If you consider the number of problems that can befall hotel customers during a stay, it can be a bit overwhelming.
Broken remote controls. Plumbing problems. Noise from adjoining guestrooms. Incorrect orders from room service. Room key issues. HVAC issues. Kids running in the halls. Not enough chairs at the pool. Slow service in restaurants. Incorrect room type at check-in.
And the list goes on and on.
Studies show that product problems account for nearly sixty percent of all guest complaints.
But there is one problem – over and above all others – that causes not only dissatisfaction, but a complete break in a hotel customer’s trust.
What could negatively impact hotel customer loyalty so greatly? According to data-analysis firm Market Metrix, staff-related problems in hotels can lead to a whopping 26.2% drop in guest loyalty .
Service problems, on the other hand, make up a much smaller portion of reported problems, but have a much more dramatic impact on guest loyalty. Just look at staff-related problems in the table below. They are only 4.7% of reported problems. But staff problems punch way above their weight causing loyalty to plummet by over 26 points when they do occur.
On the other hand, the nearly 60% of hotel customer complaints COMBINED only account for a 12% drop in hotel customer loyalty.
This study begs the question: With such a large number of guest product complaints, how much time is your hotel spending to fix staff problems?
Television remotes can be replaced, but a disengaged hotel customer may be lost forever.