IS THE GUEST ALWAYS RIGHT IN TOURISM MANAGEMENT ? । Debasree Bhowmik

Tourism has been proved as one of the main driving force of many established economies of the current world, Malaysia is one of the most remarkable example. In order to maintain the momentum stakeholders of this sector maintain certain standards. These standards are respected around the globe. One of the standard is ‘Guest is always right’ coined by Ellsworth M. Statler – The Henry Ford of the modern hotel. This principle is still dominant universally.

The essence of the above proposition is found in almost all the beliefs. In Hinduism, Guest is regarded as someone equivalent to god; it means they are very much respectable in all circumstances. Islam has given high status to guest, and it has been made sacrosanct by Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) when he said, let the believer of Allah and the day of judgment honor his guest. Buddhism is no exception in this regard. Buddhists have the duty to welcome and help to the guest, stranger and traveler. A Sanskrit verse for believers of Hindu faith says “Atithi deva bhaba”. Although, it is amply visible that guest must be treated with the highest honor, but should they be treated in such a manner that they can say no wrong in any circumstances that means “Le client n’a jamais tort”?

History of the successful hoteliers in the world reveals that the principle “Le client n’a jamais tort” has been a key to their success. They embraced these standards in different forms. Founder of Ritz Carlton hotels, a Swiss hotelier, César Ritz said, “If a diner complains about a dish or the wine, immediately remove it and replace it, no questions asked”. It was prevalent until 1890’s and this attitude still permeates Ritz Carlton hotels and is a big factor in the brand’s success.

In Germany the attitude towards guests is “der Kunde ist König” (the guest is king).King of a kingdom always decides what is wrong and what is right. The staffs of a hotel in Germany treat their guest as a king by serving all which are required by the guest. The staffs should agree with the guest’s complain and make him win with the proper solution whether he is right or wrong without questioning.

In Spanish the phrase is “El cliente siempre tiene la razón.” In Italian, it’s “il cliente ha sempre ragione.” Both phrases translate to “the customer always has a reason.” It’s up to employees and customer service agents to find that reason and make sure customers are treated well.

The Japanese have the motto, “okyakusama wa kamisama desu” (お客様は神様です), meaning “the customer is a god.” That sentiment is echoed in Japan’s Consumer Contract Act, which assures fair trade for customers and prohibits unfair commercial practices.

Diversified demands and unique opinions of the guests always benefits hotels to g row more mature. It is because guests always help the hoteliers to know their limitations and where to develop. Hence, a successful hotel should always analyze the demands of the guests and progress accordingly.

For the sake of better hospitality hosts must differentiate between logical and illogical demands of the guests and take actions accordingly. In many circumstances, it is found that guests are putting unnecessary demands to the hotel staffs and showing wrong demeanor. It is always challenging for a hotel staff to say ‘NO’ on the face of a guest. Experts often discourage saying ‘NO’ to a guest. Instead they should let the guest realize technically that why the demand is not maintainable and what are the alternatives.

The conflict between resources and demand is a classic problem. It is obvious that hoteliers have to take care of the demands of the guests taking in mind that resources are limited.But in all circumstances, visitors should be under this impression that none of theirpleasures are compromised.

Debasree Bhowmik
Lecturer, Department of Tourism & Hospitality Management ,
Business Studies Group,
National University , Gazipur, Bangladesh
Email : [email protected]