One of the most challenging things about working in any customer service industry is keeping your cool when the customer’s temper continues to escalate. No matter how seasoned a hotel employee is, it can be extremely challenging to remain calm and receptive when an irate customer is berating and incessantly complaining. It is important that every employee who represents your hotel knows how to handle difficult hotel guests with a high level of decorum, without overstepping the line of hospitality.
If a guest is heckling or getting out of hand, try to handle the situation without hurting the ego of the guest. Although your guest’s behavior is unacceptable, embarrassing them will only reflect poorly on the hotel’s reputation. When a difficult guest comes through the doors of your property, be sure to do follow these tips.
– Listen – Let guests air their grievances.
– Empathize – Put yourself in their situation.
– Know when to give up – Weigh the pros and cons for your guest’s demands and fulfill the same in a way to avoid a negative backlash.
– Lower your voice – As a customer’s voice raises, lower yours and calm your demeanor.
– Don’t let it get personal – Even if a customer makes it personal, brush it off and keep your focus.
– Offer a solution – Leaving things open ended will not make the angry customer feel any better about the situation. Give them closure or at least a next step.
To ensure that a guest has an enjoyable stay, be sure that your property meets the expectations created by your advertisements and reputation. If a guest comes into a four star hotel and is greeted with anything short of the advertised amenities, they have every right to be irate. Put yourself in the customer’s shoes and try to decipher if the customer is being difficult or just discriminating. Remember, in the hospitality industry the old adage is true- ‘The Customer is Always Right’. Deal with the issue with agility and delicacy, as handling your demanding guest will inevitably attract the attention of your other customers, who would be watching the interaction.
Hotel staffs need to be conditioned to cope with handling any dicey and feisty situation with your demanding guests. Hotelogix’s PMS enables hoteliers to save time and money on monitoring the property and focus on gaining the trust of their esteemed guests!