If there’s one unavoidable reality in any customer-oriented business, it’s this: No matter how good you are, you won’t make everyone happy all the time. There’s simply no getting around it. For example, restaurant customers are going to be unhappy, whether because the kitchen was slow, the server was rude, the wait was long, the restroom was dirty or someone put mayonnaise on their hamburger. In the hotel business, some customers will be unhappy about maid service, or a lack of towels at the pool.
The question for you, as a business owner or manager in charge of the customer experience, is when – and from whom – do you want to hear about the negative experience?