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TVL – HE – FOOD AND
BEVERAGE SERVICES
Quarter 4 – Module 8:
Apologize to the Customer
TVL – Grade 11
Alternative Delivery Mode
Quarter 4 – Module 8: Apologize to the Customer
First Edition, 2020

Republic Act 8293, section 176 states that: No copyright shall subsist in any
work of the Government of the Philippines. However, prior approval of the government
agency or office wherein the work is created shall be necessary for exploitation of such
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Borrowed materials (i.e., songs, stories, poems, pictures, photos, brand names,
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holders. Every effort has been exerted to locate and seek permission to use these
materials from their respective copyright owners. The publisher and authors do not
represent nor claim ownership over them.

Published by the Department of Education

Secretary: Leonor Magtolis Briones
Undersecretary: Diosdado M. San Antonio

Development Team of the Module

Writer: Marlyn C. Vincoy
Editor: Philip Y. Academia Jr.
Reviewers: Philip Y. Academia Jr. and Jesusa D. Paladar
Typesetters: Philip Y. Academia, Jr. & Ivah Mae C. Estoconing
Management Team: Senen Priscillo P. Paulin, CESO V Rosela R. Abiera
Joelyza M. Arcilla EdD Maricel S. Rasid
Marcelo K. Palispis EdD Elmar L. Cabrera
Nilita L. Ragay EdD
Antonio B. Baguio, Jr. EdD

Printed in the Philippines by ________________________

Department of Education –Region VII Schools Division of Negros Oriental

Office Address: Kagawasan, Ave., Daro, Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental

Tele #: (035) 225 2376 / 541 1117
E-mail Address: negros.oriental@deped.gov.ph
 11

TVL
Quarter 4 – Module 8
Apologize to the
Customer
 What I Need to Know

How can you make serving interesting? How do you develop your skills
in Food and Beverage industry?
This module is crafted to focus on Food and Beverage Services
comprising the competency “Apologize to the Customer”. It aims to help every
learner to better understand the concept and importance on how to handle
guest’s complaints and concerns appropriately on a fun way of learning at
home. It will also develop the relationship between the school and the
community in this trying times.

This module is divided into lessons, namely:

Lesson 1: Steps for Resolving Customer Complaints

After going through this module, you are expected to:

1. Write a script offering sincere apology for disservice.
2. Practice showing of empathy with genuine concern and consideration
to the guest thru script.
3. Display work ethics by handling concerns professionally and express
gratitude to the guest for bringing the matter up for attention.

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 What I Know

Direction: Read each item carefully and use your notebook to write your answers.
I. True or False. Write TRUE if the statement is correct and FALSE if not.
1. Full attention is given to the complaining guest.
2. Excuses or blaming others are avoided.
3. Food orders are delivered on time as desired by the guest.
4. Do not take offense when guest complain.
5. Do not thank the guest.
6. Interrupt the guest when talking.
7. You must apologize, it’s not time to make preachy reasons.
8. Act on a solution with a sense of urgency.
9. A complaint is an expression of satisfaction made to an establishment related
to its products or services.
10. Close the conversation by genuinely thanking them for bringing the problem
to your attention.

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 Lesson
Steps for Resolving
8 Customer Complaints

What’s In

In the Food and Beverage industry, customer satisfaction is our number one
priority, we must ensure that our customer is happy by the time he/she leaves our
premises. But unhappy customers can’t be avoided, so we must learn how to handle
them to make the customer happy. In this lesson we will learn how to handle
complaints so you and the customer walk away satisfied at a resolution.

Notes to the Teacher

This contains helpful tips or strategies that will help you in guiding
the learners. The following are information that would lead to the
activities and assessment. Some activities may need your own
discretion upon checking, or you may use rubric if provided. Please
review the activities and answer keys and amend if necessary.

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 What’s New

Direction: Look at the pictures below. What do these pictures trying to say? How is
this related to our topic?

What is It

LET’S BE INFORMED

What is a complaint?
A complaint is an expression of dissatisfaction made to an establishment related to
its products or services, or the complaints-handling process itself, where a response
or resolution is implicitly expected.
Why do customers complain?
Here are some of the reasons why customers complain. It could be that their
expectations have not been met because of wrong or lack of information, poor

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customer service attitude, overpricing, delays, or unresponsiveness of servers. It is
also their one way to release their anger. Another reason is to help the establishment
improve their service. And lastly, because of their concern for others who will also
use the service.
Remember:
a. Don’t take customer’s complaints personally.
b. Some customers are never satisfied, don’t let them affect you.
c. If problem cannot be solved, admit it.
d. If the customer is very angry don’t try to resolve the problem alone.
When you have offered the customer a remedy on a failed service that’s when
service recovery happens. It is the company's resolution of a problem from a
dissatisfied customer, converting them into a loyal customer. It is the action
a service provider takes in response to service failure. That is when you pull a
customer from hell to heaven in the shortest possible time. Service recovery of
customers who have a complaint that was 95% handled efficiently and promptly will
not only continue to do business but will become even more loyal (Wharton Business
School).
So how do you make amends or appease the customer? You can give them
good will gifts, free of charge services or through product replacements. Unhappy
customers are bad news for any company, and it only takes one of them to shatter a
perfectly good day at work for everyone. It only takes one of them to steer many more
prospective customers away from you.
Unhappy customers have their reasons. Some don’t feel well, some have
unrealistic expectations, and others may just have lousy dispositions. However, we
must be honest; others may have a legitimate gripe, for somehow, some way, we may
have been the catalyst that tipped the scale to take them from annoyed to cranky to
downright unhappy.
Whatever the cause, unhappy customers are still our guests and our hope for
future business, and we want them happy again. Said another way, the customer
may not always be right, but he or she will always be the customer we want and we
need. So we need to take control of customer complaints and turn them to our
advantage.
Here are 7 steps for resolving customer complaints which have proven to
work well. Do not let time lapse and make things worse with your avoidance.
Approach the customer as soon as you learn they are unhappy, and;

1. Listen Intently: Listen to the customer, and do not interrupt them. They need to
tell their story and feel that they have been heard.
2. Thank Them: Thank the customer for bringing the problem to your attention. You
can’t resolve something you aren’t completely aware of, or may be making faulty
assumptions about.

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3. Apologize: Sincerely convey to the customer your apology for the way the situation
has made them feel. This is not the time for preachy reasons, justifications or
excuses; you must apologize.
4. Seek the Best Solution: Determine what the customer is seeking as a solution.
Ask them; often they’ll surprise you for asking for less than you initially thought
you’d have to give—especially when they perceive your apology and intention is
genuinely sincere.
5. Reach Agreement: Seek to agree on the solution that will resolve the situation to
their satisfaction. Your best intentions can miss the mark completely if you still
fail to deliver what the customer wants.[[
6. Take Quick Action: Act on the solution with a sense of urgency. Customers will
often respond more positively to your focus on helping them immediately versus
than on the solution itself.
7. Follow-up: Follow-up to ensure the customer is completely satisfied, especially
when you have had to enlist the help of others for the solution delivery. Everything
up to this point will be for naught if the customer feels that “out of sight is out of
mind.”
Problems happen. It’s how you honestly acknowledge and handle them which
counts with people. Customers will remember you, and happily give you another
chance to delight them when you choose to correct problems with the very best
you can offer, proving you value them and their business.

Do’s and Don’ts to deal with customer complaints

DO’s DON’TS

Listen Attentively. Don’t dismiss their complaints.

Let your customers vent their concerns It might sound very tempting to reject
with minimal interruption. Bear in mind customer complaints immediately if
that what they need mostly is just for they’re being rude or irrational. But
you to lend an ear, not to argue with remember that action would exacerbate
them. the issue and make you look
unprofessional as well.
Acknowledge their problems. Don’t let the complaints get to you.
Once the customer finished venting, Listening to a constant stream of
proceed by calmly summarizing their customer complaints can sometimes
problems to establish an initial common take a toll on you, and it’s fine, but
ground – ensuring that they have been remember that every line of business
understood. experiences the same thing in a daily
basis.
Apologize. Don’t pass the blame to someone else.
There’s no time for justifications or Because most of the time your
excuses, sometimes all the customers customers don’t really care who is really
at fault in your company. Instead, yes,

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want to hear is for you to say “sorry” for apologize for the behalf of the whole
your disappointing them. company, and move on to the more
relevant step of resolving the problem.
Distinguish who you are talking to. Don’t ignore what you are saying.
Study by Wysocki et al. identifies at Saying things like “I don’t know” or “you
least five types of customers that you shouldn’t have done that” certainly
need to handle differently. The danger of doesn’t sound useful in resolving any
inappropriate responses lies in your complaints.
customer feeling more agitated or
detached, thus eventually leaving your
business.
Ask questions. Don’t ignore your choice of language
As you regain control of the or tone.
conversation, begin asking for the Though there are indeed a lot of
details you need to help clarify the elements to consider, the general
problem at hand. Try to not jump into guideline is for you to remain positive,
conclusion too early or you might end polite and genuine. Try to be as
up providing the wrong solution. conversational as possible without
actually being too friendly.
Agree on a solution. Don’t rely too much on automated
As soon as you get a clearer idea of the responses.
problem, offer them what you can do to While they might indeed save you some
best rectify the problem, and see if it time in a daily basis, sometimes they
matches their expectations. just don’t work for specific queries
requiring in-depth attention. This is
especially true for interactions in the
realm of social media.
Thank the customer. Don’t delay in solving their problem.
Close the conversation by genuinely No one likes to wait for an answer to the
thanking them for bringing the problem problem they shouldn’t have to begin
to your attention. This would help show with. Thus give these unhappy
that you’re taking well their criticisms. customers precedence in your to-do-list
and negotiate with them a reasonable
timeframe when you can expect to solve
the problem.
Follow up.
After a couple of days or so, contact the
customer back to ensure the problem
has been entirely resolved. It costs very
little, but it shows that you truly care
about their overall experience.

SUMMARY:
 Be positive.
 Take things professionally and not personally.
 Aim for customer satisfaction, not just service.

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  Solve problems without blaming yourself or others.

What’s More

Activity 1

I. Direction: Answer the following questions in your notebook.

1. What is a complaint?
2. Why do customers complain?
3. Discuss the steps in resolving customer complaints.

Activity 2
Direction: Choose at least 5 of the Do’s and Don’ts in dealing with customer
complaints. Each of the chosen 5, you need to create a sample scenario wherein
those steps will be shown, problem arises and solution will be given to resolve the
problem. Do this on your notebook.

What I Have Learned

I have learned that _____________________________________________.

I have realized that _____________________________________________.
I will apply _____________________________________________________.

Essay Rubrics
Areas of
Assessment 10 points 7 points 4 points 1 point
Presents ideas Presents ideas
in an original in a consistent Ideas are too Ideas are
Ideas manner manner general vague or
unclear

Organization Strong and Organized Some No

organized beg/mid/end organization; organization;
beg/mid/end attempt at a lack
beg/mid/end beg/mid/end

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 Understanding Writing shows Writing shows Writing shows Writing shows
strong a clear adequate little
understanding understanding understanding understanding

Mechanics Few (if any) Few errors Several errors Numerous

errors errors

TOTAL POINTS: /40

What I Can Do

Directions:
Imagine you are a server, write a scenario where the steps in resolving a guest
complaint will be shown and the Do’s and Don’ts will be greatly emphasized.

Assessment

1. True or False. Write TRUE if the statement is true and FALSE if not.
______ 1. The customer may not always be right, but he or she will always be the
customer we want and we need.
______ 2. Listen intently and distractedly to the customer.
______ 3. Thank the customer for bringing the problem to your attention.
______ 4. Follow-up to ensure the customer is completely satisfied.
______ 5. A complaint is an expression of satisfaction made to an establishment
related to its products or services.
______ 6. Customers complain because their expectations were not met.
______ 7. Let your customers vent their concerns with minimal interruption.
______ 8. Let the complaints get to you.
______ 9. Pass the blame to someone else.
______ 10. Don’t delay in solving their problem.
______ 11. A sincere apology is offered for the disservice.
______ 12. Excuse or blaming others are avoided.
______ 13. Empathy is shown to the guest to show genuine concern and
consideration.
______ 14. Gratitude is expressed to the guest for bringing the matter up for
attention.

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______ 15. Apology should be made to the customer for any inconvenience caused.

2. Essay. Explain the following phrases.

a. Take things professionally and not personally.
b. Aim for customer satisfaction, not just service.
c. Poor customer service attitude, it affects the business.

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 Answer Key

What I Know – Pre Test What’s New

Answers may vary. What’s More
1. T Activity 1
2. T Answers may vary.
3. T What I can Do
Activity 2
4. T Answers may vary.
Answers may vary.
5. F
6. F
7. T
8. T
9. F
10. T

Assessment
I. True or False
1. TRUE
2.FALSE
3.TRUE
4.TRUE
5.FALSE
6.TRUE
7.TRUE
8.FALSE
9. FALSE
10. TRUE
11. TRUE
12. TRUE
13. TRUE
14. TRUE
15. TRUE

II. Essay.

Answer may vary.

1
References
BOOKS
 Arcos, C.M., Yu, E.V., and Flores, J.M., Technical-Vocational-livelihood Home
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For inquiries or feedback, please write or call:

Department of Education – Schools Division of Negros Oriental

Kagawasan, Avenue, Daro, Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental

Tel #: (035) 225 2376 / 541 1117

Email Address: negros.oriental@deped.gov.ph
Website: lrmds.depednodis.net