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Wow! What a wonderful Soccer World Cup South Africa hosted! Have you seen some of the amazing e-mails doing the rounds highlighting our beautiful country? I’m quoting a few lines from an article by an American journalist:
“To say that I have been blown away by the hospitality South Africa has shown the rest of the world would be an understatement. In today’s America, sadly, we have drifted so far towards being US-centric that we only seem to root for the Americans. Not so here in South Africa. I’ve been here since May and each week I have become more and more impressed with the global embrace that South Africans have offered to the world. And while I have my gripes regarding development here, I cannot say one negative thing about how South Africa has handled its duties as host and hostess to the world. As the 2010 Cup slogan goes, ‘Feel it. It is here.’ Well, I have felt it because I am here. Thank you South Africa, for giving me this unexpected gift. I am humbled.”

Thank you, Mr American journalist. That was some of the good. But there is always some bad too and most South Africans feel ashamed and embarrassed when we hear or read about tourists and fellow South Africans being ripped off or ill-treated. We are always glad when the culprits are caught and dealt with accordingly. It is important to turn bad into good. This also applies in the workplace. We have to learn to handle complaints correctly. It is a vital skill.
My son applied for a position as a waitron at a restaurant at the Waterfront in Cape Town recently. He had to study the menu as well as other important guidelines regarding the restaurant. I was very impressed with the section on handling complaints. There is no doubt that this restaurant values their clients (guests). Here’s an extract from the restaurant’s notes:

HANDLING A COMPLAINT

• When a guest complains, listen carefully to what they are saying, show that you are genuinely concerned and will do everything in your power to put matters right quickly.
• Never argue with a guest – take aggression out of the situation.
• Always apologise, even if you disagree with the complaint.
• Ask for the chance to rectify the mistake – this shows guests that their business is important and that you want them to be satisfied.
• Consult your manager – never discuss problems in view of the guest.
• Always follow up with the guest once the problem was solved.

Complaints should be treated as opportunities to gain loyal guests. Statistics show that for any particular complaint, the same incident will have occurred up to 26 times without the problem having come to management’s attention. A complaint that goes unattended does irreparable damage. Dissatisfied guests are more likely to tell their friends than satisfied guests. By not paying attention to our guests, and not being aware of their needs, we might as well close our doors.

WHY GUESTS COMPLAIN

• They did not get what they were promised.
• Someone was rude to them on the phone or in person.
• No one went out of their way to provide service to them.
• Staff projected a “don’t care” attitude.
• Slow service.
• Dishonesty.

The best way to diffuse a situation is to always begin by agreeing with the guest and assuring them that you are on their side. Many loyal customers are formed by the way a complaint is handled.

ACTIVITY SUGGESTIONS

Students work in pairs. Let them discuss and demonstrate how they will handle ONE of the complaints listed below. It is important that they use their imagination and add in enough detail.

• Mr Andrews receives a grey suede jacket back from the dry-cleaners. He claims that his jacket was black.
• Mr and Mrs Tutu’s hotel room is next to the elevator and staircase. They complain about the noise.
• Ms Nel is in hospital. The nurses take too long to assist her when she rings the bell.
• Suzi Bala is celebrating her birthday with friends at a restaurant. An elderly man, who had too much to drink, keeps on singing “Happy birthday to you” to her.
• Mrs Singh had her car spray painted. The job took two days longer than promised and the right side of the roof was not done.
• Mr Conrad ordered a DVD from Musica. He received a call that it had arrived, but when he went to collect it, it had already been sold to someone else.

(Letters of complaint and adjustment appear in NCV 3 Language: Business Studies Hands-On Training pp 117, 118. It also appears in NCV 4 Language: Business Studies Hands on Training pp 104, 105. You can also refer to conflict and conflict resolution in NCV 4 p 8.)

Happy teaching!

Author:  Frieda Wade

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