Instruction manual: How to deal with problem tourists

Recommendations for dealing with difficult situations during group trips.

A difficult tourist is always a problem. How to make sure that his questions are solved, and he does not have time to set up a group against you, and you are not disappointed in the profession yourself? 

Profi.Travel publishes a guide from Evgeny Salberg, an experienced tour leader and coach at a number of international travel corporations. Let’s make a reservation right away that there can be a lot of scenarios, and these tips are just one of the ways to solve problems. And only with one of the “varieties” of difficult tourists. If you like the material, we will supplement it with new cases.

Radish is not a good person. My name is Vasily

Let’s imagine a complicated tourist. Our inner attitude towards this person is very important for successful work with him. Yes, he gives us problems, sometimes he makes our lives unbearable, sometimes he makes us nervous and causes stress. The easiest way to put a brand is “radish”, which, as we know from the movie “Gentlemen of Fortune”, means “not a good person”. But are we really dealing with a “bad person” who has been studying the map of Russia for a long time in search of a place where this year he planned to inflict the greatest damage to the morale of the travel industry professionals around him?

I will try to challenge this statement, without denying the fact of the presence of “radishes” on the planet in principle. For now, let’s call our tourist not complicated, but special. Back to the movie “Gentlemen of Fortune”: write: “A special person — different from others, with whom it is not possible to work the same way as with everyone else.”

So, dear experts. A special tourist Vasily is playing against you, who is dissatisfied with everything, complains, and emotions the whole tour. Yes, and our Basil is toxic to complete the picture.

Why is Vasily complaining?

Our emotional state usually affects our behavior, doesn’t it? And now, attention to the question: “Why is Vasily behaving like this?”. Dear tourism professionals, what are your versions?

• Vasily is a “radish”. He consciously behaves this way in order to receive compensation later. Well, or Vasily just likes to bring people down.
• Vasily experiences discomfort during the tour (leg, arm, stomach hurts; sleeps poorly; he gets seasick, etc.).
• Vasily had something happen before the trip (a cat, a dog died; a car was stolen, an apartment was robbed; problems at work, in business …).
• Vasily suffers from mental disorders.
• Vasily did not have the same expectations from the tour and the reality. I thought that I would get into a fairy tale, I imagined a carved tower, but I ended up at a campsite, even if by the very blue sea.
• Vasily believes that he has paid a lot of money, but receives little for it.
• Vasily is lonely, he did not get along with the group, so he scandalizes in order to attract attention to himself.
• Vasily does not know that he is behaving incorrectly. He doesn’t purposely take the front seat on the bus all the time, he just doesn’t think that others might need to go there too.

The minute for discussion is over. There could probably be more versions. But this is enough to show that it is too early to call Vasily a “radish”.

We act by the method of exclusion

Let’s forget about Vasily for a while, and think about this: how do doctors diagnose? A patient comes to them, he was interviewed, and based on his answers, the doctor suggests four possible diagnoses: from the most dangerous to the easiest. And then — the method of exclusion. First, the most terrible assumption must be excluded, then the rest.

In the case of Vasily, we will also act by the method of exclusion. Just let’s not start with the most terrible thing — “radish”, but on the contrary: let’s go from the most harmless. How will we diagnose it? Yes, just like the doctor: we will talk to Vasily. Because ignoring the problem never gives a result. The difficulties will not resolve, it is pointless to hope for a chance here.

Talking time

It’s worth talking one-on-one, outside the group. It is better in the evening, over a glass of beer / wine — treat Vasily, let him come to the bar.

Now let’s take a little break from Vasily again and talk about psychology. Let’s say your wallet was stolen. The first reaction is shock. The second reaction is anger. The third reaction is denial: “I won’t deal with it. I’m on tour, so let the organizers decide everything.” And only then does acceptance follow (I know that the classical model of reaction to the inevitable in psychology looks a little different, but we are not considering global incidents here, but daily situations).

It is important to remember: you can solve problems with Vasily only at the acceptance stage. And the purpose of your conversation is to bring him to this stage first.

Finding out the true motives

Think of it not as a script, but as one of the scenarios of a conversation with Vasily:

• Vasily, can I share something with you? It’s not the first year I’ve been working, I see that something is not right for you on this tour. To be honest, I’m upset. The company put tourists here to make me happy, and I really love my region, I don’t want it to be associated with negative emotions. Is there anything I can do to help?

Here we definitely need an example of such help from you: “Vasily, I had a tourist a year ago, I still remember. She went sad the whole tour, and at the end she said — I couldn’t sleep properly in any hotel, the pillows were so hard everywhere…” And I answered her: “Why didn’t you tell me right away? We’d like to find you a soft pillow.” She was surprised: “Well, I didn’t think anything could be done.”

So, Vasily, since this incident happened to me, I always ask if there is anything I can do. So that you don’t find out on the last day.”

Vasily can answer in different ways:

• Yes, everything is fine, it seemed to you.
• Yes, my leg really hurts.
• Your tour is terrible…
• Mom is sick at home, and the connection here is bad, we can’t really talk. That’s why I’m nervous.

And so on… We will not consider the scenario with the answer “I like everything”. This is a separate canvas, with a huge number of variations.

The Empire strikes back

The important thing is that Vasily is likely to list a lot of things. And he sleeps badly, and the lunch was terrible, and the guide answered him rudely, and the bus was going too fast. From this stream of words, it is necessary to grasp what is the main complaint here, and what is the emotional reinforcement of this complaint.

Therefore, the next step is to talk through the problem:

• Vasily, did I understand correctly that the tour does not meet your expectations because of the tasteless food?

After receiving confirmation of your words, show empathy. Show Vasily that you care — thereby you will already begin to solve the problem.

If you have a solution, you can offer it right away. For example, ask Vasily what foods he eats at home, and offer to cook something from this list in restaurants. However, as a rule, an unambiguous solution, for which the travel company also does not have to pay extra, is not found right away.

Therefore, you can leave “to think about it.” It’s better than promising something you’re not sure about. Vasily does not forgive this!

We are moving to the acceptance stage

If you understand that it is impossible to change the situation, it is important to tell Vasily so:

• Vasily, I’ll be honest, we can’t change this. We still have a week ahead of us. Let’s think about what we should do together.

There is also a tougher scenario. You can decide for yourself when it is required to bring the tourist to the acceptance stage:

• Vasily, I understand that we are not able to make you like everything. And we are very sorry. I want to ask you a question: after all, vacation is the best time of the year, and if everything has gone so awry, maybe you want us to explore the possibility of sending you home early? We will find out about the expenses for the tour that can no longer be refunded. Let’s find out how much it will cost to change tickets…

In the vast majority of cases, Vasily will answer that he does not want to leave earlier. Well, if he doesn’t want to, then you can already talk with him about the week that you still have to spend together. And offer to work together to find some option that suits him.

We offer solutions

The most important thing here is to offer solutions that will not go to the rest of the group in the negative. And the company will not be ruined. Remember: we are not responding to all of Vasily’s claims, but to the main one that pulls everything else along with it. There can be a lot of examples, it all depends on the reason for the deviant behavior.

• Don’t like the hotel? Let’s figure out what it is. Maybe you need a radiator in the room, a kettle, water… Maybe you can change the room to the one that is away from the elevator or higher on the floor.
• Don’t like the guide? Ask Vasily to find a private guide for his money. Or go for a walk yourself. Ask him how he views the fact that the night before you will sit down with him with a map and pencil and work out an individual walk plan for tomorrow.

You can be creative indefinitely.

We continue to monitor

We managed to solve the problem once — great! But you can’t leave Vasily, assuming that the worst is over. Sometimes they come back. Therefore, from time to time, approach Vasily, ask if it has become better, if there is anything else you can do for him.

Evgeny Zalberg hosts the telegram channel Satisfied traveler in English. There you will find additional materials on working with difficult tourists and recommendations on how to make a tourist go home happy.

Photo: Ryan Snaadt, unsplash

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