1K_From_SNA

Hi all,

Rather a lengthy email to the GM of the Tampa Airport Sheraton Suites. Two weeks has gone by and not ever an acknowledgement, or anything. I am not looking for compensation, I am looking for him to say we need to fix this so it doesn’t happen to me or anyone else. This is a franchisee so all I can do is speculate they don’t really care if I come back, but I expect the same service from them as I do any other Sheraton. I know the letter is kind of rough, but they need to fix their root causes, just say I am sorry. Of all hotels, an airport one should know how to respect a DND sign.

Thoughts/Comments?


Dear GM,

I stayed at your hotel on Saturday, May 1st for one night. I need to share with you my experience which I wasn’t thrilled about by any means, quite frankly it wasn’t an accident, it is a training issue that needs attention. I am rather straight to the point, it is your issue, not mine, accidents happen, but this wasn’t an accident. I heard a number of apologies, but quite frankly it could happen again from what I saw.

We flew into TPA and took the shuttle over, (Driver’s name) was great, picked us up, took us over to Intl Plaza that evening, had an enjoyable evening.
• We put the do not disturb sign out Sat night.
• Sunday morning after breakfast I went to check out the health club and told my wife to get a 2:30pm checkout.
• She called down and was told 1pm was the latest.
• I went back to the room , she told me and I said what? Anyhow I called down.
• I am not sure who I spoke to but after I thought about it I think it was (Supervisor1) (although not positive).
• I was told oh you are Platinum so I’ll put you down for a 4pm checkout, you can leave when you like (right answer). I said no 2:30pm we will be gone so just do that, I appreciate it, but we will be gone.
• Around 1pm I went to go get a rental car, a maid knocked on the door, my wife answered and she apologized and said oh I am sorry I didn’t see the sign. Now there is only one knob on the door so it is hard to miss if you look.
• I got back, my wife never mentioned it, but someone knocked on the door about 1:45pm. I answered it and it was the Housekeeping supervisor.
• I said do you see that sign, yes she said, but I wasn’t sure if you were checking out today. I continued down the path of well did you call the front desk we have a late checkout did you call the front desk. Then came the apologies. In a polite and very direct way I said that sign is there for a reason a number of times.
• I called the front desk and asked for a Manager, (Supervisor1) answered (by the way when you hit zero it took a long time in both cases I called to the tune of 10+ rings). I explained and she wasn’t familiar with what happened, but again more apologies. Then she looked it up and said whoever took the call didn’t enter it into the computer. OK, why does that make it my problem, if it wasn’t a housekeeping issue, it sure wasn’t my issue. Actually it became my problem, but it was caused by the hotel.
• I said I’ll tell you what, I will stop by when I leave at 2:30pm, go ahead and figure out what happened and I will ask for you on the way out.
• On the way out, Supervisor1 was nowhere to be found. A couple people looked for her for 10 minutes. Now again I think she failed to put it into the computer, but I am not positive, but she knew I was coming down so while she continues to do her job she should have known to expect me.
• Anyhow I spoke to the Front Desk Supervisor who was very nice and once again apologetic. She did a fine job of saying yes we shouldn’t be disturbing you etc.
• I asked for your card, she got it for me, and I left.

There are a number of process problems you have quite frankly could happen again. I shouldn’t have to experience the problems but while an apology is nice is doesn’t fix the root cause:
1. You have a training issue, if someone calls down for a late checkout first of all, 1pm isn’t for Platinum that I am aware of especially when it is evident you aren’t at 100% capacity. Even if you will be 100% the next night the odds of 100% of the people being there by 5pm are slim at an airport property.
2. When I called down if it needed to be put in the computer I am leaving at 2:30pm then put it in, do whatever you have to do so it works. I understand you want to get the rooms cleaned, sure you do which is why I said 2:30 so it doesn’t sit dirty till 4pm.
3. Knocking on the door once is really bad, but twice, beyond ridiculous.
4. The housekeeping supervisor said to me she wasn’t sure if I was checking out that day. Well my reservation was for one day, she obviously never called the front desk or vice versa she would have known. Now even if a late checkout was in the computer, she still would have knocked because it is apparent she never called down, just checked her sheet which I have no idea what it said, all I know is she knocked on my door to ask me is I was leaving when I know full well the front desk knew that answer. Lack of communication.
5. I spoke to Supervisor1, she should have known I was stopping by on my way out, where did she disappear to? I know she is doing other things but she should have available, but all I can guess is didn’t want to deal with the concerns I had or it wasn’t important in her mind.
6. The Front Desk Supervisor did a good job of trying to address it but as I told her you have process problems, yes someone can see I am Plat, but apparently that means nothing to the maids, nor do they communicate with the front desk.

The analogy I used is it is illegal to go through a stop sign without stopping. So you do it and get caught and say to the Officer I am sorry and come up with a bunch of excuses, not only did he see you did it once, but twice. Guess what, it is illegal, you can’t do it at anytime of the day or night. While this isn’t illegal, it isn’t right.

Why do you have those signs if they aren’t respected? Do not disturb means exactly that. I am fine if at 2:31 they knocked on the door, but not before. I understand people forget to take them off, well I don’t but don’t make everyone else’s issues mine. Just because someone is Platinum doesn’t mean you can’t knock on the door, but when they call down, ask for a late checkout, and the whole process fails, then it is time to fix the processes. If I don’t ask for a late checkout and the sign is on the door at 12:01 by all means knock on the door, it is your right because I am supposed to be gone.

1K_From_SNA
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