I fear for the reputation of New Zealand during the Rugby World Cup. We already have a dismal record for customer service and I believe many overseas visitors will go away feeling they’ve been horribly let down.

This prediction is based on what happened to us just last week in one of the country’s most notable tourist areas – Queenstown. The quality of customer service there is generally much higher than anywhere else, except it seems when it comes to accommodation.

We stayed two nights at the Bella Vista. We’d booked well in advance, impressed by the images we’d seen on the Internet.

When we arrived, the room was so poky there wasn’t enough room to swing a mouse, let alone a cat. With two beds (a double and an unneeded single) crammed into space designed for one, the only place where one person could walk past another was the bathroom. There was no couch to curl up on, no table to sit around, just two beds and a couple of chairs crammed anywhere they could be stuffed.

There was no hot water. To his credit, the owner did try to fix it, albeit not very successfully. A plumber failed to show up until the middle of the next afternoon. (Should have called Adams!)

With time on our hands we decided to watch a bit of TV, but the sound was so tinny and volume governor set so low that it was impossible to hear a word unless sitting almost on top of it.

We returned from a wonderful dinner out (the Tandori Palace, since you’re asking – where the food actually tasted as though it could have been authentic and the service was superb), and hubby decided to heat some leftovers in the motel microwave. Bad mistake. A huge boom followed by masses of flames.

We stuck with it, however, because we felt the owners and staff were doing their best, pleasantly and politely. That was, until we struck THE WIFE. She didn’t show up until after we’d left, when two hours later hubby received a phone call from her that could at best be described as unpleasant.

Where did we think we were, she demanded to know, the Hilton? Surprisingly perhaps, we didn’t think that staying at the Hilton was prerequisite for having hot water or a serviceable microwave. My other half received a severe tongue lashing along the lines of no-one else had complained (perhaps they were too frightened by her) and who did we think we were and by the way there was nothing wrong with the microwave, an electrician friend had looked at it. (Any business of this size that doesn’t have a contract in place with a property service company is not taking the business seriously.)

Then she hung up in the middle of the discussion and charged us the full amount – no consideration whatsoever for the lack of hot water, the inconvenience of an exploding microwave or having to put up with her rudeness.

But what’s concerning for the country at large is that this woman clearly believed she was behaving rationally and was within her rights to treat her customers that way. The only problem is that customers who feel belittled and spoken to rudely never come back. Plus, they also tell as many people who are prepared to listen.

This woman could have turned our entire experience around by being conciliatory and helpful. Instead, she let her ego get in the way and it all ended very nastily.

And that is why I fear for New Zealand’s reputation internationally over the next two months. Many tourists will come across others like Mrs Bella Vista and will return home to tell their friends and family to stay away from New Zealand because of the appalling service we offer.