Real life MMD: Do I punish the cleaner?

MatthewGaskin

My way to deal with this would be to tell the manager that if he punishes his staff in this way you will never use his hotels again and will make sure every person you know will be made aware of his shoddy tactics. It should be made clear that any right-thinking individual will see this for what it is: a manager trying to avoid doing the right thing.

I would also tell the manager that it is not fair to put you in this position. You're being asked to sacrifice a significant sum, or destroy someone's career. You don't want or need that kind of responisbility when you're on holiday! The hotel should pick up the cost and the cleaner should only be asked to pay if it has been a regular occurrence (we should all be allowed at least one mistake!).

Perhaps I'd even mention that I'd be posting the hotel's (and perhaps the manager's name) on hotel review websites, detailing how he manages his staff? Obviously you'd need to be scrupulously honest with the facts but the truth isn't libel.

DCLane

Two thoughts here - 1. was the hotel really going to not pay her, or was it an attempt to stop paying out? 2. the cost of the toiletries (to me) is high-ish (mine would be £100+ though!), it's not about the cost - rather that they've gone. She may have taken them rather than thrown them out as I'm aware many do this with toiletries that have been left behind by holiday-makers!

I'd ask for the £200 back because I think the hotel was trying to make you feel under pressure not to claim. I'd also let the tour operator know, if you used one, about their behaviour.

JayD

Well, I can't say I have ever been tempted to go on holiday in Istanbul, nor have I ever taken £200 of toiletries on holiday with me either.

As to the dilemma, I would find it hard to trust the word of the hotel manager on this - is he bluffing?
In any case, I think the owner of the toiletries should accept that they have learnt a couple of important lessons here and suffer the loss.
Lesson 1 - don't take expensive/precious stuff on holiday (I try to take nothing that is special to me that I couldn't replace)
Lesson 2 - Put all your stuff away quickly - expensive or otherwise. (It could just as easily be pilfered as thrown out in error.) And why would you keep your toiletries all wrapped up in a plastic bag once you had got there? Be tidy!

So I say, bite the bullet and don't spoil your holiday memories even more by doing something that might make you feel guilty. At the end of the day, these are only things - probably overpriced, mass produced things at that! Replace them yourself and move on.

PhiltheBear

I'm surprised that no one has raised the possibility that the person who may be being deceitful is the guest. Most people have pointed out that it's unlikely (although not impossible) for the guest to have had £200 worth of toiletries wrapped in a plastic bag. Perhaps there was only £2 worth. And perhaps it was left in such a way as to imply it was rubbish.

So, put yourself in the manager's position. Here's a guest who claims that £200 worth of stuff went missing and a cleaner who says she threw away a bag of rubbish. Perhaps it's the guest who is trying it on? On holiday - need a bit more cash - let's wangle a few quid out of the hotel......

delain

Take the money, your toiletries should have been kept safe. And how do you have £200 worth of toiletries?

That's not very MSE is it?

dolphinwitchuk

IMHO it is quite possible for someone to have £200 toiletries esp if that includes makeup.

Anyway, that doesn't really come into it, what matters is that possessions have gone missing and the hotel manager is trying to pass the buck.

Insist on the items being searched for before you take a refund. Perhaps if they are damaged when found you should ask for some token compensation. Otherwise, you are entitled to have your items replaced like for like.

tarnalflat

Depends if it was left in the vicinity of the bin. If so be much more careful. If not I would be very suspicious. £200 of holiday toiletries seems a rather excessive amount however and even with an insurance excess you would get most of it back though presumably you would have to somehow prove you had all this expensive stuff in the 1st place.

Ali_UK

I too am somewhat doubtful that the items were a total of £200 in their 'current' condition (ie half used jar of £30 moisturiser does not warrant full replacement value, as I think the insurance would argue!). However the hotel needs to take responsibility for not training their staff to only take away things that are IN the rubbish bin and not to touch anything else.

I've been to some hotels where I have thrown away say a t-shirt or some sandals and the cleaner has always come back later that day to check that I actually meant to put them in the bin!

If I really had been silly enough to take such expensive stuff on holiday and it really had been taken I'd probably ask the manager to reimburse me for half the cost.

ellie43

I think the Hotel is responsible here:

1) For not ensuring their staff are adequately trained

2) For foisting responsibility onto the customer when things go wrong. The OP had no say in employing the chambermaid and therefore it should not be up to the OP to decide remedial action.

I would suggest that if appropriate in the circs the OP:

1) Complain both verbally and in writing to their rep if they have one

2) When they get home complain to their tour operator and/or travel agent and don't be fobbed off by their initial response

3) Post reviews of the hotel on review websites stating factually what happened

4) Post reviews on the tour operator and/travel agent sites explaining their response to the situation

5) Is the hotel the member of a trade association/quality assurance association of any sort? If so OP could contact them too

6) Complain in writing to the hotel

One other thing that maybe worth taking into account is what is normal practice in hotels in Turkey in these circumstances? Chambermaids may accept as a condition of their employment that they have to make good such losses. Or it could be that this hotel is engaging in poor practice both by UK and Turkish standards.

I suspect it is unlikely that the chambermaid stole partially used toiletries - it is more likely it was a careless mistake. I would accept the loss of the toiletries but do what I could to ensure that other holidaymakers are not put in the OP's unenviable position.

kevanf1

I'm with others on this one. It screams scam! Even if it wasn't what right would the cleaner have in removing something from a guest's room that was not obviously in a waste or rubbish bin? Just because something is wrapped up in a plastic bag (of any description) does not mean it is for disposal. Who puts worn underwear into a polythene bag (old carrier bag)? A lot of people I know do for hygiene reasons.

If the cleaner is made to pay up I bet the items would suddenly reappear as if by magic.