Just one more reiteration of something I said earlier, then I'll shut up. If it's available, you'll get it and there will be no need to try to throw any weight. If it's not available you're not throwing weight, you're acting like a jerk.

I don't think business travelers on an expense account are necessarily the most important customers.

A good number of them don't have a choice. Corporate guidelines tells them which hotels they are staying at. If the hotel treats them badly, they don't get a choice of not staying there next time. The same goes for airlines and car rental companies that have volume purchasing agreements with the corporation.

Then you have people who can choose where they stay at. Treat them badly, and you'll kiss their money goodbye. Even if it's not a large amount relative to a corporate account, you'll still never see that $$ again.

Of course, the most dangerous/lucrative customer of all are people on an expense account who can choose where to stay.

In any case, I don't believe the mantra that the full revenue or rack rate or high volume corporate customer are the most important. You guys are going to be at that airline counter or hotel check-in counter no matter the treatment you get. You have to fly/travel. The people who are there only because they wants to - those are the people who will make/break the profit statement.

The sad thing is that some hotels (usually the same hotels over and over as we have read here on FT) take this to mean, treat all guests as CR*P.

I think what irritates people is the vague meaning of available. Is an amenity (be it an upgrade, breakfast, whatever) not available because the front desk clerk is (usually) too lazy or indifferent to provide it too you, because the front desk clerk doesn't know that you are entitled to it or because it really just is not available?

I think the worst response is when a guest asks politely (if the person asking is a jerk, they don't deserve the upgrade, but that is a different issue) if an upgrade is available and the front desk clerk comes up with a cockamamie answer like "oh, we don't do that", or without even stopping to think about your question answers sarcastically "oh, we are sold out of suites for the rest of the year."


[This message has been edited by onedog (edited 04-23-2002).]

Onedog,

Good points, and desk clerks who are indifferent or too lazy to check don't belong in a customer service industry. But they certainly exist. I think the key is courteous behavior on the part of both parties.

Two nights ago I had an elite member check in after 10 pm and didn't like the room. Wanted to know why we didn't "save" our best rooms for elite members (we were at 100% that night). I still had two checkins outstanding so I transferred him to another and he didn't like that one either. Going to call corporate, complain to the program people, blah, blah, blah...I would have built the guy a suite if he had just shut up. I'm pretty thick skinned so it didn't bother me, but some of the younger desk clerks let people like that get to them.

There are times when I'm really tempted to downgrade people (elite or not) because of their behavior. Soemtimes it's a warm feeling to know that I have that smaller room right next to the elevator and vending/ice machines in my pocket.....

I totally agree with you - I believe that the initial answer "we are sold out" was most likely a lie - and possibly in keeping with an unwritten policy. Since I can't control their initial response (lie) the question is "what is the best approach to deal with it".

I wasn't polite because I thought it would work best - I was that way because it is the way I am - and if they didn't have a suite it wasn't a big deal. But, in light of the result, it seems like it might also be the best approach.

I like your attitude. I really do. I'm much the same way. I mean, look at the things I've received from places that are supposed to be inflexible and rude just by, God forbid, treating the person who is on the other side of the counter like a human being! Let's see, you're not supposed to get operational upgrades on UAL? In the past two years, I've gotten three -- one of which was an upgrade on my birthday from New Zealand to DC. And I've walked away with bottles of wine and champagne, and I've received "apple juice" or "cranberry juice" in coach. At the hotel I am staying at, because they had a problem with the high speed internet connection in the room that I was staying at, they upgraded me to a suite -- without me asking.

Was I entitled to these things? No, I was not. But I got them. Why? Because you reap what you sow. If you want to act in a confrontational way, you will get one. But if you go in, just calm and collected and polite, you'll often get more than what you hope for.

Sorry to be argumentative, but your analysis is flawed. I choose where I want to stay. I do book my air travel through a travel agent, but I get to choose who I fly on, as long as the fares are close. I am not atypical of a business traveller.

In addition, how many last minute flights have you booked in the past year? Keep in mind that just one of those -- which I do a couple of times a year -- is worth around ten of your trips with the restricted, plan ahead fare.

But don't listen to me. Look at who everyone except Con Air needs in order to be profitable. It ain't the leisure traveller paying $300 to go from coast to coast. Nope, it's the guy like me, who has to be somewhere the next day, no if, ands, buts or maybes, and who has to drop $2,500 to do it.

Most of us are businessmen and understand the long term value of taking care of your customers.

I find the hilton chain reasonable good at making extra effort to recognize those of us who are high use customers.

When I run into a rude or surly front desk agent I usually call the HHonors Diamond Desk and they contact the hotel.

This is a good way for the hotel to "learn" that they have an issue and lets them "train" the front desk and others on how to better serve the guests.

Anyone else call the Hhonors Diamond Desk when they ran into issues?

In my last 10 trips, I spent over $6k. How much did you pay for your last ticket?

In any case, the question is that if the low-price airline/hotel consistently gave you below-expectations service - would you be able to justify spending more money on the ticket or hotel to get better service?

You've emphasized before in other posts aobut being conscientious about spending your employer's money. That means a hotel chain or airline could treat you shabbily and still expect you to do business with them as long as they offer the lowest prices.

The difference for me is that if I don't like a particular hotel or airline, I just won't use them - even if they offer a lower fare/rate.

Is the same true for you?

Different strokes for different folks....

I think Hilton does a good job at many different levels and we all benefit.

Marriott and the others don't even come close.

Let's put it this way. Con Air is consistently cheaper to fly to a lot of the places where I need to go. I don't fly them.

I can pick and choose where I stay, where I go, and so on. Yes, cost is a consideration. My boss doesn't like it too much when I have to go somewhere last minute, but I tell them that if they want me to close a $250K account, they better be willing to spend $3K to do it.

Let's not get into a pissing contest about who spends more money. Let's put it like this -- since I've been working for my current employer, I've dropped around $4K in air fare for three trips. Go with that, and by the time I get to ten, I'll have dropped like $12K so I got ya doubled =)