No matter how good your systems or how attentive your staff, mistakes still happen, guests will become disgruntled, and chances for a positive guest experience begin to dwindle. But do not panic yet; not all guest complaints need result in a negative guest experience. Complaints are merely an opportunity for improvement. According to a Lee Resources study, if you resolve a complaint in the customer’s favor, they will do business with you again 70 percent of the time.

Complaints let you know where your operation needs improvement. If you resolve a complaint, and make improvements to prevent similar complaints, the complaining guest may end up being one of your most loyal followers.

So, when you get a complaint, two things need to happen. First, resolve it quickly. Next, revisit your systems to find ways to prevent future complaints. Perhaps the biggest challenge for operators is about how to resolve complaints in the customer’s favor. Noted speaker and restaurant expert Bill Marvin says that if you resolve a complaint “on the spot,” as many as 95 percent of them will do business with you again. So, who is in the most likely position to resolve a complaint on the spot? The correct answer is the person to whom the guest is registering the complaint, whether that be a server, cashier, bartender, or manager.

But can we trust just anyone to handle complaints? The answer is no, unless you provide them with the empowerment, skill, and training to deal with them. Marvin goes on to say, “The most common mistake in handling complaints is getting defensive and wanting to explain. It never helps and almost always makes things worse. Handling a complaint well is not about determining who is wrong, it is about saving a disappointed guest and retaining the business you would lose by alienating them.”

It's true, guests don’t want to hear that you are short-handed, or that a delivery didn’t come in, or that there is a new cook on the line. They do not want excuses. What they want is both to know that you care about them and that you sincerely want to resolve the issue.

The fact is, the first words out of your mouth (or that of your employee to whom the guest is complaining) are the most likely to determine whether the guest returns. If they are defensive in nature, you’ve already lost the customer. Train your employees to respond with phrases like, “Thank you for taking the time to let us know” or “I’m sorry that happened and hope you’ll give us an opportunity to make things right” or “I don’t know how that slipped through the cracks but I will do everything I can to make it better.”

Unfortunately, most restaurants do not prepare their staff to respond to complaining guests. Some guests can be downright mean and berating in which an inexperienced minimum wage worker is more often left intimidated and unprepared to respond. In situations like these is where scripting can be beneficial even if it may appear rote.

We can’t expect every staff member to become a skilled diplomat, able to calm down the most upset customers. We can, though, teach them how to initially respond with phrases like, “I am so sorry this happened. Please give me a moment to get our manager so we can make this right.” Or, “I’m sorry I (we) have disappointed you and your guests. I’ll get the manager right away.”

Notice that saying “I’m sorry” or “we apologize for your disappointment” is not necessarily an admission of wrongdoing, but it does help to placate the immediate issue through acknowledgment rather than to escalate the problem by responding defensively. This can be particularly important when responding to potential liability complaints like foodborne illnesses or foreign objects.

Source: RestaurantOwner.com