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Four in a Bed :: New Series (Part 3) |
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#11026 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 7,144
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Quote:
It's Mike who does the replies on TA. To be fair, practically all of the reviews they get are 5* but when they get a poor one, Mike's response is verbose, very long-winded and incredibly rude - very much like stuff you'd imagine Basil Fawlty would come up with if Fawlty Towers had been set in the internet age.
I think he feels it makes him seem articulate and superior. It doesn't.I don't think it's a clever idea to be so disparaging about your local competition either, in fact savvy business owners tend to work 'with' each other rather than 'against' and it's all well and good to take the plaudits when things go well, but to me it's more revealing a testimony how a host or manager responds when there's a problem. I'm slightly confused about the breakfast situation at the Castle, because a lot of the reviews refer to Continental, with cooked from a buffet at extra cost. Maybe they've changed this or perhaps they priced to include the full cooked and served to order option for the show. Regarding the 'debacle' I can quite see how cooks are flustered when producing breakfast alongside a camera crew in the kitchen, but for a professional and staffed 'hotel' kitchen to drop a couple of frozen items in their fryer and then get it wrong is ridiculous. To then have a hissy fit and refuse to replace the items is plain stupid. They're positioning themselves as a luxury establishment so their public personas and level of service should support that. |
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#11027 |
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Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 1,118
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His responses remind me of Julian Peck's (The Fieldhead) He refuses to accept criticism, makes accusations and effects character assassinations. Resorting to personal abuse of complainants is never a very smart move either. Mike's also rather too fond of using the word 'ersatz' which I am now inclined to apply to his five star hosting skills
I think he feels it makes him seem articulate and superior. It doesn't.I don't think it's a clever idea to be so disparaging about your local competition either, in fact savvy business owners tend to work 'with' each other rather than 'against' and it's all well and good to take the plaudits when things go well, but to me it's more revealing a testimony how a host or manager responds when there's a problem. I'm slightly confused about the breakfast situation at the Castle, because a lot of the reviews refer to Continental, with cooked from a buffet at extra cost. Maybe they've changed this or perhaps they priced to include the full cooked and served to order option for the show. Regarding the 'debacle' I can quite see how cooks are flustered when producing breakfast alongside a camera crew in the kitchen, but for a professional and staffed 'hotel' kitchen to drop a couple of frozen items in their fryer and then get it wrong is ridiculous. To then have a hissy fit and refuse to replace the items is plain stupid. They're positioning themselves as a luxury establishment so their public personas and level of service should support that. No...he is 6th generation Australian with Irish convict blood. I couldn't bear a moment in Mike's company to be honest. |
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#11028 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 7,144
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... They also charge £30 an hour if guests want to check in early...
![]() It reminds me of good service we once had. We were going to an afternoon wedding in Northern Ireland and booked a room at the hotel where the reception was being held. It was March and because I'd felt the weather could be unreliable I booked exceptionally early flights meaning that although we couldn't check in to our hotel until around 2pm, we were actually there by about half seven in the morning. Likewise because of other commitments we had to leave very early the next morning, prior to breakfast service. Feeling I had nothing to lose, I asked if it would be possible to have the breakfast which was included in our room rate, a day early and explained our circumstances ![]() Not only did they immediately find us a table and look after us very well, they provided us with a room straight after breakfast, explaining that our room wasn't yet ready, but they wanted to give us somewhere to relax until it was. We'd have been perfectly happy to stay in the same room, but as we'd booked a superior grade, they insisted we should have that and to clean two rooms was no problem at all. We've also stayed somewhere abroad where the beach restaurant was closed in the afternoon, but when they saw us going in that direction, they opened it up again (and got quite a few extra customers) and a nice English B&B where the host couldn't do enough for us and even gave us a lift to a local restaurant. All these places left lasting impressions for the right reasons
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#11029 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 7,144
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Mike's from Rhodesia...having an ex-husband who is South African and who is from a very large family I've met more than my fair share of white Rhodesians and Afrikaaners among his relatives and the majority of them are just like Mike...
When we stayed in Zambia at a lodge owned and run by a Rhodesian born ex military man, we must've been very lucky because he was charming and helpful and looking at his latest responses on Trip Advisor, much more suited to the hospitality industry. Probably more successful for repeat business too. |
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#11030 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Nov 2007
Posts: 13,262
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If they were staying at a regular b and b for a weekend would they really eat all their breakfast then ask for something else to be made? I doubt it. It's a classic tactic on FiAB to try to run the hosts ragged. I suppose if Karen was being clever she would have smiled and went along with it and she has probably lost points in the competition but I doubt very much if the people who stay at their place would be put off. They wouldn't be acting like that in the first place.
Let's not forget this wasn't a run-of-the-mill B&B. It was a high-end, luxury hotel with prices reflecting this. If the hosts can't be bothered to heat up a couple of frozen B&S, then it's a bad reflection of their place and them. No-one was run ragged. Karen is a trained chef and she even had waiters to serve the breakfast. If it was that stressful, perhaps Mike should have got off his backside and helped. But that never happened. Karen behaved dreadfully whereas she should have kept her mouth shut, smiled and just got on with it. As I said before, these two are very superior but they're not very bright because they've behaved like total @rses on TV. |
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#11031 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Nov 2007
Posts: 13,262
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Quote:
His responses remind me of Julian Peck's (The Fieldhead) He refuses to accept criticism, makes accusations and effects character assassinations. Resorting to personal abuse of complainants is never a very smart move either. Mike's also rather too fond of using the word 'ersatz' which I am now inclined to apply to his five star hosting skills
I think he feels it makes him seem articulate and superior. It doesn't.I don't think it's a clever idea to be so disparaging about your local competition either, in fact savvy business owners tend to work 'with' each other rather than 'against' and it's all well and good to take the plaudits when things go well, but to me it's more revealing a testimony how a host or manager responds when there's a problem. I'm slightly confused about the breakfast situation at the Castle, because a lot of the reviews refer to Continental, with cooked from a buffet at extra cost. Maybe they've changed this or perhaps they priced to include the full cooked and served to order option for the show. Regarding the 'debacle' I can quite see how cooks are flustered when producing breakfast alongside a camera crew in the kitchen, but for a professional and staffed 'hotel' kitchen to drop a couple of frozen items in their fryer and then get it wrong is ridiculous. To then have a hissy fit and refuse to replace the items is plain stupid. They're positioning themselves as a luxury establishment so their public personas and level of service should support that. Not very bright is he? Just posted something similar. |
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#11032 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Nov 2007
Posts: 13,262
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Quote:
Mike's from Rhodesia...having an ex-husband who is South African and who is from a very large family I've met more than my fair share of white Rhodesians and Afrikaaners among his relatives and the majority of them are just like Mike - arrogant, lofty and very class-conscious in a manner that is peculiar to white people from that part of the continent. I recall a cousin of my ex's visiting from Swaziland and his wife, who'd been born in Rhodesia, and I was introducing them to a member of my own family who has olive skin, dark hair and brown eyes. She looked at him and said over her wine glass...."Tell me, are you Anglo-Indian by any chance?".
No...he is 6th generation Australian with Irish convict blood. I couldn't bear a moment in Mike's company to be honest. |
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#11033 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Dec 2013
Posts: 4,055
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I don't know if it has been said, but Mike to me looks a bit like an aging Lennon.
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#11034 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 7,144
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Quote:
...
Not very bright is he? ... ![]() Quote:
I don't know if it has been said, but Mike to me looks a bit like an aging Lennon.
![]() He's certainly got a lot of hair for his age. |
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#11035 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Dec 2013
Posts: 4,055
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Certainly nowhere near as bright as he thinks he is
![]() I can see what you mean. I've also seen him compared to the late Peter Sellers. Not sure if the posters meant in his Clouseau guise ![]() He's certainly got a lot of hair for his age.
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#11036 |
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Inactive Member
Join Date: Nov 2008
Posts: 3,023
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Quote:
Mike's from Rhodesia...having an ex-husband who is South African and who is from a very large family I've met more than my fair share of white Rhodesians and Afrikaaners among his relatives and the majority of them are just like Mike - arrogant, lofty and very class-conscious in a manner that is peculiar to white people from that part of the continent. I recall a cousin of my ex's visiting from Swaziland and his wife, who'd been born in Rhodesia, and I was introducing them to a member of my own family who has olive skin, dark hair and brown eyes. She looked at him and said over her wine glass...."Tell me, are you Anglo-Indian by any chance?".
No...he is 6th generation Australian with Irish convict blood. I couldn't bear a moment in Mike's company to be honest. The fact that he said "Rhodesia" said it all to me. |
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#11037 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Aug 2007
Posts: 6,736
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Ha Ha Hooter, mine too, or Kippers and Curtains is another one
![]() Believe me I can spot tat at nine yards off ![]() I was thinking after I posted, that in the main I think I'd get on OK with Karen, so long as she didn't unleash her inner bitch. She reminds me of the kind of right old gal who'd go to the races in Debenhams' finest but by the end of the day would be ratted on champers and minus a shoe having had a whale of a time. I think Mike brings out the worst in her really. Instead of affecting an air of superiority she should just own it and be who she is. They really missed a trick by showcasing their disdain for the other contestants tonight instead of demonstrating how high their level of customer service is(might be) |
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#11038 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 40,757
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Quote:
It's Mike who does the replies on TA. To be fair, practically all of the reviews they get are 5* but when they get a poor one, Mike's response is verbose, very long-winded and incredibly rude - very much like stuff you'd imagine Basil Fawlty would come up with if Fawlty Towers had been set in the internet age.
I always like to read the poor and terrible reviews, not because of the reviews but because of the type of replies given. it puts me off if they dismiss the customer or start to call them names. |
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#11039 |
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Inactive Member
Join Date: Nov 2008
Posts: 3,023
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This girl coming up tonight is everything I dislike in hospitality, especially her nails. Her nails stay on for weeks before being inspected. In that time, anything could be growing underneath.
Anyway, we'll see. |
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#11040 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: 🇬🇧
Posts: 60,766
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Does she apply her makeup in the dark? It's like day glo makeup.
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#11041 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 40,757
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No Mike tonight! there's a relief. she might be ok away from him.
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#11042 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Birmingham
Posts: 91,283
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Urgent business,, he's probably just nodded off under another floppy hat
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#11043 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: 🇬🇧
Posts: 60,766
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Uncouth and vulgar but at least she's not a hypocrite.
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#11044 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 40,757
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Ugh night storage heaters.
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#11045 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 40,757
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Far too many recaps again
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#11046 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: OP is a murderer!!
Posts: 27,205
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The sea scares her . stupid old bat.
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#11047 |
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Inactive Member
Join Date: Nov 2008
Posts: 3,023
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Oh the sausage on a plate.
The woman who sent her cracked egg back, had a pork sausage along with smoked haddock. Is that normal? See Mike is other wised occupied, maybe in the confines of our Police Service? |
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#11048 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: OP is a murderer!!
Posts: 27,205
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Quote:
No Mike tonight! there's a relief. she might be ok away from him.
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#11049 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 40,757
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#11050 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: OP is a murderer!!
Posts: 27,205
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Rooms are nice. Do any get a sea view I wonder.
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I think he feels it makes him seem articulate and superior. It doesn't.




