Customer Service

Most big companies have customer service departments. You know them, they take the returns, faulty merchandise, and all your complaints. Well in my line of work, the Front Desk is the Resort's customer service desk. You have a problem with Housekeeping...tell the Front Desk. Restaurant service was slow, get up from your table, walk past the Restaurant Manager and the three hostesses, and come to the Front Desk. Spa doesn't have any availability- they have several managers who are happy to talk to you, but nope-call the Front Desk. It's very interesting. I understand this is the case, and I'm OK with that for the most part. I understand that a big part of my job is to deal with Guest problems. Where I start to take umbrage, however, is when people who aren't guests, call to complain to me. It's like I'm the Chloe of Complaints, sans the accent (although I've got some great Jamaican associates who are teaching me their lingo...stay tuned for that).
This afternoon I got a call from this irate lady who wanted to give her friend (who had a future reservation to stay with us) a $100 credit to use as she wished. She was ripped because we wouldn't take her credit card over the phone. Marriott requires a credit card authorization form to be filled out and faxed/emailed to the property to allow third party charging. This is to protect the company and the guest. It's pretty standard in most hotel chains. Well this lady wasn't having any of it. She just went off about how I should be ashamed to work for a company that would make this so difficult for her. She then said that it wasn't to protect her at all, it was just to protect the company and that I was a liar for telling her different. And for the first time in a very long time, I started to lose my patience. She continued about how she is a Gold Member of Hyatt and they never ever asked her to send a credit card authorization, they always take her card over the phone. Amazon. Macy's. They all take credit cards over the phone. "All I want to do is give my friend a gift, and you are ruining her birthday!"
I was astonished. I'm very good at taking a verbal beating from guests, because I understand the associate/guest relationship. But this lady wasn't even staying with us! I basically cut her off. I told her that though she thought I was a liar, the credit card authorization was just as much for her benefit as ours. "How so??" she asked.
"Well Ma'am, lets say you tell me over the phone you want to pay $100 on your friends bill. I take your credit card over the phone, but instead of charging it $100, I charge it $1000. You see your credit card statement in a few days and call us to complain that we overcharged your card. But then it's your word against mine, thus our problem. However, lets say you were to send in a quick little form which the written amount you wanted charged and your signature. Then there would be no chance for confusion. Does this make sense to you?"
Then she gave an analogy of her own about calling Amazon to pay for something, and asked if what I said was similar to what she said. I checked out of the conversation 3 minutes earlier, so I just said yes.
Then she asks "Well, what should I do then?"
Well, you could write your friend a poem, give them a car wash, or shoe shine...maybe babysit her kids while she got away for the weekend...Or maybe...just maybe...you could email me back this credit card authorization filled out, and give your friend $100 like you planned. Holy Smokes! this conversation is worse than me sticking thumb tacks into my knuckles!
Eventually I ask her why she doesn't give them a Marriott Gift Card. Well I tried, but someone at your hotel gave me the wrong website.
http://www.marriott.com/? yes that is a tough one to remember. So I walked her through the process, even going to the website as she was, and clicking on everything before I told her, so I knew it worked. She said she wasn't seeing the same thing I was. Eventually she found the right site, but then asked how she's going to print off the gift card. I told her it wasn't a certificate, but that Marriott would actually mail her an actual gift card. "but the party is today, will it get here today?"
"No ma'am, it probably wont be there for a few days, since it's already 12pm and it won't leave the warehouse until TOMORROW!"
"well, what am I going to do then?"
So then I told her about the final option. "you could try Safeway or Fry's. They often have Marriott gift cards, or at the very least, they have visa and American express gift cards, which we accept here at the resort.
"No, I don't remember seeing any gift cards at Safeway."
"Trust me ma'am, they are there."
"Well, I don't know. This whole process has been very frustrating, and I feel certain people at your resort misled me. I've never experienced this with Hyatt."
Anyone that has been in customer service long enough, knows when a person is trying to get something for free. They're just fishing around, and you know exactly what they're doing, it's insane. It's like a five year old that wants something, so he goes to his mom and he thinks he's being so clever and sly, but he's a little kid, and his mom isn't stupid. She sees right through him! That's how I felt with this lady. Did she honestly expect me to say "Ma'am, I am so sorry for this trouble you've had giving your friend a gift. Tell you what I'm going to do. I'm going to put $100 credit on your friends account, and tell her it was from you. that way, you get out of giving her an actual gift!"

Seriously?? I'd rather get kicked in the face by a donkey then give you anything!

It's people like this that really make it hard for honest guests who have experienced problems to get proper compensation. Amazing!!