So, after a fantastic time at the Eden Sessions, I turned up at my pre-paid, prebooked Travelodge room in Plymouth. Or so I thought. Upon arriving in the small hours, I was told that there was no room for me. Obviously, quite angry, I demanded that the staff fix the situation somehow.

After they called around for a while, they called their manager, Hannah Dennis. I was told that because the only other hotel they could find (the New Continental - which was fine) refused to take a purchase order from the Travelodge for the room, that I was expected to pay for the second room myself ! At this point, I was offered a refund of my room, but told that they couldn’t pay me the difference for the more expensive room that they had found. I refused a refund at this point, because I expected to talk to the manager the next morning and gain a full refund, the difference and some form of compensation.

The next morning, after being treated much better by the staff of the other hotel, I came back to sort out what was happening with my compensation. I was told by the manager that she was very sorry, but that it was all the fault of the head office team who overbook the rooms. I told her that someone could and should have phoned me, as my mobile number was on the booking. She also apologised for that. I told her what I expected in terms of compensation. She told me that it was up to head office to deal with that, as it was their fault for overbooking and not booking me into another hotel room earlier. I asked for at least the cost of their room back on my card, and was told it would be "easier" to deal with the refund and the compensation all at once. I was assured that the team dealing with my complaint would fix this on Monday morning, on their return to the office.

On Monday, I called Hannah again, who had stopped being her apologetic and helpful self, and was instead belligerent and rude. She told me that the only way I could get in contact with the people who were dealing with my complaint was by email or post, and that it could take 7 - 10 days to process my refund. I told her that that wasn’t good enough, and that I expected a refund that day. She told me that I was offered a refund when I was outbooked, and that she wouldn’t be able to process a refund then - this despite me asking her directly for the refund on the Saturday morning, when I was told it would be "easier" to get a refund from the head office department (who I was told I was not allowed to talk to).

Travelodge - there are a couple of lessons you need to learn. Many other corporates could do with learning these lessons, too.

• "Head Office" is not an excuse. When a complaint needs to be escalated, the people dealing with that complaint should be available to the customer
• Treating your customers like they are too insignificant when they have a major complaint is bad for business. In the age in which we are all hyperconnected, word travels fast and one pissed off consumer can do major harm to your business. I guarantee you that this blog post has done ten times more financial damage to your company than dealing with my complaint quickly and efficiently, at the point of the problem would have.
• When you cock something up, you fix it then and there. Don’t sit in your corporate ivory towers and promise a "7-10 day resolution time". It’s not acceptable - you wouldn’t stand for it and neither will I.

So, I ponder my next course of action should the email I sent to customer services (which is the only way I am apparently allowed to contact travelodge) not achieve a correct response. Should I talk to the OFT ? Should I talk to my bank about a chargeback ? Should I call the local press ? Your answers are welcome and indeed solicited..