How to handle guest complaints: scripts that work
Every property gets complaints. A shower that runs cold, a noisy neighbour, a missing kettle, a room that is not what the photos suggested. What decides the review is rarely the problem itself; it is how quickly and how honestly it was handled. Here are the words that work at each stage, and the ones that make things worse.
Reply fast, even before you have a fix
The first reply does not need a solution. It needs to show the guest that a person has read the complaint and is acting on it. Silence is what turns a mild complaint into an angry one. Aim to acknowledge within minutes during the day and within an hour in the evening, even if the fix takes longer.
‘Thank you for letting us know, [Name]. I am sorry the [issue]. I am arranging for someone to look at it and will update you within [time].’
Ask for what you need to fix it
Vague complaints lead to wasted visits. Ask for one or two specifics, ideally a photo or video, the room, and when it started. Make it easy: ‘Could you send a photo of the thermostat display? That tells us whether it is the setting or the boiler.’ A guest who sends a photo has also become part of the solution, which lowers the temperature of the conversation.
Say who, when and what next
Every update should answer three questions: who is handling it, when it will happen, and what the guest should expect. ‘Someone will look at it’ invites a follow-up message. ‘Karim from our maintenance team will be there between 4 and 5 pm; he will knock and introduce himself’ does not.
If the timing slips, say so before the promised time passes, not after.
Phrases to avoid
The common thread: these phrases defend the property instead of solving the guest’s problem.
- ‘No one has ever complained about this before.’ It tells the guest they are the problem.
- ‘That is not possible.’ Explain what is possible instead.
- ‘As stated in the listing…’ Even when you are right, quoting the rules back escalates.
- ‘Unfortunately there is nothing we can do.’ There is almost always something, even if it is small.
- Long apologies with no action. One sincere sentence, then the plan.
Confirm the fix with the guest
Do not mark a problem solved because the technician left. Ask the guest: ‘The [issue] should be fixed now. Could you confirm it works on your side?’ Problems that were assumed fixed but were not are the ones that appear, in detail, in three-star reviews. The confirmation also gives the guest a clear ending, which is what they remember.
When to offer compensation
Offer something when the problem took away part of what the guest paid for, such as a night without hot water, a unit that could not be used, or a promised facility that was closed. Match the gesture to the impact, offer it once, and make it concrete: a partial refund for the affected night, a late checkout, a dinner at a local restaurant, a discount on a return stay.
Do not offer compensation to make a complaint go away before it has been fixed. Fix first, then offer. A refund without a fix feels like being paid to stop asking.
Responding to a complaint in a public review
Your reply is written for future guests more than for the reviewer. Keep it short, thank the guest, acknowledge the specific issue, say what you changed, and do not argue about details.
‘Thank you for staying with us, [Name], and for the feedback about the [issue]. You were right; we have since [specific change]. We are glad you enjoyed [something positive they mentioned] and hope to welcome you back.’
If a review contains something false, correct it once, calmly and factually, without personal remarks.
Learn from the pattern, not just the complaint
Record every complaint with the property, unit, category and how long it took to resolve. After a few months, patterns appear: the same boiler, the same unclear instruction, the same noisy room. Fixing the cause of a recurring complaint does more for your ratings than handling each one perfectly.