Staying in a Hotel - Would You Complain?

Winterlong · 18-02-2017 10:51AM

Osborne wrote: »

If you have issues in a hotel, restaurant, bar etc and don't let management know, allowing them a chance to rectify it, yet go and leave a review on TripAdvisor - you're a díck.

Exactly. But having said that I would not believe much of what is written in trip advisor these days. Hard to know what review (either good or bad) is real and what is fake.

qo2cj1dsne8y4k · 18-02-2017 11:04AM

If it was a genuine complaint I'd say something, like if the water was a weird colour when you turn on the taps, the mattress was wet, rude/poor service I would complain.

I worked in a spa in a 4* hotel though and people would rot you. I R.E.M. one incident one Sunday morning, a mother and a daughter came into the spa first thing that morning and proceeded to the changing room. The place had been cleaned the night before. They took off their disposable slippers after their treatment, threw their robes on the floor along with their own towels (our spa towels were brown and their towels were other colours) they took photos of the messy dressing room and put them on tripadvisor, with the suggestion they should be offered a free treatment to compensate for the awful experience.

Thankfully the manager was in the night before and was helping us clean after thenday, and they had been the only two people in that morning so they got no freebies.

nice_guy80 · 18-02-2017 11:29AM

LexieOnRale wrote: »

If it was a genuine complaint I'd say something, like if the water was a weird colour when you turn on the taps, the mattress was wet, rude/poor service I would complain.

I worked in a spa in a 4* hotel though and people would rot you. I R.E.M. one incident one Sunday morning, a mother and a daughter came into the spa first thing that morning and proceeded to the changing room. The place had been cleaned the night before. They took off their disposable slippers after their treatment, threw their robes on the floor along with their own towels (our spa towels were brown and their towels were other colours) they took photos of the messy dressing room and put them on tripadvisor, with the suggestion they should be offered a free treatment to compensate for the awful experience.

Thankfully the manager was in the night before and was helping us clean after thenday, and they had been the only two people in that morning so they got no freebies.

or the man finding a hair in his dessert and refusing to pay a bill of over €150

luckily one of the staff spotted him putting it there

Winterlong · 18-02-2017 11:31AM

Jesus, dealing with the public really is testing, I could not do it. So many chancers and muppets out there.

Osborne · 18-02-2017 01:45PM

Winterlong wrote: »

Exactly. But having said that I would not believe much of what is written in trip advisor these days. Hard to know what review (either good or bad) is real and what is fake.

I agree completely and as someone that has to respond to TA reviews I can assure you, it is in an unbelievable frustrating process. On top of that, the policy in regards to responding to such reviews set by my organisation dictates that fake or real, under no circumstances can I argue my case or defend our position. Basically we have to roll over and take it.

There is a process in terms of reporting suspicious reviews, however it is almost impossible to prove and have said reviews removed.

VG31 · 18-02-2017 02:05PM

Mr.S wrote: »

OP, your only valid complaint (IMO) is the loss of facilities - bring that up if you genuinely have lost out.

Rude staff isn't a valid complaint?

Junkyard Tom · 18-02-2017 03:17PM

Mr.S wrote: »

That's stupid.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=88ZDo3-m_KQ

Yourself isit · 18-02-2017 03:49PM

These threads tend to extremes. I'm sympathetic to staff who have to deal with very arrogant clients.

That said it's not just a bed for the night. If that were all we'd just stay in hostels, or the cheapest urban B&Bs.

Paying more involves expecting more. Sometimes this is facilities but it's also about being pampered.

The kind of people paying $1000s per night for the ritz in Paris probably expect the staff there to be receptive to all legal instructions. Rolling an eye would be an firable offence.

4 stars? Rude staff shouldn't be tolerated there either. 3* - you are not expecting much.

(I know stars are an approximation).

I've slept in unrated hotels, hotels where staff had rows outside my bedroom, one hotel in tippersry where the disco might as well have been in my room and there were teenagers getting it on in the corridors. I didn't complain there. The room was 50€.

If I'm paying good money though, I would complain, the extra money isn't just for more "facilities" but for a better overall experience, staff included.

Noddyholder · 18-02-2017 04:08PM

OP if your still around ?

Would your encounter with/from the staff have anything to do with you being gay, just asking as maybe some folks still have hang-ups ?

freshpopcorn · 18-02-2017 04:13PM

Yourself isit wrote: »

I've slept in unrated hotels, hotels where staff had rows outside my bedroom, one hotel in tippersry where the disco might as well have been in my room and there were teenagers getting it on in the corridors. I didn't complain there. The room was 50€.

.

Hayes?

Yourself isit · 18-02-2017 04:43PM

freshpopcorn wrote: »

Hayes?

Further south.

B.A._Baracus · 18-02-2017 05:20PM

I wouldn't complain. I just wouldn't go there again.

S*it like this annoys me tho. If the hotel is a kip what do you think complaining is going to do?
The manager/owner doesn't care. The place wouldn't be a kip if they did.

trashcan · 18-02-2017 05:23PM

JupiterKid wrote: »

Have you ever stayed at at a hotel and found it to be wanting in terms of what you had expected?

"You people ponce in here expecting to be waited on hand and foot while I'm trying to run a hotel"

__Alex__ · 18-02-2017 05:48PM

Blaggers don't put me off using Tripadvisor. Blaggers have always and will always exist. When I'm checking out a place on TA, I accept that a small percentage of reviews might not be genuine and keep that in mind when forming an opinion. I treat the reviews where guests seem to have spent the entire holiday photographing every imperfection in the room with the scorn they deserve.

Having said that, I have written one very negative review myself and it was very much deserved, IMO. I complained to the restaurant independently too. I was offered a freebie and refused it. Sometimes places are just terrible.

Tripadvisor and similar sites have helped raise the bar. There was a time where booking accommodation was a big gamble and that has been largely eliminated now.

Mountainsandh · 18-02-2017 09:33PM

Mr.S wrote: »

That's stupid.

If you want to complain, bring it up with management and then write the review if you wish. Complaining online without bringing it to the attention of the hotel makes no sense, how can they help you if they don't know until after?
.

I don't think so.
After all, the hotel know that they may be reviewed online, they should be ready to be reviewed online, and use it as an assessment tool of how they're doing.
When I go to a hotel, I don't necessarily have the time to wait around until a member of management is ready to meet me, and to be honest, I don't necessarily want to bother with that. My hotel stays are usually short, and I have things planned for the day. I want to go, find that the hotel meets my expectations, and enjoy. Being disappointed is one thing.

Having to call to reception and possibly wait around for conflict resolution is another. It's simply not the kind of bother I want on my agenda.

When a hotel has to cancel facilities for maintenance, they surely are aware that some customers will be inconvenienced. It's up to them to make alternative arrangements so customers are not disgruntled on arrival : inform before customer books the room when possible, or offer some compensation as a matter of fact when customer checks in at reception.

As for staff being rude, presumably management, once they have informed staff of the complaint, will wait until such behaviour has been reported several times before they take action.
Trip Advisor and such sites have the advantage of presenting feedback over a long period, and it will include feedback from all sorts, not just the more outspoken customers.

In fairness it's easy to suss out the type of reviewers on TA. The fact that you can check reviewers' previous reviews gives a fair idea of who the serial complainers, the fakes, and the genuines are.

purplecow1977 · 18-02-2017 09:48PM

I would advise you to complain if I really felt it was not up to scratch.
However, make sure it's not about something trivial.
I read Trip Advisor reviews on any hotel I plan on staying in, and some of the reviews are ridiculous - the pillow was too hard, the pillow was too soft........you get the idea.
If it's something they can solve, then you should tell them sooner rather than later.
If it's not, then mention it upon checkout.

18-02-2017 10:38PM

I'd complain on the spot if it's something that can be sorted on the spot and it's not unreasonable. If it's something more difficult, like surly staff or inadequate hot water or heating, I'd complain via email once I'd left.

I never leave reviews on review sites, they're far too unreliable and generally populated by the permanently discontented and over entitled.

__Alex__ · 18-02-2017 10:59PM

Mountainsandh wrote: »

Trip Advisor and such sites have the advantage of presenting feedback over a long period, and it will include feedback from all sorts, not just the more outspoken customers.

In fairness it's easy to suss out the type of reviewers on TA. The fact that you can check reviewers' previous reviews gives a fair idea of who the serial complainers, the fakes, and the genuines are.

Agree with all your post but especially this part. TA shows the trends. And I agree, the vindictive and overly praising ones are so easy to spot. There might be more subtle fake reviews but why would any bother doing a fake review if it just blends in?

nice_guy80 · 18-02-2017 11:54PM

Thing is, I've stayed in hostels abroad with private rooms that were better than a lot of hotels in Ireland. For a fraction of the price.
It has been scary seeing how overpriced Irish hotels are and the poor standards that they have

VG31 · 19-02-2017 12:27AM

nice_guy80 wrote: »

Thing is, I've stayed in hostels abroad with private rooms that were better than a lot of hotels in Ireland. For a fraction of the price.
It has been scary seeing how overpriced Irish hotels are and the poor standards that they have

I find Irish hotels to usually be of high standard. Outside of Dublin they're not really that expensive.

Mountainsandh · 19-02-2017 12:48AM

Candie wrote: »

I never leave reviews on review sites, they're far too unreliable and generally populated by the permanently discontented and over entitled.

You know Candie, and this is for other posters who don't like TA very much either, you can check people's profiles on TA. It does require a bit more "homework" on your part when booking the hotel I suppose, but it really helps in making a choice.

I'd pick a sample of positives, and a sample of negatives, and have a quick look at previous reviews they gave for a more informed reading of their review on my hotel of choice.

I was looking at the Pembroke hotel in Kilkenny as a random example.

For example, I would probably trust Katie's judgement. She seems fair and reasonable. https://www.tripadvisor.ie/members/Z3244VVkaties

Patrick seems a lot more demanding as a customer, less tolerant of faults, but pretty fair at the same time when it comes to acknowledging the good points. https://www.tripadvisor.ie/members/PATRICKCoMonaghan

And of course on TA, you have the customers' photos, they account for 60% of my choice. Possibly more.

edit : to access the pages above, click on the reviewers' number of reviews on the left, then click on "full profile" and scroll down.

Cameo · 19-02-2017 12:50AM

milehip wrote: »

Wow seem to have struck a nerve with a few of you seems the
I'm a customer and I'm paying your wages brigade is easily triggered,
anyhow this ones for you guys keep on yelping.

https://youtu.be/pDlR_ccnZww

Ah come on, that's silly - no mention of "I'm paying your wages" there either. If staff are unhappy working in a hotel, a customer who is not being rude to them does not deserve rudeness from staff - it doesn't matter how much the staff hate their job or how crap the place is to work in; it's not the customer's fault.

Deleted User wrote: »

Without trying to drag this off topic, and I'm definitely not siding with anyone who throws the "I pay your wages" line in the face of serving staff. But in the absence of paying customers exactly how long do you expect those people "will get paid either way" to continue for?

Yeah it doesn't make sense I know

- what I meant was though, it's the company that's paying them, so whether the "I'm paying your wages" guest is there or not, they'll get paid the same amount either way. The "I'm paying your wages" guest does not pay them directly. A paying customer is of course entitled to good customer service though, even the "I'm paying your wages" types - although they also deserve an icy attitude back.

JupiterKid wrote: »

Well, the hotel room is lovely in my hotel. But here's a hotel room that looks like it's from Novosibirsk circa 1949 and was probably last cleaned back then as well.

Would you stay in this room?

Hipsters would claim to love it!

milehip · 19-02-2017 01:44PM

Cameo wrote: »

Ah come on, that's silly - no mention of "I'm paying your wages

. If staff are unhappy working in a hotel, a ; it's not the customer's fault.

A paying customer is of course entitled to good customer service though, even the "I'm paying your wages" types - although they also deserve an icy attitude back.

You may not have mentioned it directly but the implication seems plain to me.

You're kinda contradicting yourself there a bit,

"Its not the customers fault- they deserve an icy attitude back".

Cameo · 19-02-2017 06:03PM

milehip wrote: »

You may not have mentioned it directly but the implication seems plain to me.

You're kinda contradicting yourself there a bit,

"Its not the customers fault- they deserve an icy attitude back".

I clearly said that if the customer is not rude, they don't deserve rudeness from staff, no matter how much the staff hate their jobs.

The "I'm paying your wages" types do deserve someone to stand up to them though, or be icy towards them or whatever. I also made it clear I dislike the "I'm paying your wages" types (it was someone else's post you blurted out stuff about the "I'm paying your wages" type customer - all that person said was it's not unreasonable to expect a good service in a hotel, which it isn't).

What is it with people deliberately misinterpreting people here?

I thought it was of much higher calibre than TheJournal.ie.

milehip · 19-02-2017 06:36PM

Cameo wrote: »

What is it with people deliberately misinterpreting people here?

I thought it was of much higher calibre than TheJournal.ie.

I wouldn't know, maybe it down to your style of writing.

You've obviously been misled on the standards here.

19-02-2017 06:43PM

I'm quick to leave a good review on TA when I have a good experience. I have had to complain a couple times before and when nothing was done / mgt didn't care, I did leave a poor review.
I find TA is good in general. Less for specifics and more for general trends.
If one person is having a whinge but everyone else was very happy, it's likely to be one person. If a lot of people are complaining about the same issue, it's probably an issue.
It did burn me one time when I stayed somewhere that had a lot of great reviews and had a miserable enough stay there, but on the whole it's handy

I was reading a bad review of a hotel once... it turned out the reviewer had only been there for lunch and was disgusted at being offered an apparently unnecessary spoon for their starter, and was appalled again when he had to cut his own meat for the main course.
lols

19-02-2017 06:48PM

milehip wrote: »

I wouldn't know, maybe it down to your style of writing.

I didn't get any implication from that users posts. I've no idea how you read that into it.

Maybe it's down to your interpretation.

VG31 · 19-02-2017 06:55PM

bluewolf wrote: »

It did burn me one time when I stayed somewhere that had a lot of great reviews and had a miserable enough stay there, but on the whole it's handy

That does happen occasionally so just because there are a few bad reviews it doesn't necessarily mean the review is fake or exaggerating.

There is a restaurant I've been to on holidays multiple times and while it's usually very good, I once had a terrible experience. If that had been my first time there's no way I would have gone back there and would likely have left a bad review.

milehip · 19-02-2017 06:59PM

Candie wrote: »

I didn't get any implication from that users posts. I've no idea how you read that into it.

Maybe it's down to your interpretation.

Thanks,good to know your unsolicited opinion on this matter.
feel free to weigh in anytime you think I need to know you take on things and thanking someone else post or waiting for them to respond themselves just won't cut it.

19-02-2017 07:00PM

milehip wrote: »

Thanks,good to know your unsolicited opinion on this matter.
feel free to weigh in anytime you think I need to know you take on things and thanking someone else post or waiting for them to respond themselves just won't cut it.

You're welcome.

That's why it's called a discussion board after all.

Staying in a Hotel - Would You Complain?

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