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Wake up Tenerife!

By Joe | November 7, 2008

How hard is it for a receptionist in Tenerife to smile? I mean come on, it’s not rocket science to work out that beyond a comfy bed and a clean bathroom the most important thing that a hotel can offer is friendly staff. Particularly the frontline troops ie reception.

I’ve just dropped my parents off at the Aparthotel El Duque in Costa Adeje. To say the receptionist was unfriendly is an obscene understatement. Apart from the fact that a smile seemed way beyond his facial capabilities, it was as though we’d just gatecrashed his bedroom, pissed on his pillow and insulted his grandmother. Made welcome, we certainly were not.

Now does the blame lie with the fact that he’s just a miserable, self-important git who’s crap at his job, or with a management who shouldn’t be employing such monkeys in the first place?

A bit of both I suspect, but either way, with Tenerife going through something of a popularity crisis at the moment, I would have thought that efforts should be stepped up, not down, to make our visitors welcome at every opportunity.

It’s exactly this kind of third rate service that lets the island down. We have the facilities, we’ve got the scenery, God knows we’ve got the weather, and although the prices have been rising at a scary (and unnecessary) rate, there are plenty of reasons why Tenerife should regain its popularity.

But dimwit attitudes and sucky service are going to be a nail in the coffin of this island’s tourism if fuckwits like the Aparthotel El Duque receptionist don’t buck up.

So to all those over-inflated egos in the hospitality industry who can’t be arsed to be nice to Tenerife’s visitors, get off your high horse and learn to smile. It’s your livelihood, income and lifestyle that’s going to be affected ultimately. And mine.

Topics: Inane rants, Tenerife | 5 Comments »


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  • David Liddell

    Was his hair a mess….maybe he just had a bad hair day…can happen to us all…although I personally have never experienced it….bad tie day yes, but not bad hair…chin, chin!

  • http://joecawley.co.uk Joe

    Apart from his stinking attitude and his apalling demeanour, he also had all the social etiquette of a rabid bison… and the face of a gnarled rabbit dropping. Didn’t notice his tie though.

  • guanche

    Just to clarify that similar examples exist back in broken Britain. In some places, if my accent reveals my foreign origin, the treatment does change drastically. Despite that, I avoid drawing general conclusions about the attitude of personnel in the English hotel industry. Maybe you should do the same.

  • http://joecawley.co.uk Joe

    Firstly, you’re absolutely right. There are similar examples back in dear old Blighty.
    Secondly, this is not a ‘general conclusion’, it’s a personal observation about one particular numbnuts who thought he was above welcoming guests to the hotel. Nice attitude for a receptionist, don’t you think?
    Thirdly, the last time I looked out my window it was free world and as such I feel mighty privileged to be able to speak my mind. Maybe you should do the same.

  • guanche

    Your invitation for an endless circular debate on freedom of speech was clearly uncalled for. Still, I will break down my argument further for the record.

    No doubt the behaviour of that particular receptionist was appalling. I’m sure that, as a seasoned writer, you are also able to realise that none of my previous words imply support for that kind of behaviour or banning your right for denouncement.

    I do criticise the way you have worded that denouncement. For instance, the title “wake up Tenerife” misleads the reader suggesting that the situation applies to all the people working in the industry on Tenerife. The same applies to statements such as “with Tenerife going through something of a popularity crisis at the moment, I would have thought that efforts should be stepped up, not down”.

    Have you ever realised how many skilled locals with university degrees have been forced into the sometimes underground tourism industry just because they couldn’t possible find another job? Next time you come across a receptionist or simply a waiter, put your Spanish to practise and ask what kind of academic training they have out of curiosity. If he/she is from Tenerife, they won’t bother about the question and you’ll be surprised with the answer.

    Again, I’m not justifying the receptionist in question. You’ll surely agree with me that I’ll never have the same level of insight about the British idiosyncrasy as you probably have. Even after living in the UK for decades. It is only logical then that you expect me not to generalise -at least, publicly- about the workings of this country. Well, I expect the same from my British counterparts in Tenerife. Hence the “Maybe you should do the same”.

    Sadly, I repeatedly see on the internet articles that go even further than yours and offer a totally partial view of the island with expats always regarded as saints who fall victims of recklessly rude locals. As with anything, there are cases and there are cases.