The last couple of times our family has stayed at a hotel, there have been some (relatively minor) issues that I wanted to talk about with the front desk clerk at checkout
(SEE ALSO: Should you expect hotel fire alarm compensation?)
(SEE ALSO: What Should You Tell The Hotel Front Desk If Your Stay Was Awful?)
But at checkout each of the clerks did not ask about my stay. Â Sure, I could have proactively brought things up (and I have on occasion) but I was looking to bring it up as part of a conversation.
Do front desk clerks intentionally not ask you about your stay?
So that got me to wondering if front desk clerks intentionally don’t ask you about your stay? Â I could see that as a training tool since at checkout, there’s not much that the hotel can do to “fix” your stay, since you’re on your way out. Â And I could see that this might put the staff in an awkward spot if the customer angles for compensation in the form of money off the bill and/or rewards points.
I have had recent hotel stays (such as at the Hilton Garden Inn Cusco) where someone calls up to the room shortly after check-in to ask if everything is okay with the room.
Still, it seems like it would be good customer service going forward to listen to your customers.  It would be better than 20 minute surveys they harass you about over email after you stay somewhere 🙂
Readers – what say you? Â I’d especially love to hear from any current or former hotel front desk clerks to see if this is part of training
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Dan Miller travels with his wife and 6 (SIX!) children. He loves to help families travel for free / cheap, especially larger families. If you are looking for help, drop him an email at 
Slightly off topic, but I notice that if my flight is delayed, I never get a survey from the airline – I only get surveys if the flight was on time or was early. I assume that’s the way that they can make claims about excellent customer satisfaction – they pick and choose when to survey.
i can easily see the flip side of that coin – abusers making up stuff that’s hard to and looks too petty to verify, e.g. “the couple next door were making unruly noises at 2am”, then the clerk had to give out points as a goodwill gesture out of fear those abusers will use social media as a bully pulpit platform.
That is so true.
If the clerk didn’t ask about it and I needed to complain about my stay, I would start my complaint by confronting the clerk “why don’t you ask how was my stay?!” or “I think you are supposed to ask me how was my stay!!”. Then you can see that awkward look on their face…. And very often that confrontation gave me more compensation.
LOL that’s right. Put em on the defensive to start!!!! 😛
If I wasn’t asked this on checkout, I’d be surprised. I look at it as the end of the service and if there is something wrong with the room, this is their chance to fix it for the next guest. This question should be part of hotel customer service 101.
My last 4 or 5 times I have not been asked how my stay was
I used to work, and then later manage, the front desk, and can tell you it is to avoid dealing with complaints. Most agents hate having to deal with people that complain because they hear the same problems over and over again; shower leaks, something broken, towels stained, etc. To them, they think everyone is out to do one over the hotel, or take away their upgrade commission.
The real gems are the ones that listen, empathize and act on issues that can be solved. The room with the elevator next to it… can’t be. But you can update that guests profile to indicate AE – away from elevator, for future stays.
I’m in accounting now and couldn’t be happier – guest services manager can be tough.
Thanks for the feedback Brad – I figured it was something like that.
It absolutely should be the first question on check-out. By contrast, I’m tired of the first question being “Did you have anything from the minibar?” It’s the difference between ‘We’d genuinely like to know how your stay was’ and ‘Let’s see if we can slug ’em for one last overpriced bottle of Coke’.
Hate to tell you, but with your whole family, I’d never ask because one of you would complain with a herd that size.
Seriously? So in a “normal” sized family, how many of the children routinely interact with the front desk staff much less complain to them?
The hotel front desk already deals with enough guests who are in a bad mood. I don’t expect them to try and create even more unpleasant conversations.
I’m always proactive. When I check out (not before because I don’t want workers coming in my room) I am a good samaritan and tell the FDC about anything that needs to be fixed. I don’t ever ask for points, but if they are volunteered the hotel has earned a repeat guest.
This morning I went to the front desk to change rooms. (After a couple of wasted days from construction noise, I wanted to be moved to a better room.) After the FDC found me a new room, I gave her a list of things broken in my current room. She was smart enough to ask “do you want them fixed now, or wait until you’ve switched to the new room?”
Easy for her, easy for me, but I had prepared what I needed to say to her before I got there. Bushwacking guests with that question as they are checking out is asking for problems.
I am in a hotel right now and it is a pain to have things that need to be fixed and have workers coming into your room. I have had to have the water pressure fixed as it was a trickle lightbulbs replaced sliding glass door wooden slide or open, no hand towels or washcloths. We are at a luxury all inclusive resort. Should not have to be asking for things to be fixed.
I thinks it’s also to not have to deal with the Miles to Memory crowd (ie poor people who try to get free stays/comp…the type that finds a hair in every meal).
Check out is not the time form the hotel to find out about all the issues you had. They should have a chance to fix them and make your stay better in real time.