A while ago NYC Watchdog wrote something on accountability. That little thing that makes us decent, righteous human beings. It isn’t what religion you partake in, it isn’t education – it is the ability, nay, the inclination to take responsibility for the things you say and do. Now its my turn to weigh in.
It is no secret I work in a hotel in a prominent resort area. Over the past few years we have been working so hard to get our name and reputation back. When I started at this property it was terrible but through harder work than you can imagine we have been getting it back. There are still those people you can’t please. Vicious, passive-aggressive people who wont tell you to your face something is wrong but will go online and let it all out. Or how about those people who tell you something is wrong (but not really – they are just impossible to please) and then, to get revenge, go online to enjoy in some late night libel.
Take for example, Tripadvisor.com. “Get the truth. Then go.” That’s their little slogan. And were it always the truth I wouldn’t mind – but it isn’t always the truth. Quite often it is a guest you couldn’t please (I’m sorry, I can’t give you a free stay because your remote didn’t work, or the internet was down, or the bed was too hard), or a past employee that is “past” for a reason.
People can lose their livelihoods, lives can be ruined because someone wants to get out a little aggression. Don’t believe me? I went to TripAdvisor.com the other day and right on the front page was a negative review about a hotel in Cairo, Egypt saying the hotel had, well frankly the worst things possible for a hotel. I won’t say what because the very name of it gives me the willies. Should I go to Egypt I’ll never stay at that hotel, on the mere thought that it might be true – if only I could remember the name of it. But what if it isn’t true? What if it is just some past employee getting their revenge for getting let go or a past guest who felt their complaints were not satisfactorily addressed (I’m sorry – I cannot give you a free stay because you were woken by a drunk person stumbling to their room in the middle of the night).
When thinking of guests who you cannot satisfy (I’m sorry ma’am, I cannot give you a free night stay because you were woken up in the middle of the night by a drunk person stumbling to your room) I always think of something I heard a comedian say (I wish I could remember who he was – and if you know please tell me) – “you know why you’re plane ticket didn’t cost you a million dollars? Because we’re sharing it.”
I know for a fact that some of the negative reviews on our TripAdvisor page are fake – because I was told so by the past employee who wrote them and I wrote a post myself (an obviously fake post making a point). So what can I say to those people who post things that are untrue on TripAdvisor just to make yourself feel a little better - thank you, let me rub the salt in my wound for you, you negative cretins. Because you make turning this place around exponentially harder. Because we are teetering on the edge of being able to pay the electricity bill let alone renovate our rooms (which we are doing as we have the money to do so).
B (Sep 02, 2008)
This is why I take any review for anything with a grain of salt. People will rarely leave a positive review, who takes the time to report on good service? The only time people leave any type of “review” is when something goes wrong and like you said, in many cases these people will never be pleased.
An Cailín Seanchaí - F**k you, Jane Doe | Plugg (Sep 04, 2008)
[...] An Cailín Seanchaí – F**k you, Jane Doe An Cailín Seanchaí – F**k you, Jane Doe [...]