A complaint expresses customer dissatisfaction with a product or service where the customer expects a response. Customers complain when their expectations are not met, to release anger, or to help improve service. Complaints are a "gift" that allow businesses to increase customer trust, build long-term relationships, and engage customers as advocates who publicly support the business. To properly handle complaints, businesses should listen, repeat the issue, apologize, acknowledge the problem, explain how it will be addressed, thank the customer, follow up, remain calm and focus on the problem rather than taking it personally. The goal is to turn unhappy customers into satisfied ones.

1. HANDLING GUEST
COMPLAINTS

2. What is a Complaint?
 “An expression of dissatisfaction made to an
hotel, related to its products or services, or the
complaints-handling process itself, where a
response or resolution is implicitly expected”
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3. Why do customers complain?
 Their expectations have not been met!
 To release their anger
 To help in improve the service
 Because of concern for others who also use the
service
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4. Identifying a Complaint as a Gift

5.  A complaint gives you the opportunity to:
 Increase customer trust
 Build long term relationships-
 customers will use your services again if they believe
complaints are welcomed and addressed
 Engage customers as advocates
Is a complaint a gift? Why?

6.  Who is your advocate???
 A person who publicly supports or
recommends you
 Someone who speaks, or argues in your
favor
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You automatically Engage your Customer
as your Advocate!

7. Steps for Handling Customer
Complaints

8. How to Handle Customer
Complaints
 Listen
 Repeat
 Apologise
 Acknowledge
 Explain action
 Thank
 Follow up
 Remember not to take it
personally
 Remain calm
 Focus on the problem
and not person
 Turn unhappy people into
happy customers

9.  Address customers by name
 All communication should be in the first person.
 Use “I am sorry” not “we”
 Don’t make excuses or blame others in your hotel
 Give the customer your full attention and establish eye
contact
 Paraphrase their complaint in your own words to
determine whether you have correctly understood the
situation.
How to Handle Customer Complaints

10.  If you don’t know the answer to their problem, don’t
lie.
 Make the customer part of the solution
 not part of the problem
How to Handle Customer Complaints

11.  Be positive
 Take things professionally and not personally
 Aim for customer satisfaction, not just service
 Solve problems without blaming yourself or others
Summary

12. Thank You