Elimination of deficiencies in hotels: do's and don'ts

Elimination of deficiencies is an important part of any hotel's complaint management. After all, the way in which you deal with your guests' concerns is crucial to your success. In this article, you will learn about the most common complaints in the hotel industry and find out what is important when it comes to rectifying faults.

The most important things in a nutshell:

• The most common reasons for guest complaints include an unkempt room, noise disturbance from other holidaymakers and inadequate service.
• Communication is the be-all and end-all when it comes to rectifying faults - listen to your guests, let them talk and be understanding. Then let them know how you intend to rectify the problem and be pragmatic.
• What you should not do, however, is make excuses, postpone problems and not be responsible or open to guest complaints.

These are the most common reasons for complaints in hotels

You can't anticipate all of your guests' problems. However, you can prepare yourself and your staff for some of the most common complaints:

• No access to Wi-Fi
• Noise complaints
• The room is too hot or too cold
• Unkempt room
• The equipment in the room does not work, for example the fridge, TV or air conditioning
• Inadequate customer service
• Free or booked accessories are missing, for example a towel pack or shampoo

Do's in the processing of customer complaints

⇒ Listen to your guests and show empathy: Communication is always what counts - listen carefully to the customer, let them finish and allow them to show emotions. Show them that you recognise their problems. After all, many families look forward to staying in your accommodation all year round. If something goes wrong, this can quickly lead to disappointment. Therefore, show your guests understanding for their experiences.

⇒ Apologise: Even if your employees were not directly involved in causing the problem, they should apologise on behalf of the hotel. This will show travellers that you understand the mistake and are willing to rectify it. Also be grateful for the criticism - use it as a second chance.

⇒ Take care of rectifying the fault immediately: Instead of procrastinating or pushing the rectification of defects from employee to employee, you should act pragmatically. The problem is known and the guest expects you to take care of it immediately. Communicate to them how you intend to rectify the defects and tackle the problem.

Don'ts of defect rectification in hotels

⇒ Excuses instead of solutions: Imagine a family with 2 young children arriving at your hotel late at night and realising that they have been allocated the wrong room. The last thing this family wants to hear are excuses or sentences like "Unfortunately, we can't help you with that." For every enquiry, you should also have a helpful answer ready or a plan B.

⇒ Compensation not proportionate: Compensation may be appropriate for serious problems. However, if the water drips into the room, you cannot give them a 10 euro voucher for the bar.

⇒ Employees don't feel responsible: If your employees don't take care of the guests' problems but simply pass on the complaints, the travellers don't feel that they are being taken seriously. Instead, it is interpreted as if your team does not have an open ear for your guests.