When you need to complain about your hotel situation, how you look can be as important as how you talk. Assuming you are traveling with minimal clothes, here is how to dress for this encounter. (We already printed a blog on How To Complain).  Here is how to dress:

Pick out the most conservative shirt and or / jacket you have. Swirl around a scarf to make you look less formal but ‘dressed’. If you only have a tee shirt, then cover it nicely with the scarf. Neatness is the key here and showing you might be on a business trip adds weight. Your skirt or pants do not matter as much as you might be talking over the counter not sitting.  Hold your business card or a pre-written paper with your details, room number and a line about the issue. (Photograph whatever your plan to hand to management in case you need to reconfirm exactly what you handed them.) Also have ready pen and pad of paper should you feel it necessary to take notes. Before you take notes, say, You don’t mind if I take notes, do you?

Now smile whatever the situation and up front ask for their business card.  Begin your pitch with Thank you for meeting me, Mr. Mrs ??? and take the name off their card. First make sure you know to whom you are addressing the comments:  IS THIS YOU from the manager’s name on the card? And ask for in this order: General manager, Asst General manager, Duty manager, or manager on duty at that time.

All the time, appear to be on a business trip, either in your clothing or in your attitude and demeanor. This is one of many travel tip blogs for solo women travelers from TheWomensTravelGroup.com