Politeness Strategies in Managing Face-Threatening Acts: A Pragmatic Study of Speech Acts in Verbal Interactions at the Front Office of Aston Inn Hotel Batu

The present study examines how front office staff at Aston Inn Hotel Batu employ politeness strategies to manage communication situations that potentially threaten face (FTAs) during interactions with guests. The hospitality industry frequently encounters sensitive exchanges, such as complaints or requests, which require staff to maintain positive guest impressions. The strategic use of politeness in such situations is essential to ensure a balance between service professionalism and overall guest satisfaction.
Using a qualitative approach, data were collected through semi-structured interviews. Purposive sampling was applied to select two front office staff members who were directly involved in guest interactions. The face-to-face interviews lasted 10–15 minutes and were audio-recorded with participants’ consent. The interview design was guided by Brown and Levinson’s (1987) Politeness Theory, particularly positive and negative politeness strategies, to understand how FTAs are mitigated.
The findings show that front office staff frequently encounter FTAs such as requests, complaints, and disagreements from guests. To address these situations, they employed negative politeness strategies (apologizing, offering options) and positive politeness strategies (showing empathy, using inclusive language). These approaches were effective in reducing the impact of FTAs, maintaining positive guest impressions, and ensuring professional service. The primary challenge identified was maintaining politeness while working under time pressure.
The study concludes that politeness strategies function as essential communicative tools. It recommends that hotels provide specialized communication training for staff to enhance service quality and improve their ability to manage FTAs effectively.