Handling Staff Mistakes - Reflections of A Reluctant Pub Landlady
Introduction
In any business, including hospitality, mistakes are inevitable—sometimes small, but other times costly. As a business owner or manager, it’s essential to know how to handle these situations, prevent their recurrence, and, most importantly, support your team through the fallout. Here are three real-life anecdotes from my pubs involving staff mistakes.
The Missing Bed Sheet Incident
One evening, we faced an intense situation that began with a simple oversight. A member of our housekeeping staff forgot to place a bottom sheet on the bed in one of the guest rooms. This seemingly small mistake snowballed when an extremely angry guest stormed through the kitchen, burst into our office, and began shouting about how awful our coaching inn was. He was bubbling over with rage, his behaviour inexcusable, but we worked hard to placate him and quickly rectified the mistake.
The next day, the guest apologised for his over-reaction. The situation reminded us of an important lesson: no matter how small a mistake may seem, the impact on a guest’s experience can be significant. Prevention starts with rigorous training and consistent checks. We tweaked our final room-check process to ensure all essential checks were in place. Additionally, we emphasised to our red-faced housekeeper the importance of taking care and double checking they had completed every task to mitigate the situation before it escalates.
In situations like this, it’s critical to take responsibility swiftly and sincerely. Apologising to the guest and ensuring the problem is rectified is key. Mistakes will happen—how you respond is what matters most.
The Cornflakes Conundrum
In another instance, a staff member decided to switch our usual brand of cornflakes without permission. Unfortunately, the replacement was coated in nuts, and this led to a guest’s daughter having an allergic reaction. Or so they claimed. We were shocked, but as we later discovered, the guest’s daughter was seen eating nuts at our pub later in the day, raising doubts about the seriousness of the complaint. While it seemed like a vexatious claim, we realized it could have been far worse.
The customer also reported us and we had a visit from Trading Standards the next day – she was very understanding and gave us a couple of minor actions to implement, but it could have been reputationally damaging.
This event was a reminder of how easily oversights in product selection can lead to dangerous situations. To prevent this, we reinforced our staff training, ensuring everyone knows the importance of adhering strictly to product specifications and allergen labeling. Additionally, we established a clearer protocol for food purchasing to avoid substitutions without proper checks.
When accusations like these arise, it’s crucial to handle them with professionalism and sensitivity. Though it may feel like an overblown reaction or a vexatious complaint to leverage a discount, every customer complaint should be treated seriously to safeguard both the customer and your business from potential risks.
The Birthday Table Oversight
A more personal challenge came when a manager forgot to check the diary at the start of her shift. This led to a failure to set up a birthday table for a guest, who was a chef at a neighbouring pub, and which I had personally promised would be ready. The organiser was understandably disappointed, but the situation became worse when they posted a personal and highly critical review online, singling me out for failing to deliver on my promise.
This was a tough pill to swallow and badly dented my professional pride, but it underscored the importance of internal communication and ensuring that promises made by one member of the team are followed through by others. To prevent such errors, we established a stricter diary management process. Every shift started with a meeting where any special requests or bookings were reviewed.
In situations like these, it’s vital to take the flack and own up to staff mistakes—both online and in-person. Responding to the review with an honest apology and explanation goes a long way toward repairing the relationships.
Taking the Flack for Staff Mistakes: Why It’s Important
As a business owner or manager, you are the face of your establishment, and when things go wrong, it’s often your responsibility to take the flack—even when the mistake aren’t directly your fault. Showing support for your team, both in front of customers and behind the scenes, is crucial to maintaining morale and demonstrating strong leadership.
When dealing with mistakes:
- Take responsibility: Admit the error and offer a solution.
- Show empathy: Acknowledge the customer’s frustration and ensure they feel heard.
- Learn from it: Put measures in place to prevent the same mistake from happening again.
By fostering a culture of accountability, both for yourself and your team, you create an environment where mistakes become opportunities for growth rather than moments of blame. At the end of the day, hospitality is about relationships—with your customers and your staff. Navigating these challenges effectively builds trust and strengthens your business.
Conclusion
Running a pub is no easy feat, and staff mistakes will happen. However, with the right systems in place, you can minimise these mistakes, learn from them, and handle the fallout with grace. Remember, it’s not the mistake itself but how you respond to it that defines your business’s reputation.
