Elaine,

In the '80s, I spent six years as a travel writer. You're correct: this isn't a 5 Star experience, and $400 for any room at any hotel is too much for everyone except the rich and famous.

In this case, it appears you payed for Mandarin's 5 star brand image. Next time, choose something with 3 stars. That is often where value exceeds expectations.

Elaine,

This sounds like another case of "customer appearance" instead of "customer experience". Thanks for the post!

I travel a good deal while reviewing seminars for our website and find the higher the price the higher the disappointment. I have to agree with Lewis Green - different standards exist for the rich and famous - I wonder what kind of treatment Paris Hilton would
get at the Hyatt?

Mona Piontkowski, SeminarInformation.com

Thanks for the comments.

Lewis, I didn't know you were a travel writer. Next time, I should ask you about different properties! However, in this case the conference organizers selected the property, and I had higher expectations.

Mona, sorry if this sounds facetious, but I'm not sure how valid Paris Hilton is as a litmus test. Celebrities are an entity unto their own.

Any suggestions as to what step I should take next?

Elaine,

Obviously, an unpleasant experience. Here's the flip side - an experience my family had many years ago that made a post-vacation situation wonderful, and it's one I keep in mind as we handle customer service, marketing and public relations every day. We visited Epcot Center on vacation several years ago and purchased some items from the French store. Two of the items we purchased were out of stock. The Epcot staff told us they would fill our order and mail it to our home address within a week. Well, being the skeptics that we are - based on several experiences similar to yours in DC - we didn't expect much (they already had our money). But, within a week, we received a "care package" from Mickey Mouse. We not only received our two items, we also received a note from Mickey, two Mickey Mouse raincoats, an umbrella and several vouchers for the next time we visited Disney. AND, it all came packaged in a tote bag that we still use today. Simple, easy, satisfying... we chuckled and said we'd have to go back some day... and we did!!!

Hey Elaine...did you make sure to send this post to the hotel's upper management? A grand idea and one that could possibly effect some much-needed change ;-).

Thanks, Jeff. I guess that's why the Disney people do training on the "Disney way." They're smart!

CK, I've been thinking about doing that. I think the head office is in Hong Kong. I'll check it out. Thanks!

We recently stayed at the Venetian in Vegas due to a trade show that goes there every year, in July! [yuk]
Check in was great, all the normal things were fine. Except, and this is a sticking point for me, none of the rooms, whether paying $139 or $500 have a coffee pot in them.
We were on the concierge level due to 'stuff' happening to us the previous two times we were there. This was the second time on that level where rooms go for $540 and up a night.
THIS time, hubby made a plan and was doing the romantic thing. He brought the movie Romeo and Juliet. Wouldn't you know it, the dvd player didn't work on thursday. he called, they sent someone and they gave him a new remote. hmmmm. it didn't work the next day. he went upstairs to concierge desk, they told him they would send someone down in a couple hours [as he requested] to fix it. they didn't come. he went to play the movie fri. nite. it didn't work. So he called again.

So TWICE Friday nite the fix-it man came, the last time he left was 10:36 p.m. By then it was lights out.

All in all, he had to contact them FOUR times.

Being not rich ourselves, we do not know all the goodies you can get staying on Venezia tower. Apparently, instead of walking the half mile back to our rooms lugging VERY heavy tote bags full of samples, literature, water, etc, we could have called a bellboy "because we were on the concierge level' and he could have brought them up.
Although they did take my suggestion [from last year] and put a small rug on the cold marble floors in the bathroom.
at that level you get continental breakfast in the morning, coffe, juice, sweets again, no protein. tea in the afternoon with sweet rolls and open bar and hors'dvoures [sp?] in the evening. while the snacks are pretty, they taste horrible, the bread is hard, the cukes were pretty thick.
I hear they are going to turn the 12th floor completely into a dining room and have meats up there for breakfast. right now they say they don't have the facilities to keep meats cold.
This was our 3rd stay there. I'm not sure we'll go back. The guest relations gal did treat us to champagne and choc covered strawberries on our arrival. THAT was really! neat! It's just that it's ALWAYS something.

They say they pride themselves on great service. Maybe next time we'll try the Luxor. I've heard from one guy it's a very nice place.

Janine

elaine,

i guess you have paid for the hospital's 5 star image. Hotels like Mandarin are actually charging customers only for their brand probably it is worth a go to try other hotels elaine.

Janine, your experience sounds very annoying. I would have found it hard to keep my patience. And the spelling is: hors d'oeuvres. (I grew up in Quebec.):) Have you tried the MGM Grand?

SEO, I'll pass your suggestion onto the conference organizers. Thanks.

Janine, your experience sounds very annoying. I would have found it hard to keep my patience. And the spelling is: hors d'oeuvres. (I grew up in Quebec.):) Have you tried the MGM Grand?

SEO, I'll pass your suggestion onto the conference organizers. Thanks.

I too, had a problem. I didn't think the service was that good and by checking out early, they wanted to charge me for the night I wasn't going to stay there because I didn't give them EXACTLY 24 hours notice. After speaking to several people and getting staff from the AMA involved, they finally came back and said they weren't going to charge me for the room. If they truly offered customer service, they would have said up front that there would be no charge instead of running me through the mill. I was not impressed.

Isn't it funny (or not) how a single bad experience at a wonderful place will stick in our heads for so long. It is just human nature. As a marketing professor and consultant I see this way too often. I simply wish the big guys who wish to become and remain noticed for their service would have better training programs in place so these things would not happen. Big brand or not, I am sure Elaine will think twice before booking there again.

Thanks, Karen and Shane. I agree with your comments. It's always the little things that stick in our minds, and when we have to jump through hoops, it ruins the experience.