Dumbarton hotel counting cost of false Facebook post
The Dumbuck Country House Hotel says they've had numerous calls from worried brides-to-be after the post was shared nearly 140 times
Staff at a Dumbarton hotel say they’ve had to deal with countless calls from concerned brides-to-be after a false Facebook post alleged bookings were not being kept.
The Dumbuck Country House Hotel was targeted on social media by an individual who accused the venue of voiding bookings and ‘not recording’ future plans.
At time of writing, the post has been shared nearly 140 times and undoubtedly seen by thousands of people.
Barry Nicholls – the venue’s director – has been dealing with the fallout.
He told Clyde News: “On Sunday morning I was made aware that a gentleman had taken to Facebook to say that all weddings that were booked were void, and all future bookings were unrecorded.
"Both statements are completely false.
“I was annoyed to say the least. It’s the fact that someone can take to Facebook and make defamatory comments against the business with no substance whatsoever.
“I’ve already spoken to my legal team about it but we don’t have any options. We can send the gentleman a letter, but when his post is at 140-odd shares, the damage has already been done – which could effectively ruin the reputation of my business.”
Clyde News understands the management at the Dumbuck have never met the man who made the original post.
Barry explained: “Our staff have had to deal with brides who are phoning the hotel anxious to see if their bookings are okay – which of course they are. It’s sending brides into a panic.
“It also puts a negative spin on future bookings. They could’ve read this on Facebook – maybe looking to get married in 2019 or 2020 – and now they think the Dumbuck’s in disarray, which it’s not.
“We’ve come on board with the business in June, and inherited a bit of a mess from the previous management. We know what we’re doing and what the vision is for the hotel, but with people trying to bring down the reputation within the local community and surrounding areas, it isn’t going to help us. “
Barry also had some advice for people browsing through social media.
He said: “Whenever you’re going to share something local on Facebook, have a think about how it’s going to affect the business. Have a think whether the post is even true or not, and if you really feel the need to share it, I’d advise the person to make sure it is true, because it does have an impact on people’s lives, and people’s livelihoods.
“I just think people can be too quick to spread gossip on social media. It spreads like wildfire."