Upset guests come with the territory in hotel leadership, there’s just no escaping it. The bad news is these conversations are difficult. The good news is every single one of these conversations is an opportunity for exceptional hospitality. The key, and you’ll see this word throughout, is authenticity. There are several approaches to employ when faced with an upset guest, but my favorite is the H.E.A.T. method (taught to me by the great Cindy Novotny) which stands for:
Hear
Empathize
Apologize
Take Action
Let’s break them down:
Hear
Surprisingly this is where many people fall short and where the biggest impact is. Many times when a guest is upset, they just want to be heard. They want to share their frustration and ensure their feedback is authentically addressed. For many guests, this is more important than the solution. It’s like therapy, you can’t bottle this stuff up (this is a leadership blog and not marriage advice but the same applies!). For this stage, the goal is to listen closely and prove to the guest you genuinely care. I recommend having this conversation in a comfortable environment, away from busy guest spaces (like the front desk) and preferably sitting down. Bring a notebook and take notes of all the details the guest shares, feel free to repeat back any important information they share.
Empathize
This part is easier than you think. The goal is to let the guest know you authentically care. Put yourself in their shoes. Think with their wallet. Imagine you just went through the exact experience they did and say what comes to mind such as “I can understand how frustrating and disappointing that must have been – you have every right to feel that way”. Additionally, I like to start this step with thanking the guest for the feedback as it provides the opportunity to make it right, not just for the guests who complained, but for all guests in the future. A complaint is a gift. Most people feel vindicated in knowing they are preventing this situation from happening to someone else.
Apologize
Another easy one! Quite literally the most basic step in this process is to say you are sorry. I will add one thing that might seem controversial – many people say sorry and their intention is not to accept blame or ownership but rather to just say they are sorry for what the person is going through. I think this is wrong and indicative of poor leadership. My philosophy is that we win as a team and lose as a team. If a server rings in a steak rare and it’s served to the guest well done, the guest will likely complain. The server should not say “I rang it in rare, the kitchen messed this up”. They should say “You’re right sir that should have been rare, I am so sorry – we will get this fixed right away”. When apologizing, do it on behalf of everyone and never give empty excuses.
Take Action
This one can be challenging, but it’s where the opportunity lies and where we should spend most of our time and energy. Now that the difficult conversation is coming to a close, most guests expect a resolution – something to make the situation right. Each situation is different, and we need to make educated decisions on what the resolution is, but we must do something. I recommend a closing statement here with the guest that reassures them we will make it right. Give them your business card and let them know you’ll be in touch ASAP with next steps. Buying a little time before taking action can go a long way. It allows you to reconvene with other stakeholders, review the situation as a whole, and come back with a thoughtful resolution rather than a knee-jerk reaction. Just make sure ‘a little time’ means minutes or hours, not days. Many people go straight to financial compensation, but with a little creativity, there are other avenues. Is the guest joining for dinner tonight? Is there a special experience we can provide? Do they live locally and will be visiting in the future? Having a system to share upset guest scenarios with all staff can be helpful in turning a guest around as everyone can pitch in.
Follow Through (Bonus Step)
Ok, you’ve listened intently, empathized and apologized profusely, and put the full court press on resolving the problem – what’s next? In an ideal scenario, the guest will walk away with a feeling that the hotel took their feedback seriously and made it right. Sending a follow up thank you email is always a good idea, especially when a future concession is offered. Now all that’s left is to assess the situation with your team and figure out what went wrong and how we can learn from it. Complaints are inevitable, it’s how we respond to them that defines us.
Note: For taking notes during these conversations, I carry the Levenger Pocket Briefcase. It’s not cheap, but it’s lasted me many years and fits perfectly in a jacket pocket for moments like these.
Leave a Reply