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When travelling locally or internationally, one of the things you always care about is having to feel as if you are home. Any establishment that achieves that becomes an instant favorite. The homely feel is however not just limited to the physical layout, decor and quality of service crew.
Our homes are usually the place we feel most secure – or at least that is what is usually expected. This is the reason hotels invest heavily in security installations. But still, mistakes do happen and it’s important for hotels to go to great lengths to ensure that in the event clients lose property in their establishment, the event is properly investigated.
Last week a couple of bloggers were visiting Rusinga Island for the annual Rusinga Cultural Festival. They traveled in two groups and arrived at Blue Ridge Hotel, Rusinga one day apart. They were having a good time at the mid level hotel until one evening when their rooms were broken into as they had their dinner.
The next series of tweets from one of the bloggers explain what happened and how the hotel handled the situation:
A couple of days ago, I was in Rusinga having a great time and getting ready for #RusingaFest2016 when things went wrong. – @potentash
— mmnjug™ (@mmnjug) December 28, 2016
Some of our rooms at Blue Ridge Hotel Rusinga were gotten into and we lost some of our possessions. – @potentash
— mmnjug™ (@mmnjug) December 28, 2016
We were having dinner when I was asked to give out my key so that my water could be checked, there was no hot water in my room.- @potentash
— mmnjug™ (@mmnjug) December 28, 2016
I decided to go up, and after the guy checked the water I went to pick my camera phone which had been charging. – @potentash
— mmnjug™ (@mmnjug) December 28, 2016
I was about to look for it when I noticed my purse was open and it was empty, no sign of the 8 K plus that was there earlier. – @potentash
— mmnjug™ (@mmnjug) December 28, 2016
Realizing I had been robbed, I looked for my laptop. It was gone. My heart was beating like a loud African drum at this point.- @potentash
— mmnjug™ (@mmnjug) December 28, 2016
I went down to the reception and reported to the receptionist. She looked clueless and did nothing. – @potentash
— mmnjug™ (@mmnjug) December 28, 2016
I quickly went to my friends and when they checked some of them had been robbed. – @potentash
— mmnjug™ (@mmnjug) December 28, 2016
One of our friends on 2nd flr found that it’s like they were in the middle of breaking her door but when they heard me they must have fled.
— mmnjug™ (@mmnjug) December 28, 2016
It’s important to note that on 1st flr our doors were opened,closed again, our hotel keys were kawaida keys like for a house door.
— mmnjug™ (@mmnjug) December 28, 2016
It’s important to note that on 1st flr our doors were opened,closed again, our hotel keys were kawaida keys like for a house door.
— mmnjug™ (@mmnjug) December 28, 2016
When a hotel has a breach of security incident like this, the first reaction would be to call the police, but did that happen? Read the next tweets:
I asked for numbers for the cops, she did nothing. It was until we started causing that management was called. – @potentash
— mmnjug™ (@mmnjug) December 28, 2016
If she had been a quick thinker she would have closed the main door, there is only one door to leave the hotel. – @potentash
— mmnjug™ (@mmnjug) December 28, 2016
At some point when the cops finally came and looked through some of the rooms – @potentash
— mmnjug™ (@mmnjug) December 28, 2016
Police found a guy who apparently checked in just after us,paid for one night,then paid for another night then disappeared after the robbery
— mmnjug™ (@mmnjug) December 28, 2016
Then the story started that the guy could have been with us. – @potentash
— mmnjug™ (@mmnjug) December 28, 2016
Our bookings mind you had been made in advance. So, we checked in when cash had already been deposited. – @potentash
— mmnjug™ (@mmnjug) December 28, 2016
Some guys came in on Tuesday, others on Wednesday:somehow it was suggested maybe some of us robbed others because we didn’t know each other
— mmnjug™ (@mmnjug) December 28, 2016
So why does it have to be that calling the cops when your client has been robbed becomes a favor? Is it not supposed to make it look like you are doing something about it and actually preserve the reputation of your establishment? Follow the next tweets with me:
Don’t act like you calling the cops or bringing in other security professionals to handle the case you are doing me a favour. – @potentash
— mmnjug™ (@mmnjug) December 28, 2016
I was robbed at your establishment and the least you can do is look like you are dealing with the matter. – @potentash
— mmnjug™ (@mmnjug) December 28, 2016
You are bringing in cops to make sure that the integrity of your hotel’s name is preserved not as a favour to me. – @potentash
— mmnjug™ (@mmnjug) December 28, 2016
Then the management went further telling the clients who had been robbed how many important people had stayed at the hotel and had never been robbed! What a way of handling a situation:
Don’t tell me how important people have stayed at your hotel and never been robbed. – @potentash
— mmnjug™ (@mmnjug) December 28, 2016
We are also important, we have paid for rooms, don’t dismiss my concerns because we apparently are nobody’s. – @potentash
— mmnjug™ (@mmnjug) December 28, 2016
The fact that somebody has paid to be in your hotel means they are equally as important as the VIPs. – @potentash
— mmnjug™ (@mmnjug) December 28, 2016
If the VIPS don’t come again because somebody else was robbed will it matter to you then – @potentash
— mmnjug™ (@mmnjug) December 28, 2016
We kind of got the feeling the reason why there was no urgency in dealing with our situation is because we were not what was considered VIPs
— mmnjug™ (@mmnjug) December 28, 2016
The reason why VIPs were not robbed was maybe because they came with their own security or the hotel provided extra security. – @potentash
— mmnjug™ (@mmnjug) December 28, 2016
The staff too seem not to understand basic security procedures when cleaning clients’ rooms. Look at this:
Don’t tell your staff that it is not professional to have four rooms open at the same time when they are cleaning one room. – @potentash
— mmnjug™ (@mmnjug) December 28, 2016
I kid you not, when the staff were cleaning they opened all the rooms on my side and left them open. – @potentash
— mmnjug™ (@mmnjug) December 28, 2016
Security cameras are not that out of reach for an establishment like this. Do they omit them by design? Why is it that the hotel does not have a single CCTV camera in this day and age?
There were no security cameras in the hotel that we saw, so we couldn’t even tell how they got into our rooms. – @potentash
— mmnjug™ (@mmnjug) December 28, 2016
But what matters most when clients get robbed at your establishment is how you treat them. That determines whether they will ever recommend the place to someone else or will work hard to ensure that you are out of business.
Afterwards do not do anything to show that you truly regret what happened, like give a complimentary drink or meal. – @potentash
— mmnjug™ (@mmnjug) December 28, 2016
Anyway that seems not to be the only problem, someone who recently visited the facility had this to say:
” I decided to do local tourism to that place recently..eehh, very expensive meals, very poor breakfast. I can’t recommend to anyone”
Well, we gave the hotel management an opportunity to respond and this is it:
“Linet everything is under investigation the incident happened on 21st jioni so we are waiting for the feedback thats why we dont have much to say meanwhile the security measures is being put in place.” – Edith Ayoo
Quite a reassurance that one!
Was it an inside job? How did the thief open the rooms without breaking in and get away undetected?
Maybe you need to reconsider your holiday or conference plans unless you want to be the next victims. In the meantime I hope the thief will be apprehended and my colleagues will have their valuables back.
Here though is article by Potentash who was one of the bloggers robbed at the Hotel on how to minimize your chances of getting robed in a hotel. This article was inspired by the Rusinga robbery.
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Image Rights: Rusinga Blue Ridge Hotel
