The hotel's reaction to the forgotten thing in the room
Aug 5, 2019, 3:09 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2015
Posts: 93
The hotel's reaction to the forgotten thing in the room
Recently, I forgot a smartwatch charger at a hotel. What would be the appropriate 5* hotel response? I expected them to send it to me by mail without any hassle, but they offered me only the option of keeping it until the next arrival (which is not expected in the near future) or delivery by courier which I should organize by myself and whose price exceeds the price of the charger.
Aug 5, 2019, 3:50 am
#3
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I certainly wouldn’t expect them to shell out $50 shipping for a $30 item. Any offer of subsidized, or free return shipping on a forgotten item is greatly appreciated, and never expected.
Being pushy about it is not cool.
Being pushy about it is not cool.
Aug 5, 2019, 4:02 am
#5
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Kuwait (KW)
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Posts: 2,708
Recently, I forgot a smartwatch charger at a hotel. What would be the appropriate 5* hotel response? I expected them to send it to me by mail without any hassle, but they offered me only the option of keeping it until the next arrival (which is not expected in the near future) or delivery by courier which I should organize by myself and whose price exceeds the price of the charger.
If life has taught me one thing, it's that one shouldn't expect anything from anyone no matter the circumstance. If you can replace your charger yourself, do it and don't let it bother you for a second.
khabah
Aug 5, 2019, 6:45 am
#7
Join Date: Sep 2005
Programs: AC MM E50 , Former SPG, now Marriott LT Plat
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When I left a phone charger at the Grand Hyatt Jakarta, I was very happy that they kept it for me until I was able to pick it up my next time in town.
I did not expect anything more.
I did not expect anything more.
Aug 5, 2019, 7:58 am
#9
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Recently, I forgot a smartwatch charger at a hotel. What would be the appropriate 5* hotel response? I expected them to send it to me by mail without any hassle, but they offered me only the option of keeping it until the next arrival (which is not expected in the near future) or delivery by courier which I should organize by myself and whose price exceeds the price of the charger.
To me, the problem is requiring you to organize the shipping yourself. Does this mean that you would need to hire someone local to go to the hotel and put the thing in suitable packaging rather than having some hotel staff member take care of such details? People leave stuff behind all the time in hotel rooms and the hotel should have a process to efficiently sent the items, although it's not unreasonable to expect the guest to pay FedEx or whatever fees, ideally using the hotel's account with a good discount attached.
Aug 5, 2019, 7:59 am
#10
Join Date: Dec 2003
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In the OP's defense, the few times I've left an item at a hotel then called to inquire (and this is even at run-of-the-mill Marriotts), the hotels have located the items and then offered to ship them to me free of charge. Now I *never*, even though it has happened repeatedly, expect that treatment (maybe because I feel like a bonehead for leaving things behind), but perhaps the OP has had similar experiences in the past that led him to expect it again. So while I think we're right to scold that sense of entitlement, we probably don't have to pile on TOO much...
Aug 5, 2019, 8:17 am
#11
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Aug 5, 2019, 8:23 am
#14
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I've left things in my room before internationally. Unfortunately, it's usually cheaper to replace than to ship internationally.
Aug 5, 2019, 8:26 am
#15
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2015
Posts: 93
To me, the problem is requiring you to organize the shipping yourself. Does this mean that you would need to hire someone local to go to the hotel and put the thing in suitable packaging rather than having some hotel staff member take care of such details? People leave stuff behind all the time in hotel rooms and the hotel should have a process to efficiently sent the items, although it's not unreasonable to expect the guest to pay FedEx or whatever fees, ideally using the hotel's account with a good discount attached.
I didn't expect them to cover the cost, but I thought the hotel would do its best to arrange delivery. All they were willing to do was hand over the charger to the delivery man if I arranged a pickup at their location. That bothered me.
But it's not worth my time anymore. I will buy a new charger tomorrow and I will no longer use the services of that hotel in the future. Thanks everyone for the comments.
