A shocking Marriott IT fail
Oct 17, 2018, 1:30 pm
#16
Join Date: Jun 2012
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i've moved with the times and dont print out anything anymore including flight itineraries. having said that, i'm still a little cautious where i screenshot the booking # on the screen and wait for the email to come through in case stuff like this happens.
Oct 17, 2018, 1:32 pm
#17
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How?
Sure. But the post I was responding to said that for the last twenty years they had 1) printed the confirmation or written the corresponding confirmation number; 2) verified the confirmation appears in the account; and 3) verified receipt of the email. Further, anybody who did not do all of those things every time is to blame for any issues that may arise. That seems...excessive? Things happen. Life intervenes. If I can't trust the providers I've chosen to deliver quickly, seamlessly, and without headache, maybe it's time to find a new provider.
Or are all the IT issues that intrepid FTers have reported here these last two months really their own fault?
Sure. But the post I was responding to said that for the last twenty years they had 1) printed the confirmation or written the corresponding confirmation number; 2) verified the confirmation appears in the account; and 3) verified receipt of the email. Further, anybody who did not do all of those things every time is to blame for any issues that may arise. That seems...excessive? Things happen. Life intervenes. If I can't trust the providers I've chosen to deliver quickly, seamlessly, and without headache, maybe it's time to find a new provider.
Or are all the IT issues that intrepid FTers have reported here these last two months really their own fault?
Oct 17, 2018, 1:37 pm
#18
Join Date: Jul 2017
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I don’t think I’m a Marriott apologist but there’s no way I can condone what OP did. And then a bombastic post “shocking IT fail”, “imagine my horror” etc etc. I think is an over the top reaction to what OP admitted was lax behaviour on his part.
Now I don’t do all the things that CLEguy does. But at the very least I never close my reservation booking page until I get a confirmation email. And it has nothing to do with Marriott - any airline, OTA, hotel etc. it’s all the same. Check if I’ve received the confirmation email. Then close browser/app. With so many players being involved in a transaction anything can go wrong.
OP traveled to another country without this basic check and got stuck. He doesn’t have my sympathy. Had he got a confirmation email that for some reason Marriott didn’t honour... now that would have been different.
Now I don’t do all the things that CLEguy does. But at the very least I never close my reservation booking page until I get a confirmation email. And it has nothing to do with Marriott - any airline, OTA, hotel etc. it’s all the same. Check if I’ve received the confirmation email. Then close browser/app. With so many players being involved in a transaction anything can go wrong.
OP traveled to another country without this basic check and got stuck. He doesn’t have my sympathy. Had he got a confirmation email that for some reason Marriott didn’t honour... now that would have been different.
Oct 17, 2018, 1:41 pm
#19
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I think the range of opinions expressed here reflects the range of travel patterns held by members. I have long printed out confirmation pages for flights, hotels, rentals, etc - when leaving from home. However, I sometimes - often times - leave home with a one-way flight, my first of many hotels/rentals booked, and I venture out into the world for upwards of a couple of months. Sometimes I hit continents along the way I'd never planned for when I left home. In such a scenario, it's a lot more troublesome to take extra time to head for the business center (and not all of the third-world hotels I stay in even have any such luxury) to print stuff out each time (not to mention the online security concerns that go along with doing so), when instead I'm busy packing and planning and trying to get some sleep (on and on). Not everybody here is a week-at-a-whack salesperson or doctor or idle rich gallivanting about the planet one single round trip at a time.
I also think this knee-jerk reaction to ALWAYS blame the member ignores the fact that very likely no amount of hard prints, e-mails, and/or screen shots would have led to the front desk being able to honor the reservation. Haven't plenty of folks reported that showing their status in the app draws yawns and rolled eyes from FD folk? Why is there such a presupposition that the hotel itself would've been able to subdue Marriott IT simply because they laid eyes on a piece of paper or a screen presented by walk-in off the street? Especially in the case of an award stay, where the hotel can't just enter in a rate override manually and charge a credit card accordingly?
I also think this knee-jerk reaction to ALWAYS blame the member ignores the fact that very likely no amount of hard prints, e-mails, and/or screen shots would have led to the front desk being able to honor the reservation. Haven't plenty of folks reported that showing their status in the app draws yawns and rolled eyes from FD folk? Why is there such a presupposition that the hotel itself would've been able to subdue Marriott IT simply because they laid eyes on a piece of paper or a screen presented by walk-in off the street? Especially in the case of an award stay, where the hotel can't just enter in a rate override manually and charge a credit card accordingly?
Oct 17, 2018, 1:46 pm
#20
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Just because one hasnt experienced a particular issue like in OP's case, it doesn't mean that it could never happen or didn't happen to the OP. And it amazes me on how some people have this mentality of "blame the customer if something goes wrong". Or "If it didn't happen to me, then OP is lying and playing victim"
I myself screenshot everything since the merge but we shouldn't be complaisant into doing something 'extra' because it is not our job as customers to be triple checking everything due to lack of trust with the company.
I myself screenshot everything since the merge but we shouldn't be complaisant into doing something 'extra' because it is not our job as customers to be triple checking everything due to lack of trust with the company.
Oct 17, 2018, 1:51 pm
#21
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: Sweden
Programs: Marriott Platinum - LT Gold
Posts: 688
I'm using Gmail and always always mark important emails like Hotel reservations, Brg confirmations, flight tickets etc. with the star function in Gmail.
Had a small mess with the Prince Gallery at check out last spring, they had the wrong more expensive rate than what I had confirmed from the brg confirmation. This was easily solved by showing the fd the email and they sorted it out after a couple of minutes.
Had a small mess with the Prince Gallery at check out last spring, they had the wrong more expensive rate than what I had confirmed from the brg confirmation. This was easily solved by showing the fd the email and they sorted it out after a couple of minutes.
Oct 17, 2018, 2:00 pm
#22
Join Date: Sep 2010
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I think you misread who does what 
And I’m referring to the apparent requirement that a checklist of tasks must be completed, else all blame falls on the customer. I don’t know what really happened here; I do know that the “it’s your fault” comment came out like clockwork, as it always does on FT.
You're searching for a red herring. I'm not discussing nor referring to all the IT issues that have been reported. I am only discussing the OP's particular issue in this thread, which may not have been an IT issue at all. I believe it's more likely the OP may not have completed the booking in the first place. As I said before, it doesn't quite pass the smell test for me.
Oct 17, 2018, 2:42 pm
#23
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Yeah, I didn't say that. You've chosen the wrong subject, I'm afraid. I am unsure as to what happened, too...but I believe there is more responsibility for the OP than you do.
Oct 17, 2018, 2:47 pm
#24
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Oct 17, 2018, 5:24 pm
#25
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Just because one hasnt experienced a particular issue like in OP's case, it doesn't mean that it could never happen or didn't happen to the OP. And it amazes me on how some people have this mentality of "blame the customer if something goes wrong". Or "If it didn't happen to me, then OP is lying and playing victim"
I myself screenshot everything since the merge but we shouldn't be complaisant into doing something 'extra' because it is not our job as customers to be triple checking everything due to lack of trust with the company.
I myself screenshot everything since the merge but we shouldn't be complaisant into doing something 'extra' because it is not our job as customers to be triple checking everything due to lack of trust with the company.
Oct 17, 2018, 6:29 pm
#26
Join Date: Jan 2017
Programs: Marriott Lifetime Titanium, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 2,192
Why attack OP? Marriott does owe us something - what we pay for and have earned. That is why we pay money for a service.
Not all my reservations are showing up in my account. Some of the ones that do show up have the wrong date! At one point last week I had a 4 month stay booked at JW Marriott Phuket. Next day the reservation disappeared, next day right dates.
Oh yes sometimes I get email confirmation, sometimes SMS, and sometimes nothing.
I guess the OP and I should magically confirm everything even when it is impossible by app or website? We should... What... Book online and then call CS and wait on hold forever to confirm what we just booked.
Who carries portable printers to print everything out? I have ordered my companies to essentially go paperless. And that was 10 years ago.
I finally had it so I spoke with a senior exec the other day. This exec said he does not blame me for skipping Marriott for a few months while they sort IT things out.
Big problem he said is that to save money Marriott went with "archaic Marriott system" even though SPG system was "much better and more modern."
Might OP have made a mistake? Possibly. But odds are the IT system failed or was confusing.
Or maybe I am an idiot who does not know how to reserve a room either.
Not all my reservations are showing up in my account. Some of the ones that do show up have the wrong date! At one point last week I had a 4 month stay booked at JW Marriott Phuket. Next day the reservation disappeared, next day right dates.
Oh yes sometimes I get email confirmation, sometimes SMS, and sometimes nothing.
I guess the OP and I should magically confirm everything even when it is impossible by app or website? We should... What... Book online and then call CS and wait on hold forever to confirm what we just booked.
Who carries portable printers to print everything out? I have ordered my companies to essentially go paperless. And that was 10 years ago.
I finally had it so I spoke with a senior exec the other day. This exec said he does not blame me for skipping Marriott for a few months while they sort IT things out.
Big problem he said is that to save money Marriott went with "archaic Marriott system" even though SPG system was "much better and more modern."
Might OP have made a mistake? Possibly. But odds are the IT system failed or was confusing.
Or maybe I am an idiot who does not know how to reserve a room either.
Oct 17, 2018, 8:08 pm
#27
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FWIW - I wasn't throwing all the blame on the OP, especially given Marriott's IT issues. But for years when traveling I do screenshots or get confirmation #s or put confirmation emails (whether it be airlines or any hotel chain, not just Marriott). They have a responsibility to handle things properly but that doesn't absolve me of also taking responsibility myself. I do the same w/ hotel wake-up calls. Might place one via the front desk, but also set my cell phone.
Cheers.
Oct 17, 2018, 8:17 pm
#28
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I have had this at the top of 'My Trips' on Marriott's website for about 3 weeks:
'Unfortunately there's an issue displaying some of your reservations. Please check back later. We apologise for any inconvenience.'
The only thing I can suggest is you contact the hotel in future if you can and confirm they've got your reservation. You shouldn't have to do it I know but Marriott's just not reliable at the moment and I dread to think what their IT department is going to do come January and the merger proper.
CLE guy, that's a bit harsh...
'Unfortunately there's an issue displaying some of your reservations. Please check back later. We apologise for any inconvenience.'
The only thing I can suggest is you contact the hotel in future if you can and confirm they've got your reservation. You shouldn't have to do it I know but Marriott's just not reliable at the moment and I dread to think what their IT department is going to do come January and the merger proper.
CLE guy, that's a bit harsh...
True, but on my accounts (not merged yet) reservations tend to come and go; there's no consistency so one can't conclude anything when a reservation doesn't appear.
Oct 17, 2018, 8:36 pm
#30
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