posted on February 6, 2004 07:19:56 PM new
LONDON (Reuters) - Most hoteliers aspire to the Swiss style of refined hospitality, but a British hotel manager took his cue from closer-to-home hotelier Basil Fawlty when he scolded a customer for asking for tap water.
Anthony Cobley, manager at the Atlantic Hotel in Cornwall, wrote a scathing letter to social worker Sally Burchell who had complained about being refused a glass of tap water with her meal.
In a letter, Cobley told Burchell he felt "the need to enlighten you to the workings of the modern world."
"I buy the ice that goes into the water and I buy the labor to serve the water. I provide the luxury surroundings for the water to be drunk in and again pay for the labor and washing materials to wash the glass after you've used it, and you think that I should provide all of this free of charge," he wrote.
And aside from how good it made him feel how much did it cost to send that letter? Both before and after it was read?
posted on February 7, 2004 08:19:30 PM new
Seriously our auto dealers once got on this itemization kick in the 70's I remember - trying to add on all sorts of charges such as rag fees for repairs and advertising fees for a new car.
When asked about it I said it was so stupid I didn't feel there was any productive way to respond to it. He asked if the advertising had not informed me about the car?
I pointed out the advertising didn't tell me how much the car weighed - it's wheel base - the acceleration or stopping distances - in fact no really usefull facts about the car just stuff like what colors were available and a bunch of meaningless pep talk.
I feel the same way today about gas stations that want to charge you a quarter or fifty cents for air for your tires. They can keep it I have a compressor.
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