Sometimes no matter how hard we try to ensure that guests have a great experience at our hotels, things can go wrong, mistakes can be made and guests quickly become very disappointed. And some guests, understandably, are not afraid to shout it from the rooftops that they have had a bad experience and that they don’t feel anyone at your hotel really understands or cares how they feel. Reputation management is key to turning unhappy customers into happy and reasonable people again…so what’s the trick?

Do you know how to handle irate guests effectively?

Empathy is the golden rule

It’s such a simple place to start but EMPATHY goes a very long way to getting the issue resolved and getting the guest back on your side. Listen to their complaint, let them speak, don’t interrupt, and let them know that you truly understand their situation and that if it had happened to you, you would also be upset. Put yourself in their shoes…it’s the easiest way to reach the empathy level you know they deserve. Make sure that you and your team know how to deal with complaints and that you know how to truly RESOLVE them. The guest wants to know that you will sort it out; not listen and then forget all about it.

Take it to the next level

It’s one thing to empathise and resolve the issue, it’s quite another to turn the situation around and turn the guest into someone who will not only write a good review about you, but believes genuinely that you care. Here are some ideas that you can use to take the situation to the next level:

1. Try an ‘Apology Pack’. What is this? Well, some hotels in Europe go the extra mile to make the guest feel appreciated by putting together some treats in a pack with a hand-written apology note. The note more than the treat is what wins over guests – it’s a heart-felt and apologetic letter and is designed to convey the care that staff genuinely feel for that guest. What’s even better is that both staff and managers can issue these packages. No one is too under-qualified in the company to make a difference to a guest’s experience.

Have you tried an ‘Apology Pack’ with a personalised note?)

2. Create a ‘Care Moment’ at your property! Whilst not specifically aimed at guests who have had a bad experience at the hotel, ‘Care Moments’ are little guest treats or rewards or gestures that staff can award guests just to make a guest’s day extra special. Any staff member can participate at any time. It’s designed to let guests know that they are appreciated and that they are truly wished a pleasant stay.

Create a ‘Care Moment’ to let your guests know that they are appreciated

3. According to a recent article in Hotel News Now, empowering your team to handle complaints is better for the customers because it offers them a quicker solution; it’s better for the staff because dealing with the problem gives them a sense of pride and accomplishment; and it’s far better for you because it means you don’t have to always be involved. Give your team the skills and authority to deal with complaints as they happen and empower them to turn a bad situation into a pleasant one.

Teach your staff to deal with guest complaints effectively

It’s not about bribing guests not to write negative things about you on TripAdvisor, Expedia etc…It’s about turning bad experiences into positive ones and following through with negative complaints so that guests feel you have understood them, rectified the situation and still appreciate them dearly. When you get this right, guests will come back over and over again. It’s good for business, it’s good for staff and it’s a great way to put a smile on your guests’ faces.

We hope you enjoyed part 1 of this 2 part series. In Part 2, we’ll show you how to handle online criticisms and reviews – why they happen, what to do and how to turn negative reviews around. So stay tuned and watch this space for Part 2.