jackssid2

Just had to write this.

Generally when you run a safari operation you know your own weak points as well as strong points.

One of the strong points of the place that I run is our food. Most guests that come here say it is the best food they have had on their entire safari

Got a complaint via our office in town about the food.
Two issues with the complaint really peeved me off.
1. They said the food was really bad, especially dinners - Strange because every single other guest at the same time raved about the food and when guests leave here they fill out questionnaires and at the exact same time many of the questionnaires said the best food on safari!! I understand that you cannot please everybody but then why attack the food? As well the guest was ill for 50% of the meals so asked for rice - which we gave...are they comparing the rice THEY asked for those times to the normal food?

2. The agent that booked the guest asked what went wrong and what is the problem etc. attacking us. Why is it immediately assumed that the food / place is a problem? Surely anybody who has ever worked with people knows not to jump to conclusions? This agent could have worded the entire thing differently like, "we had a complaint from ...... about the food, please comment".

I wrote a nice firm mail back to this agent telling them to wake up!

atravelynn

Here's my possible conclusions about the unhappy guests.

1. They were mad one of them was sick and the rice probably was not as tasty as the normal menu so they are lashing out at the rice and indirectly at you. They probably did not give the whole story to their agent about being sick and requesting just rice.

2. They are trying to build a case for getting money back and are using any excuse they can. With you it's the food. With the next camp it will be something else and it will all add up to an unacceptable travel experience in which a refund is the only solution that will make them happy. I've run into only two people who used this ruse. One was successful and one was not.

3. Part of getting the most bang for their vacation buck is complaining about it. It makes them feel elite and specially deserving. If it weren't the food, it would have been something else. They have to get their b!+@%ing fix for it to be a successful trip.

I agree with you about the agent handling it poorly. Who knows what's wrong with a couple of wacko tourists, but it's the agent's business and they should approach their partners in the industry with more tact.

I bet I'd love your food and eat too much, including the rice.

HariS

jackssid2,

I loved your early thread about safari camps and your issues with guests as a manager in the camp.

This is just as interesting.

Some agents just don't have a clue -

Cheers!!!

sandi

Like lynn, my first thought "someone is looking or a refund." For rice?

For some visitors, it's their nature. They're not satisfied with anything, have to get something for free, or simply cause others grief... usually for no reason than they are what they are - "guests from hell"

HariS

jackssid,

Do you notice more and more travellers thesedays being fussy with the menu options you provide, or do they eat pretty much everything? i bet you get a lot of demands for specific menus and the like ........

Rgds
Hari

atravelynn

The fussier people get and the fancier the food they want, prepared more elaborately along with the perfect wine and certain kinds of cheese and top shelf booze...the costlier safaris will become for the rest of us, the more infrastructure will be needed to support gourmet cuisine and luxury in the bush and the less wild it will be.

That will make it harder for wildife enthusiasts who are happy with simple fixings to spend time in the wild as lodging caters to those who want all the comforts of home in the bush. A downward spiral results and even if money were no object I don't want to sit around the campfire with the likes of those rice-critcizers Jackssid2 described.

My pessimism is running rampant.

HariS

Lynn,

Not to forget the short game drives to return to eat the strawberry that has just been dipped to prefection in the melting chocalate fondue

rickmck

"...wildife enthusiasts who are happy with simple fixings to spend time in the wild..."

I would like to count myself among this group, and hope to continue to find affordable means to do so, particularly in continuingly up-scaling markets like (seemingly) all of Botswana

atravelynn

Hari,
How could I forget the CCS!

RickMck,
I think you found a good deal for your next outing in Zambia.

matnikstym

give me a good pumpkin soup every night and I'm happy. Haven't found anything even close to it here and I've bought it, tried to make it and nothing compares.

jackssid2

Hello all

I am sure it is to try to get a refund. I remember a case a long time ago where a guest complained bitterly about everything. My MD phoned me asked and mentioned all they complained about. I answered that I remembered these guests having an absolute fantastic time so I was stunned. I went and pulled out all our comment forms and found theirs, turns out they gave us full marks for everything and even mentioned our names in how well they were 'cared' for during their stay. A couple of weeks later we heard back to say they had said the same about every place they stayed and it was blatantly a scam - it happens!

Hari you ask about guests being fussy with menu options, well in our place we offer 3 choices at dinner because of this. I do not know of any other places that offer more then 2 but because of so many fussy requests it makes it far easier with logistical issues, but it does waste food so I do not like it but have no choice. Luckily my wife deals with most of this. I have noticed that the more you offer, the more is wanted as well. When we had two options it almost seemed that the guests appreciated this, now with three it seems that more is automatically expected so it seems you cannot win? Luckily though overall our competition can’t keep up with us (just the country we are in) so mostly people really enjoy the food and we don’t have a problem very often.

Without a doubt the 'bush experience' is being taken out of Africa. I see that all of you prefer it more “traditional” which is definitely better. I think the industry works in cycles, it is still some time away but I think one day it will change again. Maybe not as many people will travel because of what is going on in the U.S. economy etc. Maybe camps/lodges will have to cut back rather then 'improve' and the more traditional type of safari will become popular? Not sure but will be interesting to see what happens in the future. Where do all of you see the industry going in the next 10 years or so?