I’ve written about how to complain to hotels to get the best outcome, in situations where things go wrong. However, in this post I’d like to address a topic that’s along similar lines, but a little different — under what circumstances is it worth providing feedback when you check-out of a hotel (well, assuming you actually check out)? If you’re asked how your stay was, is it always worth being honest?
I’m curious where OMAAT readers stand on this…
In this post:
How hotels solicit feedback at check-out
Hotels are all about getting feedback nowadays, given that they’re very concerned with the reviews that people leave online, which can make or break their business.
When checking out of a hotel, I find that associates take one of four approaches to soliciting feedback (and there are important but subtle differences here):
- Some hotels don’t ask for feedback, or how everything was with a stay
- Some hotels ask if everything with a stay was okay or fine
- Some hotels ask how everything was with a stay
- Some hotels ask what could have been done better
If you stay at a hotel that falls into that last category, you know you’re in for a treat. It’s a bold question to ask what could be done to improve, because it changes the feedback dynamic. Rather than just hoping people say a stay was “fine” or “good,” you actually want to know what people really think, and what could be better. When you’re asked that question (it’s rare, in my experience), you know the hotel genuinely tries hard.
Hotels that fall into the second category, adding a leading question that already suggests a stay was okay, don’t actually want feedback. They’re just going through formalities, and want you to say “yes, everything was fine.”
Hotels that fall into the third category are the trickiest, in my opinion. It’s of course good to ask for feedback on how a stay was, but the associate needs to be ready to respond if the answer is anything other than “great.” You shouldn’t be asked how something was, have feedback or share what went wrong with the stay, and then have the associate say (without asking any details) “sorry to hear that,” and nothing more.
The associate needs to either be ready to escalate the issue to a manager, note the feedback by asking specific details, or give contact information for someone you can get in touch with who can offer help.
In that sense, I actually prefer (and don’t mind) when a hotel simply doesn’t ask how a stay was at check-out. That makes my life easy. The reality is that for most hotels there’s a post-stay survey during which you can provide feedback. So while it’s good to ask for feedback, that only applies if something is done with the information. If it’s just a rhetorical question, don’t ask, in my opinion.
Do you share hotel feedback at check-out?
With the above out of the way, I thought it would be interesting to talk about under what circumstances it even makes sense to provide feedback at check-out. Personally I hate complaining in general, and will only do it if I feel strongly about a situation, and if I feel like my feedback can improve the experience for future guests. “Tear the place down and fire everyone” isn’t exactly constructive feedback.
Obviously I blog about hotels and review them, and I pick up on both the good and bad aspects of hotels (and we also all have our own pet peeves and preferences). But in general I try to either enjoy my hotel stay best I can, or just commit to not returning to a hotel if it’s an experience I didn’t enjoy.
When it comes to providing feedback about a bad hotel stay, I’m of two different minds, as I think there are some issues that are worth addressing on property, and some that aren’t.
If you have a small number of very specific issues that can be rectified during your stay, and/or if you have non-service issues that can be fixed, I think it’s worth addressing those concerns while on-property and before check-out, so that the hotel is given an opportunity to take action and address those concerns.
This could include service issues with a particular employees, being assigned a noisy or dirty room, air conditioning not working, etc.
It’s other types of issues that I find to be more challenging to deal with. If you have a bigger picture issue that can’t be resolved during your stay, and if you decide not to check-out early, then I personally prefer taking up those issues after the fact. This includes consistent service issues throughout the property (the whole hotel staff can’t be retrained in one day), the hotel not being as advertised, issues with policies & procedures, etc.
It could be worth taking this up with the general manager while on property, if you have the time. However, many people just want to make the most of their hotel stays, and don’t want to spend their limited vacation time in conflict mode. Similarly, it can be awkward to complain about something big-picture, and then have the staff be aware of it. Lastly, many people are just better at expressing their thoughts in writing, rather than having a discussion about these kinds of topics.
I think that sums up why I’m not a huge fan of feedback at check-out. Either I’ll deal with an issue before I check-out (so that issues can be rectified), or I’ll deal with an issue after I check-out (where I can easily get in touch with someone in a senior position). The worst is when you’re proactively asked for feedback at check-out, provide said feedback, and then are brushed off.
Then there’s the whole issue of when the management is the problem (like what I experienced at Aegon Mykonos, for example), where you sometimes have to pursue other channels, especially when a hotel belongs to a major global hotel group.
Bottom line
Given the internet, hotels nowadays are hyper-focused on soliciting feedback, in hopes of getting positive reviews. I always think it’s telling how hotels go about asking for feedback at check-out. Truly great hotels that want to improve will have associates ask what can be improved, or will at least solicit feedback and take action based on that feedback.
If hotels aren’t going to take one of those approaches, I’d rather they just don’t ask. Asking for feedback, receiving feedback, and not doing anything with it, is the worst.
What’s your approach to sharing feedback when you have issues at a hotel?
I refrain from most feedback; like, it needs to be really necessary and to someone who actually cares. Otherwise, please, let’s not waste time or energy bothering a front-line house-keeper earning below minimum wage (somehow).
If it is something that really impact the stay, I will mention right away. Other issues, usually expressed through post stay survey or leave a hand written note addressed to the gm.
Most of the time it works. Some examples:
Doubletree - room was dirty. Got booked to a suite at a nearby Hilton, complimentary plus 30k Hhonors pts.
Hyatt - post stay survey, bfast took too long one day, hotel offered and sent 10k...
If it is something that really impact the stay, I will mention right away. Other issues, usually expressed through post stay survey or leave a hand written note addressed to the gm.
Most of the time it works. Some examples:
Doubletree - room was dirty. Got booked to a suite at a nearby Hilton, complimentary plus 30k Hhonors pts.
Hyatt - post stay survey, bfast took too long one day, hotel offered and sent 10k Hyatt pts, with personal email from their director of rooms.
Kempinski - letter to the gm, got a personal letter back with a note of apology.
Park Hyatt - post stay survey, got a letter from dir of rooms to come back w guaranteed suite upgrade.
HR - laundry mishap addressed directly. Dir of rooms offer Uniqlo clothes reimbursement and comp laundry for the stay.
I once reported a burned out bedside light in a NYC hotel of a major chain that has lots of business customers. One month later, I happened to stay in the same room, which was almost as likely as winning a jackpot. Still burned out.
The results of feedback about what is occurring on this website clearly demonstrates that, in the famous words which Rhett, famously said to Scarlett:
"Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn"!
Quite honestly one has to laugh at the cheek of publishing this article.
I'll guess that your actual name is Richard. Or, do people just call you Dick?
Goofy cockney bugger. Piss off.
One has to wonder which one of the Marx brothers/Bad Sisters is; Fredrick or Frederica and which one is Darryl or Darla?
Either way they both post like little girl’s blouses, yes? …. Thanks for the grin girls.
are you paying for this site? could you simply stop reading/participating if you wanted?
Answers: No, Yes.
Feel free to move on if it is not meeting your needs.
If there's a maintenance or repair issue, I just tell the front desk. If surveyed, I will offer feedback naming individual staff members who do something exceptionally well. But, I will not offer feedback when service goes wrong -- because you'll find it not just with one staff member but several -- and, if it's happening with several, it's an organizational issue -- and, if it's an organizational issue, management won't care. I just don't return.
Prominent five-star hotel fails. Lost laundry and didn't want to compensate for the loss. Indifferent to the fact its kitchen included an allergen in food that was expressly ordered with a dietary restriction. Concierge failed to confirm a transportation request. Concierge failed to confirm a restaurant reservation. Ultimately, you get a vibe and sense that any feedback would come to nothing. So, save your time and energy. Just don't return.
Does anyone honestly believe the hotel cares what you have to say? Lol! The only thing that matters it their occupancy rate. An average occupancy rate above 85% is considered excellent. In the industry. Meaning that if there occupancy rate is above 85% nobody cares about whiny little prisses.
Rod's comment might seem jaded but it rings true. Properties that do care will likely have systems in place to correct issues that come up. You can offer feedback but it's likely to be resolved without feedback. Properties that don't care will maintain their practices irrespective of feedback. Guests who faithfully stick with a brand name enable these poor-service properties. Without a revenue consequence, we all suffer.
Thanks Frederick, agreed and very well said.
Depends on the issue. If it is an employee issue, I might respond to the question at the check out if it is a big deal but often I ignore small things because I don't like complaining. One time, one of the bar staff at kimpton Barcelona was just super rude for no reason and her colleague seem to feel bad and helped me order (simply because their digital menu didn't work on my phone...
Depends on the issue. If it is an employee issue, I might respond to the question at the check out if it is a big deal but often I ignore small things because I don't like complaining. One time, one of the bar staff at kimpton Barcelona was just super rude for no reason and her colleague seem to feel bad and helped me order (simply because their digital menu didn't work on my phone and she kept saying it works and there is no physical menu). Then her colleague showed the menu on his phone so I can order. The. She didn't bring one of my orders and when I asked her she just said I didn't order it in a very hostile attitude so I just let it go and left. While leaving a couple sitting next to me headed down on an elevator and the wife said she heard everything and felt bad for me. So I wasn't out of the place. At the checkout I didn't respond but when I was leaving the manager at the duty who approached me at the check in and told me she was ready to help improve anything, I just very briefly told her that it is not nice to be hostile and it is better for them to take my order and earn money instead of keep insisting that the customer didn't order. She said she would look into and I already checked out so I wasn't expecting anything but she kindly followed up and sent an apology via email and give me some points. I felt she really appreciated my feedback and very happy to come back, otherwise I would have left with a sad note with the hotel
I always mention anything not working properly in the room that wasn't important enough for me to raise it earlier (E.g. basin draining somewhat slowly, or something I don't use myself but other future guests will)
To me this is being helpful to management and to future guests.
I also give feedback on what I see as errors in the design specification E.g. no desk, no hooks for towels.
And compliment on the rare occassions they get lighting on the bathroom mirror right.
One comment won't make a difference, but if enough of us say them often enough, the messages may get through.
And I'm sure the hotel cares.........
I am super laidback and almost never give feedback and probably should more often. When I do it’s in extreme cases with gross negligence of room maintenance or condition. I typically take pics and show it at checkout of all the issues with the room. About 75 percent of the time they offer me some points, or they just randomly show up in my account later and they don’t tell me they will. I am...
I am super laidback and almost never give feedback and probably should more often. When I do it’s in extreme cases with gross negligence of room maintenance or condition. I typically take pics and show it at checkout of all the issues with the room. About 75 percent of the time they offer me some points, or they just randomly show up in my account later and they don’t tell me they will. I am only Platinum Bonvoy, but mention to them “As a longtime Platinum Bonvoy member I’ve stayed in a lot of hotels and your maintenance really could use some work on room xxx. I’m just bringing this up cuz if you don’t know about it you can’t fix it and often people just don’t say anything, so thought you should be aware so you can fix it.”
Normally I’ve gotten between 5k-10k points. I don’t demand it but they either offer or they just randomly appear in my account later.
Always send the feedback in an email before check out to flag it and say you expect it to be dealt with at checkout. Almost always is. Turning up at checkout and surprising them rarely gets anything in my experience
If it's a 5 star hotel like St Regis or Hotel Nikko then I would give feedback because usually there is a manger who has some leeway to make amends and take time to listen. Otherwise not. In a Holiday Inn Express or similar they don't really care or have any empowerment to do anything about an issue, so in those cases my silent feedback is just to not stay there again.