Intro: For the most part, staying in a hotel should be a comfortable and stress-free experience.
But unfortunately, this isn’t always the case.
Sometimes, things go wrong.
You may realize that there’s something missing from the room, that you need an extra towel, that you forgot to bring a vital necessity (like a toothbrush or soap), or even that the hotel has been overbooked and is trying to send you elsewhere, etc.
And sometimes, while it isn’t always a fun thing to do, you may need to call or visit the front desk to get some assistance.
But here’s another thing that seasoned travelers quickly learn about staying in hotels.
There’s an art to getting actual results when asking for help from the front desk.
The thing about hotel front desk clerks is that they’re often barraged with requests—ranging from the mundane, to the bizarre, to the all-out ridiculous.
And as a traveler who wants to have a good stay, it’s in your best interest to learn how to talk to hotel clerks and complain about issues without sabotaging your odds for getting a positive result in the process.
In this post, you’re going to learn how to do exactly that.
Let’s dive into it.
1. Be Specific
One of the biggest mistakes that visitors make at hotels when complaining to the front desk is not being specific enough.
When making your request, always be super specific about two things.
- First, be specific about exactly what the problem is.
- And secondly, be very specific about what you would like to see happen as a solution.
You’d be surprised at how many misunderstandings this step alone can help to clear up.
2. Be Courteous
Being courteous can take you a long way when it comes to dealing with hotel clerks.
These are people who sometimes deal with extremely rude and entitled customers.
And sometimes, their patience threshold may be all but exhausted.
Avoid trying to threaten them with calls to corporate, asking for the manager, or insulting them while you request assistance.
Treat them politely and kindly, like the real humans they are.
Listen to their responses respectfully, and try your best to remain calm and reasonable.
Not all hotel clerks are going to be as helpful as others.
But always remember that it’s in your best interest to stay as kind and as courteous as possible.
3. Remember Who You Spoke To
Whenever you make a request at the hotel desk, try to remember the name of the person you spoke to.
This can help you later on when you follow up or ask for an update—because if a different person answers the phone, you can immediately tell them who you spoke to last and/or ask for that person by name.
4. Try Not To Escalate
Sometimes, customers are tempted to escalate when things don’t go their way.
They may get upset, they may increase the volume of their language, they may talk faster and with greater enthusiasm, etc.
But here’s the thing.
It’s always in your best interest to remain calm and professional when dealing with hotel clerks.
Once again, this is just going to get you the best results possible.
5. Follow Up
If it’s been a while and you still haven’t heard anything about your request for assistance, it’s completely fine to follow up.
Of course, when you do so, once again—always remain calm and respectful of this person’s time.
You should also follow up if they came through on your request in a positive way.
For example:
If they handled your request to your satisfaction, stop by the desk and thank them for their hard work in resolving your issue.
If you’re staying for a long period of time, the clerks will likely remember this kindness—and they’ll be that much more likely to help you resolve further issues in the coming days.
Conclusion
There you have it.
Five tips for how to effectively complain to a hotel front desk and actually get results.
When you utilize these five tips, you should have much better luck getting issues resolved and getting on with your trip.
Good luck and happy trails!
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