How To Turn Complaints Into Customer Loyalty

Let’s be honest - if you’ve never had a guest complaint in your venue, it’s probably because they didn’t want the hassle and believed nothing would be done about it anyway. Even the best teams, with the best intentions, drop the ball now and then. The music’s too loud. The food took too long. The wait to be served was too long.

It happens!

But what shouldn’t happen is that awkward moment where a guest expresses frustration and the staff member freezes, panics, or worse… shrugs and says, “that’s not my job”.

And yet, we’ve all seen it and even heard it.

Not because the team doesn’t care. But because they haven’t been taught how to respond with confidence and calm. Because, let’s face it, “just be polite” doesn’t cut it when someone’s ready to explode over an overcooked steak! 

Service recovery is key in the customer service experience. Behind every complaint is a real person with feelings and as providers of service we need to remember this.

Here are 4 service recovery tips that I’ve shared with more teams than I can count - and they still hold up, every time:

1. Listen Fully
   Let them speak without jumping in. Most guests don’t need an immediate fix. They need to feel heard first.
2. Acknowledge the Emotion
   “Thank you for letting me know and I understand that waiting that long for your meal is frustrating”.
3. Take Ownership
   It doesn’t matter who caused the issue, what matters is who steps up. “Let me go and check with the kitchen and I will come straight back to you”.
4. Offer a Next Step
   Providing a solution or solving the problem immediately is very important. Communicating what the next steps are will ensure the guest feels they’re being heard. Then finish with a follow-up or a thank you - something that shows you’re actively closing the. Keep it simple, but sincere.

There is a “belief” in some circles that guests complain because they are looking for something free. However, I believe that this isn’t always true – sometimes they just want to bring the issue to your attention to make sure you are aware of it, and ensure that it is rectified for future customers.

As a leader, it is important that you share the service recovery steps for your organisation so that the frontline team feel confident and empowered to assist customers and resolve most issues before they escalate. And when they do it well, that same guest who started off annoyed could become your most loyal regular because they felt seen and heard.

And that’s what great service looks like. Not perfect, but present.