What would you have done

lila1 · 14-05-2014 02:58PM #1

I was diagnosed with a neurological illness in 2002. This last few years if I am going out for the day I would usually take my wheelchair.A few months ago I had an appointment in a Dublin hospital. As it was an early app we decided we would book into a hotel the night before. We phoned the hotel a few weeks in advance to tell them about my situation. They advised us that there were about 5 steps leading up to the door. We said grand I would manage that. On arriving at the hotel the young man on reception could not have been nicer and on seeing the wheelchair advised us that we could have breakfast in our room. We said great. Next morning my husband went to reception to inquire about breakfast again another lovely girl told him to make his way to the dining room (which was at the bottom of a narrow flight of stairs) and someone there would help him. When he found a member of staff he explained our situation. Sorry she said you must have breakfast here and your wife can have hers in her bedroom. My husband said sorry but I would rather eat with my wife. To cut a long story short the waitress arrived at the bedroom with the two breakfasts, by this time I was sitting dressed ready for my appointment. (We had parked the wheelchair in the en suite because the room was small). When she saw me sitting there she completely lost the head. You tell me your wife is sick she screamed there is nothing wrong with your wife look at her sitting there there is nothing wrong with her. She slammed down the breakfasts and stormed out. My husband followed and said excuse me please a few time but she she never let on she heard him. The girl on reception phoned the dining room telling her my husband would like to speak to her but she refused to come up and explain herself. ( we have thought a thousand times since why did he not go down) But when you are caught by surprise you just dont think. And into the bargain it was the managers day off.

Ihatecuddles · 14-05-2014 03:00PM

Ring the manager now and explain what happened.

Woman sounds like a right c*nt.

Celly Smunt · 14-05-2014 03:01PM

I probably would have eaten the breakfast.

karma_ · 14-05-2014 03:02PM

lila1 wrote: »

I was diagnosed with a neurological illness in 2002. This last few years if I am going out for the day I would usually take my wheelchair.A few months ago I had an appointment in a Dublin hospital. As it was an early app we decided we would book into a hotel the night before. We phoned the hotel a few weeks in advance to tell them about my situation. They advised us that there were about 5 steps leading up to the door. We said grand I would manage that. On arriving at the hotel the young man on reception could not have been nicer and on seeing the wheelchair advised us that we could have breakfast in our room. We said great. Next morning my husband went to reception to inquire about breakfast again another lovely girl told him to make his way to the dining room (which was at the bottom of a narrow flight of stairs) and someone there would help him. When he found a member of staff he explained our situation. Sorry she said you must have breakfast here and your wife can have hers in her bedroom. My husband said sorry but I would rather eat with my wife. To cut a long story short the waitress arrived at the bedroom with the two breakfasts, by this time I was sitting dressed ready for my appointment. (We had parked the wheelchair in the en suite because the room was small). When she saw me sitting there she completely lost the head. You tell me your wife is sick she screamed there is nothing wrong with your wife look at her sitting there there is nothing wrong with her. She slammed down the breakfasts and stormed out. My husband followed and said excuse me please a few time but she she never let on she heard him. The girl on reception phoned the dining room telling her my husband would like to speak to her but she refused to come up and explain herself. ( we have thought a thousand times since why did he not go down) But when you are caught by surprise you just dont think. And into the bargain it was the managers day off.

I would have been mad as anything to be treated in such a disrespectful fashion.

All I can say to you is don't allow some arséhole to bring you down, unfortunately there are many of them about and they should be avoided at all costs.

Banjo String · 14-05-2014 03:04PM

Get on to management now.

Disabilities are not always visible, the waitress should have used some cop on and shown a bit of sensitivity tbh.

jimgoose · 14-05-2014 03:05PM

I would get hold of the manager and explain to him that I will make it my personal mission in this vale of tears to close that hotel and jail that bitch of a young wan unless she is fired NOW! That is absolutely outrageous behaviour. What is it to her anyway - did she get into such a snit over having to bring a tray upstairs??

daithi1970 · 14-05-2014 03:05PM

Ring the hotel and speak to the manager. If you get no satisfaction from them,tell them your story is going up onto Tripadvisor. That should light a fire under their arses..

dee_mc · 14-05-2014 03:08PM

Sounds like she was having a bad day!! Hindsight is a great thing but i suspect she couldn't leave a busy breakfast service to speak to your husband - if she could have, the situation would probably have been resolved on the day.
I'd probably write a nice email thanking the hotel staff who were so helpful and mentioning your disappointment that the experience was let down by the behaviour of this waitress.

The Diabolical Monocle · 14-05-2014 03:10PM

Did she actually scream ? .... or was it more of a mumble.

Kaycee2 · 14-05-2014 03:12PM

What a horrible way to be treated, you'd think when a managers off there should be someone there acting in that position that could have done something for you on the day it happened, i'd get straight onto Tripadvisor and name and shame

I Heart Internet · 14-05-2014 03:13PM

Ring the manager now and explain what went down. Alternatively, write it up in an email - this can be better as it gives you time to think.

Be to sure to point out the good points (helpful reception staff) as well as the bad (breakfast bint) - a balanced approach is best, so it's very clear that you are a very reasonable person.

To be honest, the brekafast person had no business wondering if you were/were not fit enough to eat breakfast or not. If the reception staff instructed her to serve you in the room, that should be enough.

I'd have had my other half chase her, screaming around the corridors of the hotel with the wheelchair!

(But don't dwell on it. Some people are eejits and some people just make stoopid mistakes.)

lila1 · 14-05-2014 03:16PM

The Diabolical Monocle wrote: »

Did she actually scream ? .... or was it more of a mumble.

Believe me she screamed

Wishiwasa Littlebitaller · 14-05-2014 03:18PM

lila1 wrote: »

What would you have done?

I would have asked for Polly. She was always the voice of reason in the establishment which it sounds like you stayed in.

ScumLord · 14-05-2014 03:18PM

lila1 wrote: »

And into the bargain it was the managers day off.

It doesn't matter if the manager has a day off, it's the hotels duty to make sure a manager is on duty and contactable if a customer requests it. I've forced people to ring the manager so I can talk to them when they use that excuse and I've rang the guards when they refused to contact the manager.

If you request to speak to a manager the manager has to speak to you, I'm pretty sure that's a law.

I Heart Internet · 14-05-2014 03:22PM

ScumLord wrote: »

It doesn't matter if the manager has a day off, it's the hotels duty to make sure a manager is on duty and contactable if a customer requests it. I've forced people to ring the manager so I can talk to them when they use that excuse and I've rang the guards when they refused to contact the manager.

Any hotel worth it's salt will always have a "duty manager" on every shift. They are the management if the general manager is not available.

But ringing the guards when a manager is not available?? That seems OTT. What the f*** was so wrong with the hotel that you had to ring the guards? What did the guards say?

ScumLord wrote: »

If you request to speak to a manager the manager has to speak to you, I'm pretty sure that's a law.

Never heard of that law...

Nemeses · 14-05-2014 03:23PM

ScumLord wrote: »

If you request to speak to a manager the manager has to speak to you, I'm pretty sure that's a law.

I wouldn't say so. Mostly down to whatever policy a business has.

It's courtesy to get a manager involved but the company doesn't have to oblige to that request.

Also, OP, thats a shocking experience. Sorry to hear.

Greenmachine · 14-05-2014 03:24PM

What a horrible way to be treated. Like other have said write a honest and frank report on trip advisor mention all the good points then mention this ladies treatment of you. Hopefully you will get a good resolution to this.

fergiesfolly · 14-05-2014 03:26PM

daithi1970 wrote: »

Ring the hotel and speak to the manager. If you get no satisfaction from them,tell them your story is going up onto Tripadvisor. That should light a fire under their arses..

Feck Tripadvisor.....

Hello....Joe?

ScumLord · 14-05-2014 03:27PM

I Heart Internet wrote: »

But ringing the guards when a manager is not available?? That seems OTT. What the f*** was so wrong with the hotel that you had to ring the guards? What did the guards say?

The guards just confirmed that if I request to speak to a manager that they have to make that happen. They didn't call out or anything. It wasn't a hotel either.

--LOS-- · 14-05-2014 03:29PM

Don't let this slide OP, for your owns sakes and the sake of someone else who could be treated the same way by that eejit

Nemeses · 14-05-2014 03:30PM

ScumLord wrote: »

The guards just confirmed that if I request to speak to a manager that they have to make that happen. They didn't call out or anything. It wasn't a hotel either.

There's no law on it though...

Of course though, you have the right to ask. They also have the right to refuse.

However, that is never here or there.

I Heart Internet · 14-05-2014 03:33PM

ScumLord wrote: »

The guards just confirmed that if I request to speak to a manager that they have to make that happen. They didn't call out or anything. It wasn't a hotel either.

I really doubt that's the law though. Talk about a police state!

I Heart Internet · 14-05-2014 03:34PM

ScumLord wrote: »

The guards just confirmed that if I request to speak to a manager that they have to make that happen. They didn't call out or anything. It wasn't a hotel either.

It was a massage parlour wasn't it?

Greenmachine · 14-05-2014 03:34PM

ScumLord wrote: »

The guards just confirmed that if I request to speak to a manager that they have to make that happen. They didn't call out or anything. It wasn't a hotel either.

Sounds bizarre, I have worked in shops when the manager was out on business for a number of hours. People are generally happy to leave a message or call back in. Not sure what would have happened in the case of a complaint.

Philo Beddoe · 14-05-2014 03:36PM

I'd make it my business to get that woman sacked. Honestly, that's absolutely shocking behaviour.

The One Doctor · 14-05-2014 03:37PM

ScumLord wrote: »

The guards just confirmed that if I request to speak to a manager that they have to make that happen. They didn't call out or anything. It wasn't a hotel either.

The guard said that to get a crazy person off the phone. There's no law that says that you must be allowed to speak to a manager. Or you can prove me wrong by producing evidence of this 'law'.

D1stant · 14-05-2014 03:40PM

ScumLord wrote: »

It doesn't matter if the manager has a day off, it's the hotels duty to make sure a manager is on duty and contactable if a customer requests it. I've forced people to ring the manager so I can talk to them when they use that excuse and I've rang the guards when they refused to contact the manager.

Jesus. Great use of police time there

Katgurl · 14-05-2014 03:41PM

there is NO WAY in hell I would tolerate that.

The woman needs to be sacked, you need a formal apology and you need to be compensated. How dare she shout at you? Did you actually have to pay a bill to be abused?

Start with management as high as possible - is it a chain?

Akrasia · 14-05-2014 03:46PM

Greenmachine wrote: »

Sounds bizarre, I have worked in shops when the manager was out on business for a number of hours. People are generally happy to leave a message or call back in. Not sure what would have happened in the case of a complaint.

I worked in a shop for years.

We used to keep a bowler cap and a fake moustache in the break room just for this occasion. A suitably managerial accent would usually convince the hapless customer that everything was above board.

Wishiwasa Littlebitaller · 14-05-2014 03:57PM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=phuvr7yYWRg

I can't stop laughing at all this.

I'm not laughing at you OP, but this is comical. I can't believe that people like this actually exist. It's is genuinely like a lost episode of Faulty Towers. What a bunch of fcuking lunatics. The manager was off that day? Yeah right, I bet he was off getting the dinner menu from the local Chinese, had broken down and was beating his car with a branch of a tree.

There is actually even a scene in Faulty Towers where Basil also takes issue with a guest that asks can he have breakfast in bed.

Micky Dolenz · 14-05-2014 03:58PM

Wait until you can run over the story and be totally calm about it. It might help to write down points. Use phrases like "shocking and upsetting" "Hugely disappointed in the service" and so on.

Google the hotel and find out the name of the GM, ring and ask for them by name. When you speak to them, read your points in a calm and reasoned fashion, do not shout. The GM will have your best interest at heart because it is in his/her best interest to do so.

I am sure they will be as displeased as you are.

What would you have done

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