Most Common Guest Complaints & How to Handle Them
Imagine a person comes to your hotel, excited for a great time, but things don't go as planned. What do you do when they're not happy? If you and your team are ready to handle all types of complaints, bad experiences won't hurt your hotel's reputation too much. Let's learn how to turn negative review into positive experience. With proactive preparation, your staff can effectively navigate these challenges. What are the most common complaints? Let's look at them more closely.
Prices
Nobody likes finding hidden fees. It's important to be clear about prices. Make sure the rates are the same on all websites. This way, you won't hear complaints like, "I found a cheaper room on other booking app." List all charges separately, like tourist taxes, extra services, and other taxes. When guests know what to expect, they are less likely to complain...
Not in a hurry Service
Always try to help guests as quickly as possible. Sometimes, staff might forget to bring towels or fix an AC or simply Netflix isn’t working. Slow service can make guests upset. Say sorry, show appreciation, and offer a complementary drink or discount for their next booking. Make sure to use an application like HospitaliyInsights to get REAL-TIME Notifications on your feedbacks.
Check-in and Check-out
After a long journey, guests want to go straight to their room. But sometimes, the room isn't ready and they need to sit in a lobby for hours. To avoid this, make sure guests can look up when is check-in time online. You can also ask when they plan to arrive and prioritize their room.
Cleaning
Dirty towels, broken AC, dusty room or dirty bedding are common complaints. Make a list of what needs cleaning every day, week, and month. Experienced staff should check each room after cleaning. Better safe than sorry!
If a guest ever has a complaint, make sure to provide them with a system like HospitalityInsights, where they can leave comments or complaints about what they're not satisfied with anytime. This way, the guest will see that you appreciate their opinion and value their comfort.
Amenities Don't Sparkle and Shine
Technology might fail, or guests might not like them. Train your staff to know how to solve technical problems. If there's an issue, send someone to fix it. For example, for TV complaints, send someone to check it out and fix, or show guests how to do it properly.
Keeping noise down
When many people share walls and common areas, there might be noise complaints. Guests want to relax without loud neighbors. Be careful, because at the same time, you wouldn't want to compromise the "loud" guests' comfort either.
What to do? Encourage guests to be quiet with signs on the wall. You can also have quiet hours from 10 pm to 8 am. If you have to step in, learn how to do it: be calm and friendly, acknowledge both guest's rights, and offer another place for them to hang out.
Not-So-Friendly staff
A warm welcome is crucial. Rude and impolite staff can make guests extremely unhappy. If there's a problem, talk openly with your staff about their attitude. To avoid future problems, train your staff well and motivate your employees with various benefits.
All in all
Dealing with guest complaints is an every-day part of running a hotel. Focus on giving guests a great experience, and learn how to turn negative experiences into Positive Reviews! Don’t forget to embrace the Tech Era by leveraging AI Technology whenever possible. It's a valuable tool in today's world. This way, your hotel will be successful and make guests happy.