Compliments ~ Free & Painless

Whining, complaining humans are all around us, every day. Heck, our kids and hubbies aren't the only ones guilty of being negative... we are too {sometimes}! It takes a different brain set to wake up every day and determine to find the good, the positive instead of the negative, in everything around us.

In this same vein, we often find things that merit a complaint to a company, e.g., my bedbug horror story at the Comfort Inn. I find the best way to balance these serious and real complaints is to find something to praise, something to be happy about, and someone who deserves a true compliment!

When I left the Comfort Inn that fateful night around 12:30 a.m., I went across the street to the Baymont but was not satisfied that it would be any better than the Comfort Inn. I drove back across the street to check out a few other hotels... and finally decided to stay at the Homewood Suites by Hilton.

Homewood Suites by Hilton, Plainfield, IN

The young man at the front desk was very presentable - a white shirt, tie, respectable hair, no tattoos or visible piercings. Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against tattoos or piercings (I have both!) but I think the facial variety has a time and place, and it's not when you're greeting guests to your establishment! Not only was he presentable, he was affable, smiling, even laughing and joking around with me. The first room he gave me, a king suite, was alas, locked from the inside. Me, being the tired puppy I was at 1:00 a.m., left my luggage at the door of the suite and went back downstairs to tell him I could not get in... he was very apologetic and gave me a queen suite right around the corner from the first room, at a discounted rate.

Homewood Suites lobby, Plainfield, IN

When I returned home from my trip, not only did Choice Hotels get my complaint letter about the bedbugs, but I also went to Homewood Suites website and submitted a very nice compliment for this young man. The proof is in the puddin', as I received a lovely email from him this morning:

Dear Ms. Garten

I just wanted to thank you for the message you sent to the Homewood Suites in Plainfield Indiana regarding your experience at check-in on the night of 1-5-10, or around that time. Working the shift that I do I rarely see comments that praise me as you did. It really made my day.

Thank you!

Regards,
Matthew Wheeler

Note ~ it really made his day. And guess what? It was free, and it only took me a few minutes to wing that compliment to corporate on his behalf. AND it made me feel as good as he did!

Try it sometime... it could be the gal around the corner at the convenience store that's always smiling and helpful. Maybe it's a retail clerk at your favorite store at the mall. Perhaps it's a waiter or waitress at your favorite restaurant. Whoever that always cheerful, ever-helpful person might be, let the-powers-that-be know what a great employee they have! It won't cost you a cent, just a few minutes of your time, whether you comment on the company website or type out a letter and mail it to them. And it will, in all likelihood, make that person's day!

Think how much happier this world would be if everyone tried to send a big compliment to someone who deserves it, at least once a week! :-)

P.S. The bedbug saga ended quickly. Choice Hotels sent me a form letter, yep, I kid you not. Here's an excerpt:

Your feedback is important to us and has been noted by our office. We are also forwarding your concerns to the hotel's management. Each Choice Hotel property is independently owned and operated, and due to the issues you have raised we must defer to the hotel and request that they respond to you directly. ... We hope you will view this matter as an isolated incident, an exception to the high standards of service and hospitality that our hotels are known to offer.

When I read that letter, all I thought was "WHA??????!" I think it's quite obvious that my feedback is NOT important to them. I have reviewed the Plainfield Comfort Inn on Travel Advisor and at the same time, I also left a great review for the Homewood Suites.

And I will never stay at a Choice Hotel brand.EVER.AGAIN.

In fact, I'm going to donate my Choice points to the Haiti help effort.