that Charleville Lodge Hotel page on FB & the epidemic of morons on social media

DareGod

Long story short, there's this hotel in Dublin whose owner publicly publishes witty, quick and cutting responses to customer complaints on its Facebook page.

A few of them have appeared in my news feed over the past year when people I'm linked to on FB have "Liked" or commented on his posts. I think he was on the radio last year for one particular incident, though I can't remember what it was.

Anyway, his page now has almost 37,000 likes, so a relatively large audience.

Whenever I've read his posts, I've sometimes laughed a little, but the more they've happened, the more I'm thinking.... this guy is kind of a horrible person.

He publicly attacks customers who have complained about some negative experience or other they had while staying in his hotel.

I've worked in retail and I've worked in hospitality, and I've experienced my fair share of ridiculous customers, complaining about nonsense. But there are times when these customers' complaints are more than valid. And I would certainly never attack them publicly in front of thousands of people, just because they made a complaint.

How incredibly insecure and irritable does someone have to be to go to such great lengths to defend themselves, the way this guy does? He definitely doesn't appear to have the type of temperament required to work in the hospitality industry.

Anyway, I've just spotted another post, where a customer was kept up all night by building work or drilling that was going on nearby. The customer emailed your man and said that he is awaiting a response to his complaint, and that he won't write a review of the hotel until this issue is sorted.

In response, your man published the customer's name and email address on Facebook, and accused him of threatening the hotel and therefore that his complaint won't be dealt with at all.

I'm sorry, but this guy is an absolute c*nt, for doing that to a customer, even if they were making a complaint. And what he has done here is incredibly c*ntish. But in the 50 minutes since the post was published, it has been liked by over 200 people.

And this is my real issue: people on social media supporting c*nts not matter how big of a c*nt they're being, just because it's funny. It's really starting to piss me off.

And I'd like your opinions on it.

But mainly I'm just saying, what an absolute pr*ck this guy is.


<mod shnip.....FB link removed....../mod shnip>


and yes me talking about it is publicising it even further, and if he saw this post he would most likely have a smart response for it. Good for him.

I must say I've never read anything witty or quick by him.

I find them all a bit...laboured and tiresome, a man desperate for any publicity.

Fr_Dougal

He should contact the Data Protection Commissioner.

seamus

There are a subset of businesses who interact on social media in a very specific way. Like that Crumlin carpet place from another thread, they know that the people who take offence are not likely to be customers of theirs, whereas the people who laugh, are.

They have a specific demographic in mind who are the lowest common denominator and they have no problems pandering to them.

Charleville Lodge are one of these. The kind of place that'll accommodate a Celtic FC-themed stag party.

DareGod

Deleted User wrote: »

I must say I've never read anything witty or quick by him.

I find them all a bit...laboured and tiresome, a man desperate for any publicity.

In regards the issue of travel reviews, he has just said:

"I would never dream of giving a review, because I just couldn't be arsed spending a number of minutes of my once-off life doing something so abundantly sad."

Yet he spends half has time leaving nasty comments about customers on his Facebook page.

The chap can do and say whatever he wants, obviously, but I'm just irked by the large following arseholes like this get on social media.

At first I thought he was funny. But like you, I came to the conclusion he's just a dick. And a one trick pony, at that.

ygolometsipe

by including the link you just sent more views his way.

best to ignore the things you hate, then they just fade away....

MilesMorales1

I actually saw that before, with the woman who complained about the food and his response was to say like 'it didn't stop you eating it' and to show a CCTV image of her eating. Its very poor form.

The_Valeyard

We're you the customer?

DareGod

ygolometsipe wrote: »

by including the link you just sent more views his way.

best to ignore the things you hate, then they just fade away....

If only that were true, but we all know that it's absolutely not true, unfortunately.

DareGod

DareGod wrote: »

In regards the issue of travel reviews, he has just said:

"I would never dream of giving a review, because I just couldn't be arsed spending a number of minutes of my once-off life doing something so abundantly sad."

Yet he spends half has time leaving nasty comments about customers on his Facebook page.

The chap can do and say whatever he wants, obviously, but I'm just irked by the large following arseholes like this get on social media.

His best work amounts to little more than "...yeah...yeah...like...but you're stoopid...". It's just...childish.

tomwaterford

Would you not just block/unlike it from your newsfeed??

bee06

I've seen a few of his posts on my Facebook as well and the person who liked it always goes slightly down in my estimation.

liquoriceall

It says a lot about his personality that he read the email as a threat! The email read to me like someone seeking a response to their original query. He must be a very troubled individual

jamesbere

In relation to the bad review of the person eating in the restaurant, I'd would agree with him on one point, if you don't like your food say it to the staff then not wait til afterwards.

Posting the video I think is out of line. the man doesn't seem to take criticism very well, I mean telling a customer to flag a taxi on the street is unacceptable.

ygolometsipe

DareGod wrote: »

If only that were true, but we all know that it's absolutely not true, unfortunately.

you could just ignore the truth, problem solved no?

DareGod

tomwaterford wrote: »

Would you not just block/unlike it from your newsfeed??

How would that change the fact that it's still happening? I'd rather be aware that it's going on, Because I actually do believe it's become an issue at this stage.

DareGod

Out of curiosity, how come the link to the post was removed from my OP? I wasn't even going to include it at first but then I predicted the responses of "Link?" so I did. But it's a public facebook post, so how come the removal?

mikeym

He has a unique sense of humour.

Bio Mech

I think he is going to end up in legal trouble. A business posting the email address and name of a customer is not clever. The lady with the cafe complaint also had a video of her published along with her Facebook details with , IMO, malicious intent.

He will push it too far and it won't end well for him. What he has done in the past was harmless media trolling but lately he has gotten a lot more petty and nasty.

whatismyname

DareGod wrote: »

Out of curiosity, how come the link to the post was removed from my OP? I wasn't even going to include it at first but then I predicted the responses of "Link?" so I did. But it's a public facebook post, so how come the removal?

I obviously can't know, as it's up to the mod to say... but I'd make a guess at it... the link was a photo which included the customer's email address. I'd say that the company may be in breach of their data protection duties of keeping their customers' details private and safe. If this is the case, Boards may be on shaky ground if they let them be shared.

I've a fair idea that the company likely breached data protection duties, but have no real idea of other websites then sharing the link to the url which shares the customer's email address if so. So it's just a guess on my part, really.

Bio Mech

mikeym wrote: »

He has a unique sense of humour.

37k of facebooks finest would disagree it seems.

TheChizler

Careful now, if he's the guy I'm thinking of he has an account here which was used to respond to previous iterations of this thread.

jamesbere

mikeym wrote: »

He has a unique sense of humour.

Yeah s**t

Robsweezie

I would say he's every long suffering retail worker's wet dream. Saying what they all wish they could say when faced with arsehole members of the public. It's a gimmick people are buying into. The shock value of fighting back against customer complaints in such a way is what's getting him publicity.

It's almost refreshing to see someone say what they REALLY want to say instead of the usual canned, submissive responses from customer service. But you could argue the professionalism of the man in responding how he does.

vicwatson

Sounds like an obnoxious bully

"I might have CCTV footage of the ****er" - lovely person altogether

Haznat

There's a funny review on Facebook of a woman giving a bad review and the hotel responds with "pity you never actually stayed!" To which she responds "I'm staying here right now!" No response from the hotel.

whatismyname

He's been having a rant now about people giving out he gave out someone's email address

Lots of people are giving out about how I shared that man's private email address 'with the whole world' earlier and how this is a blatant breach of data protection and that I could be sued for damages for this serious invasion of privacy.

Naturally, it ended with 'get the fcuk over it'.

quadrifoglio verde

jamesbere wrote: »

In relation to the bad review of the person eating in the restaurant, I'd would agree with him on one point, if you don't like your food say it to the staff then not wait til afterwards.

Posting the video I think is out of line. the man doesn't seem to take criticism very well, I mean telling a customer to flag a taxi on the street is unacceptable.

He has a point though, the customer gets a taxi faster and pays less.
Maybe I just come from the generation that has the ability to go outside and hold out my hand, or use an app like uber.

newacc2015

Bio Mech wrote: »

I think he is going to end up in legal trouble. A business posting the email address and name of a customer is not clever. The lady with the cafe complaint also had a video of her published along with her Facebook details with , IMO, malicious intent.

He will push it too far and it won't end well for him. What he has done in the past was harmless media trolling but lately he has gotten a lot more petty and nasty.

I would agree. But this is Ireland. I'm not one of these "everything about Ireland is **** kind of people". We have some excellent state bodies eg labour court or comreg. Data protection just isn't one

It's literally a room in some town as it was decentralised a while ago. It's literally a few people in an office in the middle of no where. Yet we have some of the largest companies in the world, all managing their data from Ireland ie twitter recently said all their non-american data is managed from Ireland for the entire world.

We should really be protecting the data of billions of people. But in reality it's a handful of people in a decentralised office in the arse hole of no where. Why we still have it there when all the IT companies are located in Dublin is beyond me.

That Austrian student found the data protection agency here a nightmare to deal with. I think companies dont give a **** about protecting data here. As there really is no repercussions

Billy86

quadrifoglio verde wrote: »

He has a point though, the customer gets a taxi faster and pays less.
Maybe I just come from the generation that has the ability to go outside and hold out my hand, or use an app like uber.

What generation was that customer from, out of interest?

Azalea

newacc2015 wrote: »

I think companies dont give a **** about protecting data here. As there really is no repercussions

I've been led to believe numerous times that it's the opposite - that data protection is very strict here.

gctest50

Haznat wrote: »

There's a funny review on Facebook of a woman giving a bad review and the hotel responds with "pity you never actually stayed!" To which she responds "I'm staying here right now!" No response from the hotel.

why doesn't she just go to the reception desk and complain ?

Haznat

gctest50 wrote: »

why doesn't she just go to the reception desk and complain ?

Why does the hotel allow online reviews on their Facebook page?

gctest50

Haznat wrote: »

Why does the hotel allow online reviews on their Facebook page?

dunno ? email them and ask maybe

Charleville Lodge, 268 - 272 North Circular Road, Phibsborough, Dublin 7
Tel: +353 1 8386633 Fax: +353 1 8385854 Email: [EMAIL="info@charlevillelodge.ie%20"]info@charlevillelodge.ie [/EMAIL]

[EMAIL="info@charlevillelodge.ie%20"][/EMAIL]

DareGod

I've only just taken a look at the incident regarding the lady who left a negative review of the food in the restaurant.

The review was pretty simple and not terribly negative. It just was what it was. And his response to this was to post a photo of her eating the food, as if this was proof that she was lying about the food being bad. Wtf? How does a a photo of the customer eating the food prove that the food wasn't bad? Of course she ate the food, how else would she know it was bad?! And all his FB followers supporting this pr*ck on this?

And the comment beneath this photo that his supporters Liked the most:

"Is that a customer or an industrial food-shovelling robot?"

This guy is a d*ck and his supporters are d*cks too.

Social media and its mindless braindead follower mentality. It's diabolical.

PandaPoo

Yer man is a complete ride, sooo my type.

Started following the page yesterday, gives me a laugh!

DareGod

gctest50 wrote: »

why doesn't she just go to the reception desk and complain ?

Maybe she was complaining that the decor was awful or something. What would going to reception do for that?

Billy86

So the hotel FB page's cover photo is the woman eating?

There's petty and then there's f***ing petty.

foggy_lad

I was going to thank the op but thought it might brand me a c**t so decided to post here to say well done OP and you'll feel much better after getting all that off your chest.

gctest50

DareGod wrote: »

Maybe she was complaining that the decor was awful or something. What would going to reception do for that?

a bit more than whining on some website probably

DareGod wrote: »

....the decor was awful...

the decor was awful ? it's a hotel not your dream-house ffs -can't stand it when you see it ? go back downstairs and check out again

lots of hotel websites have photos of the rooms, if you are excessively decor-sensitive you should really look at them first

Canadel

It's nice to see some honesty and integrity within the hospitality sector for a change.

The hotel industry is merely a stage performance for managers and owners who pretend to care about customers while doing everything they can to exploit them, along with their staff, who slave away for minimum wage to keep the show on the road. Such is life I suppose, but hotels are a very accurate microcosm of it.

idunno78

Just had a look at that post there! The funny thing is, no where did the man say he was going to give a negative review! Just said he would wait until his query was dealt with! He could have just given a review and not emailed them about it at all!! The manager/owner is being a bit dramatic I reckon!! He seems like a gobsh!te to me!!

ardinn

This is clickbait for him - Un-resistable clickbait - Expect Paul stevensons arrival here immediately!!

My 2 cents - As a manager in hotels for many years when I first saw the page it was giddy with glee. It made me happy someone was cutting through the bullsh1t - It's old now, sometimes mildly amusing but old none the less.

Publicly berating customers isnt nice though, but then again leaving false reviews is not either.

During the Garth brooks saga our company had a policy of no refunds for the nights, 5 hotels - about 1200 rooms in the city. Guess who got landed with the duty manager shifts the week it was announced, I had threats about where my name would be posted online and someone actually came in and took a picture of me! Wasnt my fault now was it, but no the "customers" saw it fair that I take the blame and be made a public figure of greed. Anyway the pics were not posted but it wasnt nice all the same.

It's 50/50 in my book anyway - having a complaint is one thing, threatening to leave a bad review in the hope of free stuff is another, or out of spite is yet another - Some customers are assholes, so are some hoteliers.

Tarzana2

DareGod wrote: »

How would that change the fact that it's still happening? I'd rather be aware that it's going on, Because I actually do believe it's become an issue at this stage.

You're only catching on now? Duh. :pac:

The Charleville Lodge guy wishes he was witty and edgy.

Lots of people lap it up, which isn't surprising. We all knew the kind of people who sniggered alongside the witless bully in school. Lots of them seem to think they are very clever because they "get" his humour, bless them.

This probably does drum up business for him from the above kind of people. If he's happy to portray himself as an arse then let him off.

Oh noes, what if he comes after everyone commenting negatively in this thread? WE'LL BE AT HIS WITTY MERCY!

Tarzana2

Incidentally, the FB page is filled with disciples telling him he is a PR and marketing genius, that they are dying to stay there and that his persona will bring people to the hotel.

But how many people have chosen NOT to stay there because of him? Can't be quantified, I guess, but I wouldn't just assume his tack is working for him. Note how many more 'Helpful' votes bad reviews get on the Charleville Lodge's TripAdvisor page then good ones.

nullzero

A Basil Fawlty for the social media generation.

jamesbere

nullzero wrote: »

A Basil Fawlty for the social media generation.

Basil Fawlty was at least funny

vicwatson

It be the last place in Dublin I'd stay. Sounds like Colditz instead of a Hotel.

CatFromHue

quadrifoglio verde wrote: »

He has a point though, the customer gets a taxi faster and pays less.
Maybe I just come from the generation that has the ability to go outside and hold out my hand, or use an app like uber.

I'm not sure who asked for a taxi but for Americans, or tourists in general, getting the hotel to arrange them a cab would be much more customary.

brooke 2

[Deleted User] wrote: »

At first I thought he was funny. But like you, I came to the conclusion he's just a dick. And a one trick pony, at that.

Same here!