Tony should have stayed calm and pleasant and said that the mattress seems to have an unfortunate pattern, but he could assure the guest that it is absolutely not mouldy, however, as customer satisfaction is paramount and a good night's sleep imperative, by all means he'll have it changed so that there's absolutely no need for any concerns.
If he'd handled it like that there'd have been very little debate about it afterwards and it would've damped down the flames of the whole affair.
That's absolutely spot-on. Anybody who takes criticism as a personal insult has no place in a business where he has to deal with paying members of the public.
Thanks Solar. The Ixworth looks really luxurious. The Shelley looks nice as well. Quite quirky. I see Tony posted on TA that a hate campaign has been started against him on Facebook. No surprise really. What did he expect.
Apparently he's called the police but I'm not sure they would get involved as I don't think they can arrest someone for just voicing their opinions.
Yes but these people are contestants in a show, not bona fide guests who have done some research and booked the hotel/B&B of their own accord.
As it has been already said, it's been done quite a few times now on 4IAB. So it's more likely for 4IAB contestants on show to look rather than the bone fide guests. Garry doesn't deserve such a hard time for doing exactly the same as a precedent had been set previously on the show.
From what I've seen before the owner/s are usually very apologetic. The real problem with the mattress incident was Tony's attitude. In fact, Tony and Jeanette were far more picky when they went to the other B&Bs.
Thanks Solar. The Ixworth looks really luxurious. The Shelley looks nice as well. Quite quirky. I see Tony posted on TA that a hate campaign has been started against him on Facebook. No surprise really. What did he expect.
Apparently he's called the police but I'm not sure they would get involved as I don't think they can arrest someone for just voicing their opinions.
Really?
Well, that's one way of spinning it I suppose.
The ridiculous thing is that (I think anyway) viewers thought they had a nice place before Tony started opening his mouth.
As I said before, handled differently he would have come out of the mattressgate situation as a clear victor, both with Gary and with the viewers.
Gary was infact very fair in his critiques and payments and it's true that Tony being customer facing is no asset to the business.
I imagine that if it had been approached professionally, Gary would have said, sometimes things happen, but it was handled very well indeed.
Just switched on to find an old FIAB on but can't remember it at all - were there any 'baddies'?
Was that the one with the other "Mattressgate" incident, where the couple refused to stay because they reckoned the room had an overpowering smell of sick - even though no-one else could smell anything, and the mattress was covered with a protector anyway? They didn't even give the hosts a chance to offer them another room, and hit them with this bombshell at the evening meal. And then added insult to injury by paying £6.20 for a £75 room, saying that it was to pay for a cleaner at a minimum wage for an hour. But all the time they kept saying that they didn't want the hosts to take offence at what they'd said. Hmmmm.
Was that the one with the other "Mattressgate" incident, where the couple refused to stay because they reckoned the room had an overpowering smell of sick - even though no-one else could smell anything, and the mattress was covered with a protector anyway? They didn't even give the hosts a chance to offer them another room, and hit them with this bombshell at the evening meal. And then added insult to injury by paying £6.20 for a £75 room, saying that it was to pay for a cleaner at a minimum wage for an hour. But all the time they kept saying that they didn't want the hosts to take offence at what they'd said. Hmmmm.
Not really! I was watching the repeat yesterday on 4-Seven or whatever channel it was!
...and there was me mightily impressed!
Actually, I caught a little of that show yesterday...I remember the two women when they stayed in the Yurts and refused to shower outside! (and quite honestly, I dont blame them!)
Amanda was indeed awful, but she was in a different set of episodes to the one with the (non) sicky mattress.
The one I'm talking about was two ladies, one of them Lebanese.
Aaah got you, yes I remember that, the two women who weren't coping with the large property and a restaurant, as one of them had been relying on family coming to help out and they weren't allowed to in the end? Is that right?
I thought it was the other week because I'd got an idea that it's only Amanda and husband who'd refused to stay in the accommodation.
What happened with the sicky wigs? did they stay elsewhere or did they change rooms? (or did they stay in the room in the end but moan about it?)
I've forgotten.
Aaah got you, yes I remember that, the two women who weren't coping with the large property and a restaurant, as one of them had been relying on family coming to help out and they weren't allowed to in the end? Is that right?
I thought it was the other week because I'd got an idea that it's only Amanda and husband who'd refused to stay in the accommodation.
What happened with the sicky wigs? did they stay elsewhere or did they change rooms? (or did they stay in the room in the end but moan about it?)
I've forgotten.
They went to another hotel, and also avoided breakfast. Their payment of £6.20 was to pay for a cleaner. According to Vinegar Veronica she wanted to be fair with them, cos she'd been into the room and used the toilet so it was only right that she paid for the room to be cleaned. What tosh.
Aaah it's come back to me now.
The Richwood really wasn't all that was it and then when they went on to the T'air Bull, Helen was running it on her own and hadn't been doing it for too long.
It seemed a lovely room, but there was a point that the mattress had previously been her child's.
Aaah it's come back to me now.
The Richwood really wasn't all that was it and then when they went on to the T'air Bull, Helen was running it on her own and hadn't been doing it for too long.
It seemed a lovely room, but there was a point that the mattress had previously been her child's.
Is that right?
Yes. And she admitted that with hindsight it would have been better to invest in a new one, but until then, she'd put a cover over it, so if Vinegar Pickles hadn't suddenly smelled sick in the room (even though she'd not smelled it earlier when she first arrived) - she wouldn't have gone peeling the cover off it. Such high standards from such a sour-faced B&B owner whose own property wasn't exactly spotless.
Yes. And she admitted that with hindsight it would have been better to invest in a new one, but until then, she'd put a cover over it, so if Vinegar Pickles hadn't suddenly smelled sick in the room (even though she'd not smelled it earlier when she first arrived) - she wouldn't have gone peeling the cover off it. Such high standards from such a sour-faced B&B owner whose own property wasn't exactly spotless.
Helen admitted the mattress would've had urine on from when her daughter was little. That can still smell, even years later.
We'll never know how much the rooms smelt as the "Smell-o-Vision" tests by the BBC were cancelled after that Elephant incident on Blue Peter back in the '60s.:(
We'll never know how much the rooms smelt as the "Smell-o-Vision" tests by the BBC were cancelled after that Elephant incident on Blue Peter back in the '60s.:(
Comments
That's absolutely spot-on. Anybody who takes criticism as a personal insult has no place in a business where he has to deal with paying members of the public.
Monday 18 November 2013. Episode 36
The Shelley Guest House, Aberystwyth
Est price of a double with continental breakfast £56
Anna Maria and Julian Shelley
They have a page talking about FiaB
Tuesday
Ixworth House, Bury St Edmunds
Estimated price of double B&B £85/90
Sharyn and John Snell
Wednesday
The Georgian Town House and Mews, York
Estimated price (booking 2 nights next June) double B&B something like £75-95?
Graham Smith
Thursday
The George Hotel, Orton, Cumbria
Estimated double B&B £76
Hazel Mcaleese
Apparently he's called the police but I'm not sure they would get involved as I don't think they can arrest someone for just voicing their opinions.
https://www.facebook.com/FourInABed
Looks like there might be a couple of nice places next week yes AFT, fingers crossed.
As it has been already said, it's been done quite a few times now on 4IAB. So it's more likely for 4IAB contestants on show to look rather than the bone fide guests. Garry doesn't deserve such a hard time for doing exactly the same as a precedent had been set previously on the show.
From what I've seen before the owner/s are usually very apologetic. The real problem with the mattress incident was Tony's attitude. In fact, Tony and Jeanette were far more picky when they went to the other B&Bs.
BIB That he says is because we won 4IAB!
Thank you SolarSail, that is nice of you to say.
Really?
Well, that's one way of spinning it I suppose.
The ridiculous thing is that (I think anyway) viewers thought they had a nice place before Tony started opening his mouth.
As I said before, handled differently he would have come out of the mattressgate situation as a clear victor, both with Gary and with the viewers.
Gary was infact very fair in his critiques and payments and it's true that Tony being customer facing is no asset to the business.
I imagine that if it had been approached professionally, Gary would have said, sometimes things happen, but it was handled very well indeed.
I like it - obviously
It's been even better this series as lots more people seem to have been watching and joined in the thread.
Was that the one with the other "Mattressgate" incident, where the couple refused to stay because they reckoned the room had an overpowering smell of sick - even though no-one else could smell anything, and the mattress was covered with a protector anyway? They didn't even give the hosts a chance to offer them another room, and hit them with this bombshell at the evening meal. And then added insult to injury by paying £6.20 for a £75 room, saying that it was to pay for a cleaner at a minimum wage for an hour. But all the time they kept saying that they didn't want the hosts to take offence at what they'd said. Hmmmm.
Crikey! You've got a very good memory!!
Not really! I was watching the repeat yesterday on 4-Seven or whatever channel it was!
Read on from post #928
http://forums.digitalspy.co.uk/showthread.php?t=1677281&page=38
...and there was me mightily impressed!
Actually, I caught a little of that show yesterday...I remember the two women when they stayed in the Yurts and refused to shower outside! (and quite honestly, I dont blame them!)
Aaah the lovely Amanda - I remember her well
The one I'm talking about was two ladies, one of them Lebanese.
http://www.channel4.com/programmes/four-in-a-bed/episode-guide/series-4/
Episode 29, at the Tai'r Bull, which wasn't all that "terrible" at all!
I thought it was the other week because I'd got an idea that it's only Amanda and husband who'd refused to stay in the accommodation.
What happened with the sicky wigs? did they stay elsewhere or did they change rooms? (or did they stay in the room in the end but moan about it?)
I've forgotten.
They went to another hotel, and also avoided breakfast. Their payment of £6.20 was to pay for a cleaner. According to Vinegar Veronica she wanted to be fair with them, cos she'd been into the room and used the toilet so it was only right that she paid for the room to be cleaned. What tosh.
The Richwood really wasn't all that was it and then when they went on to the T'air Bull, Helen was running it on her own and hadn't been doing it for too long.
It seemed a lovely room, but there was a point that the mattress had previously been her child's.
Is that right?
Yes. And she admitted that with hindsight it would have been better to invest in a new one, but until then, she'd put a cover over it, so if Vinegar Pickles hadn't suddenly smelled sick in the room (even though she'd not smelled it earlier when she first arrived) - she wouldn't have gone peeling the cover off it. Such high standards from such a sour-faced B&B owner whose own property wasn't exactly spotless.
Helen admitted the mattress would've had urine on from when her daughter was little. That can still smell, even years later.
We'll never know how much the rooms smelt as the "Smell-o-Vision" tests by the BBC were cancelled after that Elephant incident on Blue Peter back in the '60s.:(
I missed it. Was too busy trying to feed the cat before the show starts!