[Series] Working Moms Have It Tough (Behind the Scenes at the Hotel) [Episode 40] You Don't Have to Win Even When Yelled At. The 'Adult Way' to Respond Was Not to Argue Back
When I was a rookie, I was always under a misconception.
I thought handling complaints was either about 'winning the argument' or 'performing an apology'.
It was another evening at the front desk.
During the busy check-in time, a low voice came flying at me.
Guest: "This room is noisy."
Me: "I am very sorry, what kind of sound is it?"
Guest: "I don't know! It's just unsettling!"
Inside, I panicked.
A defect in the room? Equipment? The guest next door?
My manual was running wild in my head.
Me: "I will check immediately."
Guest: "All you ever say is 'I'll check'!"
Honestly, I felt a bit annoyed.
But at that moment, a veteran senior colleague standing next to me stepped forward.
Senior: "You must have been exhausted, feeling so unsettled."
Guest: "...I'm here for work, you know."
Senior: "That must have been tough. You want to get some good rest tonight, don't you?"
At that moment, the guest's shoulders dropped a little.
I was shocked standing there.
Before asking for the cause, empathy was offered.
In the end, the cause was the low-frequency sound of road construction.
We couldn't change the room, but
I offered to provide earplugs and a room on the quieter side for the next day.
Guest: "...Well, that's fine for tonight."
It wasn't a complete solution.
But they were no longer an 'enemy'.
In the back office, I asked.
Me: "That was amazing, that response."
Senior: "I just don't try to win."
Me: "But they were being unreasonable."
Senior: "The more unreasonable a person is, the more tired they are."
Those words stuck with me strangely.
Now I understand.
80% of complaints aren't about 'dissatisfaction' but 'a lack of composure'.
Since then, I've changed how I respond.
・Don't rush to be right
・Don't interrupt their side of the story
・Start by saying "That must have been tough"
・Don't think that apologizing equals losing
One night, a different guest said to me:
Guest: "Sorry for being harsh earlier."
Me: "No, it's quite alright."
Guest: "Because you listened to me properly."
Since I started standing at the front desk,
I've become a little more of an 'adult'.
Even if you're yelled at, you don't have to win.
Work isn't a match.
Rather than silencing the other person, you win if you can help them calm down.
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