It’s a situation that every B&B owner has experienced. A guest walks in to check-in for their stay with a negative attitude, and you know that you are going to be dealing with a difficult customer. While the majority of your guests will likely be friendly and enjoyable, there are some aggressive guests that can be challenging to work with.

The guest experience is a critical component of your success, so it’s important that you have a strategy developed to help you and your staff members deal with these problem patrons.

Your customer service skills will be reviewed and revealed on online review sites, so these tips can help you make the best of these situations with frustrating hotel customers.

#Tip 1

Remain calm and be polite as an aggressive guest voices their complaints
Even if their frustrations and complaints seem unfair (and many times they are) it is important to remember that they are still guests at your hotel. You need to treat them with respect, allow them to voice their concerns, and stay as calm as possible. It is critical that every member of your team understands the importance of respecting all guests who are staying at your property.H2

#Tip 2

Avoid common triggers that can upset a guest further
There are certain things that staff members may inadvertently do that will only trigger aggressive guests, making them more upset and unruly. The most common triggers are:

  • Visual Triggers
    Body language and facial expressions are the most common form of visual triggers that can upset an aggressive guest. For example, if your front desk representative rolls their eyes because the person is approaching to complain yet again, the guest may quickly become irate.
  • Verbal Triggers
    Interrupting the guest while they are talking and blaming the issue on the guest are some of the common verbal triggers that can escalate a situation.
  • Vocal Triggers
    These triggers are typically related to the tone of voice the individual takes with the guest who is upset.

#Tip 3

Acknowledge their frustrations while quickly offering a solution to the problem
In most cases, an upset guest simply wants you to recognize that they are angry about a situation and acknowledge that they have the right to feel this way. When you respectfully acknowledge the fact that the guest is upset, but then redirect the conversation toward the solution, you will most likely quickly diffuse the situation. Once the guest feels that their voice has been heard and knows that you are going to provide them with a resolution that will improve their stay, they will begin to feel calm again.

While you’re never going to be able to please everyone all of the time, one of the best ways to prevent aggressive guests from heading down to your front lobby is to focus on premier customer service throughout every portion of the guest experience.

A strong customer service policy that is implemented in every facet of your B&B will thwart many of these issues before they ever begin.

By Dean Elphick

Dean is the Senior Content Marketing Specialist of Little Hotelier, the all-in-one software solution purpose-built to make the lives of small accommodation providers easier. Dean has made writing and creating content his passion for the entirety of his professional life, which includes more than six years at Little Hotelier. Through content, Dean aims to provide education, inspiration, assistance, and, ultimately, value for small accommodation businesses looking to improve the way they run their operations (and live their life).