I’ve been in many hotels in Kuwait as it is
sort of family tradition to stay for a night or two for a family bonding and
sort of refreshing our mine and bodies after a tiring weeks at work, however,
our recent experienced in the new 3 stars hotel in Salmiya had leave me and my
family a great disappointment simply because the receptionist were incredibly
rude, perhaps they were not ready to accommodate fellow Filipinos in the hotel,
I was speechless during the whole check-in process and I feel this article
deserved a space in blog!!!!
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| Photo Credit: giphy |
It was my daughter’s request to
stay in a hotel for days as her birthday gift, since, we are a loyal customer
of sky cinema so we decided to booked a standard room thru bookings.com which
is located on the same building where the cinema is, so on the day of our check-in, it was very
clear on my booking confirmation on special request that we are going to
checked in at 2:00pm, We arrived in the place at exactly 2:00pm as we came near
to the reception, the Filipina receptionist stared at us as if we are lost!!!
No hi’s or hello, I started the conversation by stating my name and told her
that we have a confirmed booking on the given day, she looked at the pile of
papers on her desk and found the record, no smile and instructed us to come
back at 3:00 pm because the hotel is fully booked and the room which I
confirmed is not yet ready……!!! I was like, really?????
Again, I have to say, INSTRUCTED not even
request….!!!! So I turned my back and proceeded to go out…
At exactly 3:00pm, my family came
back and we headed to the reception, new Filipina receptionist was there along
with the previous one, well, guess what, instead of warm greetings, holla!!!
The new lady burst the question in TAGALOG (Filipino dialect) Sina ba
sya??????? (WHO IS SHE!!!!!!?????) In a
very rude tone, at the back of my mind, really???? that’s how you greeted your
guest???!!! So the other lady took my documents and presented to her my records,
she looked at just and asked, are you all GONNA stay in the room?????!! Because
the room is very small, then she proceeded going out of the reception to have a
clear view of us head to foot and continually sayin: “WE ONLY ACCEPT TWO ADULTS AND TWO CHILDREN”
and our hotel is very full right now!!!!......., My husband who is standing
standing near to me was irritate to the way this lady is talking to us, so he
asked, is the hotel do not have the policy of providing an extra bed for extra
1 person?????? Then this rude receptionist said: ACTUALLY, all our guest had
requested for extra bed, so my husband told her, then why can you give us an
extra bed???!! And I also interrupted the conversation by saying, I don’t mind
paying the extra charges and so the rude receptionist, continue to argue by
saying, we are charging 5KD extra bed , you have to pay additional 15% service
charge and you have to pay additional amount in cash as DEPOSIT which
refundable during your check out!!!!!... Me in my most patient tone….DONE!! I
handed my ATM card to them and said: CHARGE IT ALL HERE!!! Only then, the rude
receptionist keep her mouth shut…..!!! so the second lady, realizes that we
have no plans of cancelling our booking and we are able to afford all the
charges presented to us, she suddenly lower her voice and handed the key card
explaining the facilities of the hotel and lastly, saying “PASYENSYA NA” (
sorry anyway…..)
Discrimination happens anywhere
and to anyone, but somehow, the hardest part is to accept that our fellow
kababayans may have that guts to discriminate it’s fellowmen in foreign land,
we Filipinos are best known to be hospitable and respectful, but regardless of
that, people working in the field of customer service or front liners should keep
in mind the kind of work they are
entitled to do for a living, Me and my family did not ask for a special
treatment, we just need them to do their job!!! The job that they are PAID to
do …….
And let me just end this article
by saying,
“Racist thought and action says far more about the person they come from
than the person they are directed at.”
“Even god doesn't propose to
judge a man till his last days, why should you and I?”
