Listen: It is extremely important for service providers to first listen to their customers. Clients want to know that you care and that you are interested in their problem. Effective listening helps you better understand their grievances, and resolve their problems.

Empathise: Using empathy is an effective way to deal with difficult customers, especially in trying situations. Basically, the message you need to give is, “I understand how you feel.” Obviously this has to be a genuine response; else the customer will soon realise that you’re being insincere and just buying time.

Address: It is imperative that the problem is addressed as soon as you are made aware of it. This is integral to the service recovery process. At Accor, we pride ourselves on our commitment to provide quality service to our guests.

Resolve: As in the case of any customer complaint, the most important thing is to solve the problem swiftly. It is important to come to a closure that both the service provider and customer feel good about. Clearly communicate to the customer what you will do to rectify the situation. Then do it.That will ensure that you retain your client. 

Follow up:  A post-service query is necessary and this entails following-up with the customer via phone or e-mail. Also, it is a good idea to update the nature of customer complaint in your customer relationship management system. This log enables you to have access to a robust guest history and prevent future problems.