You Can't Be Serious

[cheysmomager]

Our company uses the Medallia system for customer service. We are a small hotel in a rather small town 30 miles from the next medium size city (that is why he booked). The following is the actual complaint that was written......

One of the reasons we booked this was to use guest laundry facilities. There should be two washers and dryers so one always works. This was extremely disappointing. We had enough clean clothes for another couple of days. Fortunately we found a motel in another city later which met our needs. Otherwise our stay was good.

Seriously?? Do you really think that anyone will believe that you only booked with us because of the washing machines???

NOTE: There is a laundrymat about 2 blocks down the road.

[mharbourgirl]

I'd believe it, actually. Some people really are that cheap frugal.

Your hotel's rates are, I assume, lower on average than those in larger population centres. So that's a good reason to start. But if they were planning on travelling as cheaply as possible, then free laundry machines would be a good reason to book your location instead of somewhere more convenient.

Some people WILL go miles out of their way to save $5, which is what a couple of loads washed and dried would likely cost at a public laundromat.

Did you check the room when they left to see if there was anything still there that wasn't nailed down? Count the sheets and towels and pillows.

[cheysmomager]

Your hotel's rates are, I assume, lower on average than those in larger population centres.

Honestly, we're not lower. We always have people tell us that they can get a BW in "the city" for
$50. Of course they forget.....it's not the city that they want to stay in right now is it??

[mharbourgirl]

Honestly, we're not lower. We always have people tell us that they can get a BW in "the city" for
$50. Of course they forget.....it's not the city that they want to stay in right now is it??

Ah, gotcha. An assumption on my part, based on averages in my region. City hotels are significantly more expensive than lodgings in less populated areas, except for the height of the tourist season.

Free laundry, while it's a nice bonus, is never gonna be on my list of 'must haves' when figuring out a vacation. Your customers? Weirdos.

[Mystic]

I use to work with a band who did a lot of shows in smaller places outside of cities in the middle of nowhere (they are now insanely popular, of course, after I no longer work with them. :P).

There were two main reasons we booked hotels:
1. To use the shower
2. To do laundry

It was very rare that we ever actually slept in the hotels because there was a perfectly cozy bus to sleep on so we could be on time in the next city in the morning. More often than not, the venues we would be at had no laundry facilities and it wasn't in the rider at the time so the only option we had was to use the ones at the hotels we were booked at.

There may have been a laundromat not far, but if the person was from somewhere else and didn't have the transportation to get there, then... *shrugs*

[bainsidhe]

If the hotel advertised laundry facilities and I arrived to find them out of order or nonexistent, I'd be pretty annoyed. Seldom an issue because I don't travel much, but on the rare occasion I'm living out of a suitcase, it's pretty frustrating. So it may not be THE reason they chose this hotel, but it may have played a part in their final decision. Just my two cents.