Upset Customer

AngelEyez writes to ask: A guest calls and he is very upset because he did not receive his wake up call. What do you say to the guest?

I am going to make the assumption that you are speaking from the viewpoint of a clerk at a hotel/motel/inn or other such like business. And I am going to rant a teeny tiny bit.

The proper response is to apologize - “I am very sorry, sir/ma’m. It was our mistake. I will try to find out why this happened and take steps to make sure it does not happen again. Is there any other way that I can help you?”

The most important key here is to be very polite, contrite, and helpful. Let the guest rant at you a bit if they want to - it is their right since you, or someone at the business, failed to provide the proper service. Maybe it was not you personally, but you are a representative of the business to the guest and as such, are a responsible party that s/he can rant to.

The most important thing to not do - is to not act sarcastic, don’t be rude, don’t be snappish, don’t evade responsibility (well it wasn’t MY fault), or in any other way do or act in such a way that the guest is made even more unhappy and angry.

Once upon a time when I was younger being rude to a customer/guest would have gotten you fired on the spot. It seems that it is now considered almost normal behavior and rarely gets even a reprimand.

But think about this - that guest may leave very unhappy because not only he didn’t get his wake up call, but you acted rude and made him even more unhappy. He never returns to your business because he was made unhappy there. He will also tell all his friends, all his business associates, and all of his family that he was made unhappy at your business. This could be a few hundred people - and they tell their friends, family, and business associates. The people who hear about how unpleasent you were, how unpleasent the stay at your hotel was - will not stay in your hotel if they can possibly help it.

So - your hotel loses business. Makes less money. Might even have to let some clerks go - like YOU.

Every action you take has a result. You can be polite, apologetic, and helpful in the face of a very angry customer or you can act like you don’t care or be rude and sarcastic.

The angry customer who gets an apology and a promise of better service may be so impressed with how you tried to help that s/he will tell you manager how helpful you were, or at the least, will not go around all day telling everyone how crummy your hotel is.

All of this is true whether you are a clerk at a hotel handling an angry customer, a waitress at the Deli with an angry customer, an operator on the “help” line at your business, or whatever your job may be. If you interact with customers as part of your job - let me just tell you something that a whole lot of businesses and service people seem to have forgotten -

The customer is always right

even if the customer is wrong

The customer is always right

You can cuss them when they are gone. You can go cry in the bathroom if they hurt your feelings. You can go gripe at the person who actually committed the wrong, or you could even be really constructive and find a way to make sure it doesn’t happen again, but whatever you do - be nice to that customer. They pay your wages.

Just a pet peeve of mine. And yes, I am damn sure a customer who will not return to any business where the employees have treated me poorly. When I am an employee, or in my own business, I bend over backwards to be good to customers - I treat them as I would like to be treated.

Summer