Handling Customer Complaints | Step By Step Procedures

Handling customer complaints is a serious concern that should be carefully dealt with from the front desk staff to bellhops and room service. Besides, even those complaints that look unrealistic are playing an important role in service delivery in Hotels. However, you should solve customer complaints by ensuring that the guests are happy as you solve their problems.

In this article, I am going to discuss how to handle both complaints, and compliments equally with no bias. On the other hand, complaints are more valuable than compliments. The former acts as an eye-opener to loopholes and other discrepancies in providing effective customer service in the hospitality industry.  However, a standard guideline for complaint handling provides a roadmap for identifying and dealing with customer complaints at hand. Hence, this will minimize time wastage in making prolonged scrutiny caused by delayed reporting of problems. Always adhere to guidelines as you build more confidence in your customers.  Check out our Publications

This calls for the need to have a clear flow of procedures in dealing with customer complaints as shown below;

Your Pledge | Handling Customer Complaints

To provide an alternative response by staff who listen and care.

• Team members listen attentively, maintaining eye contact without interrupting. Besides, the emphasis is on listening and showing empathy with the guest’s point of view.
• Extend a sincere apology, and thank the guest is for their comments.
• Discuss complaints discreetly, where possible in a private area away from other guests.
• Follow-up with the team member and explain how the whole process will be carried out; as well as the deadline.
• Follow-up service or correction by contacting the guest to ensure that they are satisfied with the response.
• Resolve food and beverage complaints immediately and discreetly with perhaps a refund or replacement of the item at the discretion of the supervisor or manager on duty.
• Write a personal note or letter to the guest on serious complaints.
• Answer all correspondence within one working day.

The Bottom-Line

Handling Customer complaints can assist hotels to increase their market share by becoming competitive. Besides, you should always remember that your customers are the main reason why you are in business.

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