Page 49 - Cowch eBook - Staff Manual 2019

Handling guest complaints

L ist en

Close your mouth and listen. DO l.e.a.r.n
NOT INTERRUPT! Let the guest
blow off steam; get it out and vent. This simple
Sometimes that’s all they really
need to do. The complaint they

are expressing may not be the real 5 STEP
problem. It may have only been the
spark that created the fury. Listen process will be used
and do not take it personally. Show
genuine concern and don’t offer by all staff at Cowch
excuses.

E mpathise when handling guest

Put yourself in their shoes. complaints.

Try to understand how they feel.

Then let them know you understand their feelings. Empathise - do
not sympathise. There is a difference. If you empathise, you really feel
how they feel. It’s not enough to put yourself in their shoes at this
moment, you must look at things from their frame of reference. By
understanding how your customer feels and by letting them know that

you understand their point of view, you rebuild the rapport critical to
good service. That doesn’t mean that you agree with them. It does
however let them know you care and can see their point of view.
A sk

Ask them what they would like done. Resist randomly offering them
something to appease them. Ask them what they want. “How can I fix

this for you?”. You will usually discover they want less than you think.
R eassur e

Reassure them that you will do whatever you can to resolve the
problem. Sometimes resolving the problem is beyond your control, but
you can do a great deal for the business relationship if you genuinely

try to solve the problem. You do not have to commit to making any
changes, but your guest must know that you genuinely want to fix the
problem.

N ev er f or get to f oll ow u p
Take personal responsibility to follow up on the resolution to any
issues. Always pass any feedback on to your supervisor or manager.

PAGE | 49