[seasonedtraveller]

Mr Michael.

I’m afraid you were not being wound up.

My daughter worked as a chambermaid, in 2 different 4 Star hotels in Leeds whilst in her final school year.

Coffee cups and glasses ARE washed in the bathroom sink and without detergent.
In both cases, staff were instructed to clean/dry the cups with the used towels!!
Sadly, this is fact, not fiction.

[Carajillo2Sugar]

Ever wish you’d never seen this thread…….?

[stevescoots]

Nothing I did not already expect in hotels :). TBH i dont see a problem washing cups in the bathroom sink, provided detergent is used. The glasses for rinsing your mouth out are usually kept next to the sink in there anyway.

but using dirty towels to dry…yuk, but then the room maid has probably had her hands all over the glasses an cups, and you know where they have been in a room, with our without rubber gloves!

[MartynSinclair]

I stayed in the Sheraton Brussels this week and thought the idea of having the tea/coffee making stuff + cups, saucers etc, positioned in the bathroom, within a few inches of the toilet, pretty awful and off putting….

[ZKSmith]

I friend who used to be a cleaner in a hotel admitted to me once that he would normally just wipe down the mugs and glasses with the wet cloth he used to clean the sink, shower etc… put me off ever using those mugs again without washing them myself first.

Couple of pet hates I have that others don’t seem to have mentioned yet:
Hotel reception staff who do paperwork or respond to emails instead of serving the enormous queue of people waiting to check in. If it is that important, why can’t they do it at a proper desk in an office somewhere, rather than the first thing you see upon arrival being someone completely ignoring all the guests.
Hotels who feel the need to fill large bedrooms with ridiculous amounts of furniture. On a recent trip to Dubai my room had a desk, dining table, dressing table, coffee table, two large bedside tables, and three other side tables. Add to that a sofa, seven chairs, and two floor lamps, it became impossible to move in the room without either tripping over or stubbing a toe on a piece of unnecessary furniture.

Airlines who wait until boarding, to inform you that because of a change of aircraft your assigned seat is no longer available. Despite the fact the different aircraft has been sat on the ground for a couple of hours, and was en-route for several hours prior to that, it isn’t until boarding time that any airport staff realise. Seats could have been reassigned at check-in, or while waiting in the lounge, or they could have called people to the gate early to reassign their seats. But no. Instead they change multiple boarding passes at the gate, delaying departure. Once onboard you find that everyone is trying to swap seats so they can sit with their family, because they were assigned new seats apart from each other, further delaying departure.
Rant over.

[TiredOldHack]

I always leave a tip for chambermaids, as I know they’re the lowest in the hotel food chain. I stick it under the pillow, so the bod who checks the minibar before the room is cleaned won’t see it and pocket it.

[canucklad]

This rant is in 2 parts……..
Friday night, and it’s time to head up the road. Reserved seats on the Cross Country service from Newcastle to Edinburgh…. Those of you who regularly use our railways will be shaking your head in disbelief as you wonder why I opted for XCountry rather than the for now superior East Coast service…. .Well…….

1) My colleague was with me and she lives near Motherwell , this service terminated at Glasgow Central, conveniently stopping at Motherwell, so a chance to have a catch up for a chat and a Friday night aperitif was a perfect way to get home…..
2) As a Brucie Bonus, this service also stops at Haymarket , allowing me a hop off, hop on same platform change onto my Scotrail local service.

NOW my ****** RANT ( 1st) …….
This is supposed to be a long distance inter city train service, let the Train take the strain they proclaimed, more than a generation ago. So, I find myself wondering ,all these years later, why the management at XCountry deem it acceptable to offer a service that wouldn’t be out of place in a Kinshasa suburb during rush hour? Reserved seats are no longer valid on this service, and no explanation ,sorry excuse is offered. All this results in having to stand, yet again in a pongy,filthy doorway.Making it impossible to have a pleasant drink and a chat with my colleague. And Is this the first-ever time I’ve had to endure this……No its bloody not! And I’ve had enough I tell myself on Friday night.

Now to RANT no 2………I’m now on a weks holiday ,pottering around the house, and my 2nd rant is aimed directly at myself. Even though I will proactively send letters/emails thanking people for delivering great customer service. Even though I stood on the hell train with a recovering broken foot,still wearing a long moonboot,with my elder colleague with her heart condition, I find myself this morning lethargicly shrugging my shoulders, with that typically British melancholy attitude of ” what’s the ******** point
” What will a complaint email get me,especially to a company ,that surely must get more mail than Santa. Have the Train operators finally beat me, am I now just an apathetic shell of a man, who will unquestioningly accept my fate at the hands of XCountry.

[Charles-P]

canucklad – I understand the frustration and the temptation to give up however this will result in mediocrity being the norm. I live in Belgium where poor service and rudeness from Civil Servants is an accepted fact of life and the idea of complaining about it would, to many Belgians be laughable – they just don’t bother. I however do and it is fascinating to see the reaction of people when they realise one is serious.

[TimFitzgeraldTC]

Hi Canucklad

An email to the right person (maybe the MD) copying in your local MP perhaps may get a decent response. I had issues with FGW last August and as compensation they gave me 2 First Class tickets anywhere on the network. But yes XCountry is a victim of its success. Pre-privatisation it was the worst “TOC” by a country mile for late running / cancelled trains. Problem is they ordered new trains that were far to short. They managed to get ridership numbers massively up with new stock / timetables. Problem is they don’t have enough seats to cater for everyone. Bu that is short term treasury for you (as the effectively finance new Rolling Stock).

[MrMichael]

Why do belts have to come off at airport security? I have a belt that has absolutely no metal on it or in it at all, and yet at LHR (T5) they insisted I still remove it this morning, and yet last week at Mad (T4) they told me no need to bother taking it off.

[Charles-P]

More than just belts coming off why do the people they employ to ask you to do it have to be so miserable ?

I came through London City the other week and the girl at security had a face and an attitude of somebody waiting for the zombie apocalypse !
I appreciate it’s not the greatest job in the world and yes I understand they have to deal with some real idiots at times but crack a smile people, talk with some level of happiness and enthusiasm , the day will be better for eveyone.

[AnthonyDunn]

@ Charles-P – 04/02/2015 09:31 GMT

The answer, on the basis of the ghastly BBC Three series about Bangkok airport, is clearly to fly through BKK where the airport appears to hold an annual competition to discover the year’s most fawning member of staff.

[JohnHarper]

I have a belt with a plastic buckle that I often wear when traveling. Demands to take it off always meet with refusal and that’s the end of it.

[MartynSinclair]

Don’t start me on a rant about security protocols.

I was finally coerced into putting a complaint in to T2 in FRA after a particularly unpleasant touchy feely operative felt me totally inappropriately.. apparently a member of BA staff was asked to take her top off in private…

That was Dec 2nd… still haven’t had a reply………

[Charles-P]

MartynSinclair – perhaps you could do what the passenger in Houston did during what he regarded as a far too intimate TSA pat down.

Emit a low deep moan and sigh followed by asking for the man’s phone number.

[Author]

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