COMPLAIN WITH CLASS – AND BE COMPENSATED!

Traveling can be full of hassles. Late planes, lost luggage, terrible meals, horrible rooms… the list goes on and on. If your nerves are frazzled and you get poor treatment at your hotel, it is easy to snap at the first person who gets in your way. But remember that yelling and cursing doesn’t help – but taking action with someone who can turn a fiasco into a free night’s stay does! Here’s how:

Find out who is in charge. For example, at a hotel, we recommend that you go straight to the hotel manager. Firmly, but politely, insist that you must speak with a decision-maker. It may take a while for the staff to locate him or her, but going straight to the top is usually well worth the wait, since those in authority have more latitude in handing out freebies.

Fight with facts. Try not to be emotional as you describe your complaint, but be straightforward and include as many details as you can, including the time the injustice occurred, who was involved, and where it took place. Explain that you are not receiving the standard of service you expected and that unless the hotel or airline can make you feel better about their service, you would hesitate to return or recommend it to friends.

Know what you want. A hotel has lots of ways of compensating you for your complaints (which might include faxes not delivered promptly, a poorly cleaned room, a jackhammer providing your wake-up call, the iron and ironing board you requested failing to arrive, or the room not being ready within an hour of your arrival) – suggest what would be most pleasing to you, whether it is a free bottle of wine with your dinner for a small infraction, or a free weekend’s stay, for major trauma. Likewise, airlines can offer everything from a complimentary drink to free roundtrip tickets, depending on the severity of the situation.

Does complaining work? Unquestionably yes! We recently endured a series of serious mishaps at the Southampton Princess in Bermuda. We called the first infraction to the manager’s attention and immediately received a free dinner. When the trouble continued, we complained again and had a full day’s charges lopped off our bill. People in the hospitality industry are trained not to say "no." So if your request is reasonable and within their power, you are likely to be compensated for the trouble you experienced.

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