Dealing with Customer Complaints

As a restaurant manager, one of the areas where you must excel when it comes to customer service is dealing with customer complaints.

This is a difficult situation that has to be handled correctly, because it is your opportunity to try to turn what is a clear negative into a positive and to limit the damage that could be done to the restaurant.

There is the mantra that the customer is always correct, and even though at times it may be hard to swallow, that is the one thing that you need to follow no matter how tough it could be.

The key with good customer service is that any complaints are dealt with quickly and effectively. The one thing that you do not want to do is to either ignore the complaint or dismiss it immediately. The only thing that this will do is make the customer feel that their opinion is just not valued and this is hardly the way to build a loyal customer base.

So, when you are in this kind of situation, you need to try to remember to do the following.

1. Step Back

Whenever you are faced with a complaint from a customer it is important that you are able to step back from the initial complaint to really look at it objectively. The last thing you want to do is to become too involved without giving yourself some space to really understand what the issue is. Failing to do this can often lead to you coming to the wrong conclusion and making the wrong decision regarding how to handle the complaint.

2. Listen to the Customer

Failing to listen to the customer will only lead to the situation escalating as their frustration

increases. You must always look interested in what they are saying, because if you turn the tables

whereby you become the customer that is complaining, how would you feel if the manager appeared

to not be taking things seriously and was not even listening?

3. Stay Calm

It is important that you never lose your cool when dealing with a complaint. This may be difficult at times because of other stresses connected to the restaurant, but your professionalism has to kick in

and you must stay calm or this will only make the situation worse.

4. Never Jump the Gun

As you become more experienced with running a restaurant and dealing with complaints there will be times where a customer has a complaint that you have dealt with previously. In this situation you will know how to handle it and the answer you are going to give, but under no circumstances should you ever jump the gun and provide them a solution by interrupting. Remember that their complaint is unique to them, and you must give them the opportunity to vent, so listen to them in full.

5. Always Attempt to Understand

It can be automatic for you to become quite defensive whenever you are faced with a customer complaint, but going into this mode will not lead to the problem being resolved and it could make matters worse. Good customer service when dealing with a complaint has to involve you making a clear attempt to understand their frustration and the issue that they have. Think about how you would feel if you were the one complaining. Would you be happy with what you are saying or what

you are recommending?

6. Use Your Initiative

Each complaint is unique to the individual, and it will serve you well to use your initiative with a number of complaints. For example, if the complaint is connected to something that you can physically change, such as unhappy with the table or even a member of staff, then get it changed as quickly as possible. This will help to reduce the tension and the customer will feel that their complaint was not only listened to, but that the correct action was taken and they will still, in most instances, feel that the customer service was more than adequate.

7. Always Offer an Apology

Whenever dealing with a complaint, you need to always offer an apology for the way that they feel. By doing so, you are showing that you are taking responsibility for the issue rather than shying away from the problem. It is amazing how this single act can often reduce the tension and anger in a customer.

8. Never Make an Excuse

The last thing that a customer wants to hear is an excuse for a situation having happened in the first place. However, that is not to say that you are unable to give your side of the story. The only time

that you do this is after you have listened to their entire complaint and offered an apology. One other

important part is to make sure that your reason for a situation having occurred is plausible. Do not just leave it at that because when a customer believes that they have just been offered an excuse and no form of compensation, then it does not result in a happy customer.

9. Think About Compensation

What you will tend to find with most customer complaints is that they have only thought about the

complaint and have not sat and decided what they would like to happen. This is your opportunity to

turn the negative of a complaint into a positive by offering some form of compensation or, alternatively, asking them what their ideal outcome would be. Something as simple as taking some

money off the bill, a refund, or even a free coffee can make a real difference, although the compensation does depend on the actual complaint.

FACT

On average an unhappy customer will tell 16 people about their experience, whereas a happy customer will only tell 9. 

Source: American Express Survey, 2011

5.2 Dealing with the Most Difficult of Customers

The guidelines that we set out above are certainly things that you can implement in the majority of occasions, but there may be times where a customer is simply seen as being obnoxious and extremely difficult to deal with. This can happen due to a number of reasons, but there are still ways in which you can deal with them in a professional manner, no matter how bad the situation may appear to be. We do admit that this is something that can be quite difficult, but that is where your training in management really does come to fruition.

In this situation, it is best to deal with their issue as quickly as possible to prevent things from escalating any further. The longer that you leave them to stew over their complaint will only lead to an increase in tension which will make your job of calming them and resolving the situation almost

impossible.

However, if you do find yourself in this situation, then you need to consider these following points.

1. Always Keep Control of Yourself

This can be extremely difficult to do, especially if you are faced with a customer that is on a real tirade against you. However, losing control of your temper will only make matters worse, so even though it may be extremely difficult you must keep control of yourself at all times. Breathe, and always think about what you are going to say before you go ahead and do so. We are all guilty of speaking before we think, but that is not the sign of a good manager. Instead, keeping control of your emotions paints you in a better light and it is harder for the customer to stay angry at you if you are not reacting in the way that they perhaps expected.

If a customer is shouting, then allow them to vent and let off that steam, because in the vast majority of occasions, the initial bluster will blow over and they will then settle down and be easier to deal with. Not reacting and allowing them to finish can often reduce the tension in the air.

2. Never Take it Personally

To help you to deal with these customers, it is important that you never take what they say personally. They are venting at you because you are representing the restaurant, and they need to let off steam in some way. They are unhappy with the service or something connected to their experience at the restaurant, and the only time you should take it personally is if you know that you have indeed done something on your own that has made them feel the way that they do.

3. Give a Summary of the Complaint

When a customer is angry, they need to feel that you have actually listened to what they have had to

say. If they feel that you have acknowledged their complaint, then their anger will often subside and they will then be easier to deal with. To show them that you have listened, provide a summary of your understanding of the complaint after they have finished shouting at you. This is designed to let them see that you were indeed paying attention and it gives a sense of you taking their complaint seriously, which is often something that they want to happen.

4. Show Them Sympathy and Respect

Even though you may feel that they do not actually deserve it, you must show the customer sympathy and respect for their complaint. This is the absolute very least that you can do because by doing this, it creates a feeling in the customer that you are indeed taking things seriously. We do not mean that you have to provide them with a full, in depth apology, but just making a statement along the lines of accepting that they have had an issue with something and that you are sorry that this is the case will tend to suffice. It is amazing how showing respect towards the customer can really help to smooth things over enough for you to then be able to work with them towards a suitable resolution.

5. Working on the Resolution

Whenever you are dealing with an irate customer, it will always work in your favour if you are able to turn the tables on the customer by asking them what they feel would be an adequate resolution. You should also put forward your own ideas and then come to a satisfactory conclusion that is more towards improving the relationship with the customer rather than the restaurant.

6. Take Some Time Out

Whenever you have had to deal with a particularly difficult customer who has been venting, then the

best thing that you can do after you have finished dealing with them is to just take a few minutes out

to look at how you handled the situation.

This will provide you with the chance to calm down especially if you have been holding back some anger and frustration. You must allow those feelings to dissolve or else you will then take that attitude and anger back out into the public domain and that will be bad for the restaurant. It will also give you the chance to decide if you did do the correct thing and whether the issue that they were complaining about should mean that something is changed immediately to prevent others

from perhaps complaining about the same thing.

5.3 Handling Things on A Personal Level

If we quickly look at dealing with things on a personal level because as the manager everything does rest on your shoulders, and you need to understand how you as a person can deal with customers that are lodging a complaint. Dealing with a customer complaint is not something that should be feared, and as a restaurant manager, you need to be prepared for dealing with complaints and issues at any moment. Each restaurant should have a contingency plan in place for how a complaint is handled and to help you improve the business there should also be a record made of each complaint and what the resolution was.

5.4 What Would be Adequate Resolutions?

Finally, we have to look at what would be classed as being an adequate resolution. By all accounts, the restaurant that you are working for should have its own rules as to what would be seen as being an adequate resolution, so you would be able to get some advice from the owners or senior management. However, there are a number of occasions where your own initiative is going to suffice. The exact resolution may depend on the situation, but these are a few examples as to what could work with a number of customer complaints.

An Issue with Food

If there is a minor issue with the food, then a partial refund may suffice. However, a number of restaurants would prefer to offer a full refund, especially if the meal itself was not up to scratch at all. It makes better sense from a business perspective to offer a refund on the full meal, or a voucher for a new meal, in order to keep the customer happy. If they feel that their complaint has been taken into consideration and they have been compensated in some way, then there is every possibility that the customer will begin to view things in a better light. An Issue with Drink If there is an issue with a drink, then the best course of action is to remove it and replace it with something else free of charge. For example, if there is an issue with a bottle of wine being corked, then replace it at no extra cost, and even offer a reduction off the bill to reflect that there was a problem.

Do not just replace it without giving them something extra as a form of compensation, as that will take your level of customer service from adequate to something more superior. This can only reflect well on the restaurant and you will find that the customer is then more likely to come back to the restaurant in the future.

An Issue with Service

If the problem is with the service, then you must first of all look at stopping the member of staff that they have an issue with coming into contact with the customer. This can often be enough to resolve the situation, but if it is still not enough, then you may wish to offer them a free dessert, a free drink, or even just a coffee at the end of their meal. This may be seen by some as being a reduced form of compensation, but in the light of the actual issue, it is often more than enough to pacify the customer, as they have seen that you have actually taken some action rather than just ignore the situation.

However, there is one other important aspect of dealing with an issue surrounding the service and that is your duty to the member of staff that has been affected by the situation. It is important that you talk to them about what happened and make sure that you keep them motivated or to correct whatever it is that they have been perceived as having done wrong.

Just leaving them alone without doing anything can lead to members of staff developing a problem,

and it can affect their overall performance. An Issue with a Booking The final area that we plan on focusing on is when there is an issue with a reservation. Unfortunately, there may be instances where people have made a mistake with a reservation and tables have been double booked.

In this instance, you are restricted in how you are able to react, as it will often be the case that their table is double booked. However, the best course of action is to make sure that they are given

complimentary drinks while they wait and offer your sincerest apologies for the situation that has

arisen.

Under no circumstances should you just say sorry and leave it at that, as this will only ever reflect badly on not only the restaurant, but your ability as a manager. In your role, it is an absolute requirement that you are able to resolve any situation and do so in professional manner no matter how difficult it may appear to be. Clearly this is something that does come with experience, but the points that have been made throughout this module should act as a blueprint for what you must do under a variety of circumstances.

So, when it comes to dealing with customer complaints, the key things that you must remember includes the following:

Be professional at all times.

Be respectful towards the customer.

Allow irate customers to just vent.

Make sure that you say sorry for them feeling the way they do.

Make sure that you correctly identify the issue.

Repeat what the issue is to show them that you have listened.

Provide an adequate solution for their issue.

Ask them what they feel would be an adequate solution.

Deal with complaints efficiently and effectively.

Never leave them waiting for longer than is required.

Never interrupt them and listen to every aspect.

Make a note of the complaint and what the resolution was.

Make sure that you take a minute to yourself after a complaint.

Try your best to turn a negative into a positive.

Module Summary

Customer complaints are not to be ignored, and instead you must see it as your opportunity to further enhance the experience that is had by not just the individual making the complaint, but customers in general. You must remember that the reputation of the restaurant can be further enhanced by your ability to deal with a complaint in a sufficient and adequate manner. It is accepted that people that have had any issue dealt with in a manner that they are happy with will still be happy customers time and time again.

Perfect your customer service as it is the key to making sure that the business in general survives with a loyal customer base.