Peter Jackson
Mar 30 2006 By Peter Jackson, The Journal
We are an uncomplaining nation, which makes us easier to get on with, but also means we tend to suffer from truly appalling levels of service.
However, there are signs that this may be changing and I point to myself as evidence to support this thesis, for I am truly a worm that has turned.
Last summer, the family and I broke a rule and took a package holiday, a two-centre stay in Croatia, involving a week in one resort and then a move to a different hotel for the second week. Croatia is a lovely country, thoroughly to be recommended and gave us no cause for complaint.
Our second hotel, on the other handÂ…
First, the brochure had described it as three-star, whereas it was two-star. The same brochure also claimed it was three storeys high, but our rooms were on the fifth floor and, there being no lift, were accessible only by climbing 10 flights of stairs.
Also, rather than the three restaurants claimed by the holiday company, there was only one, which was reminiscent of a 1950s holiday camp, with dirty staff and inedible food. We complained to our rep, who shrugged, gave us a form to fill in and then tried to sell us a company excursion.
On returning to the UK, I wrote to the holiday company, enclosing the complaint form and demanding recompense. They replied, saying essentially, "no way."
More weeks of correspondence followed, until, just before Christmas, they said they could do nothing because we had neglected to complain to their rep or fill in a complaint form.
At this point I lost my sense of humour and went to a solicitor. Now, three months later, the holiday company has agreed to refund £900.
There are two morals to this. One is to the consumer, which is if you're not happy complain, and, if you don't get satisfaction, keep complaining.
The second moral to be drawn is for businesses and it is this - if a customer has a justifiable complaint, do your best to settle it quickly and fairly and save yourself time and grief.
If, three months ago, I had been offered an apology and a fraction of our final settlement, I would have gleefully accepted.
