cariad73

I have used quintessentially F service before and actually had decent stuff from them - but basically have ignored them for the past few years. Now we are about to fly to NYC and figured they could help me with some activities and restaurants etc...

Basically useless. I spoke to the guy a week ago and told him what I needed. I received the NYC Guide (gee, thanks...never heard of the High Line) and then waited over 5 days for a response before I finally emailed back and said "what's going on".

He fobbed me off by saying he has passed the request to the local NYC team and would check with them. It's been 2 days since that and I have heard nothing.

Meanwhile I have make all my own reservations and figured out my trip.

Should I just not even bother with them anymore? I also have Amex Platinum, but previous experiences with quintessentially were that they could get tables at harder to book locations etc....whereas Amex doesnt seem to be able to do that. But at least Amex calls me back!

Why is BA still offering this if they are basically a step below Google?

Morph90

Q is hit and miss - I paid up for the service after having an excellent service from Hannan in the CCR. I suppose it all depends on their relationships with various places.

I don't know how true this is - but I understand other Q offices round the world are working on something similar to a franchise model, so service level varies.

cariad73

Its Hannan who i am dealing with now....but maybe its the NYC team letting him down?

Tobias-UK

H is very good, if he says it's New York that is slowing things down the it is New York.

710 77345

But he's not doing a good job regardless. He should be chasing New York, and keeping his customer in the loop, even if it's to say there's no update yet.

Nine times out of ten these guys (and the service they provide) is worse than useless.

Tobias-UK

That is very presumptuous of you. You don't know if he is chasing New York.

When I've used the service, I've found it excellent.

710 77345

We don't know if he is chasing New York or not, but we know he isn't keeping his customer in the loop with progress. It's not a good service for the OP, and not good for his employer as the team working on his reservations in New York are wasting their time as the radio silence has meant they are no longer needed.

Like so many things, it's not a reliable or good service for the majority of posters here but I'm glad it's excellent for you.

Jamier45

He forgot to wake me up for my SYD flight, luckily I naturally woke up and realised I need to move sharpish!

Tobias-UK

Your rolled-eyes are noted. However, what evidence is there to support your assertion that the majority of posters on FT get unreliable or poor service?

Tobias-UK

Do you mean the time when they brought in the fire brigade to gain access because they couldn't wake you from your post-LPGS-fuelled-breakfast-lunch-dinner

Jamier45

No, that was another time.

This time was when I left the cabana door open so chris1979 could wake me up as I wouldn't stay awake to wait for him to arrive at LHR!

Coathanger

I've had a few interactions with Q, both of which were disappointing.

Stopped by the Q desk in the CCR before my first trip to New York in 2010 and they printed out a New York guide for me.

Visiting London in 2015 I emailed Q before arriving to try and get a booking at Searcy's The Gherkin restaurant, which typically requires a membership. The Q team emailed back and said you needed a membership to book a table.

Thankfully Searcy's opened up some public bookings a few weeks before my visit so I was able to secure a nice table and visit this Norman Foster icon.

The idea behind Q is to open doors, which I would have thought the Searcy's request would have been relatively straightforward for them to sort out given the connections they have in London. Not even a follow up to let me know that public bookings had opened up, or such opportunities for the public to visit over a few weeks in the summer.

In both instances a step below Google, unfortunately.

DYKWIA

Well, generally, the experiences posted on here have been very negative. Maybe all the happy people don't post?

paul4040

I once borrowed a pen from the Q desk to write on an envelope. The pen was excellent. True story.

In all seriousness though, I've never much seen the point of the desk, at least for my own needs. I can book pretty much everything I want by starting at Google. If they can't open doors into places that Google won't get you, then I don't see what the USP of the service is.

Often1

High-end hospitality in NYC is now all internet-based. That is what the market demands and vendors want.

Unless your needs are for tickets to sold out Broadway shows or for "that" table at restaurant which can't be booked, the vast majority of likely needs are fulfilled online. If you want something such as a ticket to the sold out show, that is a matter of a personal relationship between a hotel concierge who knows someone personally.

BA staff and their vendor don't have that level of access because you can imagine just how BA would view it if the extra $100 in cash you slip the hotel concierge who then splits that with the maire d' at the restaurant, were translated into handing cash to BA staff at LHR.

Institutional services -- and BA is "quintessentially" that -- are most likely sitting at a laptop doing what you or your assistant could be doing from yours and having better control.

Where BA can help is when you are stuck in NYC and need two more nights when everything is sold out. Calling someone and saying, "just find me a room" is invaluable.