How To Effectively Complain To a Hotel’s Front Desk

How to effectively complain to the front desk when things don't go your way.

"Can you please arrange a wake up call for me?" Check. "Can you please have someone pick up my laundry?" Check. "Can you please have someone service my room?" Check. "Why is my TV not working?" It will be fixed, check.

The front desk is truly the heartbeat of any hotel. That isn’t to say that the other departments (like housekeeping and engineering) aren’t equally important, but the front desk serves as the main go-to point for every single issue, good or bad, for all hotels.

The true mavericks of this department are the front desk agents, who are the face of the hotel and constantly get called upon to do every single task, whether it is within their job description or not. They ensure that no matter what problem arises, the guest’s issue will be sorted out through one point of contact: them.

So if you have a complaint, what’s the best way to get the front desk agent on your side? Here are some Do's and Don'ts for effectively complaining to the front desk:

Do be specific about your complaint. Try to provide as many details with regards to time and place as possible. The more information you can give about what went wrong and when it went wrong, the more the front desk can help you. They will take this information to the other departments who can also assist in righting whatever went wrong.

Do try to remember names. If not, try to remember faces. While this seems an odd thing, it is really helpful for front desk staff to follow up with guest requests. Simply saying "I spoke to someone about my car service" or "There was a girl here yesterday" is just as helpful as saying "I spoke to everyone." Being more specific not only speeds up the follow-up process, but also gives your query more credence and things can be taken care of more efficiently.

Do follow up. Yes, this is the job of the hotel, and it is done most the time. But sometimes, front desk staff doesn’t hear whether the guest is really happy with the outcome of their efforts. On your way out of the hotel, stop by the front desk and give them an update. This also helps the agents remember you even more.

Do ask for management to step in when things get really, really bad. If your complaints have gone unheard or unattended to, now is the time to ask for senior management to get involved. The most effective way to do this is by clearly stating the times and staff with which the complaints were filed. This allows the hotel to immediately fix the problem while also going the extra mile and providing a complimentary amenity. It also allows the hotel to learn from those mistakes and make sure it doesn’t happen again.

Don't talk down to or look down upon front desk agents. Remember, front desk agents are some of the most qualified and skilled multi-taskers in the industry. They not only know how to communicate effectively with guests, but also how to get things done, from making sure the concierge has the right information to make restaurant bookings to updating the housekeeping department on the right time to service the rooms.

Don't immediately ask for a manager just because you don’t think the front desk agent can handle your important issue. In most hotels, the front desk staff is given a considerable amount of responsibility to not only address a guest concern or request, but also to provide immediate restitution for any guest problems that arise. Ritz-Carlton Hotels is one of the best examples of this, giving front-line staff a dollar value limit within which they can compensate guests—that can be anything from a complimentary drink to a luxury bathrobe.

Don't mock the staff’s level of English. We live in an international world. Front desk agents work hard to ensure they’re communicating as effectively at possible. Having a guest sneer or roll their eyes when they hear a slight accent is not only unnecessary, but also downright insulting. Be respectful and patient.

Don't talk about how rich you are, how important you are, or how big a loyalty member you are. Almost always, your reservation pops up on the screen screaming of loyalty status, importance and the level of care that is required. Throwing down an "Amex Black" card and asking the front desk, "Do you even know what that this?" is just plain silly and does not serve any purpose (Yes, this actually happened.) Amex Black card or not, as a guest, you’re extremely important to the hotel.

Don’t ask for unreasonable freebies. Guests sometimes believe that one small problem immediately entitles them to a free amenity or even a room. Most hotels have clear policies and procedures highlighting what level of guest problem receives what level of compensation. A missed turn down service does not always mean a free stay at the hotel. Be fair about what you are asking the hotel for and make sure that it is reasonable. Asking for something unreasonable makes you look like an opportunist and you'll lose credibility.

This post originally ran on HotelChatter.com