Sunday 2 March 2008

The Last Motel....

I have been spoilt recently but the number of good hotels I have been lucky enough to stay in for my work. But I came down to earth with a bit of a bang today in Basildon.

I can only describe the 'motel' I stayed in as like something from the film Psycho. Very seedy and not very condusive to a relaxing nights sleep. The little prefabricated cubicles felt like prison cells. The big window faced onto the car park which was lit all night. The curtain did not cover the whole size of the window. The door did not feel locked even when it was closed.

I arrived late at night in the dark and managed to step right in a deep puddle just outside reception. The reception by the way is in a seperate 'shack' from the main motel. You are given a key and pointed to your cubicle and off you go outside again to find your room (and yes I managed to miss the puddle the second time around as I left).

But I survived the night and when the sun rose the next morning it did not look or feel quite so bad.

Infact, though the breakfast coffee I had was from a machine it was one of the best cups I have had in a while. 

The experience made me think - there is a big gap between services that are 'cheap and cheerful' (which I am usually happy with) and those that are 'cheap and nasty'. Which ones do we actually provide in our day jobs to our own customers, service users and the public?

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