Lesson Six　Handling Complaints

Objectives

To help the students master useful expressions and sentences about complaints in front desk.

To help the students familiar with the common complaints in front desk.

To help the students analyze the reasons of complaints and handle complaints in front desk.

Preamble

Thursday night July 4, 2018

Dear Mr. Green,

Thank you for writing to us here at the Heng Yun Hotel. We are sorry to hear that your stay at our hotel did not meet your expectations.

In your letter, you state that your room was not ready when you arrived even though it was after the established check-in time. We are sorry to have inconvenienced you on your visit to Heng Yun. Your complaint has inspired us to re-train the front desk staff. Now, all employees have been reminded that the appropriate procedure in this situation is to hold the guests’ luggage and offer vouchers to the hotel restaurant.

You also stated that your room was excessively noisy due to the construction next door. You say that you called the front desk but you were not given a new room. We have checked our records, and it seems there was no other room available to give you. Even so, we apologize for the noise and wish we could have done more to make your night more comfortable.

Please accept our most sincere apologies. Given the unfortunate experience you had here at the Heng Yun Hotel, we would like to extend to you this $100 voucher for your next stay at our hotel. We hope that your next stay with us will better meet our standard of excellence.

Sincerely yours,

(Signature) Bob Smith

Dialogues

Key sentences:

I’ m very sorry, sir. As you arrived too late, we thought you didn’t come. So we’ve let the room to someone else.

I’ m sorry to hear the news, sir. We do apologize for the inconvenience. We will send a room attendant to clean the room at once.

Thank you for your understanding. Now let me help you check in.

Pre-questions:

1. What are the common complaints about the front office service?

2. How to deal with these complaints about the front office service?

3. Do you think it’s an important to handle complaints of the front office service? Why?

Dialogue 1

Receptionist:　 　Good evening. May I help you?

Guest:　　　　　Good evening. My name is Mr. White. I have booked double room in your hotel.

Receptionist:　 　I’ m very sorry, sir. As you arrived too late, we thought you didn’t come. So we’ve let the room to someone else.

Guest:　　　　　What? You’ve let the room? But I never call you I don’t come!

Receptionist:　 　I’ m sorry. We only hold rooms for our guests till 6:00 p.m. on the expected time. It was in the letter of confirmation.

Guest:　　　　　That’s interesting. My train was four hours late. And now you tell me that you’ve let my room.

Receptionist:　 　I’ m terribly sorry, but that is the situation. We can upgrade your room to a family suite. Are you satisfied with it?

Guest:　　　　　All right. My wife and I are really tired now. We want to have a rest.

Receptionist:　 　Thank you for your understanding. Now let me help you check in.

Dialogue 2

Guest:　　　　　Front desk, I’ d like to make a complaint.

Receptionist:　 　What’s the trouble sir?

Guest:　　　　　First, I wait almost one hour for the bellman to send my luggage to my room. Then when I open my luggage, I find my glasses is broken.

Receptionist:　 　I’ m terribly sorry. There are a lot of guests checking in today. Maybe we are a little busy. But next time we will send your luggage as soon possible.

Guest:　　　　　Even if there are a lot of guests, you should guarantee that the luggage is sent to guest’s room timely. You can employ more bellmen.

Receptionist:　 　Yes. As our hotel has just opened, we are short of help. I promise when you come next time, everything will be all right. As for you glasses, we will compensate for it. Do you have receipt of your glasses?

Guest:　　　　　But I bought the glasses last year, I have lost the receipt.

Receptionist:　 　Okay, you can but a new one of this style and give us the receipt. Then we will refund money to you.

Guest:　　　　　All right, thank you.

Receptionist:　 　You are welcome. Thank you for calling us. If you need any help, please let us know.

Dialogue 3

Receptionist:　 　Good afternoon, sir. How may I help you?

Guest:　　　　　Good afternoon. I am from room 356. People in next room are singing all this afternoon. It’s too noisy. Can you change a room for me?

Receptionist:　 　　I’ m so sorry, sir. I’ ll look into the matterimmediately.
(Several minutes later)

Receptionist:　 　Sir, I have called to them and ask them to stop singing. Do you still want to change the room?

Guest:　　　　　Yes, I’ m afraid they are too young and active. Tomorrow I have am important meeting. I want to have a quiet room.

Receptionist:　 　Okay. There is a room in the corner of this floor. It’s very quiet, but it is not facing the sun. Is it okay?

Guest:　　　　　Are you sure it is quiet?

Receptionist:　 　Yes, because the room beside it is vacant.

Guest:　　　　　Okay. I’ ll take it. Thank you.

Receptionist:　 　You are welcome. I’ ll send a porter to help you carry the luggage.

Vocabulary

Useful Expressions

1. Good evening. May I help you?

晚上好。我可以帮你吗?

2. I’ m very sorry, sir. As you arrived too late, we thought you didn’t come. So we’ve let the room to someone else.

很抱歉，先生。你来得太迟了，我们以为你不来了。所以我们把房间让给别人了。

3. I’ m sorry. We only hold rooms for our guests till 6:00 p.m. on the expected time. It was in the letter of confirmation.

我很抱歉。我们只在预定的时间内为客人保留房间，直到下午6:00。这在确认信提到过。

4. I’ m terribly sorry, but that is the situation. We can upgrade your room to a family suite. Are you satisfied with it?

我非常抱歉，但情况就是这样。我们可以把你的房间升级为家庭套房。你对此满意吗？

5. Thank you for your understanding. Now let me help you check in.

谢谢你的理解。现在让我帮你办理入住手续。

6. Front desk, I’ d like to make a complaint.

前台，我想投诉一下。

7. What’s the trouble sir?

先生，有什么问题吗？

8. I promise when you come next time, everything will be all right.

我保证下次你来的时候，一切都会好起来的。

9. I’ m terribly sorry. I’ ll attend to it at once.

我很抱歉。我马上去处理。

10. As for you glasses, we will compensate for it. Do you have receipt of your glasses?

至于你的眼镜，我们会赔偿的。你有没有收到你的眼镜？

11. Thank you for calling us. If you need any help, please let us know.

谢谢你打电话给我们。如果你需要帮助，请告诉我们。

12. We are terribly sorry for all this mess. As our hotel has just opened, we are short of help.

我们对这一切的混乱感到非常抱歉。当我们的酒店刚刚开业时，我们缺少帮助。

13. So if you would please get your luggage ready, we’ll move you to another room.

所以，如果你能把行李准备好，我们会把你送到另一个房间。

14. Please wait a moment. I promise to get everything done.

请稍等。我保证一切会好的。

15. It’s too noisy. Can you change a room for me?

太吵了。你能帮我换一个房间吗？

Exercises

1. Match each word or phrase in the column on the left with its meaning in the column on the right.

2. Complete the following dialogue according to the Chinese in brackets and read it in roles.

R=Receptionist　　　B=Guest

R: Good evening. Front Desk. Can I help you?

B: This is Miss Li from Room 1503. 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　(我刚入住但是我对房间并不满意。)

R: 　　　　　　　　　　　　　(请问有什么问题吗？)

B: The room is smelly and there is someone’s hair on my bed!

R: I’ m sorry to hear the news. Miss Li. 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　(我立马派一个客房服务生去您的房间。) She will bring air fresher and change the bed sheet for you. (很抱歉给您带来不便。)

B: All right. Thank you.

R: It’s my pleasure, Miss Li. 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　(如果有任何需要我帮忙的请给我打电话。)

3. Choose the correct steps for replying guest’s complaints letter.

a. Confirm the customer complaint item responsibility and undertake the lose cost.

b. Affirm customer complaint item and analyze carefully its root cause.

c. Relative technical or supervisor people should affirm the corrective and prevent action result.

d. Need customer to assistant purpose.

e. Take corrective and protective action.

4. Choose the best English translation for each sentence.

(1) 听到这样的事情，我真的非常遗憾! (　　)

A. I’ m sorry for that.　　B. I’ m sorry for see that.

C. I’ m terribly sorry to hear that.　　D. I’ m very sorry about it.

(2) 我马上去查清这件事情。 (　　)

A. I’ ll see to it.　　B. I’ ll deal with it now.

C. I’ ll look to it.　　D. I’ ll look into this matter at once.

(3) 我们为给您带来不便深表歉意。 (　　)

A. We do apologize for the inconvenience.　　B. We are sorry for it.

C. We are sorry for the inconvenience.　　D. Sorry for causing you trouble.

(4) 我派个行李员来帮您搬行李。 (　　)

A. I’ ll send a receptionist to help you with the luggage.

B. I’ ll send a waiter to help you with the luggage.

C. I will send a porter to help you with the luggage.

D. I’ ll send a porter to help you.

(5) 请允许我派一位服务员来帮您再仔细找找。 (　　)

A. Allow me to send a room attendant to look for you.

B. I will send a man to help you look for it.

C. Please let me look for it.

D. Please allow me to send a chambermaid to your room to help you look for it again.

5. Read the passage and choose the best answers to the following questions.

Dealing with complaints

When the customer pays for a product or service, it is assumed that the product will work correctly or that the service received is as promised. Ideally, the customer will be satisfied, and there will be no complaints.

If there is a problem and the customer complains about it, your company should quickly answer the complaint and solve the customer’s problem. This is often done through your company’s customer service activity. But also, you need to follow up and improve your business processes to rectify the problem.

Solve the problem

You need to immediately answer the complaint and solve the problem. It may be to give money back, exchange a product or do some repair.

Special bonus

To make sure the customer is completely satisfied, some companies will provide some special service or a reduced price on another product. This is done to assure the customer will come back for more business. Many retail stores have a generous return policy to satisfy dissatisfied customers.

Dishonest customers

Unfortunately, there are dishonest customers who will make false claims to get some bonus. Some people will use a product or piece of clothing and then return it, saying they weren’t satisfied.

High-end women’s clothing stores often will have expensive gowns returned after some important event. The clothes have obviously been worn, but the customer says she is not satisfied or has changed her mind. Usually, the store will refund the money.

Since it is often difficult to tell if the complaint is valid or not, the company will follow the adage, “The customer is always right.” But since some dishonest people repeat their crimes, a better adage is, “The customer is always right... once.”

Price in customer service

When a company sells a product or a provides a service, part of the pricing should include the cost of servicing a certain percentage of defective products or complaints.

Rectify problem

The second thing a company should do upon receiving a complaint is to seek to rectify the problem.

Although a company hopes not to get complaints, they often can be blessing in disguise. Sometimes problems can be caught and fixed before they cause serious negative feedback or even legal problems.

It is in the company’s best interest to solve any problems and try to make sure that they don’t happen again. It is foolish for a company not to use customer complaints to initiate a corrective action.

Quickly and properly solving customer complaints can help your business grow and prosper. Ignoring complaints or dealing with them in a dishonest manner can result in loss of business or even lawsuits.

(1) When will compliant happen? (　　)

A. Product will work correctly.　　B. Service received is good.

C. The customer is not satisfied with the products.　　D. The products are too popular.

(2) Which department usually deal with the complaints in company? (　　)

A. Sale department.　　B. Customer service.

C. Marketing department.　　D. Accountant.

(3) Why company provide special bonus for customers when dealing with complaint? (　　)

A. Assure the customer will come back for more business.

B. This is the company’s sale promotion.

C. Because customers are not easy to deal with.

D. To attract more customers.

(4) Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage? (　　)

A. Quickly and properly solving customer complaints can help your business grow and prosper.

B. It is no need to immediately answer the complaint and solve the problem.

C. All problems can be caught and fixed before they cause serious negative feedback or even legal problems.

D. When a company sells a product or service, it does not include the cost of servicing.

Challenges and Solutions

1. If the guest was not satisfied with the room, what should you do?

Solutions:

2. If the guest complained the next room was too noisy, what should you do?

Solutions:

3. If the guests complained you spoke too fast, what should you do?

Solutions:

4. If the guest complained the bathroom was too wet and dirty, what should do you?

Solutions:

5. If the guests complained the bellman was impolite, what should you do?

Solutions:

6. If the guest complained that the bellman lost his luggage, what should you do?

Solution:

7. If the guest complained that your service was not good, what should you do?

Solutions: