[PART 1 - PROBLEM] Descriptive Reflection on an Interpersonal Communication Issue
This conflict occurred when I was a front desk crew in a hostel. During one of my morning shift with my senior, Guest "A" approached us and explained furiously that Guest “B” was on her phone in the shared room throughout the night and day which disturbed her sleep.
This was nth time we received a complaint
regarding "B" being inconsiderate towards other guests. Thus, “A” demanded us to resolve this incident immediately as it was our responsibility to discipline “B”. Despite not being confident in handling
this situation, my senior told me to handle this situation myself.
Once I reached the room, I approached “B” who was still
on her phone. I explained politely to her that a complaint has
been lodged by “A”. “B” felt accused and started blaming me that I did not
investigate thoroughly, and even shouted vulgarities at “A”. Therefore, both
guests got into a heated argument. Due to the lack of sleep, I got really
stressed and raised my voice at both guests to stop the argument.
What
would you do instead to resolve this conflict?
Hi Kien Gee,
ReplyDeleteDealing with guests conflict is one of the hardest things face in the service industry, If poorly managed, a complaint can escalate to a bad online review and negative reviews.
You have to always maintain a positive attitude. If a guest says something offensive or untrue, you may become annoyed and less willing to help. Work hard to control your emotions. Remind yourself that it’s your job to please customers, and sometimes that means setting aside your own feelings.
Attitude is key. Rather than dread having to deal with upset guests, think of these situations as a welcome challenge. Tell yourself, “I can handle this. I’m going to turn this guest around.” A positive attitude and great service can help you calm down even the most irate of guests.
Hi Kien Gee,
ReplyDeleteIt is brave and commendable of you to handle this conflict despite not being very confident. This is the first step to solving conflicts: Willingness to resolve the conflict. If one manages to resolve the conflict, it will not only be beneficial for the guests, but also the reputation of the organisation.
The ability to listen, is the key to communication and resolving conflicts. What you could have done better, would be to find out guest "B"'s side of the story. Guest "A" might exaggerate things due to his/her emotions during the conflict and may have twisted facts or said things that are untrue.
Another thing you could have done better, would be to control your emotion and breathe in and out slowly if you feel like you are about to lose your temper. Since both guests are already in a heated argument, it will not help with the situation if you lose your temper. By having a calm and composed attitude, you will be able to see things clearly and will then be able to handle the situation with a clear mind.
Hello Kien Gee,
ReplyDeleteI am happy that you stepped out of your comfort zone to take up the challenge to resolve the conflict between the two guests. It is not an easy task to do but I am glad you challenged yourself to do it.
However, what I felt that you could've done better is to use better phrasing and words to guest "B" instead of letting her know that "A" has lodged a complain because it would agitate further as they had some bad blood from their argument earlier and learning that "A" has lodged a complain would not help.
Perhaps letting guest "B" know the consequences of her inconsiderate act, such as how it affects other guests (not specifically directing it to guest "A" ), would be better. Guest "B" would feel embarrassed that it is not only "A" who feels affected but all the other guests too, and "A" would also not feel so jeopardized knowing that she is not the only one who feels disturbed.