London,
31
March
2016
|
10:25
Europe/Amsterdam

Cultural faux pas in business are hitting the bottom line

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Cultural faux pas in business are hitting the bottom line

Etiquette blunders are affecting companies worldwide

London, UK – 30 March 2016 – In today’s global economy you only get one chance to make that crucial, first impression in business. Research released today from Booking.com, reveals that a lack of understanding when it comes to business etiquette is impacting companies’ reputations worldwide, with 62% of business travellers confirming etiquette errors affect companies’ bottom lines.

The research conducted by Booking.com, the global leader in connecting business travellers with the widest choice of places to stay, surveyed over 4,500 business travellers across eight countries about their attitude towards business etiquette.

The research found that one-third (31%) of British business travellers admit to having committed a cultural faux pas when travelling internationally on business and half (47%) are worried they will unknowingly offend a client or business associate. Almost half (45%) of international business travellers have witnessed a colleague or business associates from other countries make a cultural slip-up – and seasoned business travellers from the UK are more likely to say they’ve witnessed colleagues and associates commit cultural faux pas than admit do doing so themselves!

ETIQUETTE IS SERIOUS BUSINESS

British business travellers are aware of the importance of correct etiquette, with four in five (82%) saying it’s important to be aware of cultural norms when travelling to a different country on business. Three out of four of us (73%) claim to research where they are going to better understand a country’s business etiquette, but that doesn’t always stop them from making a faux pas.

TOP FIVE COUNTRIES WHO ADMIT TO MAKING A BUSINESS ETIQUETTE FAUX PAS

 

China

67%

Italy

65%

USA

58%

Germany

56%

Spain

52%

While half of British business travellers worry about unknowingly offending the client or business associate, Spanish business travellers are most concerned about doing this (62%), while Japanese business travellers are least concerned (30%).

DRINK, DINE AND BEWARE OF SMALL TALK

Although food may be one of the great pleasures in life, the thought of breaking bread with colleagues or business associates can be a worry for many business travellers. When it comes to eating habits, there are many ways to offend other cultures. One in four of those surveyed are concerned about eating with people they don’t know very well, or going to restaurants that may not be able to adjust to their dietary requirements. Almost a quarter (22%) worry about being served too much alcohol, yet over two in five (42%) are more concerned about making small talk with associates they don’t know very well.

PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR MOBILE DEVICE

Globally, when it came to what people think are the biggest business etiquette faux pas, almost half (46%) of respondents feel that being on your mobile device during a meeting is the most offensive. Over half of British (57%) and American (55%) business travellers are most likely to say that being on a mobile phone is a complete no-no, while Japanese business travellers are less bothered by this error (30%).

A side effect of an increasingly digital and mobile world means that people no longer know how to greet each other properly. Two fifths (43%) of global business travellers feel that not greeting a business associate properly was one of the biggest cultural faux pas. Compared to those from other countries, Japanese business travellers feel the strongest about improper greetings, with three out of five (61%) seeing this as the highest form of rudeness. Half (50%) of Chinese respondents thought that speaking loudly was the biggest cultural slip-up in their country.

TOP FIVE BUSINESS ETIQUETTE BLUNDERS

 

Being on a mobile device during a meeting

46%

Not greeting people appropriately

43%

Inappropriate attire

36%

Speaking loudly

32%

Not responding to emails within 24 hours

19%

20 WAYS TO SAY SORRY

So, what do you do if you have unknowingly (or knowingly) offended a foreign business associate? Seven out of ten Japanese business travellers (69%) suggest dealing with the issue straight away by apologising in the moment, versus only 37% of Italian business travellers. A quarter of Italian business travellers – 26% – say they would try and make a joke of it to diffuse the situation, the highest of all countries surveyed.

Ripsy Bandourian, Director of Product Development, Booking.com for Business comments:

“Experiencing new cultures is one of the things business travellers enjoy most. However, doing good business in today’s global economy means that executives need to become a cultural chameleon. The simplest of gestures and behaviours that are perfectly acceptable in one country or city can cause offence in another, which ultimately can make or break a deal. At Booking.com we’re constantly innovating to make life easier for business travellers, with one in five bookings on our site being made for business and tens of thousands of businesses using our Booking.com for Business tool. We’re therefore launching the Booking.com for Business ‘Better-quette’ campaign, which will see the creation of a range of smart resources and expert advice to help them navigate the exciting, yet complicated world of business travel.”

-Ends-

CONTACT DETAILS

For further information, contact the Booking.com UK Press Office;

Joshua.Hoppen@Ketchum.com / +44 20 3755 6485

Rebecca.Murphy@Ketchum.com / +44 20 3755 6400

NOTES TO EDITORS

Research commissioned by Booking.com and independently surveyed 4,555 men and women aged 18-65 who have travelled internationally for business four times or more in the past year across USA, UK, Germany, France, Spain, Japan, China and Italy. Research took place between 29th of January - 11th of February 2016.

About Booking.com:

Booking.com is the world leader in booking hotel and other accommodations online. It guarantees the best prices for any type of property – from small independents to five-star luxury. Guests can access the Booking.com website anytime, anywhere from their desktops, mobile phones and tablet devices, and they don’t pay booking fees – ever.The Booking.com website is available in 42 languages, offers over 859,000 hotels and accommodations including more than 390,000 vacation rental properties and covers over 86,000 destinations in 223 countries and territories worldwide. It features over 78M reviews written by guests after their stay, and attracts online visitors from both leisure and business markets around the globe. With over 19 years of experience and a team of over 10,000 dedicated employees in over 170 offices worldwide, Booking.com operates its own in-house customer service team,which is available 24/7 to assist guests in their native languages and ensure an exceptional customer experience. Established in 1996, Booking.com B.V. owns and operates Booking.com™, and is part of The Priceline Group(NASDAQ: PCLN). Follow us on Twitter, Google+ and Pinterest, like us on Facebook, or learn more at http://www.booking.com.

About Booking.com for business

Booking.com for business (www.booking.com/business) is its tailored offering specifically focused on business bookers and travellers to allow them to seamlessly book and manage business travel in the simplest, smartest and most rewarding way. More than one in five bookings made on Booking.com are made for business. Enhanced features for business travel on Booking.com highlight those places which are frequently used for business, tapping into its extensive review data to make easy work of finding those that are business traveller tested and approved. Booking.com for Business also provides a free tool for travel managers and assistants that allows booking on behalf of others. Booking.com for Business is a platform with enhanced functionality and reporting designed to meet the specific needs of corporate travel, while delivering the same ease as Booking.com enabling every business traveller to book with confidence, wherever their business takes them.

Etiquette blunders are affecting companies worldwide