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Even it is not my speciality, I guess this is not so far from customer care every where.
Isolate the guest if possible ASAP.
Don't argue with the guest.
Be aware of the guest's self-esteem.
Give the guest your ful attention.
All the complaints of guests are to be entertained in the overall context of the hotel policy! Customer may be the king.........but not always. Listen to the guest first. Encourage him he says all that he wants to say. Settle the complaint but never ever insult your staff in front of the guest!
You will need to be flexible in listening and giving the full time to understand the complain of the guest.
The guest is always right and you have to show intrest in documenting and updating the guest. You have to make the guest feel that his/her complain has been fully understood and has been managed/solved.
How to handle hotel guest complaints is through attentiveness. Such attentiveness requires the obvious, which is attention, along with genuine sensitivity and substantiation. When a guest believes there is cause to lodge a complaint, the expectation of an effect exists. Almost all guest compliments are received by the hotel’s front desk staff. As hotels constitute a major portion of the hospitality field, excellence in customer service for guests is an industry standard. While a hotel provides accommodations, it is at the discretion of front desk staff to provide guest services. These services also encompass the occasional opportunity to resolve hotel guest complaints.
To handle hotel guest complaints, you will benefit from a familiarity in or with:
Knowledge of relevant hotel policy
Front desk guest parameters
Managerial resources
Maintenance access
Customer service
Resolution expertise
Retention skills
Diplomacy
Patience
Listen attentively to the hotel guest’s complaint. It is important for a desk clerk—or any other member of the hotel’s staff—to make eye contact upon listening to the guest. The desk clerk should maintain serious facial expression, and poise in posture that demonstrates attention. Avoid any temptation to interrupt or interject while the guest is voicing a complaint. This strategy shows respect to a guest that is dissatisfied, while it enables the desk clerk to understand the problem.
Identify with the hotel guest. Rather than to express an all-so-common, “I am sorry,” sincerely acknowledge with a full apology for the guest’s unfortunate experience or inconvenience. Apologizing does not reflect upon a desk clerk’s representation, though rather and appropriately on the behalf of the hotel. When a hotel representative identifies with the guest, an opportunity to establish communication and confidence is possible.
Assess the complaint. In a proactive manner, substantiate any circumstance or issues that are adversely impacting the guest’s hotel stay. In a feasible fashion, promptly advise this guest that a solution to the problem will be sought. Display sensitivity, and inquire of the guest if any form of temporary comfort or convenience may suffice while this complaint receives attention. If at all possible, deliver on what the guest may temporarily request. Should the interim request be impossible to provide, suggest other momentary alternatives that are available.
Consider the guest’s complaint. Quickly categorize the complaint as to its origin—essential, amenity or service. Determine how the complaint ranks in its severity. Decide the best course of action to seek a resolution. Contemplate if such a complaint is within the scope of the hotel’s front desk to resolve, or will it necessitate a more extensive or external option.
Plot the course towards resourceful action. Use the origin of a guest’s complaint to seek resources. Decipher if the nature of the matter is a housekeeping, maintenance, amenity, or service issue. Draw upon a responsible hotel source that correlates with whatever matter is at cause for the complaint.
Delegate a complaint to the appropriate resource. For an optimum resolution, immediately make all possible efforts to contact the appropriate member of hotel personnel. Upon reaching the applicable staff member, thoroughly, though concisely, explain the guest’s complaint. Inquire of the responsible staff member as to how the issue will be resolved, and the approximate time that it may take to remedy such a posed situation.
Apprise the guest of action. Advise the inconvenienced guest as to how this hotel is progressing to resolve an unacceptable situation. Should the scope of the problem be excessive in either scope or time frame, then take a different course of action, and accommodate the guest.
Compensate for the hotel’s mishap. When a guest’s complaint has been addressed and resolved, do not let the inconvenience pass without retribution. Dependent upon the infraction, present this guest with extra amenities, service, upgrade, or even an additional night’s stay. Through such an ethical act of hospitality, both guest retention and satisfaction are achieved.
If circumstances are at an extreme, exercise alternative options. Should the complaint, upon validation, be to the extremes that exceed a reasonable remedy, relocate the guest to equal or greater accommodations—without any further charges
That depends on what kind of your guest, if your guest just like this in my case. You should call your manager on duty.
but for your first aid you need to listen carefully for what they say,
Us : hello mr/mrs may i help you?
G : I want to talk with your manager why this hotel so sucks, to much bug in our bed, the towel wet and where is our soap? i want my money back.
Us: Please take a sit sir
G: No i dont want it.
Us : Thank you for your information sir, and we really apologize for all that happened to you. we will fix this as soon as possible, to make you feel comfortable in our room (dont say this: sorry sir this is our HK fault they forget to clean the room, "guest really hate this".
G: No, i want my money back i dont like this. Give me back my money or i will publish it to my social media.
Us: (keep smile), im sorry sir but we cannot do it, you may moving to another room sir?, we'll make sure this time you will get the room you want it.
G: No, my money or ill publish.
(If you find kind of guest like this, make sure you always tell that guest to be patience, say sorry or thanks, and make sure your team call the manager on duty about this problem.), because a money back term is a WORST condition in a hotel company.
Because i already met some kind of guest like this and kind of guest like this is the worst guest ever in whole world, because they will treat us with their weapon, "follow our suggestion or publish"
Hospitality is not my industry, but satill answering this question form my experience. I suggest the HEAT technique. HEAT is HEAR, EMPATHIZE, APOLOGIZE AND TAKE ACTION. More details are mentioned below:
Hear: The first step is to listen to the customer. Hear them out. Don’t interrupt. Sometimes a customer just wants to vent. Of course, other times they have a real problem that needs solving. Try to listen for cues about what’s really bugging them. Is it the problem with their meal or their room? Or is it that they are now running late? If the real problem is time, then that takes a different twist to your solution; you have to solve the problem fast.
Empathize: Empathy is defined as the ability to imagine oneself in another's place and understand the other's feelings, desires, ideas and actions. Over the years, I have found the best way to do this (and teach team members how to do it) is by naming the emotion. You have to articulate to the customer what they are feeling and validate it. “I understand how you feel, I’d be frustrated too.” Or, “I completely understand and if that happened to me, it would make me very upset.” By naming the emotion, expressing understanding and placing yourself in the customer’s place, you begin the process of diffusing the situation.
Apologize: This is a big one, and easy. It goes like this: “I’m sorry.” It can be that easy. Unfortunately, many line-level team members tend to take this sort of thing personally and feel apologizing for something they may not have had any control over to be uncomfortable. My advice: Get over it. Nobody said it was your fault. We aren’t blaming you, so apologize already. To be more powerful, add a little of empathy. “I’m sorry for the inconvenience this has caused you. I’m really very sorry this happened.”
Take action: Going from apology to taking action should be seamless. The very next sentence out of your mouth should be what you’re going to do about the customer’s complaint. The customer deserves to know what is going to happen next and what they can expect. The foundation to most customer complaints is the disconnect from what was expected and what actually happened. This is your chance to reestablish an expectation and deliver on it. Taking the appropriate action can only be done if you really hear the problem, fully understand the customer’s feelings and combine it with a sincere apology.
