Starwood Preferred Guest - Bad Customer Service

This is the first time I called Starwood Customer Service and spoke to an agent named Joanne. I asked a simple question about my reservation and she started to give me a lecture about the Terms and Conditions. And more or less accused me of violating the terms and conditions and committing fraud. Is this how Starwood treats it's customers? I mean she said oh this is our policy and you agreed to our terms and conditions etc. You have got to be kidding me. This is how you treat your customers? I didn't call customer service to get a lecture and have the book thrown at me. I'm also afraid she screwed up my reservation somehow. If all the agents at Starwood are like this I am apprehensive to call them again. Is there any other avenues that I can lodge my complaint or send a letter? Right now, I am not a happy Starwood customer.

You failed to mention what was the nature of your question?

Did you book an advance rate that is non-refundable and wanted to make a change?

I am just guessing because you were not clear.

Maybe you did not want to hear what the agent wanted to say because it obviously must have gone against the original terms of the reservation, which you also failed to leave out.

Why would the agent want to "screw" your reservation? Maybe she corrected it some how keeping it line with Starwood policy and the original reservation terms. Otherwise why would you be so concerned? Plus you mentioned she used the word "FRAUD" that is a strong word and unless she had very good strong reason to say that you better believe she is prepared to back it up!

You can always look up the details of your reservations just to make sure.

Maybe you just wanted to vent here on FT?

I have better use of my time than to vent here. Actually, I want to submit a complaint. I'm just not sure which venue. I asked if my parents can use my reservation that was booked under my name with my card. A simple yes or no answer with a short explanation would have sufficed but this agent went on a diatribe and had to let me know the letter of the law according to the Terms and Condition. I really don't need to know about the entire Terms and Conditions of SPG. I didn't call about the entire SPG policy for membership. All I asked was a simple reservation question. Instead, the agent had to pull up my reservation and screw with it. My question didn't need the details of my reservation. My reservation is on a need to know bases. I am really appalled at the Customer Service Agents at Starwood. Maybe the agent is not representative of Starwood. I hope for Starwood's sake it's not the case. I am amazed that Starwood gets the reputation that it has.

Sorry for the bad customer service experience. If you want to file a formal complaint, the folks to contact are Corporate Customer Service at 800-328-6242. Best of luck.

Sincerely,


William R. Sanders
Customer Service Coordinator
Starwood Preferred Services

guest.forum@starwoodhotels.com

Why would the agent want to "screw" your reservation? Maybe she corrected it some how keeping it line with Starwood policy and the original reservation terms. Otherwise why would you be so concerned? Plus you mentioned she used the word "FRAUD" that is a strong word and unless she had very good strong reason to say that you better believe she is prepared to back it up!


I don't know what your credentials are but you sound like someone working for Starwood. Either way, it's not good business practice to treat your customers as enemies and accuse them of fraud when all they did was make a reservation and give you business. If I felt my reservation was being screwed around with that's my perogative. And Starwood better believe that I'm right. Otherwise, I'll be taking my business elsewhere.

I don't know what your credentials are but you sound like someone working for Starwood. Either way, it's not good business practice to treat your customers as enemies and accuse them of fraud when all they did was make a reservation and give you business. If I felt my reservation was being screwed around with that's my perogative. And Starwood better believe that I'm right. Otherwise, I'll be taking my business elsewhere.

No I do not work for Starwood. My credentials are COMMON SENSE. :p

I would have just thought someone with over 600 posts here on FT would have made a better effort in detailing what your problem was with Starwood. You left many open holes and in my 5 years of being a SPG member never have I heard the word FRAUD being used. I am not saying it was or wasn't. What I will say, if she did then she must have had a very good reason.

After-all... for all I know you could have a prepaid reservation paid with your credit card under your name and you now want to add another name or do a name change. There are different terms depending on the type of reservation maybe that's why she asked for the reservation number. So she could give you the proper answer to your question.

You sound pretty paranoid about that reservation "screwed" is the word you used.... kinda makes you wanna go hummmmm :rolleyes:


I just hope you do a better job when you file your complaint with Starwood. Just don't send it to my attention because I DO NOT work for Starwood. :D