How to Handle Guest Complaints in Hotel - Turn Issues into Opportunity

Running a hotel is no easy business, particularly with the operations, logistics, and of course, customer experience aspects coming into play. Another thing that you should know is how to handle a guest complaint. These come in various types that you’d ideally like to avoid, although knowing how to handle them is imperative, since they’re quite common in the industry. From offering pro-active solutions to examples of complaints, here’s a guide to all that you need to know in this department.

What is a Hotel Guest Complaint?

A hotel guest complaint is a formal communication/expression of an issue/dissatisfaction by a guest to the hotel. This is regarding any issue that they faced while staying in the hotel and things that they want fixed. These may range between minor or common inconveniences to major problems that impact the overall guest experience. You can take them as grievances of guests regarding their experience and also a form of feedback regarding areas of improvement.

Why Handling Guest Complaints Matters?

Knowing how to handle guest complaints in hotel is very essential. Here’s why:

Ø  Feedback for Future Improvements- Complaints can be valuable inputs and feedback regarding areas where you can improve, right from your rooms and services to staff members, and more.

Ø  Addressing Concerns of Guests- Proper, fast, and effective handling of complaints gives you a way to directly improve the guest experience, while potentially gaining positive reviews and word-of-mouth opinions in turn.

Ø  Maintaining Customer Satisfaction- Tackling complaints effectively has a direct impact on customer satisfaction, while encouraging repeat stays and loyalty as well.

Common Types of Hotel Complaints and How to Handle Them

There are several types of hotel complaints that you may have to encounter. Let’s look at some of them and the ways to handle these issues.

·         Room cleanliness issues- This is probably the commonest type to deal with, i.e. hotel room complaints pertaining to unclean rooms, dust, lack of maintenance, unsanitary bathrooms, etc. What you can do here is offer a different room or complimentary upgrade, or even a refund for the inconvenience. If possible, get the room house-cleaned thoroughly and fixed immediately while you can get the customer somewhere pleasant to relax and de-stress in the meantime (why not a complimentary meal instead?).

·         Noise or disturbance- Many guests complain about loud neighboring occupants, noisy rooms, and external noise pollution. Some may even complain about loud music bursting out at hotel events or in common areas. The only solution here is to pro-actively take it up with the other guests or staff members regarding the immediate cessation of the loud noise.

·         Poor customer service- Rude staff behavior, slow service, lack of attention to guest needs, and other problems may also be flagged by guests at times. In this case, you’ll have to sincerely apologize, assign different people or dedicated people to these guests, offer complimentary services/discounts, and take steps to prevent these issues from cropping up again.

·         Faulty amenities or technology- It could be Wi-Fi issues, uncomfortable beds, lack of proper lighting, temperature or air conditioning issues, insufficient/missing room amenities, etc. The key is to identify the problem by listening effectively and take immediate steps to address it if possible. If not, offer another room or a complimentary upgrade instantly to mitigate the customer grievance.

·         Check-in/check-out problems- Unclear policies, poor communication, delays, etc. may lead to grievances among customers. The solution is to offer self check-in/check-out services or technology-based processes to cut down waiting time. Optimize your processes and respond swiftly to complaints, while sincerely acknowledging the guest’s feedback.

How to Handle Complaints in Different Scenarios

There are several kinds of hotel guest complaints that you’ll have to watch out for. These include the following:

Ø  In-person complaints- Listen sincerely to the guest and stay professional/calm without getting argumentative or defensive. Identify the core issue by asking clarifying questions and offer solutions within your timeframe and authority. Follow-up to ensure that the issue is resolved to the guest’s satisfaction. Document the complaint and steps taken to address the same.

Ø  Written complaints (forms/emails)- Respond promptly to written complaints and thank the guest for feedback, while sincerely acknowledging the problem and apologizing for the same. Then explain why the issue happened and offer a solution, while following up with the guest later on to ensure that it is resolved.

Ø  Social media complaints- Track social media channels for any complaints and respond swiftly to the same. Personally address the guest with his/her username in the response and allow the comment to remain visible without deleting it. Acknowledge the issue, show empathy, and offer to resolve the issue offline by moving to a more private channel like the phone or email for more discussions. Keep tracking rogue complaints which may be intentional and may require special handling as a result.

Tips for Hotel Owners: Best Practices for Handling Complaints

Here are some handy tips that will help you learn more on how to handle a guest complaint effectively.

·         Always listen actively and understand what’s wrong while asking questions to fully identify the core issue even though it may seem minor

·         Always record/document complaints with the date, time, name of the guest, type of issue, etc. You can later add follow-up actions and complaint status (resolved or not) to these records

·         Acknowledge issues sincerely and put yourself in the guest’s shoes at all times. Always offer solutions that tackle these concerns and thank them for feedback

·         Address issues swiftly and follow up to ensure guest satisfaction with the solution. You may also offer compensation like discounts, upgrades, amenities, etc. to mitigate grievances whenever required (if it’s a serious problem)

·         Keep tracking complaints and train staff members to effectively address them with skills like problem-solving, active listening, etc. Actively review complaint handling processes and make tweaks to enhance service whenever needed

·         Always stay professional and calm, while handling complaints in private settings whenever possible and that too without arguing or taking things personally

How to Avoid Hotel Complaints Before They Happen

While knowing how to handle a guest complaint is essential, there are some ways in which you can avoid them happening in the first place. Here’s how:

Ø  Always inform guests about policies, charges, timings, amenities, etc. before their arrival transparently without concealing anything

Ø  Make all communication clear and easy to understand

Ø  Invest in hotel management software and technologies to manage availability, bookings, guest experiences, operations, housekeeping, and other function seamlessly

Ø  Train your staff in advance to handle guests smoothly and take care of their needs swiftly, while making them go through role-playing scenarios for better responses

Ø  Check your rooms and facilities regularly for weeding out possible issues and troubleshooting before problems escalate into future complaints

Ø  Prioritize and maintain hygiene and safety standards and implement a strong hotel management system/software for making reservations, guest preferences, operations, etc. much easier

Ø  Keep a record of complaints and feedback and tick them off regularly in terms of analysis and implementation of improvement-related step

Turning Guest Complaints Into Valuable Feedback

Turning guest complaints into valuable feedback is possible through these steps:

·         Acknowledge the problem/concern and apologize sincerely for the inconvenience, showing adequate empathy and understanding

·         Understand the root cause behind the problem with clarifying questions and then offer a solution that restores satisfaction