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"You've been upgraded!"...no not really.. (not about upgrades)

"You've been upgraded!"...no not really.. (not about upgrades)

 
Old Sep 15, 2014, 9:29 pm
  #31  
 
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Originally Posted by Dr. HFH
I find this fascinating. Do you guys correct everyone in your life when they make misstatements? Or just in the travel industry?
I find it fascinating... Do you not ever correct anyone for misstating facts? Or just in the travel industry?
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Old Sep 15, 2014, 9:30 pm
  #32  
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Originally Posted by CPRich
In business and financial transactions? Generally yes.

If a cab stopped at the wrong address, would you just go ahead and get out and live with it?
Only if told it was an upgrade!
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Old Sep 15, 2014, 9:52 pm
  #33  
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Originally Posted by CPRich
In business and financial transactions? Generally yes.

If a cab stopped at the wrong address, would you just go ahead and get out and live with it?
No, of course not. But in the case we're discussing here, you are actually getting what you wanted and requested. So I suggest that the taxi analogy is inapposite. How about this one, -- you order a blue shirt. You receive the package and the pre-printed note says that they're sorry but they were out of blue shirts in your size, so they sent this red one in your size instead. But you can see clearly that the shirt is the blue one you actually ordered. Do you call the company to scold them for their error? Or do you just keep the shirt you ordered?


Originally Posted by missxmelon
I find it fascinating... Do you not ever correct anyone for misstating facts? Or just in the travel industry?
Well played, Miss X Melon (but the rolleyes were unnecessary, -- let's all play nicely in the sandbox and not be unkind to each other).

Last edited by Dr. HFH; Sep 15, 2014 at 9:58 pm
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Old Sep 15, 2014, 10:45 pm
  #34  
 
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Starwood now sells shirts? Red AND blue?
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Old Sep 16, 2014, 2:46 am
  #35  
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Originally Posted by clublounger
Starwood now sells shirts? Red AND blue?
You didn't know??
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Old Sep 16, 2014, 7:45 am
  #36  
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Dr HFH, I don't think that's a very fair comparison.

It's a simple situation. People are being told to their face in a conversation that they have been given something "for free". They can either play along and say "thank you for giving me that for free", or they can say "Actually, you didn't give me anything for free".

I'm not sure why anyone would play along. It's not like disagreeing is a massive effort.
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Old Sep 16, 2014, 8:40 am
  #37  
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Originally Posted by Dr. HFH
No, of course not. But in the case we're discussing here, you are actually getting what you wanted and requested. So I suggest that the taxi analogy is inapposite. How about this one, -- you order a blue shirt. You receive the package and the pre-printed note says that they're sorry but they were out of blue shirts in your size, so they sent this red one in your size instead. But you can see clearly that the shirt is the blue one you actually ordered. Do you call the company to scold them for their error? Or do you just keep the shirt you ordered?


Well played, Miss X Melon (but the rolleyes were unnecessary, -- let's all play nicely in the sandbox and not be unkind to each other).
In your example, presumably the red and blue shirts sell for the same price and are otherwise identical.

A better analogy would be a note that says that as a special favor to you, you have been given a special more expensive shirt made from gold thread but you will be charged the price for the blue shirt. However, you ordered and paid for the pricey gold shirt, so you were sent exactly what you purchased (with no discount involved).
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Old Sep 16, 2014, 9:35 am
  #38  
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Originally Posted by EuropeanPete
Dr HFH, I don't think that's a very fair comparison.

It's a simple situation. People are being told to their face in a conversation that they have been given something "for free". They can either play along and say "thank you for giving me that for free", or they can say "Actually, you didn't give me anything for free".

I'm not sure why anyone would play along. It's not like disagreeing is a massive effort.
Well, it's not a massive effort or time sink until you say something and the FDC replies, "No, European Pete, we actually did give you an upgrade. Here, let me just print out your reservation so I can show you. I'm sorry, the printer jammed. Just give me a minute, here." Is this really how you want to spend your time? You're getting the room you reserved at the price you agreed to.

Why would anyone play along? I don't even know where to start. Just throwing some ideas out randomly, ... FDC wants to feel good about him/herself and think that s/he did you a favor, why not? The more people feel good about themselves, the happier they'll be and the less conflict we'll have in our every day lives. Maybe the FDC really thinks that you did get an upgrade. You're getting the room you reserved and wanted, anyway, so why go out of your way to point out someone's error to them when it doesn't affect your outcome at all? Just to put him/her down?

And what difference does it make whether FDC thinks (or wants you to think) that you got something extra free? You got what you expected and wanted at the price you expected to pay. From my perspective, I have no interest in starting an argument about this. If the FDC wants to think that s/he gave me an upgrade and feel good about it, who cares? Makes no difference to me and has no effect on which room I'm in. I'm not interested in spending any time on it.

Originally Posted by MSPeconomist
In your example, presumably the red and blue shirts sell for the same price and are otherwise identical.
Yes, I should have made that clear.


Originally Posted by MSPeconomist
A better analogy would be a note that says that as a special favor to you, you have been given a special more expensive shirt made from gold thread but you will be charged the price for the blue shirt. However, you ordered and paid for the pricey gold shirt, so you were sent exactly what you purchased (with no discount involved).
Exactly. It is what it is. I don't care whether they call it an upgrade, a downgrade, a suite or a closet. A rose by any other name.... The room is the same. The price is the same.

Say I reserve the River Suite (and there's only one in this hotel). I get to the front desk on arrival and FDC says, "I'm so sorry, Dr., but the Presidential Suite is not available this weekend due to some unavoidable maintenance issues. I was, however, able to assign you to the River Suite, instead. It's lovely and I'm sure that you'll enjoy it."

I'm going to argue with him/her? To what end? I'm getting the same room at the same price. My response to this FDC is going to be, invariably and without hesitation, "That's very kind of you. Thank you." You never know when being nice to someone, even possibly when s/he doesn't deserve it, will come back and pay dividends.

Last edited by Dr. HFH; Sep 16, 2014 at 9:42 am
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Old Sep 16, 2014, 9:41 am
  #39  
 
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Originally Posted by MSPeconomist
In your example, presumably the red and blue shirts sell for the same price and are otherwise identical.

A better analogy would be a note that says that as a special favor to you, you have been given a special more expensive shirt made from gold thread but you will be charged the price for the blue shirt. However, you ordered and paid for the pricey gold shirt, so you were sent exactly what you purchased (with no discount involved).
In the hotel industry, you also have a bit of opaqueness as well. When you check in, the receptionist types away for a while and then they come and tell you ... we've upgraded you, or we got you a nice room on the xth floor, etc. As the consumer, you know what you booked but you have no way of gauging exactly what you got.

Let's take an SPG hotel in NY as an example, let's say the W @ Times Square. Choosing a random date, I note various available rooms: Wonderful, Spectacular, Cool, Fabulous. All showing at 288 sq ft. It's not as if each room has a label inside that identifies what type it is. So, when they tell you "I upgraded you to ...", with the latest pitch of upgrade to the next available room, giving you a room with a better view can constitute an upgrade. So, unless you stay at this particular hotel frequently, you have no real facts for debating the particular room you got.

With the shirt example, the color is evident and different models will typically have a different tag -- they may be the same shirt but at least you can get comfort on it being labeled differently.

Last edited by cre95; Sep 16, 2014 at 10:24 am
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Old Sep 16, 2014, 10:45 am
  #40  
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Sometimes you can identify room types by the descriptions you see on the website. In other cases, it's not so clear. Most of the time I ask the front desk what room category I'm being assigned. [It can also be helpful to check that the bedding type is what you requested before going to the room.] Otherwise, they could be downgrading me without a refund and I might not know.
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Old Sep 16, 2014, 11:20 am
  #41  
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If this happened to me, I'd respond with something like:

"That's excellent. Since I booked and paid for Suite ABC, then you must have upgraded me to an even better suite. Did I get the Presidential Suite?"
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Old Sep 16, 2014, 11:27 am
  #42  
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Originally Posted by Dr. HFH
Well, it's not a massive effort or time sink until you say something and the FDC replies, "No, European Pete, we actually did give you an upgrade. Here, let me just print out your reservation so I can show you. I'm sorry, the printer jammed. Just give me a minute, here." Is this really how you want to spend your time? You're getting the room you reserved at the price you agreed to.
Well, that's never happened to me and I'd say that it's relatively unlikely that it will ever do so, and so I'd say that I'm safe.
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Old Sep 16, 2014, 11:42 am
  #43  
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When I have got the room I paid for I do quibble about the no uograde spiel. I want to know why I haven't got an upgrade.
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Old Sep 16, 2014, 7:15 pm
  #44  
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If I am in a store and the clerk says "we've upgraded you to the super deluxe gold thread shirt" and that's what I ordered, I would say so. If I received a note saying the same thing in the mail, I'd mumble an expletive and throw it away.

If the FD agent tells me I've been upgraded and I had paid for a suite, I would say so. If I checked in and had a note in my room from the manager that stated the same, I'd mumble an expletive and throw it away.
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Old Sep 16, 2014, 8:05 pm
  #45  
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Originally Posted by CPRich
If I am in a store and the clerk says "we've upgraded you to the super deluxe gold thread shirt" and that's what I ordered, I would say so.

If the FD agent tells me I've been upgraded and I had paid for a suite, I would say so.
Why? This is what I honestly don't understand. It's not going to change anything. Are you just trying to make the clerk feel badly by pointing out to him/her that s/he's made an error?
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