HANDLE GUEST COMPLAINTS
OBJECTIVE:
Negative situations are going to occur when the guest is inconvenienced. Some of these guests will voice a complaint about the inconvenience. This complaint process is not generally a pleasant one for either the guest or the associate receiving the complaint. But the fact that the guest brought the situation to the hotel’s attention provides the opportunity to correct it, turning a negative situation into a positive one. Complaints are also an invaluable source of data regarding areas of guest concern. They shall be welcomed and the entire process of making complaint made as easy as possible for the guest.
It is the hotel’s philosophy to handle and resolve the complaints at the point when the guest first expresses the complaint. If a problem can be resolved by the first person a guest contacts, it is generally easier to resolve than if the guest has had to complain to two or three people to get a satisfactory resolution. If the first associate cannot resolve the situation in a satisfactory manner, then that associate must seek assistance in getting the situation resolved. Remember the associate who receives the complaint owns the complaint.
When deciding how to resolve a guest complaint, it is necessary to keep a long-term view in mind. The guest often represents a sizeable amount of future business in terms of repeat business. Remember, an unhappy guest tells eleven other people, a satisfied guest only six. The objective is to find “win-win” solutions whenever possible.
Often the guest judges the hotel more by how it recovers from problems than by the problems themselves. The issue of recovery is very important to the success of a business. Isolated mistakes may be something that the guest will forget if the situations are well-handled and the hotel “recovers” well from these errors. Learning how to handle guest complaints can make these situations much less stressful and more positive for both the guest and the associate.
Guest complaints shall be handled in a manner which encourages guest satisfaction and repeat business, while keeping the hotel’s interest in mind
Since the guest services agent is the link from the guest to get their problems solved, the way that the GSA deals with guests and their problems is very important.
All guest complaints shall be handled and corrected immediate whenever possible.
Guest complaints shall not be treated lightly. The matter is obviously of great importance to the guest.
Take the guest complaint seriously because it will affect to the hotel reputation. Besides that, it takes an important role in hotel service improvement.
PROCEDURE:
LISTEN
LET THE GUEST TELL EVERYTHING ABOUT THEIR PROBLEM/ISSUE
DO NOT INTERUPT THEM WHILE THEY ARE SPEAKING.
LISTEN CAREFULLY, USE BODY LANGUAGE (EYE CONTACT, BODY GESTURE)
FEEL SYMPATHY WHEN LISTENING
Ask the guest the nature of the problem.
Associates shall listen attentively without interruption and attempt to establish the facts. Associates shall not act defensively.
Associates shall remain friendly, courteous and calm at all times. They shall display an attitude of empathy and concern and acknowledge the guest’s inconvenience.
If the officer misunderstands the guest it is better to ask the guest to repeat than miss details and therefore fail to satisfy the guests.
Make sure you have understood the guest. Do not be frightened to ask questions about the problem.
If the matter requires assistance by someone with higher authority, associates shall not hesitate to call them.
Associates shall attempt to avoid a “scene”. If the guest becomes loud, an attempt to move the conversation to a non-public area, such as an office, shall be made.
Once guest has had time to explain why he's upset, repeat his concerns so you're sure that you're addressing the right issue. If you need to, ask questions to make sure that you've identified the problem correctly.
SINCERELY APOLOGIZE and EXPRESS YOUR SYMPATHY WITH GUESTS
Even if it is not the fault of the GSA or whoever in the hotel, he must say sorry, for hotel, that the guest has a problem.
I am sorry this has happened / I am sorry to hear that, Sir/Madam…
Please accept my sincere apology for that issue” / I do apologize for that…
Express Sympathy I can understand how you are feeling now and from my side, I couldn’t accept it happen.
I personally agree with you and it is unacceptable.
Do not argue with guest and keep calm at all the time
WRITE IT DOWN (TAKE NOTE) – INVESTIGATE
Do not keep it in your head; write it down while the guest is there. If it is a phone call write it down straightaway.
If you do not write it down it will be forgotten. And if you have to ask the guest the same thing again, you will have a problem.
Associates shall make notes regarding pertinent facts of the matter (in front of the guest). The GSA can be asked many things at once. Taking notes can be useful so as to not forget any details.
Take notes and record the complaint (guest comment form, log book, etc.)
If necessary, ask other associates for information. Determine all the facts: what really happened, the current situation and what is at stake. If there are multiple issues, separate them. If the situation has occurred before, determine how it was previously resolved.
Investigate
Inform guest that we will investigate with the related departments why / how it happened and then feedback to guests later (or in period of time)
“Please allow me to investigate with Housekeeping, Engineering, F&B, etc about it. I will feedback to you when I got the answer”’
“Are you going out or just stay in the hotel this morning/afternoon/evening?
If guest is going out, May I send a letter to your room when we got the feedback from HK / ENG / FB / Security?
What time are you going back the hotel?
Would you like to see me at the Reception when you come back hotel? I will be here until…(time)
If guest still stays in room or hotel
May I call to your room / May I come to see you later after the investigation
Where can I look for you in the hotel if you are not in the room later?
Ask for explanation from the related department about what happened. It needs to be clear and correct information.
TAKE ACTION (SOLUTION) Determine what solution to offer the guest.
Communicate clearly to the guest the action to be taken and when it will happen.
Determine the guest’s satisfaction with the proposed solution, and if necessary adjust or negotiate the offer.
This is important so the guest can see you are giving service. Also if you can, you must tell when it will happen. Always be accurate. Do not just say it will take 10 minutes when it may take 2 hours to do!
EXCLAIM TO HIGHER MANAGER / RELATED DEPARTMENT
REMEMBER Always inform the Managers, Supervisors to know what is going on and what happened to guest via Email or directly.
Communicate the correct department and person. Phone, radio (walkie-talkie). If it is maintenance work, send maintenance request form.
Record to Daily Guest Feedback Logbook. It will let whole hotel know what happened to guests and take special care.
FOLLOW UP
It is one of the most important steps in handling guest complaint because it shows our hospitality to guests and how we really care about their satisfaction.
Every hour you must check the reception log book and see if the problem has been dealt with. If it has not been dealt with, contact the person to see what is happening. And also if it has not been done in an expected, caring way, inform the supervisor who is on duty to contact the guest for postponed
Associates shall make every effort to ensure that the problem is satisfactorily resolved
Associates shall call the guest to see if their problem has been resolved.
Follow up to ensure that the agreed upon actions have been completed and that the guest is satisfied with the result.
Determine if any other action needs to be taken to prevent future occurrences of this nature.
WRITTEN COMPLAINTS (GUEST FEEDBACK CARD OR EMAIL)
When a guest chooses to indicate a complaint in writing, an immediate response to the guest’s concern can help reduce negative impressions. Properly responding to complaints can often change the guest’s negative impression into a positive experience. Written complaints also provide feedback on the hotel service. This gives the hotel an opportunity to follow up and make improvements before another guest is inconvenienced.
