CASE STUDY

1. Were the hostess’s actions consistent with a customer-focused quality

philosophy? What might she have done differently?

No, the hostess' acts were not associated with the customer-focused concept of
quality. If the hostess' intentions were consistent, she may have taken responsibility for
the missed reservation, instead of throwing the blame back on Mark and Donna and
driving them away to the waiting area. Had the hostess' behavior been consistent with a
customer-focused quality ethic, she may have taken care of the mistake of missing the
reservation. Rather than declining to wait until all the other guests were seated, they
should have been seated at their appointed time, and the manager should have done
whatever it took to juggle late arrivals or set up extra tables, if necessary, in order to
accommodate all parties. It was also very non-customer-focused to imply that she's the
manager, and to turn to another duty immediately. The hostess did not speak respectfully
to the visitors, and then she only turned to another task without making the guests an
apology. They only responded when they got comments from Mark, by sending a letter
to Mark. At that moment, she wanted her full attention to the issue and it would have been
fair to encourage the customer to talk to the hotel manager, not just the restaurant
manager.
I like the way that she gave them coffee and refreshments as they waited, she
should have taken them to a pre-staging table to wait for the hotel to have such a matter.
She should have come to get the lead person in charge of the hotel at the time instead of
snapping at them to be the manager on duty. She should have offered them snacks, or
drinks as they waited, or anything that could entertain the children.

2. How would you have reacted to the letter that Mark received? Could the Total
Quality Lead have responded differently? What does the fact that the hotel
manager did not personally respond to the customer tell you?

First and foremost, not everyone has the luxury to spend their time creating a letter
of complaint. It has never been easy to any of the customers to complain, criticize, and
have all the time to talk about the problems they have encountered with the business. If I
were Mark, I will feel offended with the letter that I have received because it clearly shows
that what they did was only to comply with the customer service protocols and not have
the best corrective action plan. The way they responded to Mark’s letter needs to show
more empathy and emotion. They should have made Mark’s family feel that they are
talking to an actual person and not just some representative. The very first thing that the
hotel manager should have done is he should have apologized personally on behalf of
the hotel for the inconvenience that Mark’s family has experienced. This way, the
customer may feel reassured. Taking the time to listen to the customer, understand their
specific problem, and offer a solution is the best way to handle a complaint. Always listen
to your customers. They have complained for a reason and it is important to understand
why they are complaining. Also, many customers are simply looking for an apology and
acknowledgement of their complaint. Never underestimate the importance of apology. It
is known that the hotel is large and well known, and as a hotel manager, you have a lot
of other businesses to attend to. But, the primary responsibility of a manager is to take
account of the restaurant and hotel guests of which he failed to do so.
The Total Quality Lead should have also made a specific action about their
concern and not just handing off the issue to another department head. They should have
also not just considered it as a feedback but they should have also made a follow up with
the customers to make sure they are satisfied with the solution they have provided. In
addition, the hotel’s operational team is not catering to all their guests but rather
segmenting it, as seen when the hostess claimed to be the manager. With their solution
to the issue, it showed how flawed the hotel’s philosophy of “continuous improvement”
and those they have to consider reassessing it. As the saying goes, customer service
makes the backbone of any successful business. With that, you can’t afford to turn off a
customer.