HANDLING GUESTS

COMPLAINTS.
OVERVIEW OF THE PRESENTATION.

 What is a Complaint?
 Why do customers complaint?
 What is the nature and types of
complaints?
 Steps / Procedures in handling guests
complaints.
 Objectives.
 Participants will be able to:
 Define and explain Guests Complaints.
 Identify the nature and types of complaints.
 Identify the skills necessary to dealing with
complaints.
 Document the global procedures of Guests
complaints handling.
 Identify each type of customer who complains and
how to handle them.
 Analyze each complaint situation and determine an
acceptable way to handle it.
WHAT IS A COMPLAINT.
 AS ISO 10002 Customer satisfaction –
Guidelines for complaints handling in
organizations defines a complaint as –

 “An expression of dissatisfaction made

to an organization, related to its
products (services), or the complaints-
handling process itself, where a
response or resolution is explicitly or
implicitly expected”.
What is Customer/Guest Service?

 Customer Service is a company’s

ability to supply wants and the needs
to customers/guests.
 Good customer service is the ability of
an organization to constantly and
consistently exceed the customer's
expectations.
 Why do Guests Complaint?

 Reasons for Guest Complaints.

– Frustration.
– Recognition.

– Compensation.

– Genuine.
Recent experience .
Activity-1 minute
 Turn to the person sitting next to you
and discuss a recent experience where
you handled a complaint, focusing on
how you reacted to your complaint.
 Alternatively, discuss a recent
experience where you made a complaint,
focusing on how the business reacted to
your complaint.
 Recipient’s normal reaction to complaints.

 Ignore complaints.
 Defensiveness.
 Anger.
 Annoyance, time consuming, rectification costs.
 Hindrance- wish they would just go away!
 Not believe some or all of what the customer
was saying.
 These reactions are as a result of “negative
attribution” – blame is being attributed to us or
our business. A complaint is evidence that, in
the customer’s view, we have not met their
expectations.
Customer’s Manner.
When Customers are complaining they;
 Lack Gracious Social skills to communicate.
 Nervous.
 Harsh, one sided.
 Emotional.
 Lack understanding of commercial/regulatory
limitations.
 Rude.
Complaint deterrent techniques.
 Apology only, no rectification.
 Blame.
 Promise but don’t deliver.
 No response.
 Rudeness.
 Pass on to another department.
 Customer Interrogation.
Nature and Types of Complaints.
 Mechanical Complaints.
• This usually has to do with fixtures in the

establishment and can always be fixed.

 Staff Attitude Complaints.

• This comes about due to unprofessional

handling of our guests. Can be

corrected through professional behavior
and training.
Nature and Types of Complaints.Cont’.

 Service Complaints.
 This occurs when the guests are not satisfied
with the services they are getting. It will
happen during the busy periods more than any
other time.
 Unusual Complaints.
 These are complaints that the establishment
has no control over. They can take almost any
imaginable form.
Why is Customer Service Important?

 Guest’s should be handled courteously as:-

 They may have been to other establishments.

 May be it is his first visit ,but has high expectations
on the levels of service.
 May be having other personal problems.
Why is Customer Service Important?

 Gives positive impression to present and

future Customer.
 Keeps customers willing to come back
again.(repeat business)
 Makes customers feel like they are the
number one priority.(Customers are the
kings.)
 Cont’.
 Bad handling of Customer Complaints
can result in:-
 Dissatisfied Customer.
 Unsolved problems.
 No repeat business.
 Negative word of mouth advertising.
Skills necessary for Dealing with Problems.

Skills necessary for Dealing with Customers’

Problems may include and not limited to the
following:
 Calm and helpful.
 Understanding.

 Tactful and discreet.

 Empathetic.
Benefits of Customer Recovery
 Only 4% of dissatisfied customers complain. 96%
leave without any communication to business.
 Of the 96% who leave, 91% will never return.
 A typical dissatisfied customer will tell 8 to 10
people about the issues with your business-
significantly more in global communications.
 1 in 5 dissatisfied customers will tell 20 people
about the issues with your business.
 It takes 12 positive service incidents to make up for
one negative incident.
Benefits of Customer Recovery (cont’d).

 7 out of 10 complaining customers will do business

again with you if resolve the complaint in their
favour.
 Of complaining customers, 95% will do business
with you again if you resolve the complaint at the
first contact.
 On average, a satisfied complainer will tell 5 people
about their problem and how it was solved.
 It costs 6 times more to attract new customers than
it does to retain current ones.
 Customer loyalty is worth 10 times the price of a
single purchase.
 “How to win and Keep Customers” – Michael LeBoeuf
The majority of customers are honest

 1-4% of customers systematically cheat

businesses.

 If complaining customers are treated with

suspicion or rudeness, customers will take a
defensive position.
Unwrapping The Gift.
 Free direct communication from customer about
service failures, competitors offerings-no survey
costs.
 Readily available market research-Complaints
define what customers want.
 Opportunity to increase customer trust.
 Opportunity to build long term relationships-
customers will re-purchase if they believe
complaints are welcomed.
 Opportunity to rectify service failures.
 Opportunity of engaging customers as advocates.
Engaging Customer as your Advocate.
 Customers becoming your advocates is based
upon “reciprocity” principle – humans like to return
favours.

 When businesses handle customer complaints in a

respectful way and a token of atonement is offered
beyond their expectation, customers are likely to
reciprocate with positive advocacy.

 Token of atonement can be financial, but can also

be an apology, acknowledgement of making a
difference- recognition of their value.
Steps to Creating Good Customer
Service
1. Make eye contact and greet a customer to show
you are available to provide them service as
needed.
2. You should have a good understanding of the
product or service you provide, so that if a
customer needs assistance, you are able to deliver
a satisfactory response.
3. Assume attentive posture to convey confidence
and a helpful attitude
4. Smile often, if appropriate, or model the emotion
that is suitable to the situation.
Customer Complaints
 A customer complaint is communication
that alleges deficiencies during or after
purchase.
 Appropriate response to customer complaints
is essential to a business.
 A customer with a complaint that is resolved
is more likely to return than a dissatisfied
customer who doesn’t voice any complaints.
Customer Complaints
 The average customer with an unresolved
complaint will tell 9 to 10 other people.
 For every complaint received, the average
company has 26 unhappy customers that
don’t complain.
Steps to Handle a Customer Complaint
1. Listen carefully.
2. Stay Calm, Provide customers with the opportunity to
complain.
3. Be Empathetic
4. Be aware of the guest’s Self-esteem.
5. Give customers your full and undivided attention.
6. Take notes.
7. Tell the guest what can be done.
8. Set approximate time for the hotel’s action.
9. Monitor the progress of the solution/corrective action taken.
10. Follow- up.
11. Thank the customer for bringing the complaint to your
attention.
Types of Customers
 The Aggressive Customer
 Readily complains, often loudly
and at length.
 Your response: Listen
completely.
 What not to do: Be aggressive
in return. This customer does
not respond well to excuses or
reasons why the product or
service was unsatisfactory.
 Always follow company policy.
 Types of Customers
 The High-Roller Customer
 Expects the absolute best
and is willing to pay for it.
Likely to complain in a
reasonable manner.
 Your Response: Always
listen respectfully and
actively question to fully
determine cause.
 Always follow company
policy.
Types of Customers
 The Rip-Off Customer
 Their goal is not to get the
complaint satisfied but to win by
getting something that is not
entitled to be received. Often
replies with a repetitive “not good
enough” response.
 Your Response: Remain
objective. Use accurate data to
back up your response. Be sure
the adjustment is within the range
of what the organization would
normally do.
 Always follow company policy.
Types of Customers
 The Chronic Complainer
 Never satisfied, feels
there is always
something wrong.
 Your Response:
Extreme patience is
required. Listen
carefully and never get
angry. It is best to give
sympathy, a sincere
apology, and a promise
to correct the situation.
Types of Customers
 The Meek Customer
 Generally, will not
complain. Most
dangerous to businesses
because they will most
often complain to others.
 Your Response: Must
work hard at soliciting
comments and
complaints to act
appropriately to correct
those problems.
Common Customer Complaints
 The associate helping me was very rude.
 The root of the problem is the employee.
Apologize to the customer and then start
training the employee the proper way of
behaving around customers.
 I feel like none of the associates want to
help me.
 Make sure that when a customer first comes
in, one person greets them and continues to
help them while in they are in the store.
Common Customer Complaints
 He/She doesn’t know what to do.
 Apologize and then fix the problem. Sit down
employees and make sure they understand what they
can do to fix that problem when it arises again. And if
they cannot, advise them to seek a manager.
 I keep coming back with the same problem. When
will it be fixed?
 You need to solve this problem ASAP! Having a
customer come back repeatedly for the same problem
is dangerous and unfair to them. Make sure that the
problem is addressed and will not occur again.
Common Customer Complaints
 I feel like I don’t have a choice in the
matter, the employee is making the
decision for me.
 Help the customer through the process by
taking the time to explain exactly what you are
wanting to do and walk the customer through
the steps.
 Nobody seems to care for my problem.
 This is the most deadly problem that can
arise.. Do your best to show your concern for
their problems and promptly fix them.
Common Customer Complaints
 The associate that helped me was no help at all!
 If the problem is having the associate seem caring for
the customer’s situation, give incentives for employees
to do well and coaching sessions for those who have
trouble with good customer service.
 This other store offered do to this for me, why
can’t you?
 With competition, you can always find out what they
are offering that you aren’t. If it is something that can
benefit your business, then consider adopting it.
Summary
 Good customer service is important
for ensuring that customers are
satisfied
 Customer complaints are important
for a company because they help
make the company better
 It is important to understand the
different types of customers and
how to handle each one
 A customer with a complaint that
was solved is much more likely to
return to the business again
 THE END !!!!!
Thank you for your time and all
the considerations.