Making a consumer complaint in Germany

In My Humble Opinion
1

I came back from a trip to Europe and had a problem with a hotel in Germany. If I were to write a letter back to the hotel with my concern (which weren’t financial):

  1. should I write it in German (or have someone do it for me).
  2. should I expect a reply anytime soon
  3. should I even bother as, again, the problem was not financial.

It could just be a misunderstanding of cultures and expectations of service.

2

It really depends on the hotel. If the hotel is very upmarket or part of a large chain, a letter in English should get a response. This may not be the case at a small family-run hotel. But if you feel strongly about the situation I would go ahead with the letter. If your German is good enough you could write it in English first, with a rough translation included.

3

Unless it’s a small hotel in a provincial locale English probably would be sufficient (usually English reading skills >> verbal understanding > speaking)

If you could outline what it’s about I could give you an opinion on whether the recipient’s reaction would be :o or :rolleyes: .

4

Since this is seeking opinions, I’m moving it to IMHO.

Colibri
General Questions Moderator

5

Is it an american or british based hotel chain? If yes, send it to the HQ.

If it is a smaller, German based place, I would send it in both so as to possibly expedite any resolution.