St. Michael CHS TFJ4C - Hospitality Problem Solving Unit 3 St. Michael CHS TFJ4C - Hospitality

Problem Solving “is an active resolution to a challenging situation.” Most avoid – Considerable stress Perceived as unpleasant Companies must prepare their employees to deal with problems by providing problem solving skills.

Individualized process: Problem solving and decision making processes are individualized processes. - What is important is the end result, not the process of determining the solution. As long as the solution is timely, the process is less important.

Interacting with customers: 1) Carefully listen to the customer’s explanations of a situation or problem 2) Ask pertinent questions to clarify information 3) Provide customer with an appropriate solution (a solution that they are in agreement) To accomplish this customer service providers must be equipped with problem solving strategies, negotiating skills, conflict resolution skills, and communication skills (for the follow-up).

Problem Solving: 7 steps to success 1 – identify the problem – sometime the real problem may not be easily identified – because of variables that are more recognizable. (ie food that is being delivered by supplier – cook too busy to check order). 2) Understand the problem’s unique characteristics and the possible outcomes. - 3) Identify the requirements of a possible solution given the policies of the facility. – 4) Identify possible solutions - 5) Select the best solution 6) Implement the solution, informing the customer of the details and how the customer is affected. 7) Observe and evaluate.

Negotiating: Steps: 1) Know your customers Defined: the evaluation of the possible solutions to a challenge and the selection of the solution that is mutually beneficial. Steps: 1) Know your customers 2) ask questions and listen to the spoken and unspoken messages 3) Know the policies of your organization and areas that are flexible. 4) Demonstrate a willingness to be flexible 5) Learn to handle your anger and your customer’s anger appropriately 6) Consider what the customer may lose in the negatiating process 7) determine mutually beneficial solutions to challenging problems and situations

Apologizing and sharing bad news A) Acknowledge customer’s feelings B) Express to the customer that you share the responsibility for the problem. C) Be sincere D) Ask for the opportunity to correct the problem E) Request the opportunity to continue to do business in the future.

Barriers to Problem Solving and Decision Making Resistance to change - “Time honoured ways of doing things” Habits – cell phones, personal calls, nails, Individual insecurity – ‘confrontation’ versus ‘discussion’ Past history – ‘it worked before’ – knowledge of customer Fear of success or failure – ‘unknown can be frightening” Jumping to conclusions – assumptions are made – rather than listening Perceptions – we see things based on our experiences – blind to other’s perceptions.

Follow- up Define: Checking back to determine whether or not a situation is operating according to the initial plan. Customers remember the end of their interaction, not the beginning or the middle.

Quiz 1) Problem solving is an active resolution to a challenging situation. T or F 2) Customers overwhelmingly oppose creativity in problem solving. T or F 3) Speed is not an important factor to customers when they have a problem to be solved. T or F 4) Showing anger to a customer is appropriate. T or F 5) The solutions that customer service providers come up with are always right. T or F 6) Habits can be a barrier to problem solving. T or F 7) Follow-up is important. Customers remember the beginning of interaction, not the end. T or F