5 Difficult Situations While Working In A Hotel And How To Handle Them
Written By: Sandy Tng
It’s easy to identify people who might suit the hotel industry. They love interacting with people, and prefer being on the go rather than sitting behind a desk. And what's not to like? Your hotel industry job can turn out to be a dynamic stint where no two days are ever alike.
Alas, most hopefuls don’t realise that there are two sides to unpredictability. While there are some wanderlust-fulfilling moments to be had in the hospitality industry, like any other job, sticky situations can spring on you.
But fret not. Here's our guide on the 5 tricky situations that can happen in the hotel industry and what you can do about it!
1. Room upgrade requests
Skilled hotel staff must master the art of delivering the “no”. Never reject a guest straight away, even if it’s clearly impossible - even if he demands that you put a llama in his room. In such a situation, we recommend pointing him in the direction of the Singapore Zoological Gardens.
What we're saying is, even if you know that you can’t accede to a request, show sincerity in making their request happen. Saying: "Hold on, let me check the availability/speak with my manager to see if that can be done", beats shooting them down immediately. Even if you come back with "I'm afraid all our rooms are fully booked now and we won't be able to arrange for that", it'll appease the guest that you at least tried.
2. Luggage loss
It’s not uncommon for guests to leave their baggage with the bellman when they arrive well before check-in time, but what happens when they come back at 2pm, only to realise it’s gone missing?
It is in this moment of frustration that you’d feel compelled to explain yourself, but don’t. All the guest can hear at this point is negligence. Assure the guest by saying: “I’m sorry Ma’am, but we’re unable to locate your suitcase at the moment. Allow me to bring you a drink at the lounge while we investigate the matter.” Only one party can afford to be frantic in mishaps, and that obviously can’t be you. Stay calm and show her that everything is under control before you speak to security.
If the luggage still can't be found, deliver the bad news but assure that the search will be ongoing. Check your guest into an upgraded room and have your manager (or a person of authority) discuss compensation matters sincerely. Thereafter, perform regular follow-ups to show that the staff has kept his inconvenience in their thoughts.
3. Noisy Guestroom
You’re working the night shift and you receive a call from an angry guest. He tells you that his neighbour is causing a ruckus and belting out to Miley Cyrus. He hates Miley Cyrus. How do you tell Room 901 that her night party is disrupting Room 902’s conference call without being a spoilsport?
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Put on your most apologetic expression, march up to 901, address the guest by her name and politely tell her, “We’re glad that you’re having fun at your stay here! But as it’s past midnight now and some of our guests are resting, can we trouble you to lower the volume a little?”
Avoid words like “complaint” and “noise” - they make the situation seem more negative.
4. Nightmares of double booking or overbooking
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A double-booking error happens when someone is checked into an occupied room, usually due to the hotel's faulty booking system. Meanwhile, some hotels allow overbooking as they assume that a percentage of their guests won't turn up each day - but there are days with higher-than-usual show up rates.
When a double booking happens, talk to the affected guests separately and personally:
“We are so sorry for checking you into an occupied room - we take full responsibility for the mistake. Allow us to offer you a room upgrade to make amends, I will show you to this new room personally.”
Find out what your hotel’s policy is and perform service recovery duly, but do NOT extend the same offer to both guests affected by a double booking. You don’t want them bumping into each other at the club lounge awkwardly, do you?
Now, for an overbooking situation, apologise sincerely and offer to check the guest into a partner hotel:
"Ms Massott, we regret to inform you that our hotel is currently overbooked. But not to worry, we will arrange for your stay at the superior room of a neighbouring partner hotel, which has great amenities, and guarantee that you will have a pleasant stay there. Our driver is at the lobby to personally bring you there."
5. There's something wrong with the food
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"I am so sorry about your meal sir, I'll let the chef know about the incident and have a replacement prepared for you right away. In the meantime, please enjoy a complimentary cocktail from the bar for your inconvenience."
Once that's done, you should immediately deliver feedback to the chef and request for a replacement. When something like this happens, you should always seek to go the extra mile by offering a free drink, dessert or even a discount on the meal. Different establishments will have varied approaches so it's best to check with your manager first.
Kickstart your career with FastJobs
Life as a hotel manager is filled with delights and mishaps, unexpected adventures and stressful situations. At the end of the day, managing guests in a hotel will get better with experience. You can read every article on the internet, but there’s nothing like first-hand experience.
If you’re looking to try something new or make an upcoming school break more fulfilling, start by applying for a hospitality role at FastJobs. With updated listings and positions in various sectors of the industry, there are plenty of opportunities up for grabs!
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