Takeaways

1.     Throughout this course, I have learned a lot about customer complaints and service recovery. Every complaint is a gift. If they stop complaining when facing issues, it means they have given up hope on the business. Therefore, every complaint gives the company an opportunity to solve a problem and transform the unhappy customers to satisfied customers. I also apply the knowledge I learned in class in my workplace. Since I work at the front desk at a gym, sometimes I receive complaints from our clients on various issues. I usually thanked them for reaching out to us, and then checked the problem to see if there was any confusion or misunderstanding involved. If there is, I always apologize and fix the issue right away. If they misunderstand something, I still apologize for the confusion caused, but explain to them what might be wrong on their end. Finally, I will make sure I talk to my supervisor and come up with a solution to prevent future mistakes.  

2.     I also learned about the labor relations in the hospitality industry. I did not know that the restaurant employees do not have a single paid sick day. However, I am glad that NGOs like ROC is taking actions to change the current situation.

3.     The course gives me a precious opportunity to conduct an informational interview with the restaurateur Michael Thompson at ShopHouse. He gave me many advices in terms of professional development and different perspectives on relevant hospitality issues.