Following Up Guests'Complaints As A Magic Agent At Hilton Hotel Bandung.
ABSTRACT
Selama masa magang sebagai karyawan di Hilton Hotel Bandung pada
periode 27 Desember 2011 sampai dengan 27 Maret 2012, saya
menemukan suatu masalah. Masalah tersebut yaitu saya sebagai agen di
divisi MAGIC tidak mampu menindaklanjuti keluhan dari para tamu yang
merasa tidak puas dengan pelayanan yang diberikan oleh pihak hotel.
Dari masalah tersebut, saya menganalisis penyebab-penyebab dan
dampak-dampaknya. Penyebab masalah tersebut adalah saya tidak
mengetahui memiliki pengalaman di bidang perhotelan, saya tidak tahu
tentang produk-produk hotel dan bentuk pelayanan – pelayanan di hotel,
dan saya memiliki hambatan dalam berkomunikasi dengan tamu yang
tidak dapat berbicara dalam Bahasa Indonesia maupun Bahasa Inggris.
Akibat masalah tersebut, saya menjadi kesal pada diri sendiri jika tidak
dapat menindaklanjuti keluhan tamu, para tamu marah karena menunggu
terlalu lama untuk hasil penanganan keluhan mereka, dan saya mendapat
komentar negatif dari para staf senior di divisi MAGIC. Selanjutnya, saya
mengidentifikasi tiga pilihan solusi yang dapat membantu untuk
mengatasi masalah tersebut. Pertama, saya bertanya pada staf di
departemen yang tepat untuk membantu saya menyelesaikan keluhan
dari tamu atau untuk memberitahu tentang apa yang harus saya katakan
pada tamu. Kedua, saya menyatakan permintaan maaf kepada tamu
untuk keluhan yang tidak dapat dituntaskan. Ketiga, saya memberikan
sesuatu dari salah satu produk konkrit hotel seperti makanan berupa es
krim atau layanan binatu gratis.
Solusi terbaik yang dipilih untuk mengatasi masalah tersebut adalah
menggabungkan ketiga pilihan solusi. Namun, dari ketiga solusi tersebut,
yang saya lakukan terlebih dahulu adalah meminta maaf untuk keluhan
yang tidak dapat dituntaskan, lalu bertanya pada staf di departemen yang
tepat untuk mambantu saya menyelesaikan keluhan dari tamu atau untuk
memberitahu saya tentang apa yang harus saya katakan pada tamu, dan
memberikan sesuatu dari salah satu produk konkrit hotel seperti makanan
berupa es krim atau layanan binatu gratis.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
ABSTRACT…………………………………………………………………..i
DECLARATION OF ORIGINALITY………………………………………..ii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS…………………………………………………..iii
TABLE OF CONTENTS…………………………………………………….v
CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION…………………………………………….1
A. Background of the Study
B. Identification of the Problem
C. Objectives and Benefits of the Study
D. Description of the Institution
E. Method of the Study
F. Limitation of the Study
G. Organization of the Term Paper
CHAPTER II. PROBLEM ANALYSIS……………………………………..6
CHAPTER III. POTENTIAL SOLUTIONS………………………………..10
CHAPTER IV. CONCLUSION…………………………………………….15
BIBLIOGRAPHY
APPENDICES:
A. FLOWCHART
B. LIST OF INTERVIEW QUESTIONS 1
C. LIST OF INTERVIEW QUESTIONS 2
D. TRANSCRIPTION OF THE INTERVIEW 1
E. TRANSCRIPTION OF THE INTERVIEW 2
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APPENDIX A
FLOWCHART
Causes :
1.
2.
3.
I did not have any experience
in the hospitality industry.
I did not know about the
hotel’s products and services.
I had language barrier with
the guests who could not
speak English.
Potential Negative Effects:
1.
Effects :
Problem :
It takes too much of my time
because I have to ask my
colleague about what I should
do.
Potential Negative Effects :
I had difficulties in following up the
guests’ complaints as a MAGIC
agent at Hilton Hotel Bandung.
Potential Negative Effects :
1.
The hotel will not get any
income for the food,
beverages or services given.
2.
3.
Potential Solution I :
I was upset when it was hard
for me to solve the guests’
complaints.
The guests were upset
because they had to wait too
long for their complaint to be
solved
I had negative comments from
my seniors in MAGIC
department.
Potential Positive Effects :
I ask the appropriate department’s
officer to help me solve the guests’
complaints or to tell me what I
have to say to the guests and read
the manual book from my
supervisor.
1.
2.
Potential Solution II :
The guest will be happy
because he or she can get
what he or she wants without
waiting too long.
I will understand how to
handle the guests’ complaints
if I receive similar complaints.
Potential Positive Effects :
1. The guests give negative
feedback to the company.
1.
1.
I apologize to the guests if the
complaint cannot be solved.
2.
Potential Solution III :
By saying my apology, it is
unlikely that the guests will still
be angry.
The guests appreciate my
humility.
Potential Positive Effects :
I present the guests with extra
amenities and services such as
give a free dry cleaning service or
free ice cream or sorbet.
1.
2.
The guests will stop
complaining.
The guests could be satisfied
with the hotel’s responsibility.
Chosen Solution :
I say “I am sorry” if the complaint cannot be solved, I ask the
appropriate department’s officer to solve the guests’ complaints or to tell
me what I have to say to the guests, I present the guests with extra
amenities and services, such as give a free dry clean service and free
ice cream or sorbet.
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APPENDIX B
LIST OF INTERVIEW QUESTIONS 1
Name of interviewer
: Alice Silvian Christine
Name of respondent
: Mohammad Hanafi
Day & date of interview
: Monday, November 26, 2012
Place of interview
: via Blackberry Messenger chat
1. If you cannot handle the guests’ complaints, do you feel upset to yourself ?
2. What is the reason that makes you feel upset to yourself ?
3. Is there any other effects for yourself that you feel if you cannot handle the
guests’ complaints ?
4. Do guests feel disappointed if the follow up takes too long ?
5. What the guest will do to us if they feel disappointed ?
6. Is it true that giving the guests any complimentary products will make the hotel
does not get any income for the products that given ?
7. What the seniors will comments if we cannot handle the guests’ complaints ?
8. Is it waste our time if we do the follow up to other departments ?
9. What is the advantage from coordinating with other departments ?
10. What the guests will do if we say sorry to the guests whose complaints cannot
be solved ?
11. Do guests give any negative feedbacks for the hotel if there is a complaint
from the guests that cannot be solved ?
12. What the guests will do if they received a complimentary product from us ?
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APPENDIX C
LIST OF INTERVIEW QUESTIONS 2
Name of interviewer
: Alice Silvian Christine
Name of respondent
: Mohammad Hanafi
Day & date of interview
: Monday, November 29, 2012
Place of interview
: via Blackberry Messenger chat
1. What is the definition of followup for you ?
2. How if there is a guest who complain to us, but it is not because of the
problem from our department ?
3. Is it a part of a follow up if we give a complimentary product to the guests ?
4. Are these ways like asking to the appropriate department’s officer and
presenting the guest with extra amenities or service a part of follow up ?
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APPENDIX D
TRANSCRIPTION OF THE INTERVIEW 1
Name of interviewer
: Alice Silvian Christine
Name of respondent
: Mohammad Hanafi
Day & date of interview
: Monday, November 26, 2012
Place of interview
: via Blackberry Messenger chat
Alice
: Ka, sorry ganggu..aku mau tanya ni pendapat kakak buat jadi teori buat
TA aku. Soalnya ada yang ga dapet dr inet.
Hanafi : Boleh.. kenapa?
Alice
: Aku mau tanya, klo qta bingung nghandle komplen dr guest, kdg jd kesel
sndri ga sih.? Trs knp bisa kesel’y.? atau ada dampak laen ga sih buat
qta klo qta gbs handle komplen dr guest.?
Hanafi : Iya,,kadang klo aku gbs handle sih suka kesel. Ke diri sndri efek
negative’y ya gitu..kesel karena jadi keliatan bodoh di muka tamu.
Alice
: Kalo penanganan komplen lamban, biasanya guest kecewa ga sih.?
Hanafi : Kecewa pasti. Karena mereka kan nunggu buat di selesein. Nunggu
hasil’y.
Alice
: Biasanya klo guest yg kecewa gt ngpain ke qta’y ka.?
Hanafi : Kadang ada yg mnt kompliment sndri. Nah, klo sampe lama follow upnya
& dia minta kompliment, qta langsung konsultasi ke manager, certain
Semuanya trs qta mnt approval bwt ngsh sesuatu yg senilai dgn yg dia
komplenin. Biar ga trll kecewa.
Alice
: Owh..gt…klo ngsh kompliment gt berarti hotel ga dapet pendapatan yg
harusnya bisa di dapet donk ka.?? Gmn tuh.??
Hanafi : Iya emang gda pendapatan krna qta jd bukan ngjual tp ngsih. Krn itu kan
buat ngresolved komplen’y itu. Klo di kalkulasi ke pendapatan udah pasti
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ga akan masuk. Resiko.
Alice
: Klo qta gbs handle komplen dr guest, biasanya senior kaya gmn sih ka
mandang qta.?
Hanafi : Pasti ada komen negatif lah ke qta. Qta dinilai ga competent.
Alice
: Okei,,klo misalnya qta ngdepin komplen dr guest yg hrz qta follow up ke
department laen, itu buang waktu ga sih ka.?
Hanafi : Iya lah..pasti buang waktu. Aplg beda department gt. Jd lama ngsh tau
hasil follow up-nya ke guest.
Alice
: Keuntungan dr koordinasi sm department laen apa ka.?
Hanafi : Klo emg apa yg guest komplenin itu bisa dilaksanain, yg pasti tamu
ngrsa seneng n puas, trz klo ada komplen yang sama, qta jd bisa belajar
gmn atw apa yg hrz di bilang ke guest. Ga usah repot nanya lagi krn udh
prnh dikasih tw sblm’y.
Alice
: Klo qta mnt maaf ke guest atas komplen yang gbs kita tuntasin, biasanya
guest gmn ka.?
Hanafi : Biasanya pasti ngehargain dan bilang klo permintaan maaf’y qta terima.
Alice
: Klo ada komplen guest yg gbs qta selsein, guest suka jd ngecap jelek
hotel ga ka.?
Hanafi : Guest kdg iya suka gt. Qta udh mnt maaf n dia udh blg maafin tp
ujung2y ttp aja ngegerutu n mandang jelek servis hotel.
Alice
: Oiya ka..ini yg ttg ngsh komplimen ke tamu yg marah atw kecewa. Klo
qta udh ngsh komplimen, biasanya tamu jd gmn ka.?
Hanafi : Biasanya sih mereka nerima dan ga akan memperpanjang komplen krn
udh dpt penggantinya.
Alice
: Emang mempan ya ka.?
Hanafi : Tamu biasanya nerima komplimen yg qta kasih. Biasanya mereka ga
marah lagi krna mrka terkesan sm usaha qta bwt mnt maaf. Mereka
biasanya puas dgn tanggung jawab qta yg ky gt.
Alice
: Hmm..okeii ka..kayanya cukup segitu aja yang mau alice tanya. Nanti klo
ada yg kurang siap2 di repotin lg yaa..hihihi…makasih bngt ya ka…
Hanafi : Hahahah…iya gpp…sama2 Alice…
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APPENDIX E
TRANSCRIPTION OF THE INTERVIEW 2
Name of interviewer
: Alice Silvian Christine
Name of respondent
: Mohammad Hanafi
Day & date of interview
: Monday, November 29, 2012
Place of interview
: via Blackberry Messenger chat
Alice : Kakaaaaaaaakkk…sori mau nanya lagi..ada yang ketinggalan nie..baru
keingetan…
Hanafi : Iyaaa aliceeeeee…hehehehh…sok apa ?
Alice : Apa sih definisi follow up menurut kk ?
Hanafi : Kalo kata aku, follow up itu kan nerusin artinya..tp dlm hal nanganin komplen
tamu tuh menindaklanjuti keluhan guest..jd diterusin dgn cara gmn sampe
bisa diberesin..Berusaha gimana caranya biar komplennya bisa
terselesaikan..memproses
gt…entah itu lgsg ada jawaban dr qta atw hrz nanya dulu ke yg laen,.
pokonya usaha qta aja ky gmn..gt…
Alice : Okeii..klo guest komplen ke kita tapi bukan karena masalah dari department
qta gimana donk ka ? kan guest mah suka ga pandang petugas di bagian
apa tau2 komplen…
Hanafi : ya tanya dulu ke departemen lain atuuuuhh..disesuaikan sm apa yg guest
komplen ke qta ya departemen itu yg qta hubungi..misalnya klo guest
komplen ke kita ttg AC leaking, ya qta tanya ke engineering..biasanya
mereka ngasih tau suruh bilang gimana ke tamunya..hrs gmn qta jelasin ke
tamunya..
Alice : Klo ngasih komplimen gt,, itu trmsuk follow up juga atw ga sih ka ?
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Hanafi : ya iya atuh..kan kaya yg td aku blg, follow up itu kan usaha qta supaya gmna
caranya biar komplen si guest tuh beres..
Alice : Jadi, nanya ke petugas di departemen laen sama ngsh komplimen tuh bisa
disebut follow up jg ? gitu ka ?
Alice : owh..gt ya ka..okee deh…itu aja ka yg ketinggalan…makasih yaa ka buat
waktu’y…
Hanafi : sippp aliceee…sama2….
Maranatha Christian University
CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
A. Background of the Study
The topic that I choose for this term paper is about my difficulty in
following up guests’ complaints at Hilton Hotel Bandung (henceforth,
HHB). The reason why I choose this topic is because I understand that
every guest’s complaints will help the company develop well. Through the
guests’ complaints, the company will know what is wrong with their
service, and it will be able to improve the things that the guests are
complaining about, in order to avoid the same mistake happening again in
the future. As the article entitled “Commercial Sector” says, “With proper
attention to customer complaint you (as a hotel employee) can help your
business grow and prosper” (par. 3). By the word “you” here, the article
refers to hotel employees. The other reason is because it is the problem
that I always faced in my workplace and was my biggest problem that was
hard for me to solve when I did my internship there. This problem is
important to be discussed also because it can help me and other staff to
solve the same type of complaints in the future.
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I experienced the problem during my internship program as a MAGIC
(Managing All Guest Incoming Calls) agent from 27 December 2011 until
27 March 2012 in HHB. During my internship, I faced many hotel’s guests
who made complaints about many different things. I had difficulty in
following up the guests’ complaints by phone and in face-to-face
interactions when I went to the guests’ rooms, and I could not solve it. The
guests mostly complained that they had to wait for their order for a long
time, about Internet problems, and about the dry cleaning service that took
long. It happened almost every day. My colleagues and I experienced the
same kind of complaints from the guests. I got confused on how to follow
up and explain to the guests why they received their order longer than
they expected. Thus, in this term paper I would like to find out the best
solutions to overcome this problem. I will analyze this topic critically and
systematically.
B. Identification of the Problem
From the experience that I have got during my internship program in
HHB, I would like to analyze the problem in following up the guests’
complaints by trying to find the answers for these questions:
1. Why could I, as a MAGIC agent, not follow up the guests’
complaints ?
2. How did the problem affect me as a hotel employee, the guests,
and the other staff ?
3. How can I solve this problem ?
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C. Objectives and Benefits of the Study
This study that I choose to be discussed has some objectives. The
objectives are: to find out the causes and effects of my difficulty in
following up the guests’ complaints, and to find out the solutions to
solve this problem.
This term paper has some benefits for the institution, for me as the
writer, and for the readers. For the institution, this term paper can give
some suggestions for following up the guests’ complaints. For me, this
term paper has some benefits to find out the best way that I can face
the guests’ complaints in a hotel. For the readers, this term paper can
give suggestions to those who want to work in hospitality industry an
explanation of the problem that can happen and how to solve the
problem.
D. Description of the Institution
The training module for Hilton’s trainee entitled Celebrating Our
Story describes the background of Hilton Hotel Universal and HHB.
The first Hilton Hotel was built by Conrad Hilton in 1925. It was located
in Dallas and was the first hotel company to be traded on the New York
Stock Exchange in 1946. In 1949, the first Hilton Hotel to open outside
of the United States was located in Puerto Rico. In 1959, the opening
of the San Francisco Airport Hilton pioneered the concept of the airport
hotels. Hilton bought Doubletree, Embassy Suites, Hampton Inn, and
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Homewood Suites for $ 3.7 billion in 1999. In 2006, Hilton Hotels and
Hilton International united to form one company once again.
HHB was built by PT. Yuskitama Lestari from 2006 to 2009, and
first opened on 21 March 2009 as a business hotel. The design of
Hilton Hotel is modern and luxurious with twelve floors, which are
completed with various facilities like ballrooms, nine meeting rooms,
swimming pool, gym, spa rooms, executive lounge, Magma Bar,
Fresco Italian Restaurant, and Purnawarman Restaurant. Hilton Hotel
Bandung is located in the center of Bandung. Its address is on Jalan
HOS. Tjokroaminoto No. 41-43.
E. Method of the Study
In this term paper, I discuss my problem in dealing with guests’
complaints when I was doing my internship program at HHB. The data
for this term paper are gathered not only from library research of
printed and Internet sources, but also from observation and interview.
The data that I collected are used to analyze and identify the problem
and to find out the solutions to solve it.
F. Limitation of the Study
In HHB, I faced many guests’ complaints while I was doing my
internship in MAGIC (Managing All Guests’ Incoming Call) division and
working with my manager, my supervisors, and my colleagues. The
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observation was done from 27 December 2011 to 27 March 2012
during the internship.
G. Organization of the Term Paper
The first part of this term paper is Abstract. The next part is
Declaration of Originality, Acknowledgments, and Table of Content
which gives the detail the chapter and subchapters.
Chapter I contains the background of the study which explains the
reason why I choose this topic to analyze, identification of the problem,
the benefits of this term paper, the description of the institution where I
did my internship, data and information-gathering method, limitation of
the study, and organization of this term paper. Then, Chapter II is
about problem analysis, covering the causes and effects of the
problem with each supporting theory. Chapter III is about three
potential solutions to solve the problem. This chapter also explains the
positive and negative effects of each potential solution.
Chapter IV is about the best solution that I take with the reason why
that solution is chosen. The last part of this term paper is bibliography
that lists all sources of information and theories that are used in the
analysis. There are also appendices, which contain the flowchart and
interview transcripts.
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CHAPTER 4
CONCLUSION
In this chapter, I would like to make a summary of my analysis in the
previous chapters. I have mentioned the causes and effects of the
problem in Chapter 2. The causes are I did not have any experience in the
hospitality industry, I did not know about the hotel’s products and services,
and I had a language barrier with the guests who could not speak English.
Then, I found three effects of the problem. First, I was upset when it was
hard for me to solve the guests’ complaints. Second, the guests were
upset because they had to wait too long for their complaint to be solved.
Then, the third effect is and my seniors in MAGIC Department gave me
negative comments because they thought I did not have any initiative to
follow up the guests’ complaints.
In Chapter 3, I have mentioned the potential solutions. The first
potential solution is I ask the appropriate department’s officer to help me
solve the guests’ complaints or to tell me what I have to say to the guests.
The second potential solution is I apologize if the complaint cannot be
solved. The third potential solution is I present the guests with extra
amenities and service, such as give a free dry cleaning service and free
ice cream or sorbet.
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From the three potential solutions, I believe that the best solution is the
combination of all the potential solutions but the first step that I have to do
first is say sorry to the guests, then I ask the appropriate department to
help me solve the guests’ complaints or to tell me what I have to say to the
guests and read the manual book from the supervisor, and finally I present
the guests with extra amenities and service, such as give a free dry
cleaning service and free ice cream or sorbet.
The reason why I chose all of these three potential solutions is because
the follow up can be perfect if all three are done. If I only apologize to the
guests without asking the appropriate department’s officer to help me
solve the guests’ complaints or tell me what I have to say to the guests
and read the manual book from the supervisor and without presenting the
guests with extra amenities and services, there will be no problem solving
and the guests still be angry and think that I do not care about their
complaints. If I only ask the appropriate department’s officer to help me
solve the guests’ complaints or tell me what I have to say to the guests
and read the manual book from the supervisor, but without apologizing to
the guests, the guests will think that I do not appreciate them. If I only give
extra amenities and services to the guests, they will think that I do not
want to take a real effort, because even though the guests might receive
the extra amenities and services, they still want their complaints to be
answered and solved. Another possibility is I can apologize to the guests,
and ask the appropriate department’s officer to help me solve the guests’
complaints or tell me what I have to say to the guests and read the manual
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book from the supervisor, but I do not give any extra amenities. If I do that,
however, the guests will feel that they are not important for the hotel. It can
happen because the guests might think that the hotel does not want to
sacrifice for them and that the income from the food or service is more
important for the hotel than the guests. Then, I cannot present the guests
with a complimentary product without asking the appropriate department’s
officer to help me solve the guests’ complaints or tell me what I have to
say to the guests and read the manual book from the supervisor. The
officer from appropriate department can give me approval to give any
extra amenities and service as the complimentary product to the guests. If
I do ask the appropriate department’s officer and present the guest with
extra amenities without saying my apology to the guests, it can give a
signal that I underestimate the guests.
Those three potential solutions above help me to solve the problem.
Morrey says that the steps in handling guest complaint are apologizing
(par. 21) and then doing the follow up (par. 30). Following up includes
asking help from an appropriate department’s officer to solve the guests’
complaints or tell us what we have to say to the guests and giving any
complimentary product, as confirmed by Hanafi (November 29, 2012). The
theory of the article and the confirmation from Hanafi support my
conclusion that the best solution is doing those three potential solutions
which are apologizing to the guests, asking help from someone in the
appropriate department, and presenting the guest with extra amenities or
service.
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I can sum up this term paper that every guest’s complaints can be
handled if I can find the proper and effective ways. Good communication
with coworkers is one of the keys to handle the guests’ complaints. My
coworkers can help me to solve the problem. In particular, my humility to
apologize to the guests indicates that I appreciate the guest.
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BIBLIOGRAPHY
Printed Sources
Hilton Training Committee. Celebrating Our Story. Bandung: Hilton, 2011
Hilton Worldwide Committee. Universal Service Skills. Bandung: Hilton,
2011
Magany, Richard D. Modul Menyediakan Layanan Akomodasi Reseption.
Jakarta: Penerbit Erlangga, 2009.
Electronic Sources
Abrams, Rhonda. “Nine Steps Toward Handling Customer Complaints.”
USA TODAY 12 November 2010. 2012
“Commercial Sector”. Ullyses Customer Feedback Management. 2012.
2012.
“English for Hotel Staff”. English Club. 2012. 8 October 2012.
Maranatha Christian University
Hombogen, Lesley-Anne. “Experience „Better Than Qualifications‟ in
Hospitality Industry.” European Recruitment Agency 2009. 8 October
2012.
Morrey, Richard. “Complaint Handling – A Guide to Best Practice.”
Tourism Insight February 2009. October 2012.
Ridler, Ben. “Six Steps to Dealing with Customer Complaints.”
Entrepreneur Organization 2012. October 2012.
Willhite, Gary. “How To Handle Hotel Guest Complaints.” MadeMANUAL 8
April 2010. October 2012.
Interviews
Hanafi, Muhammad. Personal interview. 26 November 2012.
Hanafi, Muhammad. Personal interview. 29 November 2012.
Maranatha Christian University
Selama masa magang sebagai karyawan di Hilton Hotel Bandung pada
periode 27 Desember 2011 sampai dengan 27 Maret 2012, saya
menemukan suatu masalah. Masalah tersebut yaitu saya sebagai agen di
divisi MAGIC tidak mampu menindaklanjuti keluhan dari para tamu yang
merasa tidak puas dengan pelayanan yang diberikan oleh pihak hotel.
Dari masalah tersebut, saya menganalisis penyebab-penyebab dan
dampak-dampaknya. Penyebab masalah tersebut adalah saya tidak
mengetahui memiliki pengalaman di bidang perhotelan, saya tidak tahu
tentang produk-produk hotel dan bentuk pelayanan – pelayanan di hotel,
dan saya memiliki hambatan dalam berkomunikasi dengan tamu yang
tidak dapat berbicara dalam Bahasa Indonesia maupun Bahasa Inggris.
Akibat masalah tersebut, saya menjadi kesal pada diri sendiri jika tidak
dapat menindaklanjuti keluhan tamu, para tamu marah karena menunggu
terlalu lama untuk hasil penanganan keluhan mereka, dan saya mendapat
komentar negatif dari para staf senior di divisi MAGIC. Selanjutnya, saya
mengidentifikasi tiga pilihan solusi yang dapat membantu untuk
mengatasi masalah tersebut. Pertama, saya bertanya pada staf di
departemen yang tepat untuk membantu saya menyelesaikan keluhan
dari tamu atau untuk memberitahu tentang apa yang harus saya katakan
pada tamu. Kedua, saya menyatakan permintaan maaf kepada tamu
untuk keluhan yang tidak dapat dituntaskan. Ketiga, saya memberikan
sesuatu dari salah satu produk konkrit hotel seperti makanan berupa es
krim atau layanan binatu gratis.
Solusi terbaik yang dipilih untuk mengatasi masalah tersebut adalah
menggabungkan ketiga pilihan solusi. Namun, dari ketiga solusi tersebut,
yang saya lakukan terlebih dahulu adalah meminta maaf untuk keluhan
yang tidak dapat dituntaskan, lalu bertanya pada staf di departemen yang
tepat untuk mambantu saya menyelesaikan keluhan dari tamu atau untuk
memberitahu saya tentang apa yang harus saya katakan pada tamu, dan
memberikan sesuatu dari salah satu produk konkrit hotel seperti makanan
berupa es krim atau layanan binatu gratis.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
ABSTRACT…………………………………………………………………..i
DECLARATION OF ORIGINALITY………………………………………..ii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS…………………………………………………..iii
TABLE OF CONTENTS…………………………………………………….v
CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION…………………………………………….1
A. Background of the Study
B. Identification of the Problem
C. Objectives and Benefits of the Study
D. Description of the Institution
E. Method of the Study
F. Limitation of the Study
G. Organization of the Term Paper
CHAPTER II. PROBLEM ANALYSIS……………………………………..6
CHAPTER III. POTENTIAL SOLUTIONS………………………………..10
CHAPTER IV. CONCLUSION…………………………………………….15
BIBLIOGRAPHY
APPENDICES:
A. FLOWCHART
B. LIST OF INTERVIEW QUESTIONS 1
C. LIST OF INTERVIEW QUESTIONS 2
D. TRANSCRIPTION OF THE INTERVIEW 1
E. TRANSCRIPTION OF THE INTERVIEW 2
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APPENDIX A
FLOWCHART
Causes :
1.
2.
3.
I did not have any experience
in the hospitality industry.
I did not know about the
hotel’s products and services.
I had language barrier with
the guests who could not
speak English.
Potential Negative Effects:
1.
Effects :
Problem :
It takes too much of my time
because I have to ask my
colleague about what I should
do.
Potential Negative Effects :
I had difficulties in following up the
guests’ complaints as a MAGIC
agent at Hilton Hotel Bandung.
Potential Negative Effects :
1.
The hotel will not get any
income for the food,
beverages or services given.
2.
3.
Potential Solution I :
I was upset when it was hard
for me to solve the guests’
complaints.
The guests were upset
because they had to wait too
long for their complaint to be
solved
I had negative comments from
my seniors in MAGIC
department.
Potential Positive Effects :
I ask the appropriate department’s
officer to help me solve the guests’
complaints or to tell me what I
have to say to the guests and read
the manual book from my
supervisor.
1.
2.
Potential Solution II :
The guest will be happy
because he or she can get
what he or she wants without
waiting too long.
I will understand how to
handle the guests’ complaints
if I receive similar complaints.
Potential Positive Effects :
1. The guests give negative
feedback to the company.
1.
1.
I apologize to the guests if the
complaint cannot be solved.
2.
Potential Solution III :
By saying my apology, it is
unlikely that the guests will still
be angry.
The guests appreciate my
humility.
Potential Positive Effects :
I present the guests with extra
amenities and services such as
give a free dry cleaning service or
free ice cream or sorbet.
1.
2.
The guests will stop
complaining.
The guests could be satisfied
with the hotel’s responsibility.
Chosen Solution :
I say “I am sorry” if the complaint cannot be solved, I ask the
appropriate department’s officer to solve the guests’ complaints or to tell
me what I have to say to the guests, I present the guests with extra
amenities and services, such as give a free dry clean service and free
ice cream or sorbet.
Maranatha Christian University
APPENDIX B
LIST OF INTERVIEW QUESTIONS 1
Name of interviewer
: Alice Silvian Christine
Name of respondent
: Mohammad Hanafi
Day & date of interview
: Monday, November 26, 2012
Place of interview
: via Blackberry Messenger chat
1. If you cannot handle the guests’ complaints, do you feel upset to yourself ?
2. What is the reason that makes you feel upset to yourself ?
3. Is there any other effects for yourself that you feel if you cannot handle the
guests’ complaints ?
4. Do guests feel disappointed if the follow up takes too long ?
5. What the guest will do to us if they feel disappointed ?
6. Is it true that giving the guests any complimentary products will make the hotel
does not get any income for the products that given ?
7. What the seniors will comments if we cannot handle the guests’ complaints ?
8. Is it waste our time if we do the follow up to other departments ?
9. What is the advantage from coordinating with other departments ?
10. What the guests will do if we say sorry to the guests whose complaints cannot
be solved ?
11. Do guests give any negative feedbacks for the hotel if there is a complaint
from the guests that cannot be solved ?
12. What the guests will do if they received a complimentary product from us ?
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APPENDIX C
LIST OF INTERVIEW QUESTIONS 2
Name of interviewer
: Alice Silvian Christine
Name of respondent
: Mohammad Hanafi
Day & date of interview
: Monday, November 29, 2012
Place of interview
: via Blackberry Messenger chat
1. What is the definition of followup for you ?
2. How if there is a guest who complain to us, but it is not because of the
problem from our department ?
3. Is it a part of a follow up if we give a complimentary product to the guests ?
4. Are these ways like asking to the appropriate department’s officer and
presenting the guest with extra amenities or service a part of follow up ?
Maranatha Christian University
APPENDIX D
TRANSCRIPTION OF THE INTERVIEW 1
Name of interviewer
: Alice Silvian Christine
Name of respondent
: Mohammad Hanafi
Day & date of interview
: Monday, November 26, 2012
Place of interview
: via Blackberry Messenger chat
Alice
: Ka, sorry ganggu..aku mau tanya ni pendapat kakak buat jadi teori buat
TA aku. Soalnya ada yang ga dapet dr inet.
Hanafi : Boleh.. kenapa?
Alice
: Aku mau tanya, klo qta bingung nghandle komplen dr guest, kdg jd kesel
sndri ga sih.? Trs knp bisa kesel’y.? atau ada dampak laen ga sih buat
qta klo qta gbs handle komplen dr guest.?
Hanafi : Iya,,kadang klo aku gbs handle sih suka kesel. Ke diri sndri efek
negative’y ya gitu..kesel karena jadi keliatan bodoh di muka tamu.
Alice
: Kalo penanganan komplen lamban, biasanya guest kecewa ga sih.?
Hanafi : Kecewa pasti. Karena mereka kan nunggu buat di selesein. Nunggu
hasil’y.
Alice
: Biasanya klo guest yg kecewa gt ngpain ke qta’y ka.?
Hanafi : Kadang ada yg mnt kompliment sndri. Nah, klo sampe lama follow upnya
& dia minta kompliment, qta langsung konsultasi ke manager, certain
Semuanya trs qta mnt approval bwt ngsh sesuatu yg senilai dgn yg dia
komplenin. Biar ga trll kecewa.
Alice
: Owh..gt…klo ngsh kompliment gt berarti hotel ga dapet pendapatan yg
harusnya bisa di dapet donk ka.?? Gmn tuh.??
Hanafi : Iya emang gda pendapatan krna qta jd bukan ngjual tp ngsih. Krn itu kan
buat ngresolved komplen’y itu. Klo di kalkulasi ke pendapatan udah pasti
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ga akan masuk. Resiko.
Alice
: Klo qta gbs handle komplen dr guest, biasanya senior kaya gmn sih ka
mandang qta.?
Hanafi : Pasti ada komen negatif lah ke qta. Qta dinilai ga competent.
Alice
: Okei,,klo misalnya qta ngdepin komplen dr guest yg hrz qta follow up ke
department laen, itu buang waktu ga sih ka.?
Hanafi : Iya lah..pasti buang waktu. Aplg beda department gt. Jd lama ngsh tau
hasil follow up-nya ke guest.
Alice
: Keuntungan dr koordinasi sm department laen apa ka.?
Hanafi : Klo emg apa yg guest komplenin itu bisa dilaksanain, yg pasti tamu
ngrsa seneng n puas, trz klo ada komplen yang sama, qta jd bisa belajar
gmn atw apa yg hrz di bilang ke guest. Ga usah repot nanya lagi krn udh
prnh dikasih tw sblm’y.
Alice
: Klo qta mnt maaf ke guest atas komplen yang gbs kita tuntasin, biasanya
guest gmn ka.?
Hanafi : Biasanya pasti ngehargain dan bilang klo permintaan maaf’y qta terima.
Alice
: Klo ada komplen guest yg gbs qta selsein, guest suka jd ngecap jelek
hotel ga ka.?
Hanafi : Guest kdg iya suka gt. Qta udh mnt maaf n dia udh blg maafin tp
ujung2y ttp aja ngegerutu n mandang jelek servis hotel.
Alice
: Oiya ka..ini yg ttg ngsh komplimen ke tamu yg marah atw kecewa. Klo
qta udh ngsh komplimen, biasanya tamu jd gmn ka.?
Hanafi : Biasanya sih mereka nerima dan ga akan memperpanjang komplen krn
udh dpt penggantinya.
Alice
: Emang mempan ya ka.?
Hanafi : Tamu biasanya nerima komplimen yg qta kasih. Biasanya mereka ga
marah lagi krna mrka terkesan sm usaha qta bwt mnt maaf. Mereka
biasanya puas dgn tanggung jawab qta yg ky gt.
Alice
: Hmm..okeii ka..kayanya cukup segitu aja yang mau alice tanya. Nanti klo
ada yg kurang siap2 di repotin lg yaa..hihihi…makasih bngt ya ka…
Hanafi : Hahahah…iya gpp…sama2 Alice…
Maranatha Christian University
APPENDIX E
TRANSCRIPTION OF THE INTERVIEW 2
Name of interviewer
: Alice Silvian Christine
Name of respondent
: Mohammad Hanafi
Day & date of interview
: Monday, November 29, 2012
Place of interview
: via Blackberry Messenger chat
Alice : Kakaaaaaaaakkk…sori mau nanya lagi..ada yang ketinggalan nie..baru
keingetan…
Hanafi : Iyaaa aliceeeeee…hehehehh…sok apa ?
Alice : Apa sih definisi follow up menurut kk ?
Hanafi : Kalo kata aku, follow up itu kan nerusin artinya..tp dlm hal nanganin komplen
tamu tuh menindaklanjuti keluhan guest..jd diterusin dgn cara gmn sampe
bisa diberesin..Berusaha gimana caranya biar komplennya bisa
terselesaikan..memproses
gt…entah itu lgsg ada jawaban dr qta atw hrz nanya dulu ke yg laen,.
pokonya usaha qta aja ky gmn..gt…
Alice : Okeii..klo guest komplen ke kita tapi bukan karena masalah dari department
qta gimana donk ka ? kan guest mah suka ga pandang petugas di bagian
apa tau2 komplen…
Hanafi : ya tanya dulu ke departemen lain atuuuuhh..disesuaikan sm apa yg guest
komplen ke qta ya departemen itu yg qta hubungi..misalnya klo guest
komplen ke kita ttg AC leaking, ya qta tanya ke engineering..biasanya
mereka ngasih tau suruh bilang gimana ke tamunya..hrs gmn qta jelasin ke
tamunya..
Alice : Klo ngasih komplimen gt,, itu trmsuk follow up juga atw ga sih ka ?
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Hanafi : ya iya atuh..kan kaya yg td aku blg, follow up itu kan usaha qta supaya gmna
caranya biar komplen si guest tuh beres..
Alice : Jadi, nanya ke petugas di departemen laen sama ngsh komplimen tuh bisa
disebut follow up jg ? gitu ka ?
Alice : owh..gt ya ka..okee deh…itu aja ka yg ketinggalan…makasih yaa ka buat
waktu’y…
Hanafi : sippp aliceee…sama2….
Maranatha Christian University
CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
A. Background of the Study
The topic that I choose for this term paper is about my difficulty in
following up guests’ complaints at Hilton Hotel Bandung (henceforth,
HHB). The reason why I choose this topic is because I understand that
every guest’s complaints will help the company develop well. Through the
guests’ complaints, the company will know what is wrong with their
service, and it will be able to improve the things that the guests are
complaining about, in order to avoid the same mistake happening again in
the future. As the article entitled “Commercial Sector” says, “With proper
attention to customer complaint you (as a hotel employee) can help your
business grow and prosper” (par. 3). By the word “you” here, the article
refers to hotel employees. The other reason is because it is the problem
that I always faced in my workplace and was my biggest problem that was
hard for me to solve when I did my internship there. This problem is
important to be discussed also because it can help me and other staff to
solve the same type of complaints in the future.
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I experienced the problem during my internship program as a MAGIC
(Managing All Guest Incoming Calls) agent from 27 December 2011 until
27 March 2012 in HHB. During my internship, I faced many hotel’s guests
who made complaints about many different things. I had difficulty in
following up the guests’ complaints by phone and in face-to-face
interactions when I went to the guests’ rooms, and I could not solve it. The
guests mostly complained that they had to wait for their order for a long
time, about Internet problems, and about the dry cleaning service that took
long. It happened almost every day. My colleagues and I experienced the
same kind of complaints from the guests. I got confused on how to follow
up and explain to the guests why they received their order longer than
they expected. Thus, in this term paper I would like to find out the best
solutions to overcome this problem. I will analyze this topic critically and
systematically.
B. Identification of the Problem
From the experience that I have got during my internship program in
HHB, I would like to analyze the problem in following up the guests’
complaints by trying to find the answers for these questions:
1. Why could I, as a MAGIC agent, not follow up the guests’
complaints ?
2. How did the problem affect me as a hotel employee, the guests,
and the other staff ?
3. How can I solve this problem ?
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C. Objectives and Benefits of the Study
This study that I choose to be discussed has some objectives. The
objectives are: to find out the causes and effects of my difficulty in
following up the guests’ complaints, and to find out the solutions to
solve this problem.
This term paper has some benefits for the institution, for me as the
writer, and for the readers. For the institution, this term paper can give
some suggestions for following up the guests’ complaints. For me, this
term paper has some benefits to find out the best way that I can face
the guests’ complaints in a hotel. For the readers, this term paper can
give suggestions to those who want to work in hospitality industry an
explanation of the problem that can happen and how to solve the
problem.
D. Description of the Institution
The training module for Hilton’s trainee entitled Celebrating Our
Story describes the background of Hilton Hotel Universal and HHB.
The first Hilton Hotel was built by Conrad Hilton in 1925. It was located
in Dallas and was the first hotel company to be traded on the New York
Stock Exchange in 1946. In 1949, the first Hilton Hotel to open outside
of the United States was located in Puerto Rico. In 1959, the opening
of the San Francisco Airport Hilton pioneered the concept of the airport
hotels. Hilton bought Doubletree, Embassy Suites, Hampton Inn, and
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Homewood Suites for $ 3.7 billion in 1999. In 2006, Hilton Hotels and
Hilton International united to form one company once again.
HHB was built by PT. Yuskitama Lestari from 2006 to 2009, and
first opened on 21 March 2009 as a business hotel. The design of
Hilton Hotel is modern and luxurious with twelve floors, which are
completed with various facilities like ballrooms, nine meeting rooms,
swimming pool, gym, spa rooms, executive lounge, Magma Bar,
Fresco Italian Restaurant, and Purnawarman Restaurant. Hilton Hotel
Bandung is located in the center of Bandung. Its address is on Jalan
HOS. Tjokroaminoto No. 41-43.
E. Method of the Study
In this term paper, I discuss my problem in dealing with guests’
complaints when I was doing my internship program at HHB. The data
for this term paper are gathered not only from library research of
printed and Internet sources, but also from observation and interview.
The data that I collected are used to analyze and identify the problem
and to find out the solutions to solve it.
F. Limitation of the Study
In HHB, I faced many guests’ complaints while I was doing my
internship in MAGIC (Managing All Guests’ Incoming Call) division and
working with my manager, my supervisors, and my colleagues. The
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observation was done from 27 December 2011 to 27 March 2012
during the internship.
G. Organization of the Term Paper
The first part of this term paper is Abstract. The next part is
Declaration of Originality, Acknowledgments, and Table of Content
which gives the detail the chapter and subchapters.
Chapter I contains the background of the study which explains the
reason why I choose this topic to analyze, identification of the problem,
the benefits of this term paper, the description of the institution where I
did my internship, data and information-gathering method, limitation of
the study, and organization of this term paper. Then, Chapter II is
about problem analysis, covering the causes and effects of the
problem with each supporting theory. Chapter III is about three
potential solutions to solve the problem. This chapter also explains the
positive and negative effects of each potential solution.
Chapter IV is about the best solution that I take with the reason why
that solution is chosen. The last part of this term paper is bibliography
that lists all sources of information and theories that are used in the
analysis. There are also appendices, which contain the flowchart and
interview transcripts.
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CHAPTER 4
CONCLUSION
In this chapter, I would like to make a summary of my analysis in the
previous chapters. I have mentioned the causes and effects of the
problem in Chapter 2. The causes are I did not have any experience in the
hospitality industry, I did not know about the hotel’s products and services,
and I had a language barrier with the guests who could not speak English.
Then, I found three effects of the problem. First, I was upset when it was
hard for me to solve the guests’ complaints. Second, the guests were
upset because they had to wait too long for their complaint to be solved.
Then, the third effect is and my seniors in MAGIC Department gave me
negative comments because they thought I did not have any initiative to
follow up the guests’ complaints.
In Chapter 3, I have mentioned the potential solutions. The first
potential solution is I ask the appropriate department’s officer to help me
solve the guests’ complaints or to tell me what I have to say to the guests.
The second potential solution is I apologize if the complaint cannot be
solved. The third potential solution is I present the guests with extra
amenities and service, such as give a free dry cleaning service and free
ice cream or sorbet.
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From the three potential solutions, I believe that the best solution is the
combination of all the potential solutions but the first step that I have to do
first is say sorry to the guests, then I ask the appropriate department to
help me solve the guests’ complaints or to tell me what I have to say to the
guests and read the manual book from the supervisor, and finally I present
the guests with extra amenities and service, such as give a free dry
cleaning service and free ice cream or sorbet.
The reason why I chose all of these three potential solutions is because
the follow up can be perfect if all three are done. If I only apologize to the
guests without asking the appropriate department’s officer to help me
solve the guests’ complaints or tell me what I have to say to the guests
and read the manual book from the supervisor and without presenting the
guests with extra amenities and services, there will be no problem solving
and the guests still be angry and think that I do not care about their
complaints. If I only ask the appropriate department’s officer to help me
solve the guests’ complaints or tell me what I have to say to the guests
and read the manual book from the supervisor, but without apologizing to
the guests, the guests will think that I do not appreciate them. If I only give
extra amenities and services to the guests, they will think that I do not
want to take a real effort, because even though the guests might receive
the extra amenities and services, they still want their complaints to be
answered and solved. Another possibility is I can apologize to the guests,
and ask the appropriate department’s officer to help me solve the guests’
complaints or tell me what I have to say to the guests and read the manual
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book from the supervisor, but I do not give any extra amenities. If I do that,
however, the guests will feel that they are not important for the hotel. It can
happen because the guests might think that the hotel does not want to
sacrifice for them and that the income from the food or service is more
important for the hotel than the guests. Then, I cannot present the guests
with a complimentary product without asking the appropriate department’s
officer to help me solve the guests’ complaints or tell me what I have to
say to the guests and read the manual book from the supervisor. The
officer from appropriate department can give me approval to give any
extra amenities and service as the complimentary product to the guests. If
I do ask the appropriate department’s officer and present the guest with
extra amenities without saying my apology to the guests, it can give a
signal that I underestimate the guests.
Those three potential solutions above help me to solve the problem.
Morrey says that the steps in handling guest complaint are apologizing
(par. 21) and then doing the follow up (par. 30). Following up includes
asking help from an appropriate department’s officer to solve the guests’
complaints or tell us what we have to say to the guests and giving any
complimentary product, as confirmed by Hanafi (November 29, 2012). The
theory of the article and the confirmation from Hanafi support my
conclusion that the best solution is doing those three potential solutions
which are apologizing to the guests, asking help from someone in the
appropriate department, and presenting the guest with extra amenities or
service.
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I can sum up this term paper that every guest’s complaints can be
handled if I can find the proper and effective ways. Good communication
with coworkers is one of the keys to handle the guests’ complaints. My
coworkers can help me to solve the problem. In particular, my humility to
apologize to the guests indicates that I appreciate the guest.
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BIBLIOGRAPHY
Printed Sources
Hilton Training Committee. Celebrating Our Story. Bandung: Hilton, 2011
Hilton Worldwide Committee. Universal Service Skills. Bandung: Hilton,
2011
Magany, Richard D. Modul Menyediakan Layanan Akomodasi Reseption.
Jakarta: Penerbit Erlangga, 2009.
Electronic Sources
Abrams, Rhonda. “Nine Steps Toward Handling Customer Complaints.”
USA TODAY 12 November 2010. 2012
“Commercial Sector”. Ullyses Customer Feedback Management. 2012.
2012.
“English for Hotel Staff”. English Club. 2012. 8 October 2012.
Maranatha Christian University
Hombogen, Lesley-Anne. “Experience „Better Than Qualifications‟ in
Hospitality Industry.” European Recruitment Agency 2009. 8 October
2012.
Morrey, Richard. “Complaint Handling – A Guide to Best Practice.”
Tourism Insight February 2009. October 2012.
Ridler, Ben. “Six Steps to Dealing with Customer Complaints.”
Entrepreneur Organization 2012. October 2012.
Willhite, Gary. “How To Handle Hotel Guest Complaints.” MadeMANUAL 8
April 2010. October 2012.
Interviews
Hanafi, Muhammad. Personal interview. 26 November 2012.
Hanafi, Muhammad. Personal interview. 29 November 2012.
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