Why do customers shout and scream?
The shouting that goes on in professional kitchens is with good reason and it’s an eye opener to see and hear the controlled, choreographed mix of anxiety and excitement that goes on in a busy hotel or restaurant kitchen.
In comparison, the commotion created when customers shout and scream in the restaurant, in the hotel lobby or in any public space can cause a big hue and cry. With social media providing customers with new, more public places to air their complaints, reputational consequences for companies can be far-reaching.
Post Covid-19, customers becoming noticeably more impatient, when they don’t get what they want, and when they want it, is becoming a fairly widespread phenomenon. Stories such as passengers screaming on airplanes and causing the plane to make an emergency landing, of diners angrily slamming their fists on the tabletops, guests hurling insults at frontline staff of hotels, and so on, occur more frequently.
So, why do customers shout and scream?
Recent data highlights significant increases in customer dissatisfaction, with particular frustration in areas like retail, travel and hospitality. The relationship between customers and organisations seems more fraught than it’s ever been, thanks to the collision of high prices, reduced service quality, staffing problems and all the confusion around increased digital interaction. People feel companies instead of prioritising customer experience are placing profit over customer care.
Excitement and anxiety are both aroused emotions. One is the flip side of the other on the same coin. In both, the heart beats faster, cortisol surges, and the body prepares for action. Excitement is a positive emotion, where the person’s focus is on all the ways something could go well…and when it does, such as footballer scoring a last-minute goal; it sends a strong vibe which can lead to screaming - as a high spirited expression of joy.
When things aren’t going well, people get overcome with anxiety which is a negative emotion. Usually it begins when customers encounter a problem that appears to irritate or annoy them. When that happens there is a certain time lag before ‘being normal’ goes to getting ‘out-of-control’. It could occur within a short time or take a tad longer before customers act out in rage. Unless that feeling of discontent is swiftly and properly de-escalated, dissatisfaction can soon turn to anger and even lead to an epic blowout.
Mostly, that ‘window of opportunity’ to diffuse the situation vanishes when staff dealing with the customer’s problem don’t seem to hear, understand and recognize what really mattered - how the customer felt!
The mantra used to be that “the customer is always right,” yet managers are increasingly becoming aware that finicky customers can be a handful and difficult guest behavior can cause undue stress on frontline workers.
That’s where training plays a key role — guiding employees to proactively de-escalate guest issues, thus reducing incidents of frustration, and ensuring workers are equipped to resolve unexpected issues quickly.
Shafeek Wahab- Editor, Hospitality Sri Lanka, Consultant, Customer Service Trainer and Ex-Hotelier
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