Respond to conflicts and customers complaints
Week (7)
Respond to Conflicts and
customers
conflicts
Complaints
Introduction
Occasionally guests complain.
Sometimes our fault, sometimes it is not but
as we are front line staff, the customers will
come and express their dissatisfaction
Therefore, we must manage how to respond
to it.
Outcomes
Upon completion of this topic, the students will be able to :
1.Identify potential and existing conflicts and seek solutions
in conjunction with parties involved.
2.Recognise customer dissatisfaction promptly and take
action to resolve the situation according to individual level
of responsibility and organisation procedures.
3.Respond to customer complaints positively, sensitively
and politely and in consultation with the customer.
4.Refer escalated complaints to the appropriate person
according to individual level of responsibility and
organisation policy and procedures.
5.Maintain a positive and cooperative manner at all times.
Complaints
Mechanical complaint
Most guest complaints relate to hotel
equipment malfunctions. ( room furnishing, ice
machine, door keys, television, lighting, air
conditioning etc)
Attitudinal complaint
The guest feel insulted by rude or
unprofessional staff member of the hotel.
Service-related complaint
The guest experience a problem with hotel
service. ( waiting time for service, lack of
assistance with luggage, untidy room, phone
difficult)
Cont.
Unusual complaint
Guest sometime expects the front office staff to
resolve or at least listen.
Hotel generally have little or no control over
the circumstances.
The example
Bad weather, Why train are late? No buses
running on weekends etc.
Why do Customers
Customers complain because their needs
Complain?
and/or expectations have not been met.
They feel they have been let down by the
establishment or the service provider.
There is a gap between what the customer
expects and what has been achieved i.e..- a
service performance gap.
WHY PEOPLE
COMPLAIN?
From frustration
To impress other
people
For compensation
Provide Service to colleagues and
customers
When dealing with a guest
complaint - NEVER
Talk down to the
customer
Be defensive
Justify why it
happened
Blame other people
or departments
Blame the
customer
Provide Service to colleagues and
customers
COMPLAINT HANDLING PROCEDURE
Listen without interruption
Dont get defensive
Express concern and empathy - apologise
sincerely
Establish the problem - ask questions
Find out what they want
Explain what you can and cannot do
Fully discuss alternatives
Take Action
Follow up to ensure they are happy
Provide Service to colleagues and
customers
10
Handling Complaints
Information recorded accurately in
Complaint Log
Recognised complaint handling
procedure s are followed
Relevant department or personnel
consulted
Follow up to ensure everything is
resolved - record action in Log
Log reviewed to see if on going/multiple
complaints being received and what
steps can
be taken to rectify.
Provide Service to colleagues and
customers
11
Empowerment
The person who takes
the complaint owns
the complaint.
You should try to
resolve the complaint
to the best of your
ability.
Do you know what
you can do to resolve
a complaint without
calling for a manager
Provide Service to colleagues and
customers
12
or supervisor?
Complaint Recording and Follow Up
Procedures
All complaints must be handled
diplomatically so all parties recognise:
The issue has been raised with relevant
authority
All points of view have been considered
Discretion will be applied in resolving the
matter
Due process will be followed
Action will be taken and the matter will be
remedied
Provide Service to colleagues and
customers
13
cont.
You must establish the details of the customer
complaint through Questioning and active
listening techniques
Summarising and clarifying the issue
Recording details of complaint
Discussing with customer the process of
resolution giving them options and letting
them know how the complaint will be
resolved
You need to know the lines of reporting
complaints and when to seek assistance
Benefits of positive handling of
complaints
The value of resolving complaints can not be
underestimated and include:
Promoting goodwill
Improved customer relations
Positive work of mouth publicity
Promotion of enterprise service ethic
Provide Service to colleagues and
customers
15
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A COMPLAINING
CUSTOMER AND A DIFFICULT CUSTOMER
A complaining customer is
somebody whose needs and
expectations have not been met
A difficult customer is somebody
who is a challenge to serve
because of their personality, for
example, they may be rude,
impatient or talkative
Provide Service to colleagues and
customers
16
HOW CAN A CUSTOMER BE
DIFFICULT?
Rude
Impatient
Noisy
Talkative
Confused unable to make
decisions
Silent
Fussy
Provide Service to colleagues and
customers
17
TYPES OF DIFFICULT CUSTOMERS
Rude Customer
Can be rude to everyone - they just
dont feel comfortable being nice.
DO Ignore their rudeness and dont take it
personally
DONT Become Rude and Aggressive
Impatient Customer
Always in a hurry - and it wont matter how quickly
you serve them - they will still be impatient
DO Serve them quickly and politely
DONT Waste their time with conversation and
they
may not want you trying to sell
Provide Service to colleagues and
and
them products
services
customers
18
TYPES OF DIFFICULT CUSTOMERS
Confused Customer
Find it difficult to make decisions and may take a
long time
to decide
DO Be helpful by making suggestions and asking
questions
DONT Rush them - they could become flustered
and
embarrassed
Talkative Customer
Wants to talk and could spend all day doing it
DO Be friendly and attentive - Lead the
conversation
Provide Service to colleagues and
DONT Ignore
customersthem or give them all your
19
Customer Complaint
Handling
Customer Complaint
It is essential to treat every complaint with
Handling
respect, no matter how trivial.
On average, a satisfied customer tells three
people about good service. A dissatisfied
customer complains to 11 people.
One study showed that 13% of the people
who had a problem with an organisation
complained about the company to more than
20 people.
Advantages of
Complaints
To the
Organization
Opportunity to
improve quality
of products and
services in
organization
To the Customer
The customers
need can be met
resulting in
customer
satisfaction
Steps in complaint handling
1. Listen and stay calm
2. Acknowledge the customers feelings and right
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
to complain
Establish/confirm the problem
Suggest alternatives and agree on solution
Take action
Record the incident
Follow up to ensure customer
satisfaction
The value of resolving
customer complaints
Promoting goodwill
Customer Relations
Publicity
Promoting
enterprise service
ethic
Case study
A receptionist in a 5 star hotel received a call from
an angry guest who discovered that the TV in his room
was not working and the bathroom had not been
cleaned.
List the sequence of steps necessary for the
receptionist in this scenario to deal with customer
complaints.
Explain 2 long-term consequences
to the establishment if customer
complaints are continuously
incorrectly handled.
Outcome
At the end of this unit the students will be
able to:Identify conflict situations
Resolve conflict situations
Evaluate conflict situations.
Introduction
Conflict! It can manifest itself in all situations in
the hospitality industry.
It's an industry that deals in people, in service.
It's an industry with tight deadlines and
pressure.
It's an industry involving lots of people, all with
different needs and expectations.
Conflict is part of the industry.
Cont.
We can't eliminate conflict, and in some cases
we can't even resolve it.
All we can hope to do is to manage it.
That is, manage conflict so that its harmful
effects are eliminated or minimised.
In some cases that means trying to manage the
conflict to give a win-win situation for the
parties involved.
What is Conflict?
Any situation that leads to disagreement
between two or more individuals.
Conflict, when handled appropriately, can lead
to:
Improved working relationships
Improved customer service
Increased productivity
Increased opportunities for self
development
Three areas where
conflict
exist
In the workplace, we encounter three broad
areas where conflict could exist. These
include:
Interpersonal conflict between staff
members;
Organisational conflict between different
sections, or managers;
Conflict involving the organisation's
clients (customers and suppliers).
Interpersonal Conflict
Three basic causes can be identified.
1. Emotional Conflict - Conflict caused by hurt
feelings.
Conflict due to different needs - something is
stopping you from reaching your goal.
Conflict due to different values, attitudes and
outlooks.
What Types of Conflict are
there?
Within ourselves.
Between us and a colleague.
Between us and a customer .
Between organisations.
Between customers.
Causes of Conflict
Conflict arises for any number of reasons:
Different expectations
Communication barriers-( THE MOST COMMON)
Motivation
Cultural values/Differences in values
Personality
Safety and security
Organisational structure
Organisational change
Fear people dont get along because they fear each other.
People fear each other because they dont know each
other.
They dont know each other because they have not
properly communicated with each other
Differences in goals, expectations
But before dealing with the conflict, make sure
you understand the situation and what is
happening: identify the real difference that is
causing the conflict.
Is the problem a difference in the facts, goals,
methods or values?
By understanding the situation and the real
cause of the conflict, you will be better equipped
to choose from the range of constructive
responses suited to conflict resolution
Source: Dwyer, J. (1997) The Business
Communication Handbook 4th Ed (p100)
THE BEGINNINGS OF
CONFLICT
Misunderstanding and Communication
barriers are main causes of conflict:These occur because:
1.People do not listen to each other
2.Are not prepared to talk and resolve the
situation
3.Do not understand cultural differences and
are not prepared to make allowances for
them
How do you recognise potential
conflict?
Potential for conflict can be readily identified
where any of the causes of conflict exist.
For example, if you or a colleague are unable
to meet each others, organisational or
customer expectations, conflict may arise.
You can also recognise potential for conflict
by observing body language and by listening.
Barriers in communication..
Barriers That Cause Conflict
Not paying attention causing frustration,
annoyance unprofessional/distraction - If you
have answer the phone please ensure that you
excuse yourself.
No Eye Contact results in showing of
disinterest but uncomfortable too.
Interrupting when someone is trying to talk to
you or finishing their sentences for them
Tone of Voice arrogant, demanding, anger,
whining etc - ensure that you remain objective
Sarcasm show patience and understanding as
sarcasm can only ignite the situation
Barriers That Cause Conflict
Rudeness is totally unacceptable in
hospitality and there is no excuse for
this.
Cultural Differences try and
familiarise yourself with the culture
you are dealing with to avoid conflict
as a result of you misunderstanding
cultural beliefs, manners & protocols
Recognising potential for conflict
through Body Language
Body language (non verbal communication)
is a powerful way to express thoughts and
feelings.
Being able to recognise negative body
language can help identify potential for
problems.
However, do not read body language signals
in isolation; consider the entire context of the
situation.
does it look
Recognising potential for
Not only what a person is saying but how they
conflict
are saying it can indicate potential for conflict.
For example, as people become frustrated, angry
or impatient,
Their pitch may rise
Their rate of speech may increase
Their tone may change boredom, sarcasm,
irritation
They may accuse you of something
They may tell you how to behave
Aggressive Body Language
Narrowing of eyes intimidating you
Flared nostrils anger building, taking deep
breath..
Tapping of fingers or feet - impatience
Recognising potential for
conflict
Stretched muscles especially jaw line
showing that anger is building!
Difficulty in discussing the issue calmly and
rationally
If the signs are not recognised and acted
upon then..
Voice is further raised maybe even shouting
Body leaning forward intimidating
Hand gestures finger pointing etc
Storming out of room, slamming door or
draws or if in the kitchen implements!
If you have identified
potential conflict situations:
Do not ignore it
Immediately address the situation
Remain calm and polite
If need be, seek assistance
Tackle /dig deep and find out the real reason
for the conflict.
If you have identified
Learn about each
other's countries
and
potential
conflict
situations
cultures
That Are Cultural:
Be respectful and open-minded
Celebrate holidays of other cultures
Create cultural awareness factsheets
Treat people as individuals
Identify gaps in your own knowledge
If you have identified
Strategies for
minimisingsituations
cultural
potential
conflict
misunderstandings:
That
Are
Cultural:
handle
sensitively
and courteously
offer apologies where appropriate
dont give reasons or excuses
take the best course of action to resolve
as quickly as possible
learn by ones mistakes
seek assistance from supervisor or
manager if required
If you have identified
Preventing cultural
misunderstandings:
potential
conflict
situations
That
Cultural:
provideAre
colleagues and customers with
appropriate information
provide advise of cultural variations and
practices, behaviour and opinions they may
find different before they experience them
adapt own actions and behaviour in ways
that are culturally appropriate
provide customers with appropriate tourism
and hospitality products and services
Stages
of
conflict
Stages of
conflict- Helpful Hints
Resolving conflict situations
It is important for us to understand how to resolve
conflict and develop our own way of doing this.
Possible outcomes include:
Lose-lose where both parties end up
dissatisfied and unhappy
Win-lose where one side wins at the expense
of the other. Useful if one side can admit they
were in the wrong, however not common!
Win-win our preferred outcome. To achieve
this we must be willing to :
Respect and acknowledge everyones
perceptions and expectations
Verbalise what we want
Identify and practise appropriate conflict
resolution techniques.
Responsibility for resolving conflict
Whilst responsibility for resolution usually
rests with those involved, sometimes it
also depends on:
Our position in the workplace do we have
the authority to resolve the situation?
The people involved if involves colleagues
then we may need to involve more senior
staff.
The nature of the conflict depending on the
nature of the conflict, we may be forced to
involve others (e.g. security or safety issues).
