to be incredibly annoyed with Butlins right now

[bearfrills]

I've come to Butlins with DH and the DC2 staying in gold accommodation with a premium meal plan.

We arrived today and got into our room at 3pm. By 3.15pm I had to contact maintenance and guest services about the state of the room.

• floors not hoovered and covered in various bits of stuff, including discarded loom bands which my 2yo immediately picked up and put in her mouth
• dead insects on the floor next to the windows in the living room
• I had to clean poo off the toilet seat and back of the toilet before DD could go for a wee
• old, used hair rollers in the cupboard
• rollie cigarette butts shoved in the lock of another cupboard
• security chain on the front door broken
• shower pipe/hose leaking, a stream not drops
• lino on the kitchen floor curling right up (4 yo has tripped on it at least four times)

We complained to reception who said they would get it sorted ASAP, today, before we got back this evening. Well we've gotten back this evening and it's not sorted. You'd think that given we had a specific list of complaints they'd have made sure they were all addressed? Nope. Came back to the room to dead insects still there, floor still make, lino still curling, cig butts still in situ and 2yo immediately found yet another frigging loom band. They've been in because the rollers are gone and the shower and door are mended.

I'm so angry I've been looking forward to this holiday, our first since I had DS2 and it's gotten off to such a sour note.

It's Butlins. I don't expect mints on the pillows and flowers in every room but AIBU to expect it to at least be clean and serviceable rather than grotty and dirty and grim like we found it today?

sorry not read thread, op have you said you are telling MN about all of this and there is x amount of posts about this and we are all waiting for their response?

wow just skim read saw James response...

Wow, I wonder if they are about to go under? one would think they would be immediate laying on royal treatment and for free?

Maybe they do not care because they are going under

*floors not hoovered and covered in various bits of stuff, including discarded loom bands which my 2yo immediately picked up and put in her mouth

• dead insects on the floor next to the windows in the living room
• I had to clean poo off the toilet seat and back of the toilet before DD could go for a wee
• old, used hair rollers in the cupboard
• rollie cigarette butts shoved in the lock of another cupboard
• security chain on the front door broken
• shower pipe/hose leaking, a stream not drops
• lino on the kitchen floor curling right up (4 yo has tripped on it at least four times)

We complained to reception who said they would get it sorted ASAP, today, before we got back this evening. Well we've gotten back this evening and it's not sorted*

WOW HOW many users on MN looking at this list thinking, never gonna go there? and the response from James? One wonders if the powers that be have actaually seen this complaint.

I am [shocked] at your experience, OP. I requested a Butlins brochure through my door as I was going to book a break for my DS's 2nd birthday... I understand that places can't be expected to get things right 100 percent of the time, but it is how the place deals with complaints that counts. I'll be watching this thread with interest.

Which Butlins are you in?

It would break my heart if this happened to me. People in Customer Service should be treating people's family breaks with kid gloves.

• but it is how the place deals with complaints that counts

Exactly....mistakes happen....

It would break my heart if this happened to me

Same here! Holidays are a real luxury for us, we do a few nights twice a year at the moment, not even a week, DH slogging away in tough boring job and me at home with two toddler....awful for op.

My SIL had a list of problems that weren't anywhere near what you have had, and got moved in to the hotel.

I think it has something to do with her ability to shout loudly and without embarrassment in crowded areas about how badly she has been treated.

I would be making sure that every red coat I saw was aware of how badly this holiday has been ruined.

I really don't understand their approach to this. Surely what they should have done the instant they were told of the problems was to transfer you to another room, not just made vague promises about sorting it out - and preferably they should have upgraded you. If they didn't have another room, they should have booked you into the best room at a local hotel at least for one night.

As it is, they've lost £700 or more from you for the next few years, and goodness knows how much from people looking at this thread and deciding against a trip to Butlins, for ever.

:( So sorry it has been such a disappointing experience OP.

Another family here who will now be steering well clear. Like everyone else, I don't want to be cleaning on holiday!

I really don't understand their approach to this

I suspect someone quite low down has picked up twitter thing to respond, op have you tried emailing loads of email addresses for Butlins?

get other peoples attention>?

John Dunford - Chief Executive Officer. Peter Harris - Founder & Director. Jane Bentall - Director

these are the key people in bourne lesire who own butlins...dont know if they are on twitter> or how to get their emaisl

I'm no good at confrontation so all the way to gold reception I was muttering to myself "stick your bottle of wine... stick your vouchers... stick your restaurant tickets" etc. The 'little something' was a refund of £104 which we've used today taking the DCs bowling, to play mini - golf, to the cinema and for a nice lunch. There was enough left to take them in the my toy shop and tell them to pick whatever they wanted :)

It doesn't give us back our holiday or our time but I've gotten one lovely day at least :o

Oh I'm still pushing ahead with a formal complaint when I get home. I'm viewing the 'little something' as a goodwill gesture. I've got my photographs and my bosom firmly hoiked, there will be on sharply worded letter winging it's way to them this weekend.

Butlins, if you are reading this, some people like to exercise on holiday - get some facilities!

OP I am glad they gave you something. I really think a free holiday should be in order after you complain when you get back. A short weekend break or some day passes perhaps.

Agree this is very bad publicity for them.

Do keep us posted on the response to your letter OP

make sure it wings its way to several high up people....

I'm not a fan of butlins either! Went to Bognor a couple of years ago to give it a try and I'd never return.

Worst part was one of the guys working on those big floating balls that the kids run around in on the water (what are they called?) was really nasty and rude to my 5 yo ds, when he didn't realise I was standing the watching the whole thing. I think he thought the adults couldn't hear him from where he was? My ds had been standing there quietly waiting for his turn and he starting bellowing at him to "GET BACK!!!! GET BACK!!!!" etc He could have just asked him to step back politely rather than shouting in his face. My ds looked so shocked and sad and it honestly got my back up so much. I was furious and had major words with him when he walked over to where I was standing and told him not to talk to my son like that or any other children either! He obviously wasn't suited to work with kids!

I didn't complain officially at the time but maybe I should have done. It stills makes me angry thinking about it nothing wrong with a bit of politeness eh

Ah no. I'm due to go to Butlins next month. If the restaurant is like a scrum and the room is minging then I shall be be complaining like crazy.

It's a shame they haven't sorted it before now, plus leaving you to run around to them sucks.

So glad that you're still taking it further. The response has been sorely inadequate.

Complaint has been emailed. Thanks again to everyone who offered advice, sympathy and outrage

These are some of the pictures of the room which I couldn't share before as I had no proper internet.

That's the lino, the cigarette ends I cleaned up myself (I bagged them), and the dead insects.

Cobwebs and more insects, dirt around the windows and the kitchen wall.

Yeuk!
Make that formal compaint and hopefully others won't have to suffer this on their holidays.
Have a good week.

Thank you for your email below, and be assured that all of us at Butlins take any feedback of this type very seriously, regardless of the website/forum/platform it appears on.

It is always best for matters such as these to be dealt with by the team on resort, which is why my first action was to ascertain where the guest was. I responded as soon as I saw the thread, and then made sure the resort team and the guest were in contact.

I think, once that has been done, then the matter is one for the guest and the resort team. Nonetheless, if the guest concerned had asked me to get involved further, I would have been happy to do so. I should add that the phrase ‘a little something’ was not one I used at any time.

We have kept abreast of the matter in question, and have also found the guest’s TripAdvisor review – a copy of that has been shared with the team looking at this matter so that they are fully aware of how strongly the guest feels.

Naturally, we would prefer for guests not to have cause to raise such issues, but when they do, we do all we can to support them and work with the teams on resort to deal with them quickly and empathetically. I feel we have done so in this case.

Lastly, we’re very aware of Mumsnet: we love it! We have done and will continue to work with them on various projects. Even though, on this occasion, the comments in the forum were not what we would like, all such feedback does help us to make sure we don’t fall below the standards we set ourselves. On this occasion we clearly did, and we have tried to help the guest concerned as well as making sure her feedback is put to good use.

Thanks for getting in touch, feel free to do so again. Hopefully this explains things a little more for you, and underlines that we want to help as much as we can, while working within a framework that we believe is the best for everyone.

Kind regards,

James Silverstone

PR & Social Media Manager

It's good to talk: 01442 203137