From Thomas Cook Holidays - listing some guests' complaints during the season.
1. "I think it should be explained in the brochure that the local store does not sell proper biscuits like custard creams or ginger nuts."
2. "It's lazy of the local shopkeepers to close in the afternoons. I often needed to buy things during 'siesta' time - this should be banned
3. "On my holiday to Goa in India, I was disgusted to find that almost every restaurant served curry. I don't like spicy food at all."
4. "We booked an excursion to a water park but no-one told us we had to bring our swimming costumes and towels."
5. A tourist at a top African game lodge over looking a water hole, who spotted a visibly aroused elephant, complained that the sight of this rampant beast ruined his honeymoon by making him feel "inadequate".
7. "The beach was too sandy."
8. "We found the sand was not like the sand in the brochure. Your brochure shows the sand as yellow but it was white."
9. A guest at a Novotel in Australia complained his soup was too thick and strong. He was inadvertently slurping the gravy at the time.
10. "Topless sunbathing on the beach should be banned. The holiday was ruined as my husband spent all day looking at other women."
11. "We bought' Ray-Ban' sunglasses for five Euros from a street trader, only to find out they were fake."
12. "No-one told us there would be fish in the sea. The children were startled."
13. "There was no egg slicer in the apartment..."
14. "We went on holiday to Spain and had a problem with the taxi drivers as they were all Spanish..."
15. "The roads were uneven.."
16. "It took us nine hours to fly home from Jamaica to England it only took the Americans three hours to get home."
17. "I compared the size of our one-bedroom apartment to our friends' three-bedroom apartment and ours was significantly smaller."
18. "The brochure stated: 'No hairdressers at the accommodation’. We’re trainee hairdressers - will we be OK staying there?"
19. "There are too many Spanish people. The receptionist speaks Spanish. The food is Spanish. Too many foreigners now live abroad'"
20. "We had to queue outside with no air conditioning."
21. "It is your duty as a tour operator to advise us of noisy or unruly guests before we travel."
22. "I was bitten by a mosquito - no-one said they could bite."
23. "My fiancé and I booked a twin-bedded room but we were placed in a double-bedded room. We now hold you responsible for the fact that I find myself pregnant. This would not have happened if you had put us in the room that we booked."
Can't remember where I got this internet fodder from,,,
I have divided opinions about this article. At times, I agree with some of the complaints and, sometimes, feel them myself. I mean, as a tourist, I sometimes get the culture shock when I visit countries with drastically different cultures. A reoccurring problem every time I visit a foreign country is the language barriers. Consequently, I agree with the 14th point that states the complaints about the Spanish taxi drivers. I understand the struggle of explaining where I would like to go to a taxi driver when I understand nothing the driver is saying. I also understand the feeling when you would have to wait outside. Although it is understandable for tourists from the Western hemisphere, I come from Indonesia, which is as tropical as it gets; so, I am fairly used to waiting outside in the scorching Sun’s heat. Sadly, these two complaints are the only two complaints that I can understand and accept without getting ticked off.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I said previously that I can accept some complaints, the other complaints are just mind-blowingly stupid. Some of the complaints are just hilariously inconsiderate, while the rest are just downright idiotic. I mean, who in the right mind would complain that a beach is too sandy? Its basically saying that the sea is too wet or fire is too hot. Another complaint that I find a little bit dumb is the complaint that says that someone bought cheap ‘Ray-Ban’s and was infuriated when he/she found out that it was fake. Logically, a regular pair of ‘Ray-Ban’ sunglasses would cost about 100 euros or more. What did they expect when they bought a pair that was twenty times cheaper? One of my favorite complaints that I found bafflingly stupid was said by the person who got bit by of a mosquito. Really? Yes, they can bite. Sometimes, I just cringe at how stupid these tourists are; I will never understand their simple-minded brains and how culturally insensitive they are.
ReplyDeleteAt first when I read the title I thought it’s going to be some complain in a bad hotel or something like that, but my god how wrong I am. Some time when we go for a holiday in other country there are some culture shock because how different the culture there, but these people are beyond help. Only some of the complaint that actually I can accept but many of it is just straight foolish. One of the comment that make me laugh is “The beach is too sandy”, my god I was laughing so hard. I mean what kind of people think that way either the guest are really stupid or it’s just a prank for the hotel staff, either way all this comment is hilarious and make me want to slap my face with my hand. I just feel bad for these poor soul that make this comment, they certainly need help ASAP. May be next time we will have some example how idiotic some people in the internet.
ReplyDeleteI clearly don’t understand how those ideas could come up in their mind. I know that sometimes we find a small problem when we are traveling but, I really don’t thing that small problem would bother us. I think that those complaints are funny, especially complaint number seven which says that this beach is too sandy. Now, can someone explain what kind of a beach which is not too sandy? It is not really important to think about the sand at the beach. Every beach has sand. It is not a problem if you see the sand at the beach. But, of course, it is a problem if you see no sand at all at the beach.
ReplyDeleteInstead of creating some unimportant complaints, why didn’t they just enjoy their vacation? They wanted to be refreshed. They went to beach. They saw the sand. They laid down on there and enjoyed the beach. That was what they were supposed to do. Vacation is a time when you enjoy everything. Not a time to think about everything.
After reading the article above about “Holidaymakers’ Complaints,” I can’t help but think that those hilarious comments are satire. It seriously criticizes how travelers take a simple problem, in which they shouldn’t be bothered as much, into a bigger matter. Of course, each and every one of us also had experienced this kind of problem before when we were traveling and I think we can avoid it by doing more research on the place we go to. People get so tangled up on the idea of traveling, that they forget to prepare for the small detail that could affect their vacation time. What I meant by small details are learning the code of ethics of the place you’re going to travel to, researching about the potential problem travelers tend to face when traveling to the specific area and so on. We must take all the small things into account before we travel, to ensure that our holiday can be a relaxing journey and not a stressful one.
ReplyDeleteI found this article to be absolutely hilarious, since some of the complaints given by the holiday makers are really silly and absurd. I suppose holiday maker do pay relatively large sum from their income and expect a perfect trip; yet the reality can not always be met. An other possibility on the origin of those ludicrous protest is there are tons of overrated holiday destination across the globe. Some holiday makers have to travel thousands of miles to get to their haven; and when they just do not get the heaven they have been dreaming of the disappointment just kicks in, making every single detail important. And I suppose the disappointment would play more substantial in group tours. In my opinion the lack of freedom in your travel corrupts your mind: that expectation of everything will be perfect is just evil. On the other hand if people travel on their own, they will more likely experience what the locals experience, and essentially gain more respect about their destination.
ReplyDeleteIt’s really absurd to saying this and remembering all the complain that you have heard from people whose having a vacation or maybe yourself have been in that position. What most people don’t realized, having a vacation doesn’t really mean we can have all leisure and things that can makes us happy. You’re just traveling to another city, not to other dimension. There’s always something that cannot fulfil our satisfaction, maybe the foods are terrible, maybe the hotel is not good enough, or maybe the locals are not as pleasant as you think but that’s the reality. But I believe that most of you has already do some research before you take a trip to somewhere so I hope that you guys are all enjoying your trip and grateful for it. I have a small tips for you guys, when you travel to anywhere, always seek discomfort. You always get the best experience from a place when you having a problem, making you more grateful and making you a better person too. Happy traveling guys.
ReplyDeleteAs I went abroad having a family vacation with my family, there are a lot of things that came as a surprise for us. We often experience culture shock when we entered a certain country even just for a short holiday. But we all must know for sure, if you want to visit a country you must do some research and get to know it a little bit and prepare yourself so you know what you’re getting yourself into. Reading those complaints above made me laugh, especially the one “On my holiday to Goa in India, I was disgusted to find that almost every restaurant served curry. I don't like spicy food at all.” I mean we all know curry is the main dish in India, what do you expect then, maybe you can search for other alternative because it’s impossible if in all India they didn’t sell anything else beside curry. Rather than complain I think it is best for us as tourist to search for a solution and be creative to solve your problems.
ReplyDeleteMost of these complaints made by holidaymakers are very hilarious. First of all, I would like to point out comment number seven. The comment itself is “The beach was too sandy”. I was really confused when I first read the comment as I consider the comment was odd. I wonder what did the particular holidaymaker mean by saying that. To begin with, he or she must have come to the beach and got disappointed because the beach was too sandy. Well, it is in common sense that a beach must have a lot of sand. A beach must also be sandy so it can be a beach. Next, I want to point out comment number twelve. The comment was "No-one told us there would be fish in the sea. The children were startled." If I were the one who is having holiday and I am going to a sea, I would be very much prepared to see fishes in the sea as it is their own habitat. I would be more confused if I do not see any fish in the sea.
ReplyDeleteI found this article hilarious but while I was reading some of the complaints I asked myself if the people writing them were serious. I understand that every traveler may experience culture shock at some point, but I think that most of the things that these people are complaining about are common sense. I mean, who would go to a water park without a swimming suit? I would be really interested in meeting the people who complained about the fact that the beach was to sandy, that there were fish in the sea, or that there were too many Spanish people in Spain, to understand what they were expecting.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I find the last comment quite cute; Complaining about the fact that they didn’t have the room they booked is ok, but these clients are the only responsible for sleeping together and I am not convinced that having separate beds would have changed anything.
After reading the complaints above, I feel like people often say things that aren’t really necessary. The complaints above are hilarious and I can’t help but laugh while reading all of the holiday complaints. I wonder what the tourists were thinking when they made their complaints. One thing I learned about people complaining in a hotel is that either they will get an upgrade on their stay, an upgrade to their room for example, or they will get something from the hotel as a form of an apology from the hotel. When in reality, the hotel did nothing wrong. My dad once complained about something that is very unnecessary and when I asked why he complained, he said that he wants to get those delicious cookies that the hotel give for customers who complain. I personally hate these types of tourists who complain to the hotel on something that is not really the hotel’s fault. Hotel guests should think before they actually complained to the hotel because hotels have a very busy operation. As a matter of fact, I think that hotels don’t have time for guests to complain because “The beach was too sandy”. Therefore, think before you complained, is it really worth to complain or not.
ReplyDeleteIt is so funny if the traveller really wants to write this kind of complaints because of what they actually experience, not as a joke. We as a tourist in a country we never been to always face many problem, from we talk different language, have different culture, etc. But small problem like what it is written as a complaint should not become the hotel or the tourist agencies fault. We as a tourist should do a lot of research on where we want to go. For example in Indonesia we do not have tipping culture when we eat on a restaurant or get other services like hotel, but it is different when we go to United States. Other example when we go to some Europe country they always have button or string to call the receptionist when you are on emergency, and we don't have it in Indonesia. It is better to know small things like the emergency button and not make trouble while traveling. After all, we go to vacation and visit other country to refresh our self from our daily life, it is better when we don't make a small problem ruining our vacation.
ReplyDeleteI can’t tell wether its a joke or they are being serious about these complaints. Most of it sounds ridiculous and funny at the same time. If i could choose one of the worst complaint from the lists, i would pick point number four. In this complaint, It was stated that they booked an excursion in water park but no one reminds them to bring swimming suit and towels. Well, you’re going to a water park, which mean that everyone will assume that you knew what needs to be prepared including swimming suit and towel. So why should anyone reminds you about this simple thing? lol. Although the lists are full of jokes and sounds funny, there is actually one complaint that i think kind off make sense and still acceptable to be considered as a “complaint”. It is point number eight which stated that the colour of sand in the brochure isn’t the same as the one in the real life. Well, if i’am in this kind of situation, i would also feel really sad. Because i pay for this holiday and i’m expecting that i could experience things according to the one shown by the advertisement.
ReplyDeleteSome of these complaints don't make sense, but I guess not everyone travels a lot. Once you have traveled enough, I guess the joy of traveling to new places is that you get to experience new things which makes you understand new cultures and perspectives. What any traveler should keep in mind is that there is no identical city to where you live, so you need to either adapt or overcome it. For example, one of the complaints above stated that the person dislikes curry in India. I often encounter this problem when I'm traveling abroad where the food doesn't fit my palate, and to be honest, up until today my family always bring a mini rice cooker and some canned food whenever we travel outside Asia where we cannot find rice easily! Instant noodle is also an essential item whenever I travel. In the end, all you need to do is just to get creative to enjoy your vacation to the fullest.
ReplyDeleteThese complaints are so funny, it’s a nice break from all the serious topics and articles on the blog. I feel bad for the hotel staffs that have to listen to these people complain about these. Number 6 is the funniest to me. I can’t believe she even call the police and thought the employees were trying to hurt and threaten her just because she didn’t know what the sign meant. If you’ve never been in a hotel and have never been introduced by someone about what the signs and the meaning of them are, then I guess it’s okay to be confused. But she could have asked the staff by the telephone in her room to ask what it means other than to call the police instantly and make assumptions she was being kidnapped. It applies to all the other tourists who filed these silly complaints, they should learn to understand the things they are unfamiliar with rather than being angry at everything and ruining your vacation.
ReplyDeleteThese complaints are so funny to read and sound too made up to be true. I find it hard to believe that someone had said these complaints while being serious. Some of my favorites and silliest complaints are ‘the beach was too sandy’ and ‘I was bitten by a mosquito – no one said they could bite’. While some of them are caused by the stupidity of the guests themselves and being ignorant, these people are mad about nature and how it was made. They did not enjoy themselves during their vacation because of something so stupid like the beach full of sand and too sandy for their usual taste. I think its useless to complain and be mad about something so small that the beach was full of sand and making your shoes full of sand. Focusing on those small and useless things too much makes you not enjoy the holiday that you came for relaxing.
ReplyDeleteCustomer service is arguably the most important thing for your business to get right, especially in hotel business. Great customer service can overcome poor marketing, but it's incredibly difficult (and expensive) to replace poor customer service with even the most exceptional, "delightful" marketing. Companies who are guilty of bad customer service traits often face negative consequences many of which are difficult to overcome and can lead to the company's failure. The good news is that even the worst customer service habits can be corrected without detrimental damage to your brand, assuming you take action quickly. If there is no immediate action after the complaints from the customer, your hotel reputation will be at risk and can lead to company’s failure, so it’s a must to take a complaints from the customer seriously and take immediate action right after it since it can affect your hotel business and also your hotel reputation.
ReplyDeleteEventhough some of the complaints from the article above don’t make any sense and funny. For me the hotel must take a good care of their reputation by giving the best services to the customer even when they have to handle a silly request or complaint from the customers because maybe some of them never been to a hotel before. Responding publicly to negative reviews, accepting responsibility for the wrongdoing, reached out to the customer after a complaints based on the negative feedback, address the problems internally. Set a higher standard for customer service and make it a top priority until it's become a permanent fixture in your operations. and informing people that you're making strides to permanently solve the issues can save your hotel from negative perspectives people may have of your hotel. With these action, you'll not only be able to improve your hotel reputation in the future, but possibly even win back a few customers who had poor experiences at your hotel.
DeleteThose vacation-goers complaints are totally, extremely hilarious. Although, this could be very real, it just seems blatantly incomprehensible that tourist(s) could be this gullible and plain dumb. Especially this one “6. A woman threatened to call police after claiming that she’d been locked in by staff. When in fact, she had mistaken the ‘do not disturb’ sign on the back of the door as a warning to remain in the room.” Either she doesn’t understand fundamental English, or she’s just that dumb. Although there’s a good chance that her parents accidentally hit her head when she was a baby and it probably impairs her brain growth thus causing such dumb action. I mean, how dumb could one be to threaten to call the police because of such things? Did she not learn how to read? But all in all, this list of complaints is the refresher I need before my finals, so thanks, Adrian.
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