Monday 26 December 2011
Sunday 18 December 2011
Open a Padlock with an Aluminum Can [Video]
Most us who've had school lockers or rental storage units know that lots of people trust inexpensive padlocks to secure their belongings. Tactical studies weblog ITS Tactical proves that this trust is a false sense of security by opening the two most popular type of padlocks with shims cut from an aluminum soda can. More »
Sunday 11 December 2011
Saturday 10 December 2011
Complaints against big six energy firms soar by 26% as anger grows at bill hikes
| 'Energy companies have repeatedly said they want to rebuild consumer trust. Good customer service and complaints handling are key ingredients to building consumer trust but suppliers still have a long way to go.' The data is based on complaints that ... See all stories on this topic » |  Daily Mail |
Wednesday 7 December 2011
New Year booking
Saturday 3 December 2011
Extortion alive and well at G. Lloyd & Sons equipment hire in Abergele
We hired a large digger from G. Lloyd & Sons for a weekend project last month. The mates, Chris, rates were £350/week plus £70 delivery. We agreed on the terms and planned to have the digger arrive Friday. G. Lloyd & Sons then asked if they could deliver the machine on Thursday.
After completing our project we agreed to have the machine picked up on Wednesday. On Wednesday we were informed the the rate would be £550 cash for the hire or if we wanted an invoice it would have VAT as well.
We cut a check for £550 written to G. Lloyd & Sons. Whereupon Chris asked the check to be written to C. Lloyd & Sons and wanted to know our address for the invoice which now read £650. Not wanting an invoice or another rate hike we refused to rewrite the check. Whereupon Chris said he would send the debt collectors here, pointed at Mary and the Hotel and said "You better watch out!" as he drove off.
Not accustom to extortion first hand I related the aforementioned incident to the local police who made a note of the events and offered a rapid intervention should the supplier act problematic in the future.
I'm surprised people can run a business and treat customers with such appalling behavior.
If you would like threats of physical violence against your family, your home and your business then call G. Lloyd & Sons today and ask to speak to Chris.
A sad but true tale from North Wales
Friday 2 December 2011
How to Choose the Right Mattress [Health]
A while ago we explained how important it is to spend your money where you spend your time, and considering we spend at least a third of our lives asleep or in bed, skimping on your mattress or sleeping surface can be detrimental to your health. At the same time, not everyone has the budget for the top of the line, state of the art mattress. We asked some chiropractors and orthopedists what they suggest you look for when shopping for a mattress. Here's what they said. More »
Simple energy tariffs find favour
| "With widespread anger about price hikes and bad customer service, a much bigger shake-up is needed to guarantee that fair and affordable energy is available to all," Which? said. "Without more radical changes than those Ofgem is proposing, ... See all stories on this topic » |  BBC News |
Monday 14 November 2011
Friday 11 November 2011
Five bedroom self catering holiday cottage versus a hotel
hotel
6 nights x 5 bedrooms @ £85 per double room = £2,550
self catering
1 week = £800
make the call.
www.plasyndre.com
Need a self catering cottage that sleeps 10?
Dates available for Christmas and New Year's 2011.
Walking distance to the many pubs, restaurants and cafe's in Llanrwst.
Monday 7 November 2011
A multi line discount or at the very least a loyalty discount pleeeease
You can't compare everything service related to the States but there are some lessons to be learned. When I lived in NYC I used State Farm Insurance. They covered my life, motorcycle, car, home and 2nd home insurance. The more business I brought them the deeper the discount they could offer me. Here in the UK I have four utility accounts. Two electric and two gas. Each has a separate contract with a different renewal date and the supplier varies from year to year. When I explain the concept to the companies giving me the quotes each year they tell me it's not possible.
Really?
Loyalty discounts:
I used to have auto insurance through AA. When the renewal letter came through the post the new premium was nearly double the year before. Luckily NFU could give me a competitive rate. Am I to presume AA was hoping I would forget to shop around and make a quick buck? The government even stresses the importance of shopping for competitive rates as a means of savings for the taxpayer.
Thank you very little
Sneak a Peak
Thursday 22 September 2011
Parking fine provides a bitter end to a perfect day in Conwy
Tuesday 16 August 2011
Monday 25 July 2011
Monday 18 July 2011
Hotel front desk management software
Recently I did discover a channel management site called siteminder. https://www.siteminder.co.uk/siteminder/index.html
From £39/month they have a simple platform from which they will instantly update up to 25 different hotel booking platforms from around the world. That suites my budget and my curiosity so I signed up today. If you have any experiences with siteminder please let me know. Thanks.
Friday 8 July 2011
Thursday 7 July 2011
Institute of Customer Service - Brits holiday in the UK out of ...
www.instituteofcustomerservice.com/.../Brits-holiday-in-the-U..."
Tuesday 5 July 2011
Call to make Switching Bank Accounts Simpler
See all stories on this topic »"
Call centre that came back from Bombay because it was cheaper in Burnley
| He says using British staff will also cut costs in the average amount of time taken to deal with customer inquiries. 'The average handling time in the UK is three minutes,' he said. 'But if you go out to India, you need to add another minute unless ... See all stories on this topic » |  Daily Mail |
Friday 10 June 2011
Worst Laundry Service in Wales
Thursday 9 June 2011
Monday 6 June 2011
Saturday 4 June 2011
Tripadvisor review
The Meadowsweet Hotel in Llanrwst, North Wales ranked 17 out of 268 hotels in North Wales on traveler reviews.
Friday 3 June 2011
Tuesday 31 May 2011
The Meadowsweet Hotel Llanrwst: The Yankee Challenge
Saturday 28 May 2011
The Meadowsweet Hotel Slideshow
Tuesday 24 May 2011
Daddy I have to go pee.....
Why, must I ask, is providing such a basic service for a customer such as a toilet "old school". Yes we know that councils across the UK are shutting down public restrooms due to a lack of funds. Lack of public toilets in the UK should put us right smack dab on the bottom of most tourist guides. If the Lonely Planet thinks our UK attractions are over priced and overvalued just wait and see the calamity posed by no restroom facilities.
Regardless, I regret not being able to spend my time and money in B&Q. I'm surprised a store that size doesn't have a zoned responsibility or a customer compliance policy that requires them to provide services for those needing to "spend a penny". Worse yet, if there is no policy in place I'm surprised at the British public for accepting this abdominal treatment as the norm.
Next time you happen to be in a B&Q be sure to ask when the toilets are, not where.
signed,
one sad Dad
or maybe.....
Monday 16 May 2011
Llanrwst group aims to save closure-threatened toilet
| The community group says there is huge potential for improvement of the toilets in LLanrwst. A community group is getting together to save public toilets in ... | BBC News |
Friday 13 May 2011
Overcrowded, overpriced and overrated: welcome to Britain
See all stories on this topic »"
Sunday 1 May 2011
Latest from TripAdvisor
The people are so friendly, very accomodating, happy to help and very warm making you feel very welcome. Nelson and Mary clearly promote their ethos amongst their staff. Mary helped us settle in very well and we're very grateful.
The food in the restaurant is just scrumptious - great choice - well cooked - you can see why it's open to the public.
Nelson as a Bar Manager is simply great. Made us feel very welcome, very comfortable and helped us out with dinner on our first night when town was booked out and got us a table at the hotel (we didn't want to swap our bookings around however - Sirloin steak fantastic - chocolate box dessert fantastic !) Thanks again for the Lagavulin 16 yr birthday drink, i'm already sourcing a bottle !!
It's the little touches that make all the difference - that coupled with the stunning backdrops, this is a no brainer, we're coming back again for sure.
Thanks Nelson and Mary !!
- Date of stay: April 2011
- Visit was for: Leisure
- Travelled with: spouse/partner
- Member since: 04 July 2009
Saturday 30 April 2011
Wetherspoon founder ramps up expansion plans
| Despite that, he still feels Wetherspoon can navigate its way through the challenges facing the industry by continuing to focus on customer service and competitive pricing and believes the company's expansion plans should not be affected. ... See all stories on this topic » |  Reuters UK |
Sunday 17 April 2011
It's official – most people can't taste the difference
In a blind taste test, volunteers were unable to distinguish between expensive and cheap wine
An expensive wine may well have a full body, a delicate nose and good legs, but the odds are your brain will never know.
A survey of hundreds of drinkers found that on average people could tell good wine from plonk no more often than if they had simply guessed.
In the blind taste test, 578 people commented on a variety of red and white wines ranging from a £3.49 bottle of Claret to a £29.99 bottle of champagne. The researchers categorised inexpensive wines as costing £5 and less, while expensive bottles were £10 and more.
The study found that people correctly distinguished between cheap and expensive white wines only 53% of the time, and only 47% of the time for red wines. The overall result suggests a 50:50 chance of identifying a wine as expensive or cheap based on taste alone – the same odds as flipping a coin.
Richard Wiseman, a psychologist at Hertfordshire University, conducted the survey at the Edinburgh International Science Festival.
'People just could not tell the difference between cheap and expensive wine,' he said. 'When you know the answer, you fool yourself into thinking you would be able to tell the difference, but most people simply can't.'
All of the drinkers who took part in the survey were attending the science festival, but Wiseman claims the group was unlikely to be any worse at wine tasting than a cross-section of the general public.
'The real surprise is that the more expensive wines were double or three times the price of the cheaper ones. Normally when a product is that much more expensive, you would expect to be able to tell the difference,' Wiseman said.
People scored best when deciding between two bottles of Pinot Grigio, with 59% correctly deciding which was which. The Claret, which cost either £3.49 or £15.99, fooled most people with only 39% correctly identifying which they had tasted.
In 2008, a study led by Adrian North, a psychologist at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, claimed that music helped boost the flavour of certain wines. North, who was commissioned by a Chilean winemaker, reported that Cabernet Sauvignon was most affected by 'powerful and heavy' music, while Chardonnay benefited from 'zingy and refreshing' sounds.
Casa de mi Padre trailer
Friday 15 April 2011
Wetherspoon founder ramps up expansion plans
| Despite that, he still feels Wetherspoon can navigate its way through the challenges facing the industry by continuing to focus on customer service and competitive pricing and believes the company's expansion plans should not be affected. ... See all stories on this topic » | Reuters UK |
Tuesday 12 April 2011
Heron's Reach, Blackpool
Heron's Reach (Linford Romance Library (Large Print))
Hard-up Britons planning holiday cutbacks
See all stories on this topic »"
Middle Britons to forgo holiday abroad
| It found that 68% of middle Britons will demand better customer service and value for money while on holiday from now on. Nigel Wilson, managing director of Experian Marketing Information Services, UK & Ireland, said: "Our latest analysis sends a clear ... See all stories on this topic » |  The Guardian |
Friday 8 April 2011
Bad restaurant service results in eat-and-run, finds survey
| The reason most frequently cited for restaurant runaways was poor customer service, with 39 per cent of consumers blaming waiting staff for not returning to take payment, 26 per cent saying they were dissatisfied with their food, and 2 per cent ... See all stories on this topic » |  BigHospitality.co.uk |
The Online Travel Agency Conundrum
Thursday 31 March 2011
'Just' a hotel
"Yes, 'just' a hotel."
I hope their products are better than their service.
Sunday 27 March 2011
Bad restaurant service results in eat-and-run, finds survey
| The reason most frequently cited for restaurant runaways was poor customer service, with 39 per cent of consumers blaming waiting staff for not returning to take payment, 26 per cent saying they were dissatisfied with their food, and 2 per cent ... See all stories on this topic » | BigHospitality.co.uk |
Tuesday 8 March 2011
Service standards: Why is British service so poor?
| A survey of UK consumers undertaken by the Mystery Dining Company (TMDC) found that 53 per cent of diners almost always choose where to eat based on a past customer service experience. “It's all too easy to tell people abut a bad experience than a good ... See all stories on this topic » |  BigHospitality.co.uk |
TripAdvisor Reveals 2011 UK Accommodation Owners Survey
See all stories on this topic »"
Wednesday 2 March 2011
Tuesday 1 March 2011
Thinking culture: the best pub business ideas
| “I look to world-class brands such as Innocent Drinks and the customer service of Southwest Airlines and try to make what they do work in pubs. “I also think you need the kind of creative tension you get between Lee Cash (Peach's other founder and a ... See all stories on this topic » |  Morning Advertiser |
Wednesday 23 February 2011
“Great hotel, great food” - Tripadvisor.com
Sunday 20 February 2011
Sex in the City: Spearmint Rhino pulls bankers bearing bonuses
See all stories on this topic »"
Friday 11 February 2011
How to use apprenticeships to drive hospitality business
People 1st has launched an apprenticeship strategy aimed at helping hospitality businesses meet their staff needs and improving the long-term performance of the sector.
Thursday 10 February 2011
Pontin's rescuer Alex Langsam plans to bring Disney-style resorts to Britain
New Pontin's owner Alex Langsam wants to add a touch of Disney to the Bluecoats tradition in revamp of holiday camps
California, Florida, Paris and … Prestatyn Sands? Disney-style resorts could be on the way to Britain under plans to revamp the struggling Pontin's holiday camps as themed seaside destinations for children.
Alex Langsam, whose Britannia Hotels empire includes the Adelphi in Liverpool and the Grand in Scarborough, reportedly paid £20m to rescue cash-strapped Pontin's from insolvency last week, averting a threatened closure of the business founded by Fred Pontin in 1946.
Langsam, who accuses Pontin's previous management of 'tremendous arrogance' and of starving the business of investment, is promising a £25m makeover. He wants to supplement Pontin's famous 'bluecoat' entertainers with Disney-style cartoon costumes and attractions.
'There are things we don't manage to do so well here that the Americans do so well,' Langsam said. 'If I go to the Disney site in Florida, I'm back to being a child – I see all those individuals dressed up. It's the adults that enjoy it as much as the kids.'
Insisting that Pontin's five remaining resorts are in 'wonderful' locations, Langsam believes he can spark a revival by aiming for the pre-teen market: 'The most important thing for me is getting some of the kiddie generation in, getting the kind of stuff kiddies like into parks on a large scale. The bluecoats will stay, because if it ain't broke, you don't fix it. But there will be people dressed up in all sorts of different ways, too.'
During its heyday in the 1960s and 1970s, Pontin's had 24 sites, but today only Brean Sands in Somerset, Camber Sands in Sussex, Pakefield in Suffolk, Southport in Merseyside and the Welsh resort of Prestatyn Sands remain.
Demand for domestic short breaks and so-called 'staycations' has been relatively strong as holidaymakers cut back on foreign trips during the recession. But Pontin's struggled to compete with the likes of Butlins, Haven Holidays and Center Parcs. Its troubles were aggravated by a BBC Watchdog investigation that highlighted shabby conditions, poor cleanliness and tatty rooms. The business went into administration in November, owing £40m to the high-street bank Santander.
Langsam accused former managing director Graham Parr, who led a management buyout of Pontin's in 2008, of 'milking it for money' in order to repay loans and of failing to invest: 'There's been tremendous arrogance – that you don't have to control costs, you don't have to control service, you don't have to control staff.'
These allegations were flatly rejected by Parr, who said any money taken out of Pontin's was used to service hefty borrowing taken on to refinance the business in 2008. 'We did everything we possibly could to keep the business afloat. We were just beaten by the amount of money we borrowed in the good times to buy it.'
Tourist information centres face extinction
TICs closing across UK as council funds favour websites to attract visitors – but locals are not giving up without a fight
They were Britain's response to the package holiday; a network of Tourist Information Centres funded by the government to divert vacationers from the sunny lure of the Costas toward domestic destinations.
Forty years on they are battling to survive. Usurped by the internet, now the final death knell for many is being sounded by accountants from cash-strapped councils.
TICs are vanishing from high streets. The clear message is 'adapt or die'. But communities desperate to save this local asset are not giving up without a fight.
A raft of recent closure threats include centres in the Cornish tourist hot spots of Falmouth, Penzance and St Ives, while in Wiltshire five are under review, including Salisbury. In Gwynedd, the council has estimated losing three centres will save £76,000 per year, blaming the internet for a 48% drop in footfall. While on Anglesey three will be replaced with scaled down tourist information points, or TIPS.
'It is absolutely mad,' said Unison regional organiser Stuart Roden, of the Cornish threat. 'Cornwall relies on tourism; it's probably the largest industry in the county. Many local businesses could not survive without the help they receive from these centres. Many visitors arrive without having anywhere to stay and rely totally on the centres.'Once prominently placed near the town's iconic 17th century stilted Market Hall attracting 80,000 visitors a year, salami-slicing by the county council saw it moved to shared council offices in a car park, according to locals, where numbers dropped by three quarters.
Further cuts will see it reduced to a tourist information point, or TIP, within an office dealing with parking fines and other civic mundanities, said resident Ian Cook, whose petition to save it has attracted 2,000 signatures – one fifth of Ledbury's population.
As well as providing information on local services and attractions, it sells local wares and promotes the work of local artists, and its future has become an emotional issue.
Though originally funded by the government, there is no statutory requirement on local authorities, now facing difficult budget decisions, to pay for the running of the centres. 'Which is why, currently, there are many of them under review and why we are seeing some of these closures,' said Sarah Long, from Visit England.
Many have evolved over the years, being run in private-public partnerships, or through local business associations who value their contribution.
Now, those that remain reliant on council funds, are increasingly at risk despite locals believing them an asset.
It's a difficult argument. Gwynedd councillors have scrutinised the Snowdonia Mountains and Coast website, which has seen the average number of online visitors increase from up to 4,000 per month to up to 20,000 per month in three years, and see online information as the future.
In the north west many TICs have withered on the vine with the decision taken that scant resources must be channelled to key locations. One such honeypot location is Manchester, which rates as one of England's most sophisticated visitor centres.
'There's Liam Gallagher's clothing range, Manchester United and Manchester City merchandise,' said Paul Simpson, managing director of Visit Manchester.
The Manchester centre models itself along Apple-store lines. Using the latest Microsoft technology, it now attracts an average of 1,000 people a day.
Malcolm Bell, from Visit Cornwall, said: 'The number of people who use a TIC before coming to Cornwall is less than 1%. But for information while here, about 30% of visitors would look to a TIC. People still want to have the human side when they are in situ. It's getting the balance and making it commercially viable.'
Options might include looking at partnerships with other information bodies, such as libraries or museums.
David Weston, chief executive of the Bed and Breakfast Association, said members were concerned, "because B&Bs will lose what tends to be the last minute type of booking, the tourists that are in the town that day, and haven't booked anywhere, and may not find those B&Bs independently".
As part of Visit England's strategic framework for tourism it is now looking at the whole gamut of tourist information and role of TICs, in order to help local authorities find alternatives if they cannot afford to provide a dedicated TIC.
'The internet has had some impact,' said Jenny Mcgee, head of strategy amd engagement at Visit England. 'When you look at the fact you can sit at home, surf, and get the information you require in advance, why would you sit on a telephone waiting for someone to aswer between the hours of 9-5. Technology is changing, information sources are changing, so that service potentially in some areas needs to be redefined.
'But I absolutely agree, when I am on holiday the last thing I want to be doing is looking at my BlackBerry. You want local people, local advice, and you can't underestimate that personal touch. It's the ambassador for the area. So, it comes down to how much does the local community value that'.
'How to fund it, that's the bottom line. Or how to deliver the service in a different way.'
Wednesday 9 February 2011
Bring on the secret shoppers
| Her mission to “wage war on poor service in Great Britain” has made sure customer service is on companies' agendas, and will with luck encourage the public ... See all stories on this topic » |  Research Magazine |
Thursday 3 February 2011
Businesses Urged to Improve Customer Service
Research by Convergys revealed that consumers are becoming less tolerant of poor business practices as four out of five believe that customer service standards have slipped during the past year.
The investigation discovered that 51 per cent of people claim to have had a bad customer care experience in the last year which has resulted in 49 per cent of consumers taking their business elsewhere.
Convergys’ president of global sales and services Jim Boyce said: “Today’s consumer expectations are clear. They expect good value for their money and timely acknowledgement and resolution of their issues by knowledgeable employees.
“It is more apparent than ever that consumers are willing to take their business elsewhere when their needs are not met.”
The investigation also found that an increasing number of people were willing to complain if they did not receive and adequate level of customer care in order to force a resolution.
Businesses that fail to improve customer service can expect bad news to travel fast as 85 per cent of consumers told their friends and colleagues about poor experiences through face-to-face chats, email, text messages and social networking sites.
A “meaningful” number of British consumers are willing to give businesses a second chance and start buying from them again if they make a concerted effort to win them back, according to Mr Boyce.
Business author and marketing expert Don Peppers has said that companies can improve customer service by putting less emphasis on what products they offer and focus more on the consumer experience they provide.
He said: “Customers are far more centrally connected to the issue of value creation for companies than products are. You can have all the patents and warehouses full of desirable products that you want, but the only way that you can actually create value is with a customer.
“Because if you don’t have a customer, it doesn’t matter how many products you have, you don’t have a business.”
Firms should move away from what Peppers coins “short-termism”, which is the view that customers only exist to generate sales and move towards a long-term approach where consumers are provided with after-sales care.
Customers who enjoy good customer service are more likely to continue buying from a business and share their experience with colleagues, which will lead to more sales and bigger profits.
