Lisa40403

Hi everyone,

wanted to share my experiences with Hyatt and get your opinion on it.

1) Not satisfied with Hilton after several years of Diamond.
2) Booked 19 nights with Hyatt in August. 6 of them suites.
3) Contacted customer service asking about a challenge to Diamond status. I only asked about the T&Cs and said I was interested, did not include any evidence for Diamond with Hilton.
4) Received answer that I was "enrolled into a Diamond challenge as per my request. Requirement is 12 nights in 60 days.
5) Answered stating that I did not want the trial to start immediately, since the immediate start of the trial would see me miss the requirement. I would have easily made the required 12 nights, if the trial had not started right away.
6) Got response saying: "We are sorry, not able to modify start date".
7) Answered: "Did not ask for it to start right away, please move start date to July, 1st."
8) Got response saying: "We are sorry, not able to modify start date. Please accept our decision and remain loyal to Hyatt."
9) Told them I would have to cancel all nights if they would not change their mind. I did not use the Diamond status during the time it started, did not use any upgrades etc.
10) This is the response. BTW: exactly the same as the first two rejections.

As a result, I cancelled all my stays in August and decided to look for another competitor. Due to a miscommunication by their service agents and absolute inflexibility mixed with a disregard for customer service, Hyatt lost a lot of $$$ from me.

I probably would have made Diamond this year anyway. However, I am not going to put up with a hotel chain that does not even care to provide their (future) top customers with an individual reply.

Am I being unreasonable here?

Regards,
Liz

kenbo

What was your exact wording when you initially wrote to Hyatt and said you were "interested" in the challenge? Sad to say but I think nowadays people can/will misinterpret that word as an actual request for some kind of service.

For example, saying "I'm interested in a Diamond challenge" can be different from saying, "I'm interested in learning more about a Diamond challenge."

Overall I don't think you're being unreasonable. It was a miscommunication and your repeated attempts to remedy the situation have failed. I would probably feel the same way. It's unfortunate, actually.

With regard to Hyatt's "absolute inflexibility," Hyatt's tech and website issues/limitations are well documented here on FT so it could be more that they really can't change it, versus they won't change it.

MikeFromTokyo

As far as I am concerned GP customer service is not what it used to be.

Try contacting the Gold Passport Concierge here on Flyertalk, they might be able to get this straightened out and reinstate your bookings if you would like .

MSPeconomist

It doesn't sound to me like the OP requested the challenge, only asked about the rules for it. If Hyatt is doing a once in a lifetime constraint or otherwise restricting how frequently one can do a challenge, this is outrageous. Has the OP tried to simply request a new challenge now?

Contact the GP concierge here. I hope you retained copies of your email communications about this issue, starting with your initial request for information. I also hope the time line, which you did not give, shows that you tried to correct the problem immediately rather than waiting until it became apparent that you would not meet the conditions (12 nights in 60 days?) of the challenge.

To reiterate, it would help if OP supplied details of the dates of the attempts to communicate with Hyatt, starting with the initial inquiry.

Gold Passport Concierge

Hello!

We'll be happy to see what we can do to assist you. Please send a PM with your GP account information, along with the corresponding emails. We're happy to help.

Sincerely,

Nick B. - Guest Relations Associate

TallestHotelInJapan

Right, the average level went down. Some of the "old staff" members are still around, so I only deal with them

Milesbuilder

I did a Diamond Trial awhile back and GP Staff was very accommodating on the time it started as to allow it to be during a time I was traveling.

I agree with the OP, it kind of defeats the purpose of "trying it out" if a majority of your time period covers a time your not traveling.

Good luck in finding an option

Lisa40403

My original wording was indeed 'I am interested', hence I said 'mis-communication'. Still, this should be resolved with the customer in mind.

@Concierge: Thank you very much, but my decision to find a program other than GoldPassport to replace Hilton for me is set. Cancelled all my stays and am now looking for hotels. I appreciate your offer, but I do not want to resort on a Facebook lurker every time and customer service was so low, that I do not trust them as my choice for new hotel program.

RTW1

It's probably your loss..... If you want to try something new a single mistake (by a badly trained rep) where you will now get the help to correct this, should not deter you from still trying if the program and the Hyatt locations suit you.

Doesn't seem a very rational choice.... but there's no need that it should

bdemaria

I do not think you were being unreasonable w/regard to your initial request and concerns over the 'insta-processing' of the Diamond trial. (Given that you were apparently Diamond in the past, I am surprised they actually offered the challenge.) Nonetheless, if you find a program that suits your travel needs better than Hyatt, then you should certainly focus your stays at that program.

However, the characterization of the *highly* engaged/respected HGP rep on FT as a "Facebook lurker" really is not at all accurate. I know I am not alone when I say "if only ALL hotel/airline programs had as active/efficient presence on FT as the HGP rep."

At one time or another, I've encountered snafus in many (all?) of my various FF programs and no one comes close to the HGP rep on FT in terms of providing fast, reliable, effective assistance.

Lisa40403

The phrase lurker was in no way meant to be disrespectful. I thought this was how they were called. I've heard a lot of good things about him/her, too. However, I just dont feel like relying on someone on an internet forum, no matter how good their work is.

BTW: I've never been Diamond before, my husband has.

TrojanHorse

this is the classic they only fix it when it goes public. If the OP never goes public with this, they tell her to pound sand.

I think the OP's original request was reasonable.

I think that the GP Conceirge response was reasonable.

I think that the OP's decision to stick with whatever she finally chose was reasonable. she had no ties to Hyatt so in her world, its no loss.

I too get annoyed at the "we can't help ya" when its really a "heck no, we won't help you" thing too especially on occasions like this one.

Yes it happens everywhere but if you have no ties to the organization, if you are a future customer that may bring a lot of wanted stays, then why not maybe make an effort to work with that person when it really comes at zero cost to you. But then again that is another thread that probably belongs in omni

RTW1

Come on... It's not like you as a customer won't get anything in return. That surely hasn't changed by one bad experience.

Why not give them a chance to make it right and enjoy the benefits that were clearly anticipated by asking for the trial. There will come a time that any other program will fail you as well.

Ducatibiker

Another example of status dilution ! This is turning into another UA/Continental merger story with more people who are elite than actual non elite PAX. No wonder why the line for Diamond/Platinum at check in does not work. I suggest to have a special line for Hyatt Card Platinum, Diamond matching status, Diamond Challenge, ...and one for Diamond who qualify with $$$ spent in the property.

kenbo

It could be that people just don't pay attention. The other weekend I was at the Hyatt Regency SF in the Diamond check in line which was clearly roped off. When I was done there was a line of about 4 or 5 guests. No one was in the standard line. I heard the front desk agent ask if there were any Diamond/Plats and only one person raised their hand.