Holidaymakers admit to exaggerating bad experiences and threatening negative reviews
More than a quarter of Brits have lied or over exaggerated about a bad experience on holiday, with one in eight threatening bad reviews to get what they want.
Research reveals 23% have lied about or exaggerated a bad experience; 13% have threatened to leave a bad online review; 10% have refused to pay a bill and 8% have lied about a special occasion, for example saying it was their birthday, honeymoon or anniversary.
The most likely lie was along the lines of ‘there was a hair in my food’, so the complainant could get a discount or a free meal, with 31% admitting to this ploy.
Almost a quarter (22%) lied about the cleanliness of their room; 14% have lied about noise disturbances and 9% have lied about developing food poisoning on holiday.
When asked what they had hoped to achieve through their lies or threats, 47% of the relevant respondents said it was to ‘save money/get a discount’ and 38% said it was to ‘receive some kind of upgrade’.
Over half (51%) said their devious actions had been successful.
Not everyone believes complaining is the best way to get what they want, however, with 19% saying they think being over-generous with a tip, or to tip when told not to, gets the best results.
The survey was carried out among 2,510 UK residents who had been on an overseas holiday in the past 12 months by Sunshine.co.uk.
When asked who had been on the receiving end of their lies, threats or refusal to pay on holiday, restaurant staff (65%) was the most common answer, followed by hotel receptionists (21%) and housekeeping staff (18%).
Sunshine.co.uk managing director Chris Clarkson said: "I feel incredibly sorry for hotel and restaurant staff working in holiday resorts abroad.
"Hotels and restaurant rely a lot on good reviews only to drive custom and bookings, so it’s easy to see why threatening a bad review would make them bend over backwards to accommodate a customer’s request."
Lisa
Lisa joined Travel Weekly nearly 25 years ago as technology reporter and then sailed around the world for a couple of years as cruise correspondent, before becoming deputy editor. Now freelance, Lisa writes for various print and web publications, edits Corporate Traveller’s client magazine, Gateway, and works on the acclaimed Remembering Wildlife series of photography books, which raise awareness of nature’s most at-risk species and helps to fund their protection.
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