This document provides guidelines for effectively handling customer complaints. It advises listening actively to understand the customer's perspective. Key details should be gathered through questioning. Once the issue is clear, apologize specifically for the problem. Act promptly to address the complaint and offer alternatives tailored to the customer's needs. Thank the customer for bringing the complaint to your attention in order to improve service. Role-playing exercises demonstrate proper and improper complaint handling.

1. CUSTOMER COMPLAINT
HANDLING

2. LISTEN
 Always LISTEN to the customer.
 L Look - make eye contact
 I Interest - take a positive approach
 S Serious - take the complaint seriously
 T Tolerate - Be tolerant at all times
 E Enjoy - the chance
 N Never switch off

3. QUESTION
 Questioning is all important.
 Who, What, Why, When, Where & How
 Elicit all of the information necessary to
be able to proceed with the complaint.
 Inaccurate information may impede the
course to exceeding the customers
expectations.

4. APOLOGISE
 Now is the time to apologise.
 You now have the information
necessary to know what you are
apologising for.
 Never apologise generally.
 An apology only means something if it is
specific.

5. ACT
 You should now be in a position to act
upon the complaint in order that you can
exceed a customer’s expectations.
 A Attend to the complaint immediately
 C Choice - Offer alternatives
 T Tailor the action to the needs

6. THANK
 Thank the customer for bringing the
situation to your attention.
 If the customer had not raised the point
how many other customers would have
left your establishment unsatisfied -
Never to return.

7. ROLE PLAY 1- The Customer
 You have recently arrived at the hotel after a long,
grueling car journey of 4 hours. The time is 3pm and
you are ready to check into your room and relax.
 In your party are your wife, your unruly 4 year old
who has been car sick the whole way here and your
2 month old baby who is desperate need of a nappy
change.
 You have just been informed by the receptionist that
unfortunately your room will not be ready for a couple
of hours due to a shortage of staff available to service
the rooms.
 You are not happy and wish to complain.

8. ROLE PLAY 1- The
Receptionist
 A family have recently arrived at the hotel after a
long, grueling car journey of 4 hours. The time is 3pm
and they are ready to check into their room and relax.
 In the party are a wife, an unruly 4 year old who has
been car sick the whole way here and a 2 month old
baby who is desperate need of a nappy change.
 You have just informed the party that unfortunately
their room will not be ready for a couple of hours due
to a shortage of staff available to service the rooms.
 The party is not happy and wishes to make a
complaint.

9. ROLE PLAY 1- The Manager
 A family have recently arrived at the hotel after a
long, grueling car journey of 4 hours. The time is 3pm
and they are ready to check into their room and relax.
 In the party are a wife, an unruly 4 year old who has
been car sick the whole way here and a 2 month old
baby who is desperate need of a nappy change.
 The party have just been informed that unfortunately
their room will not be ready for a couple of hours due
to a shortage of staff available to service the rooms.
 The party is not happy and wishes to make a
complaint. You step in when asked by the
receptionist.

10. BRIEF to Role Play 1
 As participants in this brief it is now up
to you to act out this role play in the
worst way possible.
 No holds barred.
 We are trying to show the group exactly
what can happen when a problem is not
dealt with effectively.

11. BRIEF to Role Play 1
 As participants in this brief it is now up
to you to act out this role play in the
most effective way possible.
 Nothing is too much trouble.
 We are trying to show the group exactly
what can happen when a problem is
dealt with effectively.