I don't know about "right" but at least arguably within the bounds of sense!
If the hotel had such an unhelpful policy (and I don't think that it is more
than their policy), then as a guest I would expect to be asked to record my
preferences at registration. Any hotel which refused to put a caller
through to me and, even worse, refused to take a message without necessarily
confirming whether I was a guest or not would soon loose my custom.
That way the hotel could protect themselves and their guests while still
allowing the 95% who are neither vulnerable, persecuted nor paranoid to
continue to communicate and be contacted in the normal way.
Regards
Jim
=========================================================
-----Original Message-----
From: This list is for those interested in Data Protection issues
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Charles Oppenheim
Sent: Tuesday, July 18, 2006 2:14 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [data-protection] Hotel Reception
In which case, my apologies for misunderstanding the query.
As a matter of interest, do list members agree with me that if the room
number is unknown then the hotel is right to refuse to let the call through?
Charles
Quoting [log in to unmask]:
> Charles
>
> That is exactly what she had done, texted the room number to her
> mother - so when my sister phoned the hotel she asked for "Angela
> Smith in Room 306".
> There was absolutely no disclosure expected of the hotel receptionist
> - she was given all the information. So where is the breach of Data
> Protection?
>
> Regards
> John
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Charles Oppenheim [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
> Sent: 18 July 2006 13:57
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: [data-protection] Hotel Reception
>
>
> I think the hotel was correct. There is no proof that the person
> calling is her mother, and even if she was her mother, how do we know
> that the daughter has sworn never to speak to her mother again? I
> doubt many hotels have as one of their Purposes passing on guest
> details to any third party who asks.
>
> The daughter should have phoned her mother or texted her what her room
> number was.
>
> Charles
>
> Quoting John Hughes <[log in to unmask]>:
>
> > Dear All
> >
> > Last night my niece, Angela, was staying in a hotel in Milton
> > Keynes, one of a very well-known chain. Her mother (my sister)
> > phoned the hotel reception desk and asked to be put through to her
> > daughter's room, giving
> Angela's
> > full name and her room number. The receptionist told her this would
> not
> > be
> > possible "because of the Data Protection Act".
> >
> > My sister then asked if the receptionist would call Angela
> > internally and ask if it was ok to put her mother through. The reply
> > was "no" as this was "against the law".
> >
> > Can anyone explain to me how???
> >
> > John Hughes
> >
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