Every two weeks in the Monday Outlook section, you can see real-world examples of customer complaints and attempts to deal with them. The column is called Action Line and it makes for some very interesting reading.

This week I am featuring a typical example of Action Line. It concerns a stolen laptop computer which was taken from a prominent local hotel. First read the complaint from Mr Saengroaj and consider these questions:

1. Where in the hotel did the theft take place?
2. Where was the computer at the time of the theft?
3. Where was its owner?
4. Did the hotel officials take any action when the theft was discovered?
5. Was anything else stolen in the same area that day?
6. What reasons did the complainer give for saying that the hotel should be held responsible for the theft?
7. How did the assistant hotel manager respond?
8. What do you think? Do you think the complaint is a reasonable one?
9. Do you think the assistant hotel manager handled the complaint effectively? Why or why not?

To read the letter to Action Line now, click here.

Now read the response from Mr Rufli.

1. Did he give a reasonable response?
2. Do you agree with his reasoning?
3. Did he give an effective response, i.e., did he help give his hotel a good image?

Jump to the response.

ACTION LINE Mystery of the missing laptop On October 30, I helped Thailand’s National Energy Policy Office (Nepo) and the US Department of Energy organise the Apec Energy Seminar on Clean Fossil Energy at the Amari Watergate hotel. During the lunch break, I went down to lunch at a restaurant inside the hotel with all other participants. After I finished using my laptop for a presentation, I put it in the computer case and put it beside my seat. There were also three other laptops in the area. I thought that it would be safe enough to leave my computer there. But when I came back to the conference room, my laptop was gone from where I had put it! I immediately reported the matter to the hotel. First, the security officers came to me and asked how it had happened. I explained it to them in detail. They told me they would check the staff lockers and see if the hotel had any tapes from the CCTVs to help track the person who took it. A moment later, the hotel’s public relations officer came to record all the information. A day passed without word, so the next day I asked one of the security men about the result. The answer was that they couldn’t find anything suspicious concerning their staff. On the same night of this incident, I filed a report with the police. There I learned that the photographer who came to take pictures at the same seminar also lost his Nikon camera with expensive lens from his bag that was put under a table at the conference room. The next day, I spoke to the photographer and found that his bag was hidden under the table with a table skirt around it. Nobody would have known that there was a camera bag underneath it, unless the person had paid special attention to it during the conference. Most interestingly, both the incidents occurred at the same time, same day, and same place. The next day, the photographer and I made an appointment to see the hotel manager. We met with Jetsada Techaprasertporn, the executive assistant manager. The following are points from our conversation on that day: There was nothing suspicious in the lockers of the staff involved on the day of the incident. The hotel does not have liability insurance. The hotel could not be held responsible since the conference room is considered by the hotel as a "public area". Neither does it have any policy to compensate for such a loss. Mr Jetsada informed us that such incidents are quite common at big conferences like this. The photographer was furious about these explanations and told Mr Jetsada that he would seek help from the Law Society of Thailand in settling this problem. The answer from Mr Jetsada was, "Please go ahead." There are many things that the hotel could have done to make us feel better and there are legitimate reasons why I think the hotel could have done just that. Firstly, as a customer of their hotel, I should at least have received a formal letter of apology from the hotel about this incident. Secondly, we, the organisers, paid thousands of dollars for that full week of the conference. If what the hotel could do for us is just to say that they have searched the lockers and found nothing, I think that’s a bit too irresponsible. I didn’t even hear a sentence like "we're sorry about this" from the hotel management! And how could a conference room like this one be considered a "public area"? Only invited and registered participants were able to get into the room. It is not the same concept as the hotel lobby, where anyone could wander in and out. We paid them a lump sum amount of money and we expected them to provide us with the best facilities and security. At this point, I don’t much care how the hotel will respond to my story. As a guest I feel the hotel has not only lost its reputation as a big hotel capable of hosting big conferences, but it also lost the opportunity of having repeat customers in the future. Saengroaj Srisawaskraisorn. Go back to the notes. liability insurance insurance for accidents where you are at fault compensate to pay for damages caused legitimate rightful; fair; reasonable lump sum a payment in one large amount crux the central and most important part of something; the essence Editor’s note: The above letter was forwarded to the hotel and the following response was obtained from Kurt Rufli, managing director of Amari Hotels and Resorts: In replying to the issues raised by Mr Srisawaswekraisorn we feel that the crux of the matter is twofold: firstly, the challenge of security control within public areas, and secondly, the individual’s responsibility for safeguarding personal items of value. The problem of theft from public areas is one that hotels worldwide face. The problem is not limited to any specific hotel or country. On our part, we implement security control at various levels, including signs recommending that guests do not leave valuables unattended. We sincerely regret that Mr Srisawaskraisorn felt that there was a lack of concern over the theft of his property. Whilst we are extremely sorry for the inconvenience and distress which Mr Srisawaskraisorn has experienced, we cannot be held responsible for the theft of an unattended item in a public area.

TEACHER'S NOTE The nice thing about the material in this lesson is that it deals with a real-world problem that takes considerable skill to cope with effectively. In the business world, answering customer complaints is an everyday occurrence and the people who do it often create more problems than they solve. They may blame the customer, respond rudely or fail to admit mistakes. All this creates ill-will and ultimately loses sales. Another nice thing about the subject matter in this lesson is that neither side is clearly right or clearly wrong. Clearly Mr Saengroaj should have been more careful and clearly the hotel should have done a better job in public relations. But how much responsibility should the hotel have in this matter? Should it have replaced the missing laptop and the missing camera? Hold a discussion and find out what your students think. You might also assign one or more groups to visit nearby hotels to find out what they do in such cases. A role play is another interesting possibility. In fact, you could create several role plays so that more students can participate. The first, which needs few words, could concern leaving and losing the laptop. This tests the student’s understanding of the situation and the layout of items in the room. It also gives students a chance to identify the culprit The second role play could involve reporting to the security guard. The third would feature the meeting with the assistant manager. Aren’t newspapers a wonderful supplement to your normal curriculum? Go back to the top

This week let’s take a look at the Premier League’s five London teams. Only one is having a really successful system, sitting second in the league table. The others are bunched right in the middle within a few points of each other. This week, three teams are at home and two are travelling. One of the travelling teams will only be taking a short trip within the city, so London will be a good place to be this week if you like football.

This part of London near the Thames river will be a busy place on Monday as the local team hosts its nearest neighbour. Which two teams will be playing? (For more aerial maps of England visit http://uk2.multimap.com/home.html)

1. In the city, two of the games will be held in stadiums within sight of the Thames River. The first will be held near the eastern sector of the river and the visiting team is also from London. In fact, it is the home team’s nearest neighbour. Which two teams are playing?
2. To find the site of the second game, move along the river to the west. The visiting teams – which is having a very good year – comes from a town about 150 kms to the northeast. It lies right on the seacoast looking towards France. Which two teams are playing?
3. The final game within London takes place in the northeast part of the city. The visiting team comes from the PL’s southernmost city. Which two teams are playing?
4. The final London team, the one with the best record, will be travelling to central England to play another of the PL’s strongest teams. Which two teams are playing?

Note: This lesson requires a map. The best map for our purposes is available by clicking here.

Italian tax police surround Argentinian soccer star Diego Maradona on his arrival at Rome airport. - — AFP

This picture recently appeared on the front page of the Bangkok Post together with an Associated Press story entitled "Italy grabs Maradona for dodging taxes."

The story said that Maradona was approached by Italian tax police when he arrived at the Rome airport. They informed him that he has been accused of evading 52 billion lire (about 1 billion baht) in taxes and interest payments.

The story said that Maradona was able to leave the airport after signing papers acknowledging the charges. He denied having done anything wrong.

The next day, Maradona launched a bitter attack against the former president of the Napoli football club for which Maradona used to play. He said that any unpaid taxes were the responsibility of Napoli.

1. What does it mean to "evade" or "dodge" taxes?
2. Look at the photo. Write what you think Diego Maradona might be saying?
3. One of the policemen standing behind Maradona is smiling. What might he be thinking?
4. And what about the policeman standing next to Maradona who is staring at him? What could he be thinking?