How to Deal with the Most Common Guest Problems
According to one survey, seven in 10 consumers in the United States say they spend more money doing business with a company that delivers great service than one that doesn’t.
Great customer service pays dividends, and for your property it means repeat customers and great word of mouth reviews.
By going above and beyond every time, you’ll find better online reviews as well which in turn increases your bookings, and your revenue. But, providing excellent service isn’t always something that comes naturally.
Because customer service is so important to your longevity and success, we look at how to deal with the most common guest problems, so everyone leaves happy.
Guests Say Rooms Aren’t Clean
One of the most common guest problems we hear about is rooms that aren’t clean enough.
While this may be common with lower end hotels, it happens with high end properties as well.
Often guests say the bathroom isn’t up to par, the shower is dirty, or there are hairs in the sink or in the bed. Some guests also find previous guests’ clothes or shoes in a drawer or closet. These are all horrible and can disgust your guests.
The worst happens, though, if guests find bugs or even bed bugs in a hotel room.
You can bet if your guests say your rooms are dirty, they’re going to leave you a bad review online. This means your reputation is going to take a nosedive.
The single most important thing you can do to have a stellar reputation is keep your hotel clean. Word travels like wildfire if a hotel is dirty or has bed bugs.
What can you do? Make sure your hotel is never dirty. Train your housekeeping staff to provide the absolute best when it comes to hygiene. This goes for both low end, high end, and everything in between.
Superior cleanliness is expected by your guests no matter how much they pay for your rooms. Strive to always provide it as your reputation depends on it.
Finally, make sure your staff over apologizes for the transgressions and fix the situation immediately. Your best bet is to move the guests to a room that you personally looked over for cleanliness.
You can also go the extra mile and offer them a complimentary night or a free meal in your restaurant.
Guests Say It’s Too Noisy
Another one of the most common guest problems is noisy hotels.
When your guests book a hotel room, they are looking for a comfortable place to return to after a long day either working, traveling, or sightseeing. They want peace, quiet, and a good night’s rest.
While you can’t be on every floor in your hotel, you can set the stage for quiet hallways and rooms. Make sure that all of your guests know you expect quiet in your hallways after a certain time.
In addition, guests complain about outside noise. For example, a common problem is construction outside your hotel. If this is going on, always let your guests know upfront so they aren’t surprised.
While you can’t always control the noise situation, here are a few steps you can take:
- If a guest complains about other loud guests, send someone up to the room to ask for quiet and respect.
- When a guests complains of outside noise, offer to move them up or down a few floors or across the floor. Your goal is to get them in a room that’s furthest from the noise. Offer to bring a luggage cart and move your guest’s luggage for them.
- You can also offer earplugs as a last resort.
Sometimes your guests won’t complain of noise because they are using a “sleep fan” or other white noise app on their cell phone. You can also recommend this to your hotel guests who are particularly sensitive to the noise.
Guests Say Your Service is Bad
In the age of the internet, your property is basically held hostage by its online reviews. What can you do?
Don’t give anyone a reason to leave a bad review.
Bad customer service is another highly common guest problem. Whether it’s your front desk staff, pool or fitness employees, spa staff, housekeeping, or your restaurant staff, it’s imperative they are all trained on a consistent basis.
Ongoing customer service training pays dividends for your hotel. Your trained and happy staff equals happy customers, every time.
When service complaints do occur, whether they are valid or not, take them seriously. You want to handle each complaint with care, sympathy, and empathy. Whether your staff member was rude or not, apologize and try to remedy the situation.
Be sure and investigate the issue. Assure your guests it won’t happen again and do everything in your power to take care of the situation. Doing this just might keep the angry customer from leaving a bad online review.
Remember always the old adage that says, “the customer is always right.” It is applicable when it comes to your hotel.
Guests Say Your Wi-Fi is Slow
Unfortunately, this is another of the most common guest complaints, and there really is no reason for it.
You can assume that nearly all of your guests want high-speed Wi-Fi. Whether they’re watching Netflix, working, or surfing Instagram, they are going to be frustrated by poor Wi-Fi.
When it comes to your hotel’s Wi-Fi, make sure you give your guests the information they need to log on. Don’t make them call you for it or hunt for it.
And, finally, up the speed on your Wi-Fi and offer it for free. You just may find that by offering this one service, you increase the positive customer reviews online as well as your customers’ overall happiness.
To Conclude
Imagine that you are a guest in your hotel.
Ask yourself if your rooms are clean enough and quiet enough. Ask yourself if your staff goes above and beyond every time to offer the best service. Watch how your team handles complaints.
Experience every aspect of your hotel just as a guest would. Are you happy with what you see and feel when you’re in your hotel?
If yes, that’s great. Keep training your employees and treating them well.
If the answer is no, it’s time to take a long hard look at your processes. Refine them and revise where needed.
As a member of the hospitality industry, your goal is happy customers. If you put this front and center in every day, you can avoid many of the most common guest problems. (tweet this)
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Images: Patrick Tomasso and Adriana Saraceanu on Unsplash
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