Author Information
09 - Dear Management [mostly harmless]
Folder:
Nigerian Diaries 29-09-04 20:20pm
Dear Management,
I am writing this so that perhaps a similar incident can be avoided in the future.
The incident: When I arrived home from work tonight, at approx. 6pm, I found, to great annoyance, that my electronic room key didn't work. I walked down to reception where they re-programmed the key and assured me it would now work. So I went back to my room only to be disappointed yet again. Back to reception I went and this time they issued me a brand new key, and were very confident that I would be able to open my room door. So, for the third time I ventured back to the second floor, and for the third time I failed to enter my room.
By now I was too tired to walk back down to reception, so I asked the floor security to relay my concerns. He did so, and assured me somebody was on their way to open my door for me. After sitting in the hallway outside my room for about fifteen minutes, somebody from housekeeping finally let me in. This guy said something was wrong with the lock and that I would be allocated a new room. So I went in to my room and packed all my belongings, walked out in to the hallway with it all, where I was told to wait for another person to come and show me my new room. And wait I did...
I was given the run-around for a further forty-five minutes, most of which was spent sitting around in the hallway, waiting for a room to be allocated to me.
After one failed attempt (due to the intended room still being occupied) the attendant finally found me a vacant room, though the room still hadn't been serviced since the last person checked out. The time was now past seven pm.
I was given room 160, which, apart from being in the obvious need of servicing (bed sheets, bath towels etc.), was also mysteriously missing the following items:
* the entire tray of tea & coffee facilities (even the kettle)
* the entire guest stationary folder (including directory & room service menu etc.)
* All toiletries, including toilet rolls!
* Even the room service/do not disturb sign!
Add to this the fact that the water heater had been swithed off a long time ago, and all I really wanted to do was to have a shower - working all day as a telecommnications installer can be very dirty work, and today was no exception - so I did so, albeit in cold water.
I had my cold shower then quickly headed downstairs for dinner, to allow housekeeping to put everything back to order. I even went to the bar, just to make sure I'd left enough time for the work to be done. But when I returned to my room, at about ten past eight pm, I discovered the room in the exact state as I left it in. Bitterly disappointed, I was just about to storm down to reception when I met the housekeeping guy on my way out. The time was now twenty past eight pm.
I'm not sure how many stars this hotel has, but it does seem to be a highly rated one. Tonight's experience does not rate very high on my tolerance meter. In fact, with the exception of being robbed of $800USD by security staff at Hotel Molodeshnya in Moscow ten years ago, this incident would rate as my worst hotel experience ever.
I hope this honest outburst on my behalf will help the management team to formulate plans and strategies that will swiftly deal with my type of situation, without the guest having to sit around in hallways for hours, tired, smelly and hungry.
Sincerely,
Robert Lindstrom
Midnight
STOP PRESS: When I got back to my room tonight, shortly before midnight, I was bitterly disappointed to find my room still void of tea/coffee facilities, as well as lacking the large brown customer information/stationary folder, containing all necessary contact numbers, menu's and blank paper a guest may need.
