To the contrary, it all depends on the circumstances. I have now had two different situations at the NY St. Regis where polite calls and discussions led to promises that were not kept in the timeframe promised. In both cases, only when I physically appeared at the front desk and loudly complained to the manager did they manage to deliver what they had promised. Sometimes a little (well deserved) public embarassment can cause the management to deal with your problem. (Of course, I didn't start the issue this way. I politely asked them to solve a problem that should have been easy to solve quickly. They promised 15 mins. After 45 mins., I escalated the matter.)

To be fair to the St. Regis, when I wrote to the manager about my terrible experiences, he was so horrified that he comped me a night.