Saying ' no problem ' should be against hotel policy
Guided more by a ‘me’ than a ‘we’ attitude, we Sri Lankans find ourselves surrounded nowadays by bad manners everywhere. And in a hotel or restaurant, not only are bad manners deplorable, they also translate into poor customer experience. Many have been the times when hotel staff has stepped into the hotel lift ahead of me or other hotel guests.
As hoteliers, we spend a lot of time and money on providing proper amenities to our guests. Typically, we give considerably less attention and training to our staff so that they convey a proper attitude to our guests – especially with the words they use.
One of my pet hates is the ‘no problem’ response that has crept into the world of hospitality. To me, ‘no problem’ is a problem. ‘No problem’ is almost like a national slogan. It may have its place in casual conversation, but certainly not in hotels.
An American friend complains that this is now a major issue in the United States. For a long time now, whenever he says ‘thank you’, he is most often than not, told ‘no problem’. No longer do people say ‘you’re welcome’. The few times someone avoids saying ‘no problem’ … he would hear ‘no worries’ instead. It’s a question of ‘heads’ you win ‘tails’ I lose.
By my reckoning, ‘no problems’ morphed from ‘no worries’. You tell hotel staff that you have a problem – only to be told ‘no worries’. Actually, there is a problem that worries you, and that’s why you (guest) bought it to the staff’s notice.
Most staff believes they are being reassuring when they use the ‘no problem’ phrase and that’s when I see a red flag. By my experience, nine out of ten staff who parroted ‘no problem’, never got it right or were unable to fix the problem first time around. Now, whenever someone responds with these two dreaded words, I get this sneaky feeling that it is a well disguised sarcastic equivalent of ‘who cares’.
I recall the time my wife and I booked a room at an upscale resort hotel. We were checked in by the young male receptionist and sent to our room fairly quickly – only to discover that it had twin beds. When I called and informed the receptionist that we had reserved a room with a double bed, I received a ‘no problem’ reply in an upbeat tone. Made me wonder… what the heck? Here is a problem created by the hotel staff and when informed of the problem I’m told that there is ‘no problem’?
Take the case of a person who responds to your ‘thank you’ with ‘no problem’ or no worries’. What happens if you yell back “I never said there was a problem!’ When someone responds to your ‘thank you’ with ‘no worries’, it’s like you were requesting a pardon. But you weren’t asking for forgiveness ― you were just saying ‘thank you’ and showing gratitude. For most people, the phrase has become a half-hearted replacement for ‘you are welcome’.
If you want your customers to remember you in a positive manner, rather than say ‘no problem’ when someone says ‘thank you’, respond with a ‘my pleasure’. In other words, people will associate you with the words you tell them to associate with you. So, unless you want your customers to associate your business with problems, stop your team using “no problem”!
If you think more carefully about the language of hospitality, you can be confident that your guests will think more positively of you – and of your property.
I sure will.
Shafeek Wahab, Editor – Hospitality Sri Lanka, Consultant, Trainer, Ex- Hotelier |
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