[MartynSinclair]

I went to the reception of a Mayfair hotel this evening for a 5pm meeting. Here is a brief transcript of my conversation with reception:

<me> – Good evening, please can you let Mr X know that I am here to see him for a 5pm meeting

<reception> – I awfully sorry, we can not confirm or deny we have a guest by that name, data protection

<me> – well how am I supposed to let Mr X, know I am here

<reception> – try messaging him or calling him

<me> – he is not using an English sim and has advised me he would have no data services.

<reception> – can I suggest you call the hotel switchboard and ask to be put through to his room

So I called the hotel – the phone range in reception and the same receptionist who I had been speaking to answered the phone and whilst I stared at her in total disbelief, she put me through to my clients room.

Is this really the world in 2019…

1 user thanked author for this post.

mkcol74

[capetonianm]

‘fraid it is.

A couple of years ago I paid money into a third party’s Post Office account and I explained that it was not my account. They gave me a receipt for the credit which showed me the new account balance.

I asked the lady if she could tell me the balance on the account and she looked at me as if I was nuts : “Of course not, it’s Data Protection.”

[nevereconomy]

Just went though the whole ‘can you please confirm that you are who you say you are’ routine in order to make an appointment for my MOT !!

[iflypremium]

Several years ago, I needed to speak to a friend who is airline crew.
I mean which airline would actually put their crew in a Brittania hotel ?
My friend didn’t have a UK SIM, so I phoned reception and they told me the room number ahead of transferring the call.
I arrived at the hotel and thought let me get Reception to ring up to the room to check my friend is in the room.
The receptionist shouted the room number in front of others.
I complained about the ultra poor data protection and was told that ( and I quote) said airline can choose another hotel if they want.
Then again you wouldn’t expect professionalism from Brittania hotels would you ?
Sad to see this happens in Mayfair too.

[capetonianm]

I have never had the misfortune to stay in a Britannia Hotel, but I sometimes read the TripAdvisor reviews of them, which are quite entertaining, with a sense of disbelief that hotels this bad still operate, and that people stay in them.

I did write a review of one though, as I had to go to rescue friends who had foolishly booked an overnight at the Europa LGW : https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowUserReviews-g187051-d192259-r294769088-Europa_Gatwick_Hotel-Crawley_West_Sussex_England.html
The last line of my review was : “If you are thinking of staying at this place, DO NOT DO IT. I would prefer to sleep in my car, or under a hedge, or in a toilet at the airport.” And I had only seen the front lobby.

A cheapskate company I was going to do some work for once booked me into a Britannia near Runcorn. Fortunately I checked the reviews and told them to cancel the booking and the work!

[tharrington]

Had the importance of not giving too much information away explained to me by a hotel concierge once.

“Mr and Mrs X, welcome back, wonderful to have you staying with us again!”

A suspicious Mrs X looks to her now sheepish husband – “but, we’ve never stayed here before”

2 users thanked author for this post.

mkcol74, MartynSinclair

[iflypremium]

Glad someone else agrees how low standard the Brittania’s are. Not worth the name they have.

[iflypremium]

Oh My Word ! I just had a flashback to when I worked in an airline where a woman who wasn’t a named or authorised person, rang 3 times (and got me each time) to check if her “partner ” was on a certain flight to Oslo.

The first two times she was told that due to Data Protection, we couldn’t confirm or deny if a particular person was on a flight.

On the third call she told me why she was needing to know this.

Brace yourselves.

She believed her married (to someone else) partner was off to Oslo with someone else !

You think you have heard it all and then you get the above !

3 users thanked author for this post.

Jacob, GivingupBA, Tom Otley

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