In the hospitality industry, dealing with unruly or hostile guests is an inevitable part of the job.
Exceptional customer service is easily one of the most important parts of running a great hotel. We train our staff to cater to guests’ needs and we ask for reviews to show off how great our hotel’s service is. But what happens when your staff needs to address a difficult guest? Mishandling these critical moments could end in a slew of bad reviews and even negative media. The impact of unpleasant behaviour is significant, affecting both the guest experience and the hotel’s reputation. Fortunately, hotels can prepare their staff to manage these situations effectively.
The Challenge of Unruly Guests
Disorderly guests can quickly disrupt the environment of a hotel, leading to various issues such as negative reviews, decreased staff morale, and potential legal problems. Poor management of these situations not only affects the immediate experience of other guests but can also have long-term repercussions on the hotel’s reputation. It’s essential for all staff – not just front desk or security – to be trained how to handle these guests effectively.
Training for Handling Difficult Guests
- Maintain Composure: Maintain a calm and open posture when speaking to a hostile or upset guest. Avoid crossing your arms or showing signs of frustration through your body language. A friendly and attentive demeanor can help de-escalate tension.
- Show Empathy and Validation: Show empathy by expressing understanding of the guest’s frustrations. Statements such as “I can see why this is upsetting for you” can make the guest feel heard and validate their feelings. When training hotel teams, I remind them of the phrase “guest feelings are facts,” meaning the feelings of the guest are like facts to them.
- Practice Active Listening: Often, hostility arises from guests feeling unheard. In the same vein of showing empathy and validating a guest’s feelings, take the time to listen to their concerns. Refrain from interrupting, and after the guest has shared and you feel like you understand the issue, consider asking the guest how they would like the issue handled.
- Move to a Private Area: Guide the guest away from a public area such as the front desk. This helps avoid attracting attention from other guests and helps make the guest feel like they’re more on a personal level with the hotel team, which additionally encourages a de-escalation of the situation.
- Make it a Team Effort: Don’t be afraid to use your colleagues to take care of the guest together. Sometimes it takes multiple staff members and solutions to rectify an issue. In cases where the guest’s behaviour escalates to a point where it endangers staff or other guests, those additional staff members should be hotel security. Ensure that staff are trained on when and how to seek help from the security department.
- Documentation: Keep detailed records of incidents involving hostile guests. This documentation can be useful for future reference and in the event of any legal actions.
- Regular Training: Ongoing training in conflict resolution, customer service, and de-escalation techniques is vital. Additionally, frequent training helps teams feel empowered to handle difficult situations effectively.
While guest issues and complaints return to pre-pandemic numbers – especially as we continue to face labour shortages in the hospitality industry – it’s imperative to know how to handle hostile or aggressive guests. Proper training is key to ensuring situations with guests are handled with the best outcome possible. Implementing these strategies will prepare your staff and your company to manage potentially disastrous encounters, and also reduce the frequency of their occurrences.
Stephanie Leger is Chief Excellence Officer of First Rate Hospitality, a hospitality-training consultancy. Leger has trained more than 20,000 hospitality employees in hotel and restaurant operations worldwide, providing countless reviews of operational evaluations. She has 20 years of experience in the hotel industry globally, working with brands such as Ritz-Carlton, Mandarin Oriental, Forbes Travel Guide Inspector, AAA, and others. For more information, please visit www.firstratehospitality.com.
