COMPLAINT HANDLING

COMPLAINT HANDLING

Introduction

A guest in a hotel is basically a customer who purchases the services of the hotel and pays for these services. When we look at the relationship of a hotel employee with a hotel guest we realize that in a stay of 2-3 days perhaps, the guest comes in contact with the employees for not more than 2 hours or so, and unless the guest repeats the visit to the same hotel, his relation with the employees of the hotel is only of 2 hours in the life time. Hence, the relationship an employee should maintain with the guest should be “short and formal” and if there is any guest complaint it should be sorted out immediately to make his stay comfortable.

Most guest concerns can be dealt with simply by complying with the person’s reasonable requests from time-to-time; however, hotel does come across some guests who may complain about hotel services. A complaint can be costly for the business but it can also have a positive outcome. This all depends on how it is dealt by the members of the staff. If a complaint is dealt with in a positive manner and the guest feels they have received very good guest service, then they may forget about their bad experience and may even promote the business because of the excellent service they have received. This is known as a “win-win” situation: the guest is happy and so is the business. And, if a guest is unhappy and given bad guest service, then they may never return. Worse still, they are likely to tell others about the bad service they were given and so put off potential customer. Hotel staff should always remember that the guest has the privilege to disagree but not the employees. The golden rule “Guest is always right” must be adhered by all the employees and management of the hotel.

Hence, it is very essential for hotels to deal with guest complaints immediately. There is a certain amount of expertise required when handling guest complaints in a hotel. Most of the time, the complaint comes to the hotel receptionist. It is not necessary a complaint does always have to be voiced, it can also be unvoiced. Hence, hotel staff should be able to address both types of complaints. It is important to remember that the hotel exists because of the guests only and if guests no longer stay at the hotel due to dissatisfaction then there will be no hotel. A part of the front office’s responsibility is to serve the guest well and this is evident in the way they handle problems. Front office staff members must always be better equipped to handle frequent complaints courteously and effectively, if they are aware the problem may not be immediately corrected, guest should be offered with another solution. Keeping track of complaints by front office provides the department with useful information concerning levels of guest satisfaction.

4.3.2 Types of Guest Complaints

 Guest complaints can be separated into 4 categories of problems:

1.       Mechanical

2.       Attitudinal

3.       Service-related

4.       Unusual

1.       Mechanical complaints: Most guest complaints related to hotel equipments malfunctions. It is usually concerned problems with air conditioning, lightening, electricity, room furnishing, vending machines, ice machines, door keys, plumbing, television and so on. Effective use of a front office log book and maintenance work orders may help to reduce the frequency of mechanical complaints.

2.       Attitudinal complaints: Hotel does come across instances when guest complaints about impolite, unprofessional and indifferent behaviour of staff members of the hotel. The moment an employee disagrees with the guest, his conflict with the guest begins which leads to guest complaints. Guest may express attitudinal complaint when they feel insulted by rude or tactless hotel staff members or sometimes guest overhear staff conversations or who receive complaints from hotel staff members. Managers and supervisors should listen and attend to the complaints and problems of the guest. This can be especially critical to maintain good guest relations.

3.       Service-related complaints: The guest may experience a problem with hotel services and may get dissatisfied. It can be of wide ranging and about such things as long waiting time for service, lack of assistance with luggage, untidy room, missed wake up call, cold or ill prepared food or ignored request for additional supplies. The front office generally receives more service related complaints when the hotel is operating at or near full occupancy.

               

4. Unusual complaints: Guest sometime expects the Front office staff to resolve or at least listen such kind of complaints which are unusual and hotel cannot do anything about them. Sometime guests demand something that simply is unwarranted or impossible to deliver such as they may complain about the absence of a swimming pool, lack of public transportation, bad weather and so on. Hotels generally have little or no control over the circumstances surrounding unusual complaints. Front office management should alert front desk agents that on occasions guest may complain about things the staff can do nothing about them. Through such orientation, staff will be better prepared to handle an unusual situation with the appropriate guest relations techniques and avoid a potentially difficult encounter.

Dealing with Complaints

1. Identifying Complaints
2. Handling Complaints
3. Follow-up Procedures

1.       Identifying Complaints

All guest complaints deserve attention. An excited guest complaining loudly at the front desk requires immediate attention as he is affecting property’s business. Guest Relations Executive play an important role to systematically identifies its most frequent guest complaints and handles guest complaints accordingly.

Front office can identify complaints by reviewing a property kept front office log book. Another way to identify complaints involves the evaluation of “Guest Comment Card” or “Guest Feedback Form”. It may be distributed at the front desk, placed conspicuously in the guest room to fill by the guests during the time of their departure, or mailed to guests after their departure. It is very essential for management to identify and address recurring complaints and problems. By examining the type of complaints and the staff members involved in it, front office management may gain insight into common and less common problems.

2.       Handling Complaints

The front office may receive complaints about other departments’ services, regardless of whether those operations are managed by the front office or not. The hotel and its revenue outlets should maintain close communication and develop procedures designed to satisfactorily resolve guest complaints otherwise, guest may continue to be upset and the front office will continue to hear about the problem. It is usually counter productive to ignore a guest complaint. The front office should have a contingency plan in place and be empowered to deal with situations.

                Front office management and staff should keep the following resolution guidelines in mind when handling guest complaints:

·         When expressing a complaint, the guest may be quite angry. Front office staff members should not go alone to a guest room to investigate a problem or otherwise rest potential danger.

·         Front office staff members should not make promises that exceed their authority.

·         Honesty is the best policy when dealing with guest complaints. If a problem cannot be solved, front office staff should admit this to the guest early on.

·         Front desk agents should be advised that some guests complaint as part of their nature. The front office should develop an approach for dealing with such guests.

Guidelines for Handling Guest Complaints: Front office management and staff should keep the following resolution guidelines in mind when handling guest complaints. Here are some tips to handle guest complaints at hotel effectively to ensure guest satisfaction.

1. Allow the Guest to Speak: It is important that staff give a patient ear to the guest while he is complaining and do not make an effort to interrupt. The guest is already angry and the interruption will cause his or her temper to flare even further. Allow the guests to describe in detail, the reason for their unhappiness with the hotel or its service. The guest may yell and shout, but the front office staff should never take it personally. Instead the staff should concentrate on resolving the issue. While he can ask questions to understand the reasons better, it is important that he let the guest speak out his mind. He shall ask open-ended questions if he is not clear about the issue and this will show the guests he is genuinely interested in understanding their problem and resolving it. It will help the guest calm down and speak more coherently. As a receptionist, he/she should be aware of the difference between a genuine problem that requires solving and a situation where the guest is venting his frustration. So, allow the guest to speak and listen to the complaint carefully to find out what is really troubling the guest.
2. Listen: Whenever a hotel employee is set out to handle a guest complaint the first thing that he must do is listen. Listen attentively to the guest with concern and empathy and understand what is exactly wrong to the guest and try to figure out why he is upset. Do not interrupt, sometimes a guest just wants to vent. Of course, other times they have a real problem that needs solving. Listen to the guest to determine whether any of your policies were not abided by or if this is something outside or not contemplated by your systems. Try to listen for clues about what’s really bugging them. Is it the problem with their meal or their room? Or is it something else. Listen to what they want from you to resolve the issue.
3. Understand: All too often we are defensive when dealing with guest complaints. Being defensive, at least at the onset, can inhibit your ability to truly understand why the guest is not satisfied with your services. They will tell you the problem, how they think it should be resolved, and give you a critical window into their thinking on the matter. So before you attempt to explain anything, challenge their complaint or offer a resolution to the situation try to put yourself in the shoes of the guest. Given what you now know, try and see from their point of view. Until you view the issue from their perspective you cannot have a complete picture of the reason for the complaint. So always think, if I was in their shoes how would I feel?
4. Empathize: Complaint has to be handled positively and with empathy for the guest, aspiring for 100% guest satisfaction as the outcome. Empathy is defined as the ability to imagine oneself in another's place and understand the other's feelings, desires, ideas and actions. If you look at the situation or problem from the guest’s perspective, you will be able to better understand their frustration and/or anger. Empathizing with the guest is a good way to handle guest complaints as it shows them that you understand what they are going through. It will help to defuse the situation. The best way to show your empathy to guest is by naming the emotion. You have to articulate to the guest what they are feeling and validate it. “I understand how you feel, I would 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 guest’s place, you begin the process of diffusing the situation.

5. Apologize: Apologize to the guest for the inconvenience caused. This is a big one, and easy step to be followed. Even if you are not wrong or not part of the problem, it is important you issue an apology to the guest. The apology should be issued even if the guest is angry and yelling at the top of his voice. To apologize to guest standard phrases such as: “I am sorry for the inconvenience this has caused you” or “I am really very sorry this happened” can be used. Unfortunately, many employees tend to take this sort of thing personally and feel apologizing for something they may not have done or may not have had any control over to be uncomfortable. They should try to get over it as no one is blaming them or considering their fault. They must see it as an opportunity to improve guest service rather than taking it personally.

6. Isolate: Take the guest out of the front area and try to isolate him from other guests if possible, so that other guests won't overhear.

7. Take Notes: Writing down the key facts and pertinent details down on the guest request tracking sheet saves time if someone else also gets involved. Also, guest tends to slow down when they see the front desk agent trying to write down the issue. More important, the fact that a personnel is concerned enough to write down what they are saying is reassuring to guest.

8. Stay Calm: In complaint handling the matter is to listen, understand, and then discuss with the guests their concerns in a calm and friendly manner while conducting an open discussion regarding the issues complained of avoid responding with hostility and defensiveness. Do not argue with the guest. Calmly defend your policies or personnel if you must but do not permit the conversation to erode into an argument at any point.

9. Guest's Self-esteem: Be aware of the guest's self-esteem. Show your personal interest in the problem and try to use the guest name frequently. While listening guest complaint give the guest your undivided attention and concentrate on the problem, no on placing blame. Do not insult the guest.

10. No Fighting: Recall, whether correct or not guests believe that they are correct. As such, they may be 100% wrong but fighting about the issue will only exacerbate their complaint. Fighting with the guest will never resolve the issue and will only lead to heightened aggression and anger on their part. Often times it comes down to tone and respect. So, defend if you must. But do not fight with the guest.

11. Handle the Complaints Smoothly: When dealing with an irate guest face-to-face or over the phone, it is important to be professional and courteous. Using a polite tone and demeanor will let you show the guest that you are making an effort to understand the situation and can help in defusing it. You should not show your nervousness, as this creates an impression of uncertainty and adds fuel to the fire. By being calm and confident, you will have a more positive effect. The fact that a guest approaches you shows an indication that he believes in you and expects you to handle the complaint positively and resolve his problem.

12.  Take action:  Going from apology to taking action should be seamless. The very next sentence out of your mouth should be what you are going to do about the guest’s complaint. The guest deserves to know what is going to happen next and what they can expect. The foundation to most guest complaints is the discontent 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 guest’s feelings and combine it with a sincere apology.

13.  Resolution: The psychology of the offering of a resolution cannot be understated. Recall, the goal is to resolve the guest dispute with the guest being fully satisfied with your goods or services. Even if the guest’s complaint is unwarranted listening, understanding, elevating, and offering some form of resolution allows the guest to feel that they have won, that they were correct, and that your organization wants to make it right.

Offer a resolution where possible to guest. Once you have listened and understood the guest’s complaint and have avoided fighting over the same divert the guest’s focus to how you intend to resolve the matter. Here, it is difficult to include all manners of resolution which can be offered given the nature and scope of the goods and services which could be offered, but some suggestions include offering a discount, refund or partial refund of money paid, if warranted. Discounts on future goods or services are another popular remedy.

If the issue is personnel specific simply offering to change out their representative with another will often suffice. If guest asks for a particular service which is not available with the hotel. Give your guests alternatives and suggestions. Further, try to convince the guest that you have made a note of their suggestions and show your appreciation by telling them that you will ask management to implement them as soon as possible. For most, this will resolve the issue and they will be satisfied. Unfortunately, however, there will always be those select few that you cannot please no matter what you offer. For those, you must incorporate resolve.

14.  Resolve: In every guest service situation you will ultimately come to a point of what you can and cannot do to address the issue. Most situations will be able to be addressed and the guest issue resolved to their satisfaction. Unfortunately, from time-to-time, there will be issues which simply cannot be resolved. Whether it is because the guest is requesting something or on such matters that is out of the reach of hotel stated policies or are simply being unreasonable in their requests. For those guests you must understand that despite your best reasonable efforts to offer a reasonable resolution they are unwilling to join you in reality and accordingly, although our aim is always to please the guest if that which the guest demands cannot be satisfied you must maintain your best offered solution and no more. While offering solutions to guests do not promise the impossible solutions, and do not exceed your authority.

15.  Take responsibility to Resolve your Guest’s Problem: As much as possible, you should try to resolve the guest’s problem. Remember, the guest has come to you with the hope that you can help them out. This is the time to show them that you are willing to aid them. Unless the situation is something you cannot resolve or address, avoid transferring the problem to another person but, If you do have to take the complaint to someone else then, stay on the call until the other person answers, first introduce the caller and transition the situation then after make sure that person understands the problem very clearly and is now full of aware the guest’s name and problem. Never blindly transfer an angry caller; if the call is forwarded to a voicemail box or gets disconnected, the guest will be more angry when they call back.

16. Elevate: Once you have heard the complaint, understand the basis for the same and you are not in a position to resolve the complaint or the problem is out of your authority. In that case elevate the guest complaint to a supervisor, manager or Duty Manager where possible. Often this move alone is sufficient to alleviate some of the guests’ concerns by instilling in them a sense of importance, that their complaint is significant enough to be elevated to someone higher in the chain of command. One note of caution when elevating be careful to fully inform the guest the issue is being elevated of the relevant facts prior to having them speak with the guest. If this is not done the new representative will be in a position which they must ask the guest to repeat what happened. While most guests, as part of the venting process, will gladly share their story again with the supervisor they should not be made to feel that they must do so for the process to continue to run its course.

17.  Ask the Guest for an Appropriate Solution:  Many times asking the guest to suggest an appropriate solution can go a long way in diffusing the situation. Also, if the solution is reasonable and you have the authority, you can immediately act upon it. If you do not have the authority, explain this to the guest and give him a time frame within which his problem will be resolved. If the guest gives an unreasonable solution, be calm and explain why the hotel cannot use it. Then give the guest an alternative to calm him down. It is important that you first apologize and then take action to resolve the guest’s problem. This transition should be seamless. Immediately after apologizing for the inconvenience caused, you should inform the guest about steps you will take to address his complaint and how long it will take. This is only possible if you listen to the guest’s complaint and understand it completely.

18. Corrective actions: Set an approximate time for completion of corrective actions. Be specific, but do not underestimate the amount of time it will take to resolve the problem then monitor the progress of the corrective action.

19. Follow up: Even if the complaint was resolved by someone else, contact the guest to ensure that the problem was resolved satisfactory. Report the entire event, the actions taken, and the conclusion of the incident.

20.  Inform Higher Authorities: Inform the Manager of all complaints immediately, even if you have successfully resolved the situation.

21.  Log Book: Note down the incidence in the log book and give handover to the next if the issue is still not resolved. Guest should be kept informed of the developments and record all the details in Guest Call Register.

22. Learn: Above all, use guest complaints as a manner to learn about potential flaws in your systems. Maintain a manner of tracking guest complaints and the resolution thereof such that, over time, trends or specific issues may be identified to the point that if you see one or more specific situations occurring with any frequency systems can be amended or put into place to address the same in the future before they become future complaints.

23. Writing: Ultimately, when all is said and done and a resolution has or has not been reached always take the time to memorialize the same in writing. If, as in most cases, the matter is resolved to the guest’s satisfaction, you will want to send the guest a brief follow-up email confirming that the issue has now been resolved and the specific resolution involved. In those unfortunate times when a solution cannot be reached, you want to send an email clearly memorizing what transpired such that should the issue ever come back you can quickly review the email and be versed in the same as needed.

3.       Follow-up Procedure

a)      Follow-up the Problems with Guests: Once a guest’s problem has been resolved, it is important that you follow up with him to find out whether he is happy with the solution. This will allow you to confirm that the problem has really been resolved and that the guest is now happy with the services of the hotel. A follow up also makes the guest feel special and this can make a huge difference in the overall impression that the guest has about the hotel. A follow up can build guest loyalty and pave the way to repeat business.

b)      Follow Up Procedure: Front Office manager may use the Front Office log book to initiate corrective action, verify the guest complaint have been resolved, and identify recurring problems. This comprehensive written record may also enable management to contact guests who may still be dissatisfied with some aspect of their stay at check out.  After the guest has departed a letter from the Front Office Manager expressing regret about the incident is usually sufficient to promote good will and demonstrate concern for the guest satisfaction.

 SUMMARY

Guest complaints are inevitable. In hotel providing services or facilities to guests no matter how great your goods or services are the old adage will eventually be proven true: You cannot please 100% of the people 100% of the time. The key to running a successful hotel is providing flawless guest services to guest and if guest still complains about services, tackle complaint. A big part of handling complaint is addressing guest complaints and ensuring that these complaints are resolved to the guest’s satisfaction. Successful resolution will have a positive effect on the guest, who will be more conducive to returning to the hotel in the future, as the way the complaint is handled and resolved makes the guest feel special and shows him that the hotel is genuinely interested in keeping its guests happy and satisfied.

Hotels should never forget that the best way to advertise their service is through a satisfied guest. If a guest is dissatisfied, he will give negative feedback and bad reviews about the hotel and its services. This will have far-reaching consequences, as many guests now use online sites to provide feedback about hotels. Other potential guests read this and use it to base their decisions on whether to use the hotel or not. On the other hand, if a guest leaves the hotel satisfied, not only will he give positive feedback, he will return with friends and family the next time he is in city and pave the way to repeat business for the hotel.