Hotel Guests’ Most Common Complaints

23 Aug, 2016 | Tags: hotel complaints, hotel guests

Customer satisfaction is of utmost importance in the hospitality industry, especially in markets with a great amount of competition. Even one seemingly minor bad experience can prevent a guest from returning and/or can prompt him or her to leave a bad review. WTDIW can help your hotel ensure that staffing does not lead to some of these complaints with our hotel employee scheduling software.

Hotel management and staff can be proactive in handling the most common complaints from its guests by revisiting policy, training staff how to handle such complaints, and taking steps to ensure that customers are fully satisfied in the first place. The following is a list of most common complaints from hotel guests, gathered from several surveys including one from marketing research firm J.D. Power and Associates.

Slow, pricey internet access – Whether traveling for business or pleasure, the majority of hotel guests need or want to stay connected and are accustomed to free wi-fi at almost any coffeehouse, library, and major chain restaurant. Imagine their dismay when they arrive at a hotel only to find that connecting to the wi-fi carries a hefty daily/weekly charge. Add to that the frustration that once they do pay for this service, the connection is slow and unreliable. Guests do not want to feel nickel and dimed for every service, especially one that is free in most business establishments.
Noise – Noise complaints are some of the most under-reported ones mostly because they occur in the middle of the night. Guests are likely to try and tough it out while they attempt to get some rest, but wind up leaving at check-out cranky and dissatisfied. Excess noise can have many causes, including thin walls or lack of insulation between rooms due to poor construction, pet-friendly hotels whose pet-owning guests are inconsiderate of others, and lack of enforcement of quite hours and Do Not Disturb signs.
Room temperature – Not surprisingly, the complaints about room temperature vary widely from guest to guest but the most reported ones involve room temperature at check-in and ability to adjust heating/cooling settings. At 3:00 P.M. on a hot, humid summer day, nobody wants to step into their room for the first time to find the air-conditioning turned off and the room stuffy and warm. This is not only uncomfortable for the guest, but it gives the impression that hotel management is too cheap to keep the room cool between guests or can’t be bothered to properly prepare it for incoming guests. Furthermore, guests want the ability to control their heating and cooling settings. Personal temperature preferences obviously vary widely, so hotels are better off allowing thermostats to be adjusted by guests rather than leaving them to their own discomfort for the duration of their stay.
Bedding (uncomfortable mattresses or pillows, lack of extra blankets) – A lousy night’s sleep due to lumpy mattresses or flat pillows can keep a guest from ever returning. Poor quality bedding also contributes to a guest’s opinion about the room’s rate. They are more likely to feel as if they are overpaying for a room if the bed was uncomfortable or lacked quality linens. Most frequent travelers carry their own pillows with them for this reason, but occasional hotel guests for the most part do not; they will most certainly become disgruntled customers if they were unable to sleep well due to the hotel’s beds. Many guests also complain about easy access to extra blankets, specifically blankets that are in protective covers so they know they have been cleaned between guests.
Hangers – It is understandable that hotel management wants to prevent theft, but anchoring every little thing to the wall is a bit overboard. Guests frequently complain about not being able to remove hangers from the closet and therefore have a difficult time hanging their clothing. This also speaks to the overall impression guests take away from the hotel itself when they feel they can’t even be trusted to leave the hangers in the closet when they check out. Additionally, many guests find that there aren’t enough hangers in the closet at all, especially if there is more than one guest staying in the room.
Overpriced, subpar food – Most hotel guests expect to pay a higher than average price for hotel restaurant food, especially when ordering room service. The complaints come in, however, when that food is not of top quality. Customers are willing to pay more for a fantastic dining experience, so when they do shell out the money, hotels are doing themselves a disservice by shortcutting on the food. Small portions, low quality cuts of meat, bland flavoring, and poor menu selections are among the top complaints about hotel food service.

In order to receive top satisfaction ratings from guests and allow them to leave feeling as if their stay was satisfactory, these complaints should be taken seriously and addressed promptly and professionally. Customers are much more forgiving of a bad experience when they feel their concerns were heard, validated, and addressed appropriately.