December 21, 2017
Using LAST for Guest Complaints: Part 2 (Apologise)
In Part 1 we went over the single most important thing in dealing with difficult guests: Keep your cool.
If the guest is shouting you’re calm and measured. If the guest is unreasonable you’re reasonable. If the guest is completely wrong you’re sympathetic to their distress and save “Can you believe that guy…” for after they’ve left and there are no other guests around.
No matter how unreasonable, upset or just plain wrong the guest is, you convey that you have listened to and understood their complaint, however unfair or ridiculous - “That’s correct, sir, we don’t serve Dom Pérignon in the bar, I understand that this upsets you.”
If you show the guest you’ve grasped their complaint, clarified it and understand how upsetting it is to them, you’re in control of the situation. Then to defuse the negative emotion, you apologise. This is trickier than you might think.
Our natural tendency is to apologise for what we did that upsets someone who’s angry at us. And if it really is your fault, if the gardener really did spray grass clippings all over the guest while she was sunbathing, then that’s appropriate, you apologise for what you did.
But when the guest is not actually correct, you still apologise - for the fact that the guest is upset. “I understand that you’re upset we don’t serve Dom Pérignon, sir, and I’m genuinely sorry this upsets you.”
Note the difference: Not “I’m sorry we don’t serve Dom Pérignon,” but “I’m sorry that the fact we don’t serve Dom Pérignon upsets you.”
You’ve subtly but clearly shifted the situation from antagonism, Hotel vs. Guest, to commiseration, Hotel and Guest vs. Unfortunate Situation. You’ve put yourself on their side, agreeing with them yes, I can see why you’re upset, I’m sorry you’re upset and I’m going to help.
As soon as the guest feels you’ve listened to his or her complaint, you understand why they’re upset, and you’re on their side in agreeing that yes it is upsetting, the emotional levels go way down and they’re much more reasonable and cooperative for step three: Solving the problem.
