Hoteliers call them the most irritating questions from guests – how shall we respond to them?

I am sure that many of you have faced a guest saying ?Why it’s so expensive?” or ?Other hotels offer me free upgrade!” and many others. Have you found these questions a bit intrusive? Have you found them frustrating? When you hear them, you already know where is this conversation heading, don’t you? I totally understand and I remember that feeling.

The reason behind this is that we were not prepared for confronting these tricky questions or reacting to annoying conclusions. Therefore, we react naturally by unconsciously disclosing impatience that is quickly picked up by the guest. Some of us will shrug shoulders, some of us will disclose a cheeky smile, some of us will give a serious look or roll eyes, and some of us will get involved in an educative chat, telling the guest how little does he/she know about traveling and how wrong he or she is.

I prepared the few most common questions with professional answers that don’t heat up the situation. In fact, they raise your professionalism, elevate your service and make your guest delighted.

1.Your room rate is out of the moon! – ?Yes, we are expensive and many of our guests still choose us as they appreciate our personalized & dedicated service, our facilities, and especially the location. I am sure you will enjoy experiencing them. My name is Marta, you can reach me at this number XX, I’d be delighted to ensure that your stay is memorable.”

Tip: Do not try to convince the guest that this is not true, perhaps in his perception, the rate indeed is out of the moon. Simply accept it and show the benefits of the rate instead. Be kind, welcoming, and genuine. Offer assistance and ensure the guest that you are here to make every effort to ensure that his stay as enjoyable as possible.

2. I am in travels 6 months per year worldwide and this is the first time I am facing this issue! – ?I absolutely understand Mr. XX. This indeed may cause confusion. Please allow me to explain this.” (explain politely, observe the guest's facial expressions, adjust the pace). Add also that it comes from above, f.e. Ministry of Health (state fact) and although you personally also don't agree with it, you have to follow this to ensure the highest level of safety of all guests, something like ?To be honest, although I personally don’t agree with this too, I have to ensure that all safety measures are taken for every guest, apologies that this caused discomfort”.

Tip: If it is a regulation that we can’t argue with, a short reply like ? sorry, it is from the government/general manager etc.” will only stirr the situation up as it looks like you want to get rid of the guest quickly. Dedicate time for this guest, take your time to explain, if it is a hotel regulation, tell why it is in place, maybe a long time ago there was an accident (no need to disclose all details) and safety of all guests is your priority. Using the phrase ?I am personally not a big fan of this too/I personally don’t agree with it too” – shows that you totally sympathize with this guest, however ensuring comfort and safety is above everything, even our own opinions. Apologies should be extended.

3. Why do I have to show you my ID or Passport?! – ?Thank you for asking. There are a couple of reasons, the main one is that we are responsible for your safety, in any case of emergency we must be able to contact you or assist legal authorities. Should you prefer to stay anonymous, I would be delighted to put you into an incognito mode right after registration, where our colleagues could address you by your alias, and also any phone calls or visitors would be transferred to you only if they use the alias. Would you like me to arrange this for you?”.

Tip: In this scenario, the guest may be concerned about privacy. It is not suggested to tell the guest that we do registration to secure ourselves from theft or anything else, otherwise, we may offend the guest. Focus on the guest’s main concern and offer a solution f.e. incognito mode.

4. Other hotels always upgrade me for free! – ?Thank you for sharing, I understand Ms. XX. May I ask what is more important for you: the view from the balcony or perhaps a bathtub or a shower?” (let’s say it is the view) ?I will be delighted to offer you a room on a much higher floor, orientated to the west, where you could enjoy the views of city lights in the evening, the magical sunset start around 7 pm – shall I do this for you?”

Tip: Free upgrades are indeed a big challenge in hotels. They are quite frequently offered too easily. Mostly because the team doesn’t know how to handle this question, also when you type in google ?hotel free upgrade, airline free upgrade” you will have tons of articles written even by hospitality people on ?how I got free upgrade” or ?learn the secrets to free upgrades” – and this does not serve the industry that struggles now. Keep in mind that most of the loyalty programs now offer a complimentary upgrade to a higher room category. If the guest is not a member - enroll them!

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Conclusion.

Every interaction consists of 3 steps: 1) we either agree with the guest or we tell the guest that we understand (if we don’t agree, we acknowledge & accept a different opinion), 2) There is no ?but” because anything, after is meaningless, 3) we offer something additional – an extra from ourselves, a service, a piece of information.

Now tell me what are other questions that you face and let’s try writing a ready answer for your hotel together! Please like & share if you find this helpful :)

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