You may all prefer not to deal with them, but as long as you work at a hotel, you will inevitably face situations where you have no choice but to respond to a guest's complaint.
Whether or not the complaint is justified aside, the guest is already feeling displeased, and if we handle the situation wrongly, we may lose the guest's trust in the hotel.
では、どうすればいいのでしょうか。
So what should we do?
そのときはお客様のお話を聞くことがいちばん大切です。
The most important thing at such a time is to listen to what the guest has to say.
Rather than treating the guest as just a passerby who stays for a few days, treat them as a member of your own family and listen carefully to the very end.
わがABKホテルは多くのお客様にサービスの質の高さを評価され、愛されてきました。
Our ABK Hotel has always been well regarded and loved by many guests for its high quality of service.
This bag can be used both as a business bag and as a travel bag for a one-night trip, so it's very convenient.
当ホテルではお支払いのときにサービス料として10%いただきます。
At our hotel, a 10% service charge is added when you pay.
What people say in everyday speech
〜の立場で／〜なんだから
「として」 is used to state "in the capacity of / as," and in many situations it is common in speech too (for example, 「友達として言うけど」). However, the noun-modifying form 「〜としての＋N」, as in 「ホテルスタッフとしての心構え」, has the formal flavor found in training sessions, speeches, and briefings. In everyday conversation, to express a similar meaning you would break it into simpler sentences, such as 「スタッフになったんだから、こういうことも気をつけないとね」 or 「スタッフの立場で考えると…」, which sound much more relaxed and natural.
Used to say that "as long as one is in the state of ~ (here), it does not change (it is safe)," as in 「ここにいる限り、安全だ」. It is also used with verbs such as 「見た・聞いた・調べた・知っている」 to say what one knows within that range, meaning "as far as I know/saw."
Connection V-る／V-ない／V-ている + 限り ＊「なAな＋限り」の形もある。
Examples
高齢者でも、働ける限りは働きたいと思っている人が多い。
Even among the elderly, many people want to keep working as long as they are able to.
練習のやり方を変えない限り、優勝は無理だとコーチに言われた。
The coach told me that unless we change the way we practice, winning the championship is out of the question.
仕事をしている限り、嫌なこともちろんあるが、そこから学ぶことも多い。
As long as you work, there are of course unpleasant things, but you can also learn a lot from them.
母は「体が丈夫な限り、一人暮らしを続ける」と私に言った。
My mother told me, "As long as I'm healthy, I'll keep living on my own."
私が知っている限りでは、電気製品はこの店がいちばん安いです。
As far as I know, this shop is the cheapest for electrical appliances.
調べた限りでは、日本語を勉強するにはこの学校がいちばんいい。
As far as I've researched, this school is the best for studying Japanese.
同僚から聞いた限りでは、今度の部長は仕事に厳しいらしいよ。
From what my coworker told me, the new department manager is apparently strict about work.
What people say in everyday speech
〜してれば
「限り」 is a written or formal expression meaning "as long as one is in the state of ~," common in speeches, explanations, and contract clauses. In everyday speech, the same meaning is usually expressed with the simple conditional 「〜してれば」, as in 「ホテルで仕事してれば、クレーム対応は絶対あるよ」, which is far more natural and casual than 「仕事を続ける限り」. The "as far as I know" use, as in 「知っている限りでは」, is also often shortened in conversation to 「知ってる限り」 or just 「たぶん」.
Used to say, depending on the circumstances, "I don't want to, but I have to... / there is no choice but to..."
Connection V-ない + ざるを得ない ＊「する」→「せざるを得ない」
Examples
台風接近のため、野外コンサートは中止せざるを得なくなった。
Because a typhoon was approaching, the outdoor concert had to be canceled.
会社からの転勤命令には従わざるを得ないと考える人が多いらしい。
It seems many people think that a transfer order from the company must be obeyed.
日本は食料を輸入に頼らざるを得ない状態だ。
Japan has no choice but to depend on imports for its food.
首相の発言は国民感情を無視したものと言わざるを得ない。
The Prime Minister's remarks can only be described as ignoring the feelings of the people.
What people say in everyday speech
〜するしかない
「ざるを得ない」 is already classified as spoken language in the textbook, and saying 「対応せざるを得ない」 in daily life is not strange, but its conjugated form (ない-stem + ざる) still reads as somewhat written to many learners. A more casual and commonly used expression is 「〜するしかない」, as in 「クレームに対応するしかないよね」. The meaning is almost the same, but it has the tone of friends venting, without the slightly resigned, written flavor of 「ざるを得ない」.
Studying is not something where, if you study today, you don't have to study tomorrow.
結婚は愛があればいいというものでもない。
Marriage is not simply a matter of having love, either.
泥棒の被害は鍵をかければ防げるというものではない。
Damage from theft is not something that can be prevented just by locking the door.
日本での就職には日本語能力試験N1合格が必要だと思われているが、なければだめだというものでもない。
Many people believe that passing JLPT N1 is necessary to get a job in Japan, but it's not that you can't do it without it.
What people say in everyday speech
〜ってもんじゃない
In the textbook, 「というものではない」 is classified as spoken language, and in daily life it is perfectly possible to use it to protest, "Apologizing isn't enough." For a more casual feel, contract both 「という」 and 「ものだ」 in speech: という becomes って, and ものでは becomes もんじゃ, giving 「謝ればいいってもんじゃない」. This is the most natural way to complain among friends and colleagues, while the full 「というものではありません」 sounds somewhat formal, like customer-service training.
Used when you want to set aside "~" for now and talk about other aspects.
Connection N + はともかく（として） ＊「〜かどうか」「疑問詞＋か」「動詞＋か」とも一緒に使われる
Examples
今の仕事は、給料はともかく、やりがいがあるいい仕事だと思っています。
As for my current job, setting the salary aside, I think it's a good, rewarding job.
この魚、見た目はともかく、味は最高ですから、ぜひ食べてみてください。
As for this fish, never mind how it looks, it tastes fantastic, so please try it.
試合の結果はともかくとして、最後まで全力で戦うことができたので満足だ。
Never mind the result of the match; I'm satisfied because I was able to fight with everything I had until the end.
あの映画は内容はともかくとして、出演者が有名だから話題になっている。
That movie, setting the content aside, has become a hot topic because the cast is famous.
昨日見たUFO特集は本当かどうかはともかく、たいへん興味深い番組だった。
The UFO special I watched yesterday, whether it was true or not aside, was a very interesting program.
What people say in everyday speech
〜はさておき／〜は置いといて
「はともかくとして」 has an additional 「として」 compared to 「はともかく」 alone, which makes it sound more complete and more like a logical shift in a formal statement (set this point aside and move on to the next). In everyday chat, 「はさておき」 or simply 「〜は置いといて」 is more common, as in 「それが正当かどうかは置いといて、お客さんは不快なわけだから」, which sounds lighter and more like something you toss in casually than 「はともかくとして」.
Used to say "judging from the present situation, a bad result is expected," often with the tone of an objective judgment.
Connection V-ます + かねない
Examples
今のような経営方法では、2、3年のうちに倒産しかねない。
With the current way of running things, the company might go bankrupt within two or three years.
寝不足で運転したら事故を起こしかねないよ。
If you drive while sleep-deprived, you could cause an accident.
お年寄りはちょっと転んだだけでも骨折しかねないから、注意が必要だ。
Elderly people can break a bone from just a slight fall, so caution is needed.
情報管理をきちんとしないと、個人情報を悪用されかねない。
If information isn't managed properly, personal data could be misused.
What people say in everyday speech
〜かも（しれない）
「かねない」 is an objective judgment expression for "could lead to a bad result," commonly used in news and warnings, and often seen in risk reminders such as 「〜と事故を起こしかねない」. In everyday speech, the same worry is almost always expressed with 「〜かも」 or 「〜かもしれない」, as in 「対応間違えると、信頼失うかも」, which is much more natural than 「信頼を失いかねません」. 「かねない」 sounds more like writing a report or giving a formal warning.
This town used to be lively, but now few people visit, and it has become less a quiet town than a lonely one.
What people say in everyday speech
つーか
「というより」 is originally a very natural spoken pattern, classified as spoken language in the textbook, and it can be used as is in both formal situations and everyday chat. A more casual, younger-sounding version is 「つーか」, a further contraction of 「というか」, as in 「お客様というか、家族だと思って聞いてよ」. It sounds more relaxed, like something blurted out when venting to someone close, but with superiors or in formal situations 「というより」 is the safer choice.
Used to say "cannot keep staying in the state of ~" or "am not in a position to do ~." For example, 「仕事があるから寝てはいられない」 can mean getting up from sleep because you have work to do, or being busy with urgent work and unable to sleep.
A: You'd better rest a little. B: I have to finish this job by tomorrow, so I can't afford to rest leisurely.
新入社員が入って、君たちも先輩になるのですから、いつまでも甘えてはいられませんよ。
New employees have joined, and you will be seniors now, so you can't keep being dependent forever.
A：朝ご飯、ちゃんと食べてから行きなさい。 B：遅刻しちゃうよ。ご飯なんか食べていられないよ。
A: Eat breakfast properly before you go. B: I'll be late! I can't be eating breakfast.
いつまでも夢見る少女じゃいられないよね、私たち。
We can't stay dreaming girls forever, can we?
What people say in everyday speech
〜てらんない
「てはいられない」 is a formal expression meaning "cannot keep staying in the state of ~," common in speeches and written texts. In everyday conversation, its colloquial contraction 「てらんない」 (ていられない → てられない → てらんない) is used very often, as in 「安心してらんないよ」 or 「のんびりしてらんない」. It is a lazy pronunciation used only among people who are close; in formal situations and in writing, use the full 「てはいられません」.