Critical Reflection

The past 13 weeks of CPD lessons have equipped us with interpersonal skills that will definitely be of much help in the future to hone our communication skills. The countless concepts that we have learnt can be applied in our everyday lives and I believe that this will be a great asset to take along where ever we go.

The greatest takeaways from this module for me would be learning of the various interpersonal communication problems that my classmates have experienced before. The hospitality industry is a rather demanding line where clear and proper communication is required in order to avoid misunderstandings. The situations faced by my classmates and their sharing on how they managed to overcome them gave me a broader and different perspective to situations. This has helped prepare me for similar encounters should I face them during the course of my Integrated Work Study Programme (IWSP), or when I head out to work in the future.

Another takeaway would be having the opportunity to work on an interpersonal communication problem commonly faced in the hospitality industry with my team mates. The topic that my group worked on was "How to win back an angry guest". This topic is very relevant not only in hotels, but in every service line. We explored an area which is often neglected (back-of-house), in particular, the housekeeping department where less focus is placed on the housekeepers to handle guests complaints and the appropriate actions that should be taken thereafter. The need for further studying on this topic was highlighted when it was found that it is five times more expensive to attract a new guest than to retain one. As future managers in this industry, these figures can be very daunting and as such, we have to be equipped with the necessary skills and knowledge beforehand in order to execute them well.

I was glad that we were able to share out findings with the rest of the class. At the same time, I managed to get valuable feedback from Brad on my presentation skills.

To end off, this module has indeed helped us in our communication (verbal and non-verbal) skills which will be of great help in my future career. Thank you Brad for making Friday afternoons enjoyable!

Project Synopsis (Final Draft)

1. Introduction

Hotels are no stranger when it comes to dissatisfied and angry guests, some of whom would air their grievances during their stay. While this interpersonal communication problem mostly occurs in front-of-house operations, it is believed that the issue should also be addressed in the housekeeping department where this pertinent issue is often overlooked.

This report aims to address this common interpersonal communication problem faced in the hospitality industry and will specifically cover the housekeeping department in The Ritz-Carlton Millenia Singapore (RCMS).

2. Background of The Ritz-Carlton Millenia Singapore

RCMS prides itself as a luxurious brand displaying exceptional service provided by fellow hotel associates. Situated in the heart of the Central Business District, RCMS sees guests of various profiles, comprising of both business and leisure travellers. Being known to uphold and enliven their gold service standards, RCMS is a place where the genuine care and comfort of their guest is their highest mission (RCMS, 2017). One of the service values that The RCMS emphasizes heavily on is to build strong relationships and create Ritz-Carlton guests for life. As such, it is important that all hotel associates are properly trained in handling service recovery management and dealing with angry guests in order to win them back, which is aligned to Ritz-Carlton’s aim to provide guests with genuine care and concern.

3. Problem Statement

Hotels face countless of complaints everyday, be it at the front desk, at the concierge or even at the back of the house. It is believed that out of all, the Front Office is the department that receives the most number of angry guests. As such, managers tend to focus more on Guest Services Agents (GSAs) during trainings to hone their interpersonal and communication skills. During such trainings, GSAs are trained to deal with different situations that might occurin the duration of the job. Role-plays portraying angry guests are also practiced in the event that similar situations occur. This prepares the GSAs to react and respond in a confident and professional manner should they encounter something similar.

However, the back-of-house staff members are often neglected since they perform behind the scenes and have less exposure to guest interaction. This problem is particularly prominent in the housekeeping department where room attendants are simply taught on how to clean the rooms and accomplish simple guests’ requests. Less emphasis is placed on educating the housekeepers in dealing with angry guests. This creates a scenario where housekeepers are unsure of how to deal with them if they happen to meet one along the hallway.

With lesser practice in overcoming these circumstances, housekeepers tend to lose confidence in themselves. Self-doubt has also been one of the reasons why housekeepers tend to shun away from angry guests. In addition, a majority of the housekeepers are unable to converse in English. This worsens the situation since the housekeepers would not be able to properly express themselves when guests are angry. Many avoid conflict by turning their attention away from the issue by deflecting the complaint.

Without proper training on how housekeepers should deal with angry guests, the problem will continue to remain. Losing a guest brings about many detrimental effects which may be a cause of worry for the hotel in the near future.

Word-of-mouth has been identified as the most powerful and valuable form of marketing. It is a tool that guests tend to put the most trust in. While this can help an establishment to gain reputation, it can also swing both ways. The easy accessibility of the internet today allows guests to share about their stay at a hotel on social media platforms such as Facebook or Tripadvisor. A negative review can easily affect the decision of a guest which results in lower occupancy at the hotel. According to Shoemaker and Lewis (1999), it is important for firms to retain guest as it protects market share from competitors and even steal high value customers from them. Problem resolution that results in satisfied guests could then act as a form of marketing tool for hotels.

As such, several key pointers have been identified for easy learning in dealing with angry guests and advice on how to win them back. Afterall, “It is easier to keep your customers happy than to attract new ones.”

4. Research Methodology

            4.1 Research Objective

The research was undertaken to examine possible interpersonal communication issues present in the housekeeping department (in this case, an angry guest) and propose relevant and effective solution(s) that hotel  members may implement. The team’s analysis will be referenced and based on primary and secondary research data to support findings with regards to winning an angry guest back.

            4.2 Research Method

Primary Research

The team conducted face-to-face interviews with a housekeeping manager and five room attendants from RCMS who have experienced an angry guest.

During the interview, different scenarios were shared on how hotel associates dealt with multiple encounters. Both good and bad examples were shared to provide a better perspective to both sides of the coin. The interview aimed to determine the “good” and the “bad” reactions from hotel associates. It also aimed to understand the communication issue that has resulted in the guest becoming angry. It will also shed some light onto the processes and actions taken in order to turn an angry guest into a satisfied one. Besides the front office department, more emphasis will be placed on the housekeeping department where pertinent questions related to housekeeping will be asked.

Secondary Research

Much of the secondary research was derived from research journals, company websites and online articles. The objective of this secondary research was to verify the effectiveness of the solution as well as to align the focus of the primary research.

5. Proposed Solution

After retrieving and obtaining relevant information related to the housekeeping department, the section aims to provide a series of solutions. There are a number of approaches that are available that are applicable to dealing and winning back angry hotel guests, including the ASAP model (Friedman, 2015), the CARP system (Bacal, 1998) and the LEARN model (Marriott, n.d.).

Ultimately, the LEARN model was selected due to its comprehensiveness and its current application in RCMS’ service-heavy approach to guest experience. The following solutions will revolve around the LEARN model, an acronym for listen, empathise, apologise, resolve and notify.

The model is very adaptable and can be used by employees of any designation and role. As part of the onboarding process, the model is introduced as part of problem resolutions involving guests. Each step within the model need not be performed sequentially and the user has the flexibility to adapt the model to the situation at hand. For instance, if a guest is greatly enraged, apologising first would be prefered to listening as the first step.

‘Listen’ is commonly merged ‘empathy’, and requires the associate to practise effective listening and display concern and empathy. During this time, it is imperative that the he maintains eye contact and gives the guest his fullest attention. An angry guest usually make their grievances public because they wish to be heard and expect tangible forms of resolution. Therefore, the first two steps answers the guest’s desire to be heard.

‘Apologise’ requires the associate to sincerely apologise immediately to acknowledge the service deficiencies encountered by the guest. Proper tone of voice and body language have to be considered during this process to ensure that the sincere apology is properly communicated to the guest. It is vital for the first associate that discovered the guest incident to apologise and own the problem. It would be counterproductive to apologise and yet, refer the guest to another individual or department.

‘Resolve’ refers to any necessary steps required to totally resolve the guest incident in a satisfactory manner. In the event that the associate encountering the guest has no control over the resolution of the issue, he should inform the relevant party after apologising and acknowledging the issue. Problem resolution should be done in a timely manner to minimise the waiting time faced by the guest.

‘Notify’ is the final step of the LEARN model and it involves notifying the affected guest of any follow-up actions that would be taken by the hotel. It also includes notifying the hotel of the incident and the service recovery actions taken. This enables the hotel to learn from the incident as it strives to maintain a high level of guest satisfaction. The hotel is also able to exceed the guest’s expectations during this process, such as providing complimentary amenities.

6. Benefits

            6.1 Benefits to Workplace

Turning an unpleasant situation around shows guests that the hotel is willing to own and resolve any problems that they have in hand confidently. Doing so will result in a higher tendency for guests to leave positive service recovery comments on online travel mediums such as Tripadvisor and other social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram.

This will help the hotel create guests for life since all associates would would be able to resolve any problems independently. Pushing responsibilities around would not only postpone the issue, it will further anger the guest.

Hotels would also benefit by achieving a higher guest retention rate. Pfeifer (2004) identified that acquiring new customers would cost five times more than retaining customers. This implies a reduction in budget allocated for marketing efforts. The amount saved could then be utilised in other departments to improve guest satisfaction.

            6.2 Benefits to Guests

Guests with grievances and complains would be attended to quicker with more urgency by the hotel associate. With associates being more empowered, the duration in which the problem is resolved will be reduced significantly. Guests would also be at ease knowing that the hotel associates would always be around to make their stay pleasant.

7. Conclusion

In conclusion, winning back an angry guest is crucial be it in any industry. However, for the purpose of this study, winning back an angry guest at a hotel can bring about many benefits as mentioned above. Losing a guest would mean losing him for life, resulting in potentially lost revenue. On the contrary, hotel associates who have been trained to perform excellent service recovery will have more confidence in winning an angry guest back. This in turn can result in positive word of mouths, positive reviews and also creating guests for life.

References

Bacal, R. (1998). What is the CARP system for defusing angry and difficult customers? Retrieved March 19, 2017, from http://customerservicezone.com/faq/angercarp.htm

Core Values and Heritage Marriott . (n.d.). Retrieved March 14, 2017, from http://www.marriott.com/culture-and-values/core-values.mi

Friedman, N. (2015). ASAP Technique For Diffusing Angry Customers. Retrieved March 19, 2017, from http://www.telephonedoctor.com/our_blog/asap-technique-handling-iratecusto mers/

Shoemaker, S., & Lewis, R. C. (1999). Customer loyalty: the future of hospitality marketing. International Journal of Hospitality Management,18(4), 345-370.

The Ritz-Carlton Millenia Singapore. (2017). Retrieved March 14, 2017, from http://www.ritzcarlton.com/en/hotels/singapore

Project Synopsis Proposal Draft 1

TOPIC: How to Win Back an Angry Guest

Introduction

The “How to Win Back an Angry Guest” training video will discuss on the interpersonal communication issues present in a hotel, specifically looking into the housekeeping department. In the video, elements such as the “Bad” example, the “Good” example, key learning points following the L.E.A.R.N model will be explored. A hotel setting was chosen for this project as hotels are widely known for their range of line staff inclusive of front desk personnel, room attendants, guest relations personnel and food and beverage personnel. Focusing on the housekeeping department allows the team to delve into less explored areas of communication issues between guests and hotel staff. <need company details>

Research Objective

The research was undertaken to examine possible interpersonal communication issues present in the housekeeping department (in this case, an angry guest) and propose relevant and effective solution(s) that hotel staff may implement.

Research Method

Primary Research

The team conducted face-to-face interviews with hotel managers and staff who has experienced an angry guest before and turned them into satisfied customers. The interview aims to determine the “good” and the “bad” reactions from hotel staff and understand the communication issue that has resulted in the guest becoming angry. It will also shed some light onto the processes and actions taken in order to turn an angry guest into a satisfied one. Further, customers who previously had communication issues with their hotels will also be interviewed to understand from a customer standpoint with regards to the issue and the subsequent service recovery.

Secondary Research

Much of the secondary research were derived from research reports, company websites and online articles. The objective of this secondary research was to verify the effectiveness of the solution as well as to align the focus of the primary research.

Problem Identification

Hotels face countless of complaints everyday, be it at the front desk, at the concierge or even at the back of the house. It is believed that out of all, the Front Office is the department that receives the most number of angry guests. As such, managers tend to focus more on Guest Services Agents (GSAs) during trainings to hone their interpersonal and communication skills. During such trainings, GSAs are trained to deal with different situations that might occur while on-the-job. Role plays portraying angry guests are also practiced in the event that similar situations occur. This prepares the GSAs to react and respond in a confident and professional manner should they encounter something similar.

However, the back-of-house staff are often neglected since they perform behind the scenes and have less exposure to guest interaction. This problem is particularly prominent in the housekeeping department where staff are simply taught on how to clean the rooms and accomplish simple guests’ requests. Less emphasis is placed on educating the housekeepers in dealing with angry guests. This creates a scenario where housekeepers are unsure of how to deal with them if they happen to meet one along the hallway.

With lesser practice in overcoming these circumstances, housekeepers tend to lose confidence in themselves. Self-doubt has also been one of the reasons why housekeepers tend to shun away from angry guests. In addition, a majority of the housekeepers are unable to converse in English. This worsens the situation since the housekeepers would not be able to properly express themselves when guests are angry. Many avoid conflict by turning their attention away from the issue by deflecting the complaint.

Without proper training on how housekeepers should deal with angry guests, the problem will continue to remain. Losing a guest brings about many detrimental effects which may be a cause of worry for the hotel in the near future.

Word-of-mouth has been identified as the most powerful and valuable form of marketing. It is a tool that guests tend to put the most trust in. While this can help an establishment to gain reputation, it can also swing both ways. The easy accessibility of the internet today allows guests to share about their stay at a hotel on social media platforms such as Facebook or Tripadvisor. A negative review can easily affect the decision of a guest which results in lower occupancy at the hotel.

As such, several key pointers have been identified for easy learning in dealing with angry guests and advice on how to win them back. “It is easier to keep your customers happy than to attract new ones.”

Solution (LEARN)

The training video will revolve around the LEARN model, an acronym for listen, empathise, apologise, resolve and notify, that is utilised by numerous service organisations to resolve customers’ or guest issues.

The model is very adaptable and can be used by employees of any designation and role. As part of the Ritz-Carlton onboarding process, the model is introduced as part of problem resolutions involving guests. Each step within the model need not be performed sequentially and the user has the flexibility to adapt the model to the situation at hand. For instance, if a guest is greatly enraged, apologising first would be prefered to listening as the first step.

‘Listen’ is commonly merged ‘empathy’, and requires the staff to practise effective listening and display concern and empathy. During this time, it is imperative that the staff maintains eye contact and gives the guest his fullest attention. An angry guest usually make their grievances public because they wish to be heard and expect tangible forms of resolution. Therefore, the first two steps answers the guest’s desire to be heard.

‘Apologise’ requires the staff to sincerely apologise immediately to acknowledge the service deficiencies encountered by the guest. Proper tone of voice and body language have to be considered during this process to ensure that the sincere apology is properly communicated to the guest. It is vital for the first staff that discovered the guest incident to apologise and own the problem. It would be counterproductive to apologise and yet, refer the guest to another individual or department.

‘Resolve’ refers to any necessary steps required to totally resolve the guest incident in a satisfactory manner. In the event that the staff encountering the guest has no control over the resolution of the issue, he should inform the relevant party after apologising and acknowledging the issue. Problem resolution should be done in a timely manner to minimise the waiting time faced by the guest.

‘Notify’ is the final step of the LEARN model and it involves notifying the affected guest of any follow-up actions that would be taken by the hotel. It also includes notifying the hotel of the incident and the service recovery actions taken. This enables the hotel to learn from the incident as it strives to maintain a high level of guest satisfaction. The staff is also able to exceed the guest’s expectations during this process, such as providing complimentary amenities.

Letter of Service Recovery

Dear Mr Bennert, 

I am M Charmaine Malini, the General Manager of Watermelon Sands Hotel Singapore. Thank you for taking the time to review our property, and I truly apologise for the incident that you had experienced during your stay here with us. 

The Watermelon Sands Hotel Singapore is a place where the genuine care and comfort of our guests is our highest mission and we value your opinions. We sincerely apologise that our service was not up to your expectations during your stay here. 

I understand that you made a reservation for three nights on the 6th of January 2017 with breakfast included and was instructed by one of my Guest Services Agent (GSA) to contact Agoda directly. On top of that, you also unfortunately received a faulty room key which caused much inconvenience. We apologise for the lack of initiative to call Agoda on your behalf and we assure you that this is only a one-time incident. This is not the level of service that we pride ourselves in providing and remedial actions would be taken. 

As a form of apology, the hotel has decided to waive off your breakfast charges during the stay. We hope that this incident will not hinder your decision in choosing to stay with us the next time you visit Singapore. 

Thank you once again for giving us the opportunity to review our processes and to improve on our service. We assure you that this will not happen again and we hope we can have another opportunity to be of service to you. 

I look forward to welcoming you back to Watermelon Sands Hotel Singapore again. 

Warm Regards, 

M Charmaine Malini 
General Manager 

281 words 

REVISED: 2 March 2017 

Interpersonal Communication Problem

Two months into my internship at The Ritz Carlton Millenia Singapore as a guest relations officer (GRO), I was tasked to guide a new trainee to conduct a proper in-room check-in. I demonstrated the full process twice and asked if she had any further questions. After which, I got her to try it once.

Halfway through her trial, she paused and asked for help as she could not remember what else that had to be covered. Since it was her first time, I decided to let her off and guided her through once again. I got the trainee to do the check-in one more time, hoping that she would have gotten the grasps of it. However, despite multiple times of repeating the steps, she still could not get it right and this resulted in me getting frustrated. My tone changed and I could tell she was afraid. At that moment, I realized that it was her first time learning how to perform an in-room check-in and I was once like her as well. We all have different learning abilities and each of us takes a different duration to adjust to situations. She might not have caught on to the jargons that I was using which led to her not being able to remember the steps.

How might I then make amends with this trainee?

REVISED: 20 Feb 2017 

Personal Branding

As many might already know, I am someone who has a never-ending source of energy inside me that is portrayed wherever I go. This has become something others know me for. Despite having few hours of sleep, I would still be as energetic as ever, going around interacting with everyone around me. As much as possible, I try my best to spread the positive energy to people of my surroundings.

I enjoy initiating small talks with friends and this has definitely helped me with my communication skills when I head out to work. Interacting and communicating with guests are highly essential in the hospitality industry especially since it emphasizes so much on personalized service.

At a young age of nine, I was exposed to playing netball with my teammates on a regular basis which trained me to work well in teams. I would describe myself as someone who is collaborative, someone who is able to listen well and someone who is able to compromize. Friction among team members was never favourable and I believe strongly that when everyone makes the effort to work well together, the team will achieve better results. Everyone plays an essential role, no matter how big or small and I believe that if the right environment is set, everyone will be able to strengthen and maintain strong relationships that we share with one another. In my opinion,  supportive behaviours would be deemed more appropriate for teams where everyone comes together to solve the problems faced.

As a persistent and self-motivated individual, I am always determined to complete tasks assigned to me well. Standing by my principle that "Nothing is Impossible", I will always complete things with the best of efforts. Even if results do not show, I would still be contented since I have already done the best that I could.

Learning never stops and nobody is perfect. We all make mistakes and that is when we pick ourselves up to come back stronger. These traits and skills which I have acquired will be of great help when I continue pursuing my passion. However, as I continue embarking on this journey, I am sure that I will be equipped with more skills for future development and growth.

Formal Self-Introduction Email

To: Brad Blackstone

From: M Charmaine Malini

Date: 17 January 2017

Subject: An Introduction of Myself

Dear Mr Blackstone,

My name is Charmaine, and I would like to take this opportunity to formally introduce myself. I am currently an undergraduate pursuing a Bachelor Degree in Hospitality Business with Honours at the Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT). Before this, I graduated from Raffles Institution where I completed my tertiary education. I would describe myself as someone who is cheerful, energetic, and persistent which is demonstrated through my active involvement in netball.

Having played netball for 10 years, I was given many opportunities to lead the team. The role as vice-captain has taught me to be a team player, by listening, compromising and being open to others’ opinions. I believe that this set of skills obtained is highly applicable to the hospitality industry. Being able to apply what I have learnt throughout the years will potentially help me along the way when it comes to dealing with different circumstances. Communication plays an essential role in allowing teams to progress forward together. In my opinion, being in a team sport teaches one to question, to listen and to come to a compromise. Hence, netball has taught me that as a leader and team player once, communication is important for all to have a common understanding to achieve the desired goal together. Without proper communication, misunderstandings can occur.

In addition to my experience in netball, I also had the opportunity to intern at The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore as a guest relations officer (GRO). As I did not have any prior experience in the hospitality industry, it was indeed an eye-opening experience for me. During this time, I was exposed to the frontline operations, where I got to learn the ropes of performing check-ins as well as handling guests’ enquiries. While it was always important for me to create good first impressions, I learnt that all forms of communication are important -- verbal, nonverbal, etc. 

My various experiences have indeed honed my communication skills in dealing with teams as well as guests. Flexibility is a key aspect in this industry, especially since the customers we deal with differ daily. Although adaptation is important, I hope to be able to continue improving myself in learning how to adjust my communication skills accordingly. I also hope to improve my communication skills while multi-tasking. 

I hope that this introduction gives you a better understanding of my thoughts on communication, and I look forward to learning more from you! 

Thank you and have a great day ahead! 

Best regards, 

M Charmaine Malini 

REVISED 10 FEB 2017 

Commented: Eline, Simin 
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