Pauline has reserved a non-smoking hotel room, and she is upset because her room has a strong tobacco odor. She is told the only alternatives are other smoking rooms and an expensive non-smoking suite. What should the clerk offer Pauline?

Pauline has reserved a non-smoking hotel room, and she is upset because her room has a strong tobacco odor. She is told the only alternatives are other smoking rooms and an expensive non-smoking suite. What should the clerk offer Pauline?

• A. The expensive suite at the regular room price.
• B. A spray that will eliminate the odor in the room.
• C. Another smoking room where the odor is not so strong.
• D. A discount on the guest's next stay at the hotel.

Answer: (A)

When addressing a guest upset by not getting the reserved type of room, a strong service recovery move is to offer a better accommodation at no extra cost. In this situation, offering the expensive non-smoking suite at the regular room price solves the problem immediately by providing the guest a more comfortable, non-smoking option without adding expense. It shows the hotel prioritizes the guest’s comfort and loyalty, and it avoids placing the guest in a smoking room or delaying resolution. Why the other options don’t fit as well: suggesting a odor-eliminating spray is a temporary fix and may not meet the guest’s standards for a non-smoking room; moving Pauline to another smoking room still violates her non-smoking reservation; offering a discount on a future stay doesn’t address the current inconvenience and misses the chance to restore satisfaction right away.

When addressing a guest upset by not getting the reserved type of room, a strong service recovery move is to offer a better accommodation at no extra cost. In this situation, offering the expensive non-smoking suite at the regular room price solves the problem immediately by providing the guest a more comfortable, non-smoking option without adding expense. It shows the hotel prioritizes the guest’s comfort and loyalty, and it avoids placing the guest in a smoking room or delaying resolution.

Why the other options don’t fit as well: suggesting a odor-eliminating spray is a temporary fix and may not meet the guest’s standards for a non-smoking room; moving Pauline to another smoking room still violates her non-smoking reservation; offering a discount on a future stay doesn’t address the current inconvenience and misses the chance to restore satisfaction right away.