Unsolved issues with (Royal) AMbassador service over long time
May 22, 2013, 8:22 am
#46
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Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: UK
Posts: 11,969
(...)
To recap. I requested the addtiional points for the enhanced (higher) membership. They didn't know about this. I explained it to them. Initially, they couldn't cope with it. I did the sums for them ie 15k - 10k = 5k. The still couldn't get it. I persevered and eventually even though I'd promised the voucher elsewhere I managed to get the 5k points I'd bought - but they deposited it rather than send it. A result of sorts!
My request for the weekend cert I'd paid for was eventually met with a promise to send one which I was told I'd receive in 7 weeks. I didn't. I reminded them. The email was ignored. I wrote again. It was ignored again. In depseration I wrote to Stephen McCall asking if he could arrange for the promised cert to be sent preferably so it would arrive in the current membership year. It was a short and clear note. This was my reply.
No mention of the weekend cert then .............
I've had to write again. You couldn't make this up.
To recap. I requested the addtiional points for the enhanced (higher) membership. They didn't know about this. I explained it to them. Initially, they couldn't cope with it. I did the sums for them ie 15k - 10k = 5k. The still couldn't get it. I persevered and eventually even though I'd promised the voucher elsewhere I managed to get the 5k points I'd bought - but they deposited it rather than send it. A result of sorts!
My request for the weekend cert I'd paid for was eventually met with a promise to send one which I was told I'd receive in 7 weeks. I didn't. I reminded them. The email was ignored. I wrote again. It was ignored again. In depseration I wrote to Stephen McCall asking if he could arrange for the promised cert to be sent preferably so it would arrive in the current membership year. It was a short and clear note. This was my reply.
Dear Mr. uk1,
Thank you for taking the time to write and inform us of your recent experience with the Priority Club Service Centre. Your correspondence has been directed to myself as Executive Assistant in order to co-ordinate a response on behalf Stephen McCall.
I would like to begin by thanking you for bringing these matters to the attention of the Executive Office as it is only through comments such as yours that we are able to target areas that are not meeting the high standards that customers of IHG have come to expect and deserve.
At IHG, we pride ourselves on providing the highest level of customer service, since guest satisfaction is the backbone of our company and is the key to our success. I was, therefore, most concerned to learn of your recent experience and would like to extend my sincere apologies to you for any inconvenience and disappointment you may have encountered.
Having reviewed your case notes, I am of the understanding that your expectation was to receive your Ambassador pack, for which you paid the additional $200 and the Royal Ambassador pack, when you were invited to become a Royal Ambassador, as one of our loyal guests. In order to become a Royal Ambassador you need to have Ambassador status first, for which you paid your $200. Your account was then shortly afterwards upgraded to the Royal Ambassador status and therefore we sent you the upgraded pack, as apposed to the standard Ambassador pack. I also understand and apologise, as I see there was a delay in receiving your Ambassador pack, for which I believe an additional free night certificate has been offered, along with a total deposit of 15000 bonus points ( 10,000 from the welcome note) 5.000 points from the voucher you sent in, plus the additional 5000 added by Priority Club, as the voucher should have totaled 10.000.
I appreciate that we cannot make up for the situation you encountered on this occasion, however, I truly hope that we will be able to restore your faith in Priority Club and IHG as a whole.
Mr. uk1, again my sincere apologies and thank you for your valuable feedback. Please rest assured that I have retained a record of your comments at corporate level for evaluation of customer satisfaction.
I sincerely hope this experience will not deter you from using IHG in the future and you will allow us another opportunity to demonstrate the high standards of customer service of which we are proud.
Yours sincerely,
S****** M******| Executive Assistant
IHG | P.O. Box 4526, Brierley Hill, West Midlands, DY5 1TN, United Kingdom
Thank you for taking the time to write and inform us of your recent experience with the Priority Club Service Centre. Your correspondence has been directed to myself as Executive Assistant in order to co-ordinate a response on behalf Stephen McCall.
I would like to begin by thanking you for bringing these matters to the attention of the Executive Office as it is only through comments such as yours that we are able to target areas that are not meeting the high standards that customers of IHG have come to expect and deserve.
At IHG, we pride ourselves on providing the highest level of customer service, since guest satisfaction is the backbone of our company and is the key to our success. I was, therefore, most concerned to learn of your recent experience and would like to extend my sincere apologies to you for any inconvenience and disappointment you may have encountered.
Having reviewed your case notes, I am of the understanding that your expectation was to receive your Ambassador pack, for which you paid the additional $200 and the Royal Ambassador pack, when you were invited to become a Royal Ambassador, as one of our loyal guests. In order to become a Royal Ambassador you need to have Ambassador status first, for which you paid your $200. Your account was then shortly afterwards upgraded to the Royal Ambassador status and therefore we sent you the upgraded pack, as apposed to the standard Ambassador pack. I also understand and apologise, as I see there was a delay in receiving your Ambassador pack, for which I believe an additional free night certificate has been offered, along with a total deposit of 15000 bonus points ( 10,000 from the welcome note) 5.000 points from the voucher you sent in, plus the additional 5000 added by Priority Club, as the voucher should have totaled 10.000.
I appreciate that we cannot make up for the situation you encountered on this occasion, however, I truly hope that we will be able to restore your faith in Priority Club and IHG as a whole.
Mr. uk1, again my sincere apologies and thank you for your valuable feedback. Please rest assured that I have retained a record of your comments at corporate level for evaluation of customer satisfaction.
I sincerely hope this experience will not deter you from using IHG in the future and you will allow us another opportunity to demonstrate the high standards of customer service of which we are proud.
Yours sincerely,
S****** M******| Executive Assistant
IHG | P.O. Box 4526, Brierley Hill, West Midlands, DY5 1TN, United Kingdom
I've had to write again. You couldn't make this up.
Last edited by FLYGVA; May 26, 2013 at 8:11 am Reason: edited off topic out of post ...
May 22, 2013, 8:58 am
#47
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Astraveln
Programs: AA ex Plat, IC Plat , Hilton Diamond
Posts: 491
UK1, I respect your principles and work ethic....... I only assume that this is a matter of principle, as nothing PC club has is worth the headaches you are enduring.
Keep up the good fight, although like the Alamo....it might be remembered but may not be won.
As a note of support, I will indulge in an extra few glasses of wine in SIN, BKK, and Vietnam on my next asia round. If it continues, I will repeat on each subsequent trip!
Keep up the good fight, although like the Alamo....it might be remembered but may not be won.
As a note of support, I will indulge in an extra few glasses of wine in SIN, BKK, and Vietnam on my next asia round. If it continues, I will repeat on each subsequent trip!
May 22, 2013, 9:15 am
#48
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Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: UK
Posts: 11,969
UK1, I respect your principles and work ethic....... I only assume that this is a matter of principle, as nothing PC club has is worth the headaches you are enduring.
Keep up the good fight, although like the Alamo....it might be remembered but may not be won.
As a note of support, I will indulge in an extra few glasses of wine in SIN, BKK, and Vietnam on my next asia round. If it continues, I will repeat on each subsequent trip!
Keep up the good fight, although like the Alamo....it might be remembered but may not be won.
As a note of support, I will indulge in an extra few glasses of wine in SIN, BKK, and Vietnam on my next asia round. If it continues, I will repeat on each subsequent trip!
Well, a weekend cert is of some value and I'd promised it to an FT'er! I want to keep my promise that's all.
Can't match you in Vietnam, but in Vienna in a couple of weeks followed by an extended Singapore stay. I'll need that drink.
May 24, 2013, 5:27 am
#49
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Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: UK
Posts: 11,969
Mr. McCall has reviewed your correspondence and has forwarded the matter to my attention for review and handling.
They are obviously going to send it on an extended cruise first ... then perhaps a few days on the beach somewhere. I jest!
Anyway let's be fair there are "health and safety" considerations. A weekend cert is far too heavy to put into the post today. And someone has to be found to write my name on it. Not easy. They'll need to be a strong lad to lift it up. Someone has to be sent out to buy some envelopes. Dorothy is on holiday and her replacement is on maternity leave. And then there's the stamps. And money must be requested from accounts for the stamps. And then there's the senior co-ordinating role of having the certificate placed into the envelope lined up with the window, sealed, address double checked, a stamp licked and then placed on the envelope. And then someone has to take it to the Wells Fargo office. Then there's the time it takes Wells Fargo to deliver. That could take 3 weeks. Time easilly passes. Anyway another 7 weeks is no time really when you think about it..
I'll get the cert (if I do) 8 months into my membership year.
5000 points credited to my account in 10 to 14 days. Obviously this is a manual process where the points must be counted individually. So 500 people each with 10 fingers need to be found - hence the 10 to 14 days is quite short really.
This is seriously impressive. Place your bets!
Dear Mr. uk1,
Thank you for contacting the office of Stephen McCall, President, Operations UK&I regarding your missing Free Night Certificate. Mr. McCall has reviewed your correspondence and has forwarded the matter to my attention for review and handling.
I am very sorry to learn of your frustration and lack of confidence this may have caused you. I can confirm that a second certificate has been requested to be sent to your home address of XXXXXXX. This will be received within 7 weeks. Mr. uk1, as a gesture of goodwill, I would like to arrange for your Priority Club account to be credited with a further 5000 points, which I hope will go some way to dispel any negative impressions that you may have formed of the hotel and IHG due to the further delay in receiving your certificate. These should be evident in your account, number XXXXXXXXX, within 10 - 14 days.
I certainly appreciate that this cannot make up for the situation you encountered but hope the gesture will go someway to restore your faith in IHG and trust you appreciate that the situation you describe is certainly not indicative of the usual high standard of our hotels.
I appreciate your patience.
Kind regards,
H***** F$$$$$$ | Executive Assistant
IHG | P.O. Box 4526, Brierley Hill, West Midlands, DY5 1TN, United Kingdom
Thank you for contacting the office of Stephen McCall, President, Operations UK&I regarding your missing Free Night Certificate. Mr. McCall has reviewed your correspondence and has forwarded the matter to my attention for review and handling.
I am very sorry to learn of your frustration and lack of confidence this may have caused you. I can confirm that a second certificate has been requested to be sent to your home address of XXXXXXX. This will be received within 7 weeks. Mr. uk1, as a gesture of goodwill, I would like to arrange for your Priority Club account to be credited with a further 5000 points, which I hope will go some way to dispel any negative impressions that you may have formed of the hotel and IHG due to the further delay in receiving your certificate. These should be evident in your account, number XXXXXXXXX, within 10 - 14 days.
I certainly appreciate that this cannot make up for the situation you encountered but hope the gesture will go someway to restore your faith in IHG and trust you appreciate that the situation you describe is certainly not indicative of the usual high standard of our hotels.
I appreciate your patience.
Kind regards,
H***** F$$$$$$ | Executive Assistant
IHG | P.O. Box 4526, Brierley Hill, West Midlands, DY5 1TN, United Kingdom
May 26, 2013, 6:57 am
#50
Moderator: InterContinental Hotels and Germany
Join Date: Oct 2002
Posts: 6,552
I am going to close this thread to give everybody the chance to calm down ...and have deleted a few posts.
As a sidenote, everybody is different and has different points of views, different expectations and different goals We should accept this and might remember the words of the latin philosoph Boetius:
o si tacuisses, philosophus mansisses.
Or in other word, sometimes it would be better not to post ...
FLYGVA
co-moderator IHG Forum
------
Added on May 26, 16:12 CEST:
I went through the thread and have edited a few posts, which were off topic or debating the point of view of flyertalkers posting in this thread. The last posts by a few flyertalkers were off topic and and personal. Currently, this thread has a lot of emotions and understand that some issues could be frustrating especially while other do not experience them. Nevertheless - and this statement should not read as if it is related to any flyertalker posting int shis thread - there is too much heat in this thread. Therefore this thread will remain closed for some time to give everbody the chance to cool off and think about my statement about not to post ... .
FLYGVA
co-moderator IHG Forum
As a sidenote, everybody is different and has different points of views, different expectations and different goals We should accept this and might remember the words of the latin philosoph Boetius:
o si tacuisses, philosophus mansisses.
Or in other word, sometimes it would be better not to post ...
FLYGVA
co-moderator IHG Forum
------
Added on May 26, 16:12 CEST:
I went through the thread and have edited a few posts, which were off topic or debating the point of view of flyertalkers posting in this thread. The last posts by a few flyertalkers were off topic and and personal. Currently, this thread has a lot of emotions and understand that some issues could be frustrating especially while other do not experience them. Nevertheless - and this statement should not read as if it is related to any flyertalker posting int shis thread - there is too much heat in this thread. Therefore this thread will remain closed for some time to give everbody the chance to cool off and think about my statement about not to post ... .
FLYGVA
co-moderator IHG Forum
Last edited by FLYGVA; May 26, 2013 at 8:19 am
May 28, 2013, 1:09 pm
#51
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Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: UK
Posts: 11,969
Just a further update!
My original motive was as I said earlier:
Well, I don't know whether they do but I received the follow-up email subsequent to my last post.
Recognise it is a cut and paste but I guess it is progress. Perhaps if others followed their issues through to the Exec Office rather than the normal CS process, it may gain a smidgen of extra attention? Optimistic I know - but can't do any harm and seems to nudge a quicker response. It will be interesting to see if the weekend cert arrives .....
My original motive was as I said earlier:
It is with regret I learn of the catalogue of issues you have had and I can certainly understand your dissatisfaction. Please rest assured that all your comments have been recorded at corporate level, which will be utilised to evaluate guest satisfaction with our Priority Club. This will be closely monitored internally and actions will be taken accordingly, where necessary.
I would like to arrange for your Priority Club account to be credited with a further 25,000 points, making a total of 30,000 points to be credited to yourself as a gesture of goodwill, which I hope will go some way to dispel any negative impressions that you may have formed of IHG. Again, these should be evident in your account, number XXXXXXXX, within 10 - 14 working days.
I would like to arrange for your Priority Club account to be credited with a further 25,000 points, making a total of 30,000 points to be credited to yourself as a gesture of goodwill, which I hope will go some way to dispel any negative impressions that you may have formed of IHG. Again, these should be evident in your account, number XXXXXXXX, within 10 - 14 working days.
It will be interesting to see if the weekend cert arrives .....
May 30, 2013, 8:05 am
#52
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: TKY, Japan, SFO, CA
Programs: Marriott Rewards, Star Alliance, PC Plat Amb, Delta
Posts: 254
YEMV
Apr 4th- renewal kit mailed (supposedly).
May 23- no kit in sight, called Japan office, patched to MANILA- informed them of my dilemma. Agent called me back as she needed to speak to her supervisor. Assured me that things will be in order for my May 25-27th weekend reservation .
May 25 - fax copy of BOGO waiting for me at ANA IC Club Lounge, just needed my signature. Hard copy of BOGO should be making its way to ANA IC Tokyo
Still waiting for KT's Amb kit to arrive - same date of renewal. We'll see. Was told that should the originally sent kit arrive, I could keep the BOGO to use.
Thank you, IHG.
May 31, 2013, 2:11 am
#54
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Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Auckland NZ
Programs: SQ TPPS, EK Gold, IHG RA, Marriott Gold Hyatt Diamond, HHonors Gold, UA Premier Gold, TG Silver
Posts: 1,092
My RA kit arrived 3 weeks after renewal, had seemingly been routed via Jamaica. Anyway smooth as clockwork, as it has been every year.
May 31, 2013, 2:13 am
#55
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Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Auckland NZ
Programs: SQ TPPS, EK Gold, IHG RA, Marriott Gold Hyatt Diamond, HHonors Gold, UA Premier Gold, TG Silver
Posts: 1,092
May 31, 2013, 2:19 am
#56
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Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: UK
Posts: 11,969
I wonder whether different countries experience different service levels? Perhaps that is it.
As it happens, I've just received a reply from an earlier reminder with respect to the missing weekend cert. The reply was 14 days after my email was sent. 14 days to me seems far too long to reply to emails to a status member CS service. This was simply to tell me that a new cert was sent and I will receive it in 7 weeks.
Most people will consider a 14 day response cycle and a 7 week delivery cycle too long to sustain happy customers.
As it happens, I've just received a reply from an earlier reminder with respect to the missing weekend cert. The reply was 14 days after my email was sent. 14 days to me seems far too long to reply to emails to a status member CS service. This was simply to tell me that a new cert was sent and I will receive it in 7 weeks.
Most people will consider a 14 day response cycle and a 7 week delivery cycle too long to sustain happy customers.
May 31, 2013, 2:22 am
#57
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Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: UK
Posts: 11,969