Aussie hotelier calls in the media after "malicious" posts on Agoda and Trip Advisor

[wombat]

kudos...there is no such thing as bad advertising....well played.

 

[hansnl]

Any other hotels in the neighbourhood?

[nss70]

"Tripe-advisor" is a feeding ground for false reviews from all possible angles. TA themselves dont give a wotnot either.

It is not worth referring to unless you just want a laugh.

Somewhat better are the main booking site reviews where at least the writer has actually experienced the business. Whether the review is accurate/fully truthful is still up for debate though...

[steven100]

If the hotel was a good clean place to stay with reasonable service and good rooms then the reviews would good.

But at that price what can you expect .... 

[madmitch]

I really don't know what this guy is trying to prove by going to the media. His place has so many poor reviews it's not like it's a one-off. There must be something wrong or does his establishment simply attract more than its fair share of liars and low-lifes?

 

He should quote Kenneth Williams in Carry On Cleo

"Infamy, Infamy, they've all got it in for me"

 

[gandalf12]

Strange that anyone actually takes notice of another person's opinions. I never read what other people think

[Jonah Tenner]

19 minutes ago, KittenKong said:

For what it's worth I recently spent several days in a very nice Thai hotel. Brand new. Pool. Automatic coffee machine in the lobby (free). Large room. Spotless. Big screen TV. True satellite channels. Kettle. Underground parking. Elevators. Everything working. All other facilities you could possibly imagine. 660B/night.

Sounds like a nice place to visit. Where is it?

[realenglish1]

What would you expect for 600 baht a night ?

The reason you use Agoda and Trip advisor is for their feedback. If you want stellar feedback then offer Stellar service.

[Rc2702]

I'm just flabbergasted by his choice of attire for his photoshoot.  

[connda]

If businessmen offer a service or a product, and then solicit feedback and reviews, it becomes an immensely slippery slope if the retailer/service provider can start legal proceedings to sue previous customers for their comments regarding the business' quality of service.  That would open a immense can of worms.  

 

If the retailer or service provider disagrees with a customer's point of view, than provide a well-worded, respectful reply outlining the facts along with supporting documentation.   On the other hand, If they do not wish to have customers rate their services - then by all means, don't offer a public-viewable service rating application.  Easy!  But the moment these people legally pursue a customer or group of customers in a court of law - that alone would cause that retailer / service provider to lose my business regardless whether of the circumstances and regardless of whether they were in the right or in the wrong.  I'm not going to open myself to a defamation suit simply for voicing my opinion regarding the service or products I received. 
What's the end result?  I find a hotel that is truly substandard and voice my concerns on a platform like Travelocity, and then before I can leave the country I'm incarcerated to find that I'm now issued a subpoena to appear in court on defamation charges?  Never!  The line of least resistance is to never become a customer of those individuals offering services.  Who wants to end up in jail for providing feedback on public forums.  Is this going to be the new normal?  If they win in court, watch out for other hotelier to dog pile on to earn easy money through defamation litigation.  
Hopefully, cooler mind within the Thai judiciary prevail.  
 

But if this particular hotelier can make these defamation charges stick in a court of law - then everyone on Agoda, Travelocity, Tripadvisor, et. al, will be on the hook for defamation charges if they fail to give the accommodations stellar reviews.  If the customer doesn't have deep enough pockets, then go after the booking company.  And therein lies that problem.  

[Sandy Freckle]

Someone's been to the Donald Trump Academy of Denial, Deflection and Deception ?

[Just Weird]

3 hours ago, mercman24 said:

an *EXECUTIVE* staying in a cheap hotel, ? yeah right. peed myself, had my own company. from now on i am a COMPANY DIRECTOR he he

The report says that the "executive" is Katz, (apparently) the owner of the hotel not the guest...

"Manager [that's the publication making the report] said that they met Alexander Katz,45, an executive of Eastern Star Company Ltd, and his manageress Suphaporn Sae-ung, 44, at the five story 17 room hotel on Pattaya Third Road. The guest who Mr Katz said was really a Brazilian..."

[HooHaa]

infinitely amusing

[RandolphGB]

Only in Thailand would someone try to sue people for a review of their service 

[kwak250]

I have just looked at some of the managers replys 

My favourite was when he told the guest who complained there was a smell in it was answered by saying "It's because your in it"

Hahaha classic even better than Basil faulty....

[connda]

1 hour ago, theguyfromanotherforum said:

His replies to this and some other bad reviews are hysterical.

 

Normally, I would say he is wrong and he should really look at how some other chains deal with the bad reviews. However, this being a cheap hotel I can only imagine what kind of customers he gets. Still, it would be extremely advisable to leave impartial replies without personal insults. Agoda is not Thai Visa forum and they will kick you out without warning.

I've worked in customer service at times.  Actually, in one way, shape, or form, in all companies someone is your customer (internal or external) and vice versa.  There is a lot to be said with attempting to deescalate a bad situation and to seek solutions solutions in a calm respectful manner.  If conditions were not up to par, attempt to remedy the situation.  If you are the agent or representative of the company and your customer is an irate, jerk - it isn't about you personally - so deal with it as such.  Find common ground, compromise.  If you don't own the facility, if you're just an employee, you do your best!  If you did your best, then you should be able to walk away with your own self-respect intact.  And you do your best to assist the customer.  If you can't find a solution that is agreed on by the customer and the owner/management - it is not your fault or your problem.  Empathize with your customer.  The customer may never return, but they may leave with respect for you personally.  I've had cases where individual customer service was so excellent that I've followed employees to their new places of business because I knew the level of customer service I could expect from that individual.  Really, how many sullen, dour-faced employee have you met serving as waitstaff or hostesses, or clerks here in Thailand.  Then occasionally you meet someone who really understands customer service.  They are a joy to be around.  And if they actually own the business, so much the better.  So, give your business to those who earn it, and yes, read the review on Agoda, and Travelocity, and Tripadvisor.  Where there is smoke, there is fire - and where there is excellent, consistant service.....it may be a place to check in to.  

[BobbyLambo]

I scanned the first 10 pages of reviews on Tripadvisor and the common theme of the negative reviews were the managers demeanour. They certainly sounded fake/malicious to me. The manager sounds like he is doing a good job and has responded civilly to all points in the negative reviews. Keep up the good work mate, cheers.

 

Edit - the reviewer complaining about the hotel not supplying dryers (in Thailand's heat) had me in stitches. There's no lack of imbeciles in the world.

[Lucky mike]

Classic sales prevention!

[KKr]

no news ... ,
take off the top ten and bottom ten percent of reviews (after stopping laughing), then use the remainder as a reasonable bit of information.

[Scouse123]

I think the Australian owner/manager needs to take a refresher course in customer relations.

 

He sounds like Donald Trump with his screaming accusations of ' FAKE NEWS AND REVIEWS '  that is of course, unless they are complimentary! You are dealing with the most difficult animal in the world, the ' paying public ' and if you can't take the heat, get out of the kitchen! Ah, that's right, sorry, it wasn't open due to the cook being ill.

 

I wonder what the AUSTRALIAN managers previous occupation was? I don't think it was the entertainment or leisure industry.

 

I stress Australian after the fuss the Aussies on here all made about the old Brit in the fight who had lived in Australia demanding TV identify him as British.

 

Thank God, we have cleared up he is an Aussie, even a Blackpool landlady has more style dealing with the public!......

 

Just a small point, all the negative reviews seem to have an opinion on the owners manner in dealing with them, using repetitive terms such as rude, bad language and  manners, aggressive,

 

. Perhaps he needs to look in the mirror instead of just looking at CCTV cameras?

 

[Just Weird]

17 minutes ago, RandolphGB said:

Only in Thailand would someone try to sue people for a review of their service 

Pretty sure that in most countries damaged parties sue for defamation as a matter of course but, having said that, this hotelier isn't actually suing, is he?

[Sydebolle]

I read the review - yes, it is definitely a fake d"*ç%head. Putting up a sign stating charges, fees, fines and penalties is a RE-Action and a consequence to misbehaving guests.

I - for one - can level with the hotel owner - say no to bad customers. For whatever reason he fared a rating of 2.4 and not 1 or 0 - and reviewers have to be aware of CCTV recording video and audio these days - for exactly such reasons to prove that the reviewer's bashing is groundless.

In closing, I would guess that this particular hotel will have a good high season, thanks to the Lebanese of Brazilian origin - shot himself into his own foot! 

[theguyfromanotherforum]

8 minutes ago, BobbyLambo said:

I scanned the first 10 pages of reviews on Tripadvisor and the common theme of the negative reviews were the managers demeanour. They certainly sounded fake/malicious to me. The manager sounds like he is doing a good job and has responded civilly to all points in the negative reviews. Keep up the good work mate, cheers.

 

Edit - the reviewer complaining about the hotel not supplying dryers (in Thailand's heat) had me in stitches. There's no lack of imbeciles in the world.

 

Nah.....

 

A good example of a hotel with bad reviews is Nasa Vegas.

 

This hotel constantly gets bad reviews, many of them extremely unreasonable. It makes you wonder what do people expect from a hotel for 600 baht which is literally 5 steps from Airport Link. I actually think Nasa Vegas has much lower customer rating than this hotel in question..... yet I have never seen Nasa Vegas management reply in a rude manner. They know the game and they do get the customers. Their hotel is constantly full. The turnover is extremely high.

 

This guy is shooting himself and his business in the foot.

 

 

[scottiejohn]

1. Any advertising is good advertising, especially with some good online editing to make it good!

2. His 5 minutes of fame!

3. His "Google Count" will go up for sure!

4. Curious and "I stayed there" customers may well flock there.

[Golden Triangle]

I had to smile at this as it reminds me of a very good friend (God rest his soul) of mine back in the UK who used to have our local boozer, his name was Keith, he should never have been in pub game, on one occasion a stranger walks and inquires of Keith as to whether he could do him a sandwich, with a deadpan face he looked at the stranger and said NO, but I'll check if the wife  can make you one, 3 female schoolteachers used to come in for lunch Monday to Friday, they would book their food in advance and order drinks when they arrived, one day one of the ladies (who was rather large) asked for a pint of Lime & Soda water as she was on a diet, without even looking up he just said you know, you are a F****** nuisance, they also had a rather lovely rear garden about 130 ' in length, people would come into the bar in the Summer, order their drinks and food and wander out to the garden, of course it was also Keith's job to deliver the food, as his Mrs was busy in the kitchen, always without fail he would shout at complete strangers sitting in the garden asking if they could possibly sit further away from building.

 

Poor old boy, I felt for him sometimes but it was funny to watch and listen too.   

[Nemises]

The hotelier has evidence (a copy of the guest’s passport & CCTV footage) to prove that the Brazilian lied in his review about being from “Lebanon” and waiting “2 hrs” to check in. So I wonder how many more malicious, deliberate lies the guest wrote in his review?

 

TA should remove the guest’s post if the hotelier provides said evidence to TA. 

[rosst]

5 hours ago, Peterw42 said:

Interesting to look at trip advisor , a fair share of negative reviews and the manager arguing with (even abusing the reviewers) the reviews. 81 reviews, and 18 say poor or terrible, and the manager arguing the point. Manager is saying the reviews are fake, they are not fake if someone stayed there and its their review.

Basil Fawlty would be proud.

I am a big reviwer on Trip Advisor and the problem is that you don't have to stay there to post reviews which can lead to fake malicious reviews, just saying. 

[Scouse123]

1 minute ago, rosst said:

I am a big reviwer on Trip Advisor and the problem is that you don't have to stay there to post reviews which can lead to fake malicious reviews, just saying. 

Agreed,

 

Whereas with Agoda you cannot make a review unless you have stayed there which is a better system.

 

But most of us who travel regularly know how to read between the lines on trip advisor. There are a number of ways when you encounter a bad review as you will know, and the first is to check the reviewer, how many reviews they have made and how many are bad.

 

You then decide for yourself if the reviewer is reliable, fake or just a grump.

 

However, I don't think I would go to all the effort for a 500 baht room. Also, in fairness, sometimes people expect too much for what they wish to pay.

[Arandora]

"The police advised them to gather evidence and make a report to press charges of malicious posting."
Obviously he has misunderstood the police advice and made a report to the Press instead of making a report then press charges of malicious posting. Smart move - not!

[jenny2017]

3.5 

 

81 reviews

• Excellent16%
• Very good46%
• Average11%
• Poor8%
• Terrible19%

    With these ratings, POOR 8 % and TERRIBLE 19 %, no wonder. And asking for 20 baht when people don't know how to switch on the light is purely insane. I know where I'd never live in. 

 

And when you start to read the sign attached you'll understand some people's' frustration. At least, i do. 

 

 Unlocking safe "after hours 100 baht???? And I thought the paying hotel guest is King? Not there, that's obvious. I don't think that it was a good move from the owner. 

 

Help with carrying bags (if suitable person is available) 20 baht? That's a service all hotels usually offer. To ask for 20 baht will hardly give them a tip. 

 

Showing, or "teaching" on how to operate the safe = 60 baht??? My a..e

Showing how to turn on TV 20 baht? My god.