SacTownGuy

Just venting..... I have a reservation for two rooms in a city that is having NCAA basketball games this weekend. I mistakenly made the rezzie for 3 nights. $200/night. I made the rezzie several months ago. I just realized, a few days ago, that I never modified it to 1 night as we are only staying there one night. I tried to edit online but couldn't because the room rate the first night would now be $575 instead of $200. So I called the plat line, got nowhere except for them to tell me they can't because of the rate change, he put me through to some customer service line who never answered after several minutes on hold so I hung up. I then emailed plat elite who replied, after 48 hours, to tell me they couldn't help because of the rate change. So finally I called the hotel directly and in less than 1 minute they modified it to one night. I realize this is my bad for making the 3 night rez but since the hotel could so easily fix this why didn't Marriott take care of this for me? It obviously could have been accomplished if they had called the hotel on my behalf. So, once again, I am faced with the question of why be Plat with Marriott as I have received very little "value" in my several years with this "status."

RogerD408

Yes, I find more "find a way to say no" CSRs these days. It's easier for them to turn you away and get on to the next customer than spend a few minutes researching the request and providing a solution. One question comes to mind, did you ASK them to contact the property? Maybe a little prodding would have gotten you what you want. But as I recall reading elsewhere, the MI reservation system does not allow changing a rez so you must cancel and rebook. However, the property system does have the ability to update a rez and preserve all other data. Normally changes like this can also be made at time of check-in if the FDC knows what they are doing.

NJUPINTHEAIR

I find suggesting that they contact the hotel on your behalf works wonders, especially since you are telegraphing to them the act that likely will be the most direct, anyway. I think that you should follow this advice, next time.

daberlin

Good advice. In my experience they normally do this anyhow without needing to be prodded. I've usually had pretty good experience with the Platinum desk.

Kingston

Even before I was platinum this was the strategy I used. Usually successful.

writerguyfl

The best way to get something accomplished is to talk to someone with the power to act. Revenue management decisions are made at the hotel level. They always have been and they always will be. No one at the Corporate level has the authority to do what you were asking.

It's basically the same at all chains: Marriott, Starwood, Hilton, Carlson, Intercontinental. Someone at the individual hotel is responsible for setting rate and stay restrictions. Thus, only someone at the hotel can approve an override.

Finally, unless you were specifically told that no one contacted the hotel, I wouldn't jump to that conclusion. When I was a Revenue Manager (albeit at a non-Marriott hotel), here's what would have happened in this situation:

• Guest contacts Central Reservations with the request.
• The CSR creates the case in the system, which is then sent to the hotel.
• The file gets routed to the appropriate department at the hotel. In this situation, that would be the Revenue Manager.
• The Revenue Manager makes the decision and updates the case file.
• The Central Reservations CSR notifies the guest of the outcome.

Honestly, for a special event weekend, I would have had strong minimum stay requirements. Anyone wanting to change from 3 nights to 1 night at the last minute would have been denied because it would have been tough to re-sell that room. (That's assuming you kept the night that was most in demand.)

But, when you call the hotel directly outside of normal business hours, you'll get transferred to the Front Desk. At times, Front Desk personnel will ignore revenue management restrictions just to get you off the phone. It's just easier...especially when there are guests standing there waiting to check in.

Anyway, that's a long, convoluted way to say that the CSR's at the Corporate level may have actually contacted the hotel. It's just that they did it though official channels that may have been more likely to say "no".

ImJustAGuy

Don't all confirmations come with a clause that states that "date and length of stay changes my effect your rate"

You knew it was a busy weekend, you were holding a valuable room, you knew the rate would most likely change. They gave you a better deal because they were promised three nights of revenue. And you then went around them to circumvent their pricing.

If I am selling cereal bars for a buck a bar, and someone comes up to me and say I want 300, but I wanna pay 75 cents a bar, and we make an agreement for that price, then he comes back and says, I changed my mind, I only want one, but I still only want to pay 75 cents, is that right?

What seems to be the problem?

socrates

Modifications are not an issue with the CRS (MARSHA), it's done all of the time - with the rate being changed after the OP's time of booking there was a slightly different way that the supervisors/managers at the call center would have needed to take but a typical call center agent wouldn't have been able to complete the request (as an override was needed for the exception to the rate if the hotel agreed to grant one - which they did in this case)

RogerD408

I have absolutely no doubt the problem was resolvable, as it was. It's being told no by someone assigned the responsibility to be the customer contact point that bothers me. In my view the CSR should have been looking for a way to address the issue and not make the customer call around to find the people with the power to make the change. I look to the CSR to how to solve issues or find the people that can. This is how the support organization I managed worked and what I expect when calling. I am often disappointed these days.

socrates

I completely understand your point and not disagree

GoPhils

Bad analogy. The cereal bars were being sold for a buck a bar and the OP agreed to pay a buck a bar. He just ultimately decided that instead of 3, he only wanted 1. And eventually they said okay.

Mr. Vker

Admission: I didn't read every single post in this thread...but I read the OP and this post. I don't agree with your assessment-in all cases. Sometimes, Marriott room rates will require a weekend night stay to include weekend pricing. Marriott Dulles Suites is one such property. Sunday-Thursday the place is $279/night-like clock work. Friday and Saturday are $79/night-again like clockwork. BUT, If you want to stay Thurs-Saturday or Saturday-Monday, you can get the Thursday or Sunday night for the weekend rate of $79/night.

So if you have a Thurs-Saturday reservation at $79/night and call to cancel the Friday night stay, they reprice Thursday to $279.00. I have experienced this myself. I just keep the two nights in place and leave Friday.

That might not completely be what's happening here, but changing the nights being stayed can certainly impact the rate.

SacTownGuy

I actually understand that things like hotel nights come with contractual terms. I have no problem with the fact that the length of my stay might change my rate. I get it. I am moderately intelligent by most standards. All I am saying is that if being platinum means anything then the CSR should actually try to resolve my problem. It was easy to resolve, once I called the hotel directly, but it took me a lot of unnecessary time... primarily started with a completely wasted to call to the platinum line. If they want to make me feel like my "status" means anything then they should try to help. I call and ask for help about once every 2 or 3 years so I don't think it's that much to ask for them to have fixed my problem right away... or at least given a reasonable effort to fix it. I should add, though reasonably intelligent, I don't get your cereal bar hypo.

IRep312

This.

It is ALWAYS better to contact the hotel directly than to go-around them to try and get what you want by contacting an Elite reservation line who can't do anything anyways.

Often1

If you want to break the rules, call the property directly. It makes no sense to call someone whom you know does not have the authority in order to have them act as your proxy.