Dear Ian Chapman,
Thank you for taking the time to read my complaint… although it is a shame that I have had to use such extremes to get myself heard.
My initial complaint was actually just a query and has now escalated to a HUGE COMPLAINT due to the brick wall I hit whilst trying to get a simple answer.
I am not happy with the last response I received from your Customer Support Advisor, NAME DELETED (from a no-reply email address)… and very surprised that your Thomson Holidays Representative, NAME DELETED has chosen to lie regarding the conversation she had with me and my wife.
However, I am more surprised that you choose to take the Thomson Holidays Representative word over a customer that paid 2.5k for one of your Thomson Holidays.
I always pay the ‘Select Your Seat’ surcharge (to guarantee I can sit next to my wife and daughter) and have never complained before, so cannot understand why you should think I would make up such an elaborate story… just to get a £60 refund?
It really does not matter whether a complaint is small or large, when it comes to Customer Service each issue should be dealt with in a responsive and respectful manor, with an open line of communication.
As Director of Holiday Experiences for Thomson Holiday I thought it important that you really understand the Thomson Holidays ‘Customer Service’ Experience from a customer’s point of view and have provided you with evidence @_My_Complaint.
If you care to read the timeline you will see over 1000 tweets regarding response times, telephone service and your select a seat service.
These probably only represent 30% of the complaints you receive on Twitter!
Another reason I wanted you to see my initial complaint was that you were the first person to reply in writing about it.
Sadly this was an automated response advising me that you were taking no further action BUT more infuriating it was from a no-reply email (if you did not want to communicate with me about my complaint, I suggest you DO NOT sign the response).
You left me no other option than to start my complaint all over again… for the third time!
I took to the phone (premium rate)… was on hold for ages. Found your so called ‘24/7 Twitter account’ @ThomsonCares and got a response (2 hours later?) advising me to call the premium rate number.
Asked for someone to call me and got a response (1 ½ hours later?) advising me to email details of my complaint again. So I did, waited for a response… nothing for a few days so took to twitter again. I was advised that you would respond within 28 days… WOW… it was only a simple request?
Not happy with this response I battled it out on Twitter for a call back and 6 days later I got it – YEH, one for the consumer!
Ironically, I was not available and your staff left me a number (premium rate) to call them back. I was on hold for 45 minutes before I got through to an advisor, who politely listened to my story and said they would chase for a response.
I found every step of Thomson Holidays Complaint Procedure to be slow, frustrating and infuriating.
In general it gave me the feeling that I was fighting a losing battle… No one was listening.
My experience made me question whether this was a common practice or just a bit of bad luck. I followed @ThomsonCares twitter feed to see how other Thomson Holiday Customers were being treated and was astounded by what I saw!
I could not help but to get involved, I had found 100’s of frustrated customers trying to be heard.
There were so many complaints I chose to ONLY concentrate on the ones that shared the same experiences as me. I helped the complainants shout louder by re-tweeting their cries for help.
I was overwhelmed with the interest I started to receive.
THE MILLION DOLLAR QUESTION – What do I want?
Well, you will be pleased to know, you can forget the £60… AND, no I am not going to ask for £2200 ‘cancellation fee’ to delete my post and tweets… that would be unethical.
I would like…
1. Thomson Holidays to acknowledge there is a problem with their Complaints Procedure
2. Thomson Holidays to improve their Complaints Procedure
I also have a third request… my ‘Select Your Seat’ complaint, but I am still collecting data on this and hope to send details within the next 28 days.
Regards
Interesting TWITTER observation – @TUIExperences (Making travel experiences special) has just over 800 followers compared to @ThomsonCares (Thomson Customer Service Team) with over 3000 followers!
My Thomson Holiday Experience 
They have been poor. All we wanted to do was book a holiday at their superstore surely misnamed if ever that was the case). This is now two years running and I will never use Thomson again.
Abbie
Feedback from holiday.
1) Transfer arrangements. Wasted some time trying to locate your staff at Faro airport. Your booth was empty. Wandering around a taxi drive kindly pointed us in the righ direction to your temporary desk. Instead of having three reps stood together why not have one stand at the exit from arrivals pointing where to go? I have asthma and having to manhandle our cases into the luggage compartment of the coach made me feel quite unwell. I told your rep at the hotel about these points, but haven’t had any feedback.
2) Lack of information from your hotel rep about the hotel/resort. Probably her brief but all she did at the welcome meeting was to sell your trips. Luckily we know this resort very well.
3) You may be interested in the review I have posted on Tripadvisor. I have posted 71 reviews to date and am classed as a top contributor.
“Hasn’t moved on with the times”
3 of 5 starsReviewed 1 week ago
We first stayed in the Algarve twenty years ago and have been frequent visors ever since. We have stayed at the Brisa Sol four times before, albeit some time ago.
Pros
– Good location
– Very clean
Cons
– Hotel is very dated, not having moved with the times.
– Maintenance of room poor. Kitchen unit doors, room 2, hanging off. Bathroom extractor fan not working. Air conditioning control in lounge didn’t work. Several wall and floor tiles cracked. General sense of decay.
– Entertainment, what entertainment? Solitary guitarist? Happy hour at 30% off?? Ended up going to hotel next door, Vila Gale in the evening. Their entertainment shows what can be done with a little imadgination
– Most things are extra, wifi, sauna, etc. Visiting Vila Gale our wifi was free even though we were not residents.
– Reception staff. IMHO they had a strange attitude, almost from another time period. Perhaps luxuriating in their own self importance? The staff at Vil Gale were younger and perhaps because of that had a different mindset.
– I emailed the hotel well before our stay asking if we could have either a front or pool view. What did we end up? Yes you’ve guessed it, a side view overlooking the adjacent shopping centre.
Conclusion. Definitely not four star. Probably three or there plus..
Room Tip: Go some where else like Vila Gale
See more room tips
Stayed September 2014, travelled as a couple
4 of 5 stars Location
3 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
3 of 5 stars Service
See all 5 reviews by Deantwerpen for Albufeira
Ask Deantwerpen about Hotel Apartamento Brisa Sol
4) Charges for extras. I am disappointed to compare your luggage allowance of 15Kg and transfer coach charges with that of Jet2 holidays whose prices include
-Coach Transfers
-22kg Bag Allowance
– 10kg Hand Baggage