guest of honor do not face the main entrance indoors, but sit side by side on the right or left side of the main entrance, they usually pay attention to "far first" or "center first", that is, Either the person far away from the door is the superior person, or the person sitting in the middle is the superior person.

2. Formal Negotiation

When conducting formal bilateral negotiations, if the negotiation table is placed horizontally indoors, the guest’s personnel should sit facing the door, and the host’s personnel should sit with their backs to the door. . Except for the guest of honor and the host, who sit opposite each other in the middle, other people on both sides should sit on the side of their superiors, first from right to left, from high to low, according to their specific status. By convention, the interpreters of both parties should sit in the first position to the right of the guest of honor and the host respectively.

If the negotiation table is placed vertically indoors, it should be based on the direction when entering the door. The guests will be seated on the right side, and the host party will be seated on the left. The practices in other aspects are similar to the former.

3. Signing Ceremony

When a bilateral signing ceremony is held, the signing table is often placed horizontally indoors. Personnel from both parties should be arranged side by side behind the signing table facing the main entrance indoors. The signers of both parties should usually sit in the middle, with the guest signer on the right and the host signer on the left. Other attachés from both sides stand behind their own signatories.

When a multilateral signing ceremony is held, the signing table is still placed horizontally indoors, and the signing seat must still face the main entrance, but only one is provided. All parties should sit indoors facing the signing table and with their backs to the main entrance. When signing formally, the signatories of each party should go to the signing table in a certain order, sit down and sign, and then return to their original places.

4. Take a group photo

When taking a group photo of Chinese and foreign people on formal occasions, they generally pay attention to "the right is top", "the center is top", and "the front row is top". That is to say, when taking a group photo, the Chinese people can be on the left and the foreign people on the right; the people on both sides can be arranged from the center to the two sides according to their status. If one row cannot be arranged, it can be arranged in several rows, but the previous one will be the highest.

5. Flying the national flag

When flying Chinese and foreign national flags at foreign-related activities, "right first" is still emphasized. Specifically, when flying the national flags of the two countries, the one on the right should be the guest and the one on the left should be the host. When flying the national flags of multiple countries, they should be arranged in English alphabetical order from right to left.

6. Taking a car

When taking a double-row five-seater car, the seating arrangement can be divided into two specific situations. One, the owner drives the car. Usually, the passenger seat is the upper seat, and the other seats, in descending order, should be the right seat in the rear row, the left seat in the rear row, and the middle seat in the rear row. Second, it is driven by a dedicated driver. Generally, the right seat in the rear row is the upper seat, and the other seats in order from superior to inferior should be the left seat in the rear row, the middle seat in the rear row, and the front passenger seat.

4. About banquets

When attending a formal banquet, whether you are a host or a guest, you must behave yourself in terms of etiquette.

(1) General rules

1. The way of banquet

For foreign-related banquets, the emphasis is on "eating environment", "eating culture" and few and Refined. It should not only reflect its characteristics, but also oppose extravagance and waste. When the number of people attending a banquet is small, it is advisable to share meals. When there are a large number of people attending the banquet, it is advisable to use the self-service method. Try not to mix meals.

2. Arrangement of dishes

When arranging the menu for a banquet, the most important thing is not to offend the guests' dietary taboos, especially religious taboos and ethnic taboos. If possible, guests can be treated to dishes with local and ethnic characteristics.

3. Table taboos

At banquets, diners should not make noises while eating, should not smoke, should not pick their teeth in public, should not tidy up their clothes, should not put on make-up, and should not wear makeup. It is not appropriate to persuade others to drink while serving food to others.

(2) Western-style tableware

1. Knife and fork

When eating with a knife and fork, you should hold the knife in your right hand and the fork in your left hand. Don't point fingers or hit each other. When you are not eating for a while, you can place the knife on the right side of the dinner plate and the fork on the left side in an "eight" shape. If you place them side by side on the dinner plate, it means that you have finished your meal.

2. Napkins

Napkins should only be spread on the thighs during Western meals and should not be tucked on the collar. Do not use it to clean dishes. If you leave temporarily during the meal, you can place the napkin on your seat. If you put it on the table, it means that you have finished your meal. At a Western banquet, the hostess spreads the napkin to generally indicate the beginning of the meal. When the hostess puts the napkin on the table, it often indicates that the banquet is over.

3. Spoon

Do not let the spoon "stand upright" in the box or basin, and do not hold it in the mouth. When drinking coffee, do not drink it with a spoon.