gritted our teeth , though , and thought hard . We tried to be self-critical : perhaps we had had an off-day ? Perhaps we should have changed those flowers a day earlier , not slipped up on our table settings , and properly explained our room servicing policy rather than assume that everyone knew what to expect ?
We wrote a long and , we think , fair letter back in response , and redoubled our efforts to keep an eye on the smallest detail . We also set out our policy on changes of linen and towels ( which are in accordance with the 2006 five-star B & B VisitBritain standards ) in our room information sheets .
Lessons : This one shows that the most difficult complaints are not about any one thing , but are a litany of minor things . What is the underlying cause ? Perhaps the real reason they were unhappy had more to do with the weather , or having had a marital row , than with our B & B keeping . Even so , always make yourself see things through the customers eye and – as in this case – there are usually positive lessons to learn which will help you in future .
How to handle complaints
This very limited experience of difficult B & B customers , and a combined 30 years or so of experience dealing with difficult customers in other industries ( including hotel and holiday customers ), has taught us a few fundamental “ rules ” it is best to stick by :
➢ Listen sympathetically
➢ Don ’ t justify or be defensive
➢ Buy time ; don ’ t commit immediately to specific recompense
➢ Analyse the complaint carefully and dispassionately , putting yourself in the customer ’ s shoes
➢ Get back to the customer as soon as you can , and explain your response and your reasoning carefully ; rationally argued and quantified explanations carry most weight
➢ Don ’ t get angry or emotional
➢ Try to avoid entering into a negotiation
➢ Be polite and respectful – even if the customer is not !
➢ Try to learn from complaints , and improve your service
And to reassure those who have never dealt commercially with the public before : it is not as bad as you fear . As we have said before , the vast majority of people are like you : nice , polite and reasonable . A tiny minority is not .