Bad Service - Crying Kids

Want to create really bad buzz? I made arrangements for a two bedroom apartment for my stay in Washington DC this week. With only a few days to go, I get this email:

We are unable to honor your reservation here due to many current guests having extended their stays with us causing the building to be over booked. I truly apologize for this situation and the inconvenience this is going to cause you. Unfortunately it is some thing beyond our control. We cannot demand current occupants of our apartments to leave if they wish to extend their stays. Should you wish us to assist you with alternate accommodations please call our reservation center at ...

The result is: I am embarrassed because I am meeting a business associate for the first time and he is counting on that space too, and my family is coming to sight see while I attend a conference. They may not go now. So my daughter was crying, I had to apologize to someone that I have not even met yet, and I am wasting my time trying to find a new place at the last second. That is not only bad for this particular business, but bad for the industry. I will not trust this kind of service again. Just not worth the headaches. It is one thing to give a person bad service, it is entirely another thing to disrupt someone's life and upset the balance. You don't just make unhappy guests, you make enemies.