SCHOOL YEAR 

: 2021/2022

SCHOOL : LPH ABIDJAN

CLASS : TH3B

UNIT 4 : Dealing with complaints

LESSON 1 : Dealing with a complaining guest at a restaurant

TYPE OF LESSON : Reading for comprehension.

TEACHER : Mr ASSOUAN GOLE

DEALING WITH A COMPLAINING GUEST

In every restaurant, staff have to deal with complaints no matter how well they cook or serve.
It’s just part of the restaurant business. When the complaints are well handled, they can
transform the complainers into repeated guests. One of the best ways to reach this objective is
through the application of the STARS Technique.

In fact, STARS Technique stands for : Sorry, Thank you, Act, Recover and Share. Before you
put it into practice, you have to listen carefully to the customer express his complaint without
interrupting him. Just after this, you say sorry no matter what happened ; whether the
customer is right or wrong. Then you thank him for letting you know about what made him
unhappy This has the advantage of making you identify what needs to be improved in your
restaurant. After this step, you tell the customer the action you are going to take and
immediately, act accordingly, to prove that you are hundred percent committed to solve the
problem fast. If the food is cold, go heat it. If the customer doesn’t like what he has ordered,
take it back and suggest something else from your menu. If it’s taking too long, go to the
kitchen and talk to the chef. After solving the problem, recover your customer by starting a
nice conversation with him or by offering him a special dessert. Make sure the customer
leaves the restaurant with a smile. At the end of the service, don’t miss to share the case with
your team so that everybody understands what made the customer unhappy and avoid it in
the future. 

Adapted from HANDLING RESTAURANT COMPLAINTS by Paulo Calisto ONLINE.

School year: 2021/2022 WORKSHEETS Duration : 55 minutes

School : LPHA Class : TH3B

UNIT 4 : Dealing with complaints

LESSON1 : Dealing with a complaining guest at a restaurant

TYPE OF LESSON : Reading for comprehension.

ACTIVITY 1. (4 mins) Read the text and decide if it is about :

a. Listing some restaurant complaints.

b. A hotel complaining guest.
c. How to deal with a complaining guest at restaurant.
d. Serving food at a restaurant.

ACTIVITY 2 : Read the text carefully and match each word or expression from column
A with it’s corresponding one in column B. work individually first (3 mins) then with
your neighbour (3 mins). Number 1 is an example.

COLUMN A COLUMN B ANSWERS

1. To handle a) Willing 1. c

2. Repeated guest b) To cool down 2…….

3. Improved c) To deal with 3……..

4. To recover d) To not make happen again 4……..

5. Committed e) To get better 5……..

6. To avoid f) Regular guest 6……..

ACTIVITY 3 : Read the text carefully again and find which of the following statements
are True (T) or False (F).Indicate the text lines to justify your answers. Work in pair
first (4 mins) then compare your answers with another pair (3 mins). Number 1 is an
example.

STATEMENTS ANSWERS JUSTIFICATONS

1. Any restaurant has ever dealt with a complaint. T L1

2. Complaints always cause bad reputation. …… …….

3. To listen carefully to the customer without ……. …….

interrupting him is part of the STARS technique.

4. You thank the customer in order to recover him. …….. …….

5. If the food is cool, you don’t need to change it. …….. ……...

6. The customer must not leave the restaurant unhappy. …….. ………

ACTIVITY 4 : Work in group of five (5). Have a member choose a subject of complaint
from a box at random. Prepare a dialogue between a waiter (or a waitress) and a
customer in in which both of them are trying to deal with this complaint. Your work
will be dramatized before the rest of the class at a table specially laid. The best
performance will represent the class at the english club activities ceremony.(20 mins)