Embassy address

From the moment they step through the door your bookings become guests, and their experiences determine whether they ever come back.
User avatar
Aldo
Posts: 307
Joined: Sun Feb 27, 2005 6:19 pm
Location: Malta
Contact:

Embassy address

Post by Aldo »

We usually ask for information from guests such as their address. The reason is that we feel safer having a physical address to contact the guests at, should there be any issues. It also gives us the opportunity to make some basic checks on the internet before accepting guests.

This particular guest gave his work address, an embassy in China. A quick check on the internet found there is a person with that name at this embassy. The guest's phone number also appears to be a work one.

Should I accept the address or should I ask for a home address? I was thinking that perhaps it is normal practice for foreign diplomats in China to give that of their workplace as their address.

I am always a bit nervous whenever a guest feels the need to advertise their position when booking. Spam enquirers always claim they are doctors, priests or high ranking officials, don't they?

This booking came through Tripadvisor so I take it TA would make sure payment from guest actually happened.

Am I being paranoid?
Dusty
Posts: 356
Joined: Wed Dec 19, 2012 3:32 pm
Location: St Cernin de Labarde, Dordogne
Contact:

Post by Dusty »

Hi Aldo, whilst it may be little different/strange as long as you get your money beforehand I can't see why there should be a problem
akwe-xavante
Posts: 306
Joined: Wed Jul 01, 2015 3:19 pm
Location: East Yorkshire

Post by akwe-xavante »

I've had a similar situation whereby a national building company booked employees (Brick layers). It worked out just fine, in fact by the time I realised what had happened they had been in 2 days already. I expected to find the place somewhat untidy etc.

In fact it was one of my easiest changeovers, they left the place spotless, my only minor niggle was they booked in two people and four people used the beds or the 2 that were booked in used all the beds available over the week!

I suspect that things will work out just fine, you could look at it the other way around too. It wouldn't go down very well at the embassy if they caused a problem and you complained afterwards.

I would perhaps be tempted to phone the chap at the works phone number though.
User avatar
Aldo
Posts: 307
Joined: Sun Feb 27, 2005 6:19 pm
Location: Malta
Contact:

Post by Aldo »

Thank you Dusty and akwe-xavante. I have already attempted to call this morning. I got an answering machine and I didn't leave a message. I shall try again as I want to be sure it's not actually someone else using the name.
User avatar
edinburgh
Posts: 402
Joined: Wed Jul 02, 2014 11:02 pm
Location: Edinburgh
Contact:

Post by edinburgh »

I once had a booking from someone who took the time to advise me they were coming to Edinburgh for their son's graduation, and that the son is a doctor, and that the daughter, also travelling, is a gynaecologist. Oh, and dad, who made the booking, is also a doctor - as alluded to by the string of letters after his name.

Wondering why they'd told me all this, and why anyone would want to impress me, I was expecting a dodgy guest - or at least, someone very high maintenance.

Turned out to be absolutely lovely with no hint of pretentiousness in real life.

So, I wouldn't worry too much about someone advertising their position, it can just be a cultural thing.
User avatar
Moliere
Posts: 4753
Joined: Thu Mar 08, 2007 10:45 pm
Location: Magalas, Languedoc

Post by Moliere »

edinburgh wrote:
So, I wouldn't worry too much about someone advertising their position, it can just be a cultural thing.
That's certainly true - I remember in my banking days how the Germans and Austrians used to add their degrees and qualifications to business cards, directories and the like. Of course in the UK this is regarded as bad form, so we didn't. As a result our colleagues were long labouring under the belief that we Brits were a bunch of uneducated halfwits!
(On the other hand, they may have been right :lol: )

Mols
Jumping is just dressage with speed-bumps.
akwe-xavante
Posts: 306
Joined: Wed Jul 01, 2015 3:19 pm
Location: East Yorkshire

Post by akwe-xavante »

Is there something happening in Malta at the time of the booking.

A seminar, conference or other international event or some such thing?
User avatar
Nemo
Posts: 7062
Joined: Thu Aug 14, 2008 10:15 am
Location: Norfolk

Post by Nemo »

edinburgh wrote: So, I wouldn't worry too much about someone advertising their position, it can just be a cultural thing.
Moliere wrote: That's certainly true - I remember in my banking days how the Germans and Austrians used to add their degrees and qualifications to business cards, directories and the like. Of course in the UK this is regarded as bad form, so we didn't. As a result our colleagues were long labouring under the belief that we Brits were a bunch of uneducated halfwits!
(On the other hand, they may have been right :lol: )

Mols
Funnily enough my OH and I were having a discussion this weekend about the use of titles, degrees and suchlike. As an engineer, he doesn't advertise his qualifications at all; to do so is considered bad form. However his German counterparts take great pride in using all the embellishments they're entitled to after their name. :lol:

Uneducated halfwits - well that's a tad harsh and not entirely true, but there are some in every country, so it's not peculiar to Britain. :wink:
User avatar
Moliere
Posts: 4753
Joined: Thu Mar 08, 2007 10:45 pm
Location: Magalas, Languedoc

Post by Moliere »

Nemo wrote:Uneducated halfwits - well that's a tad harsh and not entirely true, but there are some in every country, so it's not peculiar to Britain. :wink:
Nemo - I was self-deprecatingly referring to me and my British colleagues in the office (most of whom were also graduates) - not to Brits in general!

I also loved the row between two Italian colleagues, where one said "Anyway, you should call me dottore because I have a degree", to which the other replied "Then you should call me dottore dottore, because I have two degrees!"

Mols :wink:
Jumping is just dressage with speed-bumps.
jlaceysmith
Posts: 93
Joined: Mon Jan 23, 2012 10:41 pm
Location: Vienne, France
Contact:

Post by jlaceysmith »

It might just be that it's his "registered" address. I was in the Diplomatic service for nearly 30 years and lived abroad most of that time - all my mail, bank accounts, credit cards etc were registered at the Embassy address, not my home address. It was just the way it worked.
User avatar
edinburgh
Posts: 402
Joined: Wed Jul 02, 2014 11:02 pm
Location: Edinburgh
Contact:

Post by edinburgh »

You can't walk into this thread, tell us you were in the diplomatic service for 30 years and then walk out!

Amusing anecdotes please?

Oh, and is it true about the Ferrero Roche?
jlaceysmith
Posts: 93
Joined: Mon Jan 23, 2012 10:41 pm
Location: Vienne, France
Contact:

Post by jlaceysmith »

East Berlin, Dublin, Algiers, Frankfurt, Manila, Bangkok, Hong Kong and Brussels....definitely a few anecdotes from that lot! And I hate Ferrero Rocher.... :)
User avatar
Nemo
Posts: 7062
Joined: Thu Aug 14, 2008 10:15 am
Location: Norfolk

Post by Nemo »

Moliere wrote:
Nemo wrote:Uneducated halfwits - well that's a tad harsh and not entirely true, but there are some in every country, so it's not peculiar to Britain. :wink:
Nemo - I was self-deprecatingly referring to me and my British colleagues in the office (most of whom were also graduates) - not to Brits in general!

Mols :wink:
I know, I got that. :wink:
Annew
Posts: 925
Joined: Wed Nov 04, 2009 10:02 am
Location: Devon

Re: Embassy address

Post by Annew »

Aldo wrote: This particular guest gave his work address, an embassy in China. A quick check on the internet found there is a person with that name at this embassy. The guest's phone number also appears to be a work one.
My daughter lives in China and gives her work address as her registered address. This 'official' address is also the one used by the Chinese authorities to register her and to contact her for visa and other reasons and for her registration with the British embassy. Also, landline telephones are tricky in China - but there's no reason why your proposed guest can't give you a mobile number.
If you want to find me, Google The Barton Poughill!
User avatar
pambon
Posts: 2959
Joined: Thu Apr 24, 2008 2:25 pm

Post by pambon »

Moliere wrote:
Nemo wrote:Uneducated halfwits - well that's a tad harsh and not entirely true, but there are some in every country, so it's not peculiar to Britain. :wink:
Nemo - I was self-deprecatingly referring to me and my British colleagues in the office (most of whom were also graduates) - not to Brits in general!

I also loved the row between two Italian colleagues, where one said "Anyway, you should call me dottore because I have a degree", to which the other replied "Then you should call me dottore dottore, because I have two degrees!"

Mols :wink:
Yes Mols, the Italians just love using their titles.
For formal use lawyers should be addressed as 'Avvocato Smith'
And anyone with a degree is immediately 'Dottore' which can be confusing if you are thinking in terms of medicine when it could be a degree in sociology, history, architecture or economics etc!!!!!

How about Geometra for which only a high school graduation is needed in technical construction. (Roughly equivalent to a Draughtsman). I could continue......!
Post Reply