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).