Unit 16. At the hotel.

Read the text and answer the question: Why wasn’t the man satisfied with the hotel?

The man checked into the hotel. After the first night he went down to the reception to complain. «I’ve got a few things I’d like to talk about», he said. «Go ahead», answered the receptionist. «We’re used to this». «I’m not surprised», continued the man. «The level of noise is terrible, the food is disgusting, and the sheets are dirty. And to make matters worse, I have a terrible cold because the roof was leaking all night. Does it always do that»? «No, sir», replied the receptionist. «Only when it rains».

To complain about different problems in the room call or go to the receptionist.

Useful expressions.

I’d like to change my room. – Я хотел бы/хотела бы поменять мою комнату. This room is too small. Don’t you have a bigger one? –Эта комната слишком маленькая. У Вас есть комната побольше?

I requested a non-smoking room/ a room with a sea view.Я бронировал/-а комнату для некурящих / комнату с видом на море.

The room is very noisy. - В этой комнате очень шумно.

The room smells bad. - В этой комнате плохо пахнет.

There are vermin in the room.- В этой комнате водятся паразиты.

The air conditioning/ the lock/ the heating does not work. - Кондиционер / замок/отопление не работает.

The window does not open.- Окно не открывается.

The room has not been cleaned. - В комнате не убирались.

There is no hot water. - Тут нет горячей воды.

I did not receive my wake-up call. - Меня не разбудили.

The bill is overcharged. - Счет завышен. In hotel industry like hotel or restaurant, complaints go side by side. In hotel arena, guests may not become satisfied for various reasons. Try to professionally deal all sorts of complaints. This is a chance to show your professionalism.

Read the dialogues.

a.

Receptionist: Hello, madam. Guest: Room 58. I have a problem with a hairdryer. R: Oh, what’s the problem? G: It doesn’t work. R: I’m sorry. I’ll send someone immediately.

b.

Receptionist: Hello, madam. Guest: Room 58. I have another problem. R: Oh, what’s the problem now? G: The heating doesn’t work. R: Oh, right. Would you like a different room, madam? G: Yes, I’d like.

Practice the dialogues using the above expressions.

Match the complaints and response:

Complaints	Responses
1. There are not enough towels in my room.	a. I’m sorry about the mix up sir, we’ll change your room immediately.
2. The sink is leaking in the bathroom.	b. I apologize for that ma’am. I’ll have the chef warm it up immediately.
3. I seem to have misplaced my tennis racket. Has one been turned in?	c. Well sir, you ordered the steak very well done and it takes a little longer.
4. This soup is not warm enough.	d. Sorry for the inconvenience, maintenance will be by shortly to fix the problem.
5. Why is our order taking so long?	e. I’ll have housekeeping deliver more towels to your room right away.
6. I specifically requested an ocean view, but the room I was given has a view of the pool.	f. Not yet, sir, but I’ll let you know if someone does. What is your room number?

Read sample hotel complaint letter regarding poor service.

Frequent ['friːkwənt] - частый

Loyal ['lɔɪəl] – верный

Appreciate [ə'priːʃɪeɪt] – оценивать, принимать во внимание

Emphasis ['emfəsɪs] –уделять внимание

Plumbing ['plʌmɪŋ] – водопровод

Faulty ['fɔːltɪ] - неиправный

Request [rɪ'kwest] – просьба, требование

Available [ə'veɪləbl] - доступный, имеющийся в распоряжении

Hence [hen(t)s] – следовательно

Sincerely [sɪn'sɪəlɪ] – с уважением [Your Name]

[Street Address]

[City, Prov. Postal Code]

November 21, 2013

[Recipient Name]

[Title]

[Company Name]

[Street Address]

[City, Prov. Postal Code]

Dear [Recipient Name]:

I am a frequent traveller and have been a loyal customer of your hotel for many years because I appreciate your emphasis on value and excellent service. Yet a recent episode at your hotel has made me question my loyalty.

I stayed in your Lilburn, Georgia, hotel, Room 203, from Monday, September 1 through Thursday, September 4. Throughout my stay my towels were consistently dirty, and the bathroom plumbing was faulty. To make matters worse, one of my neighbours was extremely loud and entertained visitors until 3 A.M. I complained to the Front Desk Manager, Annik Stahl, and requested another room but was told there were no other rooms available. No one from the hotel spoke to my noisy neighbour on my behalf. Despite my repeated complaints, it was not until the third day of my stay that the plumbing was fixed and my towels refreshed. Because of the noise, I was unable to sleep comfortably for two nights, and hence, my business meetings were far more stressful than they needed to be.

I am writing to encourage you to improve your customer service. It is extremely distressing for a loyal frequent traveller to experience such poor service.

I enjoy staying at your hotel for a number of reasons. Overall the atmosphere makes me feel as comfortable as if I were at home. I hate having my positive feelings about your hotel ruined by one visit. I hope this problem will be corrected prior to my next visit.

Sincerely,

[Your Name]

Write your own complaint letter describing any negative experience.

However good the service and the food are in any restaurant, there will be customers who complain. Remember, not all customers that complain are reasonable people –however –“the customer is always right”

A manager is able to deal effectively with a customer complaint and to deal with different types of incidents.

Common complaints:

• Customers complain that they have been given the wrong order.

• A customer says they have found a fly/ a hair in the dish.

• Someone is given the wrong change.

• A customer complains about the portion size.

• A customer enters the restaurant obviously drunk.

• A customer complains about the quality of the food (spicy, tough, dry, sweet, cold, salty, hot, overcooked, undercooked, stale).