As a part of the hotel industry, there will be so many different types of customers you will have to face every day. Not everyone will have a spectacular experience. So you should be prepared to deal with customers who aren’t as satisfied as you ideally wanted them to be. In this guide, Jay Holstine takes you through a few ways to handle guest complaints in a hotel in the best way.
How to Handle Guest Complaints in the Hotel Industry by Jay Holstine
Here are a few ways to handle guest complaints in the hotel industry.
Listen to Them
The most important thing is for you to listen to what customers have to say. You can only handle the complaints best when you know the problem’s root cause. So listen to them and try to understand where they are coming from. When doing so, stay as calm as you can. When you do that, customers will understand you better. If the customer comes up to you with a problem, they want to be heard.
Identify the Type of Guest under Concern
You also have to identify the type of guest that you are talking about. Only when you know this can you work toward ensuring that you satisfy them. There are some who only complain about grave concerns. But there are some who are always complaining and are really hard to satisfy no matter what you do. So always try to understand that first. When you understand their energy and personality type, it becomes easier for you to respond to what they are saying.
Apologize for Your Mistakes
If there is something that you have done that the customer does not like, or has led to a compromised experience, then you must apologize for it. The next steps of compensation come much after that. When you apologize, you acknowledge that you have made a mistake and need to work toward solving the problem. People want to be heard and validated. Jay Holstine says that if you start playing the blame game, it only leads to bigger problems. The acknowledgment comes first, only after which you can start devising strategies to help them.
Offer a Solution
When you know the problem’s root cause, you can offer a solution to help them. Say if they have an issue with the cleanliness, you can offer to get their room cleaned right away. You can also ask them if they have any other issues so that you can resort to solving those issues immediately. This way, you can help customers get exactly what they are looking for.
Follow Up
After you have resorted to solving the complaint, you must follow up and see if the customer is satisfied. Jay Holstine says that this is key to success as a hotel manager.
Final Words by Jay Holstine
With these tips by Jay Holstine, you can solve customer complaints in the best possible way. It is most definitely a tough duty, but very well worth it.