Describe a time when you made a complaint

I'd like to talk about a complaint I made about a hotel I stayed at last year, during a short trip to Bukhara. I had booked the room online, based on very good reviews, and the photos looked excellent. When I arrived, however, the reality was quite different.

The room was on the ground floor, next to the kitchen, and it smelled of cooking oil. The air conditioning didn't work, even though the temperature outside was thirty-eight degrees, and there was a stain on the bed sheet. I called the reception and asked for another room, but the receptionist said that the hotel was full and I should wait until the next day. I was tired after a long journey, so I felt rather annoyed.

The next morning, I decided to speak to the manager. I stayed polite but firm. I explained the problems one by one and said that this wasn't the standard I had paid for. I also showed him the photos on the booking website. He listened, apologised sincerely and offered me a better room on the second floor, free breakfast for the remaining nights, and a discount of twenty percent.

I was pleased with the way he handled it, because he didn't make excuses. I felt more comfortable after that, and the second room was clean and quiet. The experience taught me that complaining politely and giving clear facts is far more effective than getting angry. Companies usually want to know when something goes wrong, because that is the only way they can improve.