People who travel often know that hotel service isn't always as seamless as they've grown to expect. Furthermore, people who do travel a lot tend to notice some things that regular customers maybe wouldn't. Hotels that do everything in their power to prevent common problems from occurring have a better chance of retaining their customers and keep an undamaged reputation. It's vital for hoteliers to know how to deal with every situation and train their staff to be up to the task if any of the problems occur. Here's our list of common issues that hotel guests encounter when staying at a hotel.
Unclean Rooms
This is a common issue with lower end hotels, but a complaint like this can happen even to the best hotels out there. Whether the room hasn't been adequately cleaned, or there are bed bugs or cockroaches walking around, uncleanliness is one of the biggest reputation killers when it comes to the hospitality industry. I can't stress enough how fast the word will travel about the problem someone experienced in your hotel, so do your best to prevent this complaint from ever occurring. The best possible way to do that is to train your staff to deal with hygiene on a very high level, regardless of the type of accommodation you're hosting. You don't have to be the owner of Ritz-Carlton or Hilton chains to ensure that your rooms are extremely clean.
No Hot Water
Imagine a guest arriving at a hotel, tired from a long trip, only wishing to take a long, hot shower. And to his surprise – there's no hot water! A guest like this is going to be ringing reception in anger demanding the problem to be solved immediately. This type of issue can really ruin the day for your guests and you can be sure that they won't be coming back next year. In case the issue is with that room only, offer the guest a transfer to another room and do try to apologize to them by doing something nice for them. A bottle of Champaign or a free massage in the spa would be nice.
Rude Staff
The hospitality industry is such that you just can't afford to have employees with an attitude. Nasty remarks, laughing to the guests, or even getting into an argument with hotel guests are all happening every day in hotels all over the world. Half of your overall hotel experience comes from the (un)pleasantness of your staff, so do ensure that they are trained properly. The single best way to tackle this issue is to only hire people who can control their temper and who can keep their heads straight even when they're yelled on. Also, make sure you hire problem solvers as your staff, as there's nothing more frustrating than when a staff member can't handle a situation – whatever the situation may be.
Surprises
A guest enters his room and starts unpacking their bags. They open a drawer and find someone else's shoes inside. This scenario isn't fiction, it happens all the time because cleaners forget to check everything and the things from previous guests may remain in the room. Another example is when there are unwanted surprises in the form of rats or even bats in the room. It's vital that you understand how bad this can look for you, especially since everyone these days reads online reviews before booking a room.
Uncomfortable Rooms
This issue can occur due to old mattresses, poor linen, or even bad lighting in the room. The lousier sleep your hotel guests have the more issues you'll have with them the next day. Try to ensure that the mattresses are always good if you want your guests satisfied in the morning. As for the lights, guests tend to complain that the lighting is bad, or that the lighting tone is bad. You can go for something newer like Azoogi offers, where your guests will be able to control the light the way they want.
Bad Food
There are so many hotel visitors that just despise hotel food and the reason for this is because food can be extremely bad in certain accommodations. With millennials taking over as the major generation though, it's become more important to focus on the food as they're more interested in local experiences than just having a good time. There are hotels out there that focus solely on gastronomic experiences, but you don't have to go that far – just hire a capable local chef that can cook delicious food.
Conclusion
In today's world words travel faster than light, so sometimes it'll happen that the whole TripAdvisor community knows about an issue before it even reaches the reception desk. This is why it's better to prevent any problems than to be ready to solve them, though both are extremely important. By tackling these common issues you'll have a better chance of giving your guests an unforgettable experience and they might just come back to you the next year.
