Would you or would you not ban someone who swore once and then immediately apologised?

[Changingggggggggggg]

Just that really ...

Strange situation - in a hotel - one price had been agreed, they wanted to charge a higher price, they wouldn't speak quietly and calmly about it, but shouted at the guest and said there was no point in listening to what she said.

After 15 or so minutes of this, the guest, in enormous frustration did say "For F... Sake, please lets..." and then realising what they'd said, immediately apologised. The guest was rather shocked by what they'd said, having not done this before. She did then pay the higher price.

When they tried to book the hotel again a couple of months later, they discovered they had been banned - was told they had been told this by multiple people, despite there having been no communication.

Is this a banning situation - or do you give someone the benefit of the doubt, given their immediate apologies and contriteness?

Some people deserve to be sworn at - I can't say I wouldn't have done the same. The hotel is fine to not rent a room to you again though. I'm surprised you want to go back. I certainly wouldn't!

I don't agree that saying FFS is swearing AT someone.

I don't agree that it matters how much more they were asking the OP to pay - a fixed price is a fixed price.

If the hotel doesn't take passports or something when people check in, I would simply book a room for the next course under a different name, or as someone else has suggested, get someone else to book an extra room or offer to roomshare.

It doesn't matter if you or any of us think it warrants a ban, the hotel clearly think it does so that's it.

a fixed price is a fixed price
Except it wasn't a fixed price, so... 🤷🏻‍♀️

Some people deserve to be sworn at?!

My manager once closed a customer's (bank) account because he swore at me. Following day he returned with his boss who was all ready to rant about how unfair it was that this poor man wasn't allowed to have a bank account for his wages.

I said "I'm sorry but we're not prepared to take on customers who swear at us." Boss' attitude changed completely and he clipped his staff member round the ear and told him he got what he deserved.

It was a long time ago, I don't suppose his boss or mine would do that now.

Yes. You think someone who respects you so little they'll shout at you and try and rip you off deserves any respect back? It's a word. There's no lasting damage.

So OP phoned for a price but didn't book and then was charged a different price at check in? Isn't it similar to if I checked a hotel price online and then went back to the site a week later to book and find it's now a different price?

Why didn't you book over the phone OP when they gave you the price?

Nobody ripped her off <sigh>

The op argued for 15 minutes and then swore. We know this. We don't know what the issue with the price actually was because op hasn't told us and we don't know that the staff showed any disrespect at all. Please never enter any of my settings if you think swearing at staff is acceptable

Yeah it's the 15 minute argument in public.

If one price has been agreed then you have that agreed price in writing. If you don't have it in writing then it wasn't agreed.

The people on the front desk don't have any power to change things - if there's been a mistake then you pay what you have to in order to get the admin done, and then if necessary raise a complaint with Customer Services in writing giving them the details of the written agreement and asking them to refund the difference when they trace the source of the mistake. You don't cause a scene at a hotel reception desk.

I am not surprised that they don't want your custom again, sorry.

Yes, that's exactly it. Op got the daily rate, and assumed it was set in stone.

Contact the course leader - I can't imagine they're happy about their students constantly having the hassle of this hotel.

Alternatively: fake name, fake ID (if they ask), wear a wig.

OK I missed the clarification that was posted later.

The "mix up" was that the "if you book now" price quoted by phone at some unspecified previous time was different from the "turn up on the day and ask for a room" price? And no booking was made at the time when the original cheaper price was quoted?

That's absurd. No hotels have a totally fixed price like that. The prices fluctuate according to supply and demand.

I think the point is that everyone had booked in advance and confirmed price etc but when some of the guests arrived the hotel were altering the confirmed price for some and not others. One of those people was the OP.

I must admit that I too would have sworn.

Can you take them to the small claims court for the higher price you were charged as you have it confirmed by the hotel it should have been a much lower price.
You have nothing to lose as you don’t be returning to this place again.

I would be wary about booking a place that does this and it doesn’t look like it is an isolated incident given the reviews

Given it is so isolated I would imagine owner and management think that once they have guests make the journey to them that they can rip up the confirmation price and charge what they want and for everyone that walks away there will be one like op who pays.

If I were the guest I wouldn’t have gone back there anyway after they wouldn’t discuss something in a civil manner and went back on their word.

The booking was made by phone - as it had been on previous occasions. This was how they operated. It was then confirmed by phone two weeks later, when I learnt that some people were being asked to pay more than agreed.

It is a small place and as students we were all meant to pay the same price - which is what happens now.

I didn't imagine that having agreed and confirmed a price on the phone, ie two occasions, that they wouldn't honour it - as they did for other students (but not all, one left as I said).

After 15 or so minutes of this, the guest...

😂

15 minutes? It's not the swearing that did it, it was this.

You made a right royal pain in the arse of yourself, wouldn't accept their response for 15 minutes of arguing at the desk and they no longer want your custom as a result. I don't blame them.

In terms of them increasing the price, that's pretty poor so would merit a poor review on Tripadvisor etc.
Honestly, I would have lost my temper with them - if there's not much choice of hotels nearby they're clearly trying it on....

they wouldn't speak quietly and calmly about it, but shouted at the guest and said there was no point in listening to what she said.

Yes, very respectful. Try reading the first fucking paragraph.

There - I’ve done it.

Impossible to tell without hearing the 15min discussion but if you really need to say there just book using a different email address.

Sounds like the hotel is in breach of contract if you’d made a booking with them based on their original offer and the fact you confirmed it by phone later. I’d write to them and threaten to sue them in the County Court and see what they say.

I don't think it matters. The person who had a fifteen minute argument with a member of hotel staff, swore, apologised and left, is unlikely to do it again but there are presumably other hotels.

And do you suggest OP use a fake credit card to make the fake ID booking with?

There's a reason hotels ask someone booking a room for their name, land address, contact phone number, credit card details.

The booking was made by phone - as it had been on previous occasions. This was how they operated. It was then confirmed by phone two weeks later, when I learnt that some people were being asked to pay more than agreed.

If you phoned and booked then when did you need to phone up two weeks later to confirm? You had already booked at a specific price.