Today I Am Grateful For.....

Yesterday I received an email replying to mine. We had a very good one week holiday on a river cruise a couple of weeks ago. I always give feedback on all holidays and hotel stays (used to be part of one of the jobs I did) and gave my usual style report.

This time it consisted of mainly compliments (people rarely send compliments when things go well ) and a few suggestions. We only had one main complaint and that was about one of the excursions. I told them that it wasn't value for money - explained in detail. Apart from that there were minor matters where I told them they could make improvements.

A couple of things I reported on:-
the details in their brochure omitted some information that I thought was relevant about one of their excursions.
It was a different one, to a stately home, most of which had originally been built into the limestone cliffs. It was an interesting place and they'd provided a very good guide. The walled garden (about 6 acres) needed us GC members to go and sort it out! The problem was that the family had sold off most of the furniture and artwork and the 10,000 books from the library.
There were still some excellent wall hangings and the rooms were ornately decorated. We were also taken on an interesting tour of the tunnels and rooms that the Nazis excavated, further into the cliff, to be used as their local headquarters.
So I told them that they should, in some way, mention that some of the things had been sold off so that people wouldn't be surprised at empty rooms.
This excursion was still value for money.

Another minor point I made was that the scrambled egg on the breakfast buffet was very salty. I never understand why they do that when it's so easy to add salt yourself. I had told the chef about it and that it would have made a lot less work for his cook who was making omelettes to order, as people were asking him to do scrambled eggs as well.

Their Customer Services phoned me yesterday and thanked me for taking the trouble to write to them as they really do need feedback. We had a nice chat and I suggested that they look at refunding some, or all, of our payment for the excursion that wasn't value for money. She said that she would talk to her boss.

Two hours later I received the email thanking me for the time I had put in and saying that, because of the company system, they couldn't refund the money. Instead they are offering us £500 off another holiday as long as it's before December 2019. As we were already looking at taking another holiday with them (we've been with them a few times and enjoyed all of them) it's a good response. They also said that was on top of any discounts that may be on offer.

Result!

It pays to be polite and constructive

 

You taught Woo well @shiney and it always works in spades my friend,and I always try to remember especially on the telephone that the other person is also a human being with the same frailties and defects and a different perception that I have

 

Well expressed @wiseowl

Most of the time politeness wins out easily.

On another matter, the travellers who plonked themselves down on the neighbour opposite's land (making quite a mess but not bothering the locals) are due to have the eviction case heard on Monday.

Two police cars turned up earlier on and the police told them it would be much easier if they went voluntarily (over two dozen caravans now, and lots of heavy vehicles). They all seem to be packing up. The police were very polite to them and it appears to have worked

A police car is driving by every half hour.

We get a lot in the area because there are a lot of designated traveller sites within 10 miles (a lot more than the recommended amount - but we have always had a lot of travellers in the area and some of them were good customers of mine). Unfortunately, because of having those sites a lot are always turning up and there's not enough room for them.

 

Update:-
Most of the travellers have gone, only five left. The police car patrolling stopped outside my place (I was working on the front bed) and I asked the officer in the passenger seat (used to be a customer of mine) how they had done it so easily.

He replied that he had pointed out to them that the landowner was applying for his legal costs and costs to repair the damage. They said that they would pack up straight away.

 

Good afternoon @shiney my friend probably most of them are relations of mine

 

@wiseowl funny you should say that, they did mention you!

They didn't appear to be any of the ones that used to be my customers but most of them were much too young to have been my customers.

None of them had a Vardo, just these modern things. What's the world coming to?

 

Well, there's more room for you as the place is almost empty.