Compensation for an issue not solved
 

Although I travel a lot, I've never been in a situation where I felt I had to ask a hotel for compensation.

This time I was in a mid-brand Accor hotel and the heating did not work. Staff did not fix the problem, did not let me know about any progress (or lack thereof) and seemed unaware of it every time I complained (no notes about the room) and the result was two needlessly cold nights.

I am writing to complain, but unsure as to what I should reasonably ask for as compensation.

Any ideas welcome....

Write to the GM?

I made a complaint using the main Accorhotels support page and it was answered quite quickly by the GM of the hotel in question.

The link is: https://www.accorhotels.com/gb/support/contact.shtml

If you go to the 'Contact Us' button and then select 'Your hotel experience' from the dropdown, you can then select 'Complaint relating to your hotel stay'.

I checked into the Mercure Kensington and found that the toilet wouldn't flush and the sink wouldn't drain. The staff didn't move me to another room and just gave me an extra couple of drinks vouchers. Once the GM got involved, I was offered a complimentary night at the hotel on a date of my choice.

Another thing that helps is to give some strong words in the comment box of the Guest Survey the hotel sends out after the stay (not the TripAdvisor one). Make sure you also give a negative selection to the points scale on the respective issues.
Hotels should theoretically respond to those and it is one of the main KPIs for the hotel.

Did the Guest survey comment box - got a fast reply from the GM - something along the lines of "gosh, sounds terrible. Please come back and stay with us again to see how we improve" :mad:

Also sent a detailed letter direct to the hotel att. GM - waiting for a response to that one.

I am an Accor platinum member. Accor customer care ignore my emails over 4 months is shockingly poor customer service.

I requesting a report only, I got a reply from GM after I made a complaint to Amy, but GM refused to send me any report and trying to avoid responsibility.

My review on tripadvisor was flagged by hotel for violating and have been removed.

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/accor...sukhumvit.html

I got a reply to my letter.

Gist of it - we're very sorry, how about 200 loyalty points and an upgrade to a "superior" room next time you stay.

200 points, the equivalent of 4 EUR :confused:

This lowballing - worse IMO than offering nothing at all - just goes to show these people have absolutely no idea at all of how to deal with customers.

Did they miss out on one zero? :D

WOW Champagne ! :D
Shame :td: :td:
Can you share with us which property it is, in order to avoid it ?

This was the Mercure Warsaw Airport.

Shame, as besides the gross service snafu it represents good VFM for Warsaw.

It has been the same recently for me. I am usually happy with my stays and I tend to use the same hotels, but two recent stays with my daughter, one at the CDG, and one downtown Paris lead to issues with cot for the baby. Both times not resolved by the hotel and never got anything afterward beside the standard letter that they were sorry for the experience.

I have made efforts to keep Plat status but I don't think it's worth it anymore. Moving to Airbnb for personal travels and SPG for business

I really don't get it.

- They can see something went wrong (something beyond "I don't like the design on the bathroom tiles")
- They can see it was mishandled
- They can see brand loyalty (not so much in my case but in others who have posted)
- They can offer reasonable compensation such as free nights, at (depending on inventory) little cost
- They (surely ?) know that a letter saying "gosh, we're sorry" cut little ice with most customers

??