Be happy if they complain!

The average Hungarian guest is not hard to please, very often they would tolerate anything even if their problem could be solved easily. Who is the loser in cases like this? Obviously it is the restaurant’s owner, so the lesson to learn is that guests’ complaints must be managed. A loo depends on how complaints are managed in a restaurant, as the end result could well be a satisfied customer who will return regularly, but also someone who leaves and never returns.

Complaints are opportunities to learn; in a bar or restaurant guests complain to waiters every day and most of the time what they say is ignored. Instead, complaints should be treated like requests from guests to repair situations that went wrong somehow. There are days when despite all efforts things go wrong, but even when everything is perfect there will be somebody who is not satisfied with something. Waiters need to understand that complaints are not attacks against them; what is more, consumer opinion may suggest ideas that owners would have never thought of. Complaints help us to make our ‘product’ better, because we can get to know its problems. American experts say that 95 percent of those guests whose problems are quickly solved will return to the place.

At the same time, those who leave with negative experiences will share those with 8-9 people. But this is only the tip of the iceberg. What can restaurant owners do with those guests who were not satisfied but kept their opinion to themselves? There are two basic reasons for remaining silent: 1. the guest thinks that it is not worth wasting time and energy on complaining; 2. the guest does not know how to proceed if they want to complain.
In both cases the service provider loses a guest without knowing why. Bars and restaurants need to be proactive in seeking guests’ opinion and well-trained waiters may play a crucial role in this, as they can ask about guests’ opinion directly; questionnaires can also be used. Finally, let us not forget that sometimes the customer is not right, but even unfriendly people can be turned into regular guests!