New Telephone Charges - Corporate Directive?
Nov 17, 2001, 12:03 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: All Over - Gathering No Moss
Programs: SPG Plat, HLT Honors, DL PLT but missing NWA terribly.
Posts: 435
New Telephone Charges - Corporate Directive?
I'm checking out today and I noticed on my bill the couple of 800 calls I incurred from dialing in to pick up my email.
I stay at this hotel often, so I knew that I would be charged. However what I was not expecting was to see 99˘ per call on my bill. In the past it's always been $2.00.
So I ask the desk clerk and he informed me that effective this week, the corporate office has directed all hotels to lower local and 800 calls to 99˘. And this was a chain wide directive.
Wow! It's taken a year, but have they finally listened? If so, kudos for listening to the customer having the courage to roll back on what must have been a substantial revenue source.
[This message has been edited by Rolling Stone (edited 11-17-2001).]
I stay at this hotel often, so I knew that I would be charged. However what I was not expecting was to see 99˘ per call on my bill. In the past it's always been $2.00.
So I ask the desk clerk and he informed me that effective this week, the corporate office has directed all hotels to lower local and 800 calls to 99˘. And this was a chain wide directive.
Wow! It's taken a year, but have they finally listened? If so, kudos for listening to the customer having the courage to roll back on what must have been a substantial revenue source.
[This message has been edited by Rolling Stone (edited 11-17-2001).]
Nov 17, 2001, 1:14 am
#2
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: Santa Barbara, CA
Posts: 7,149
If so, this is a good move. Starwood hotels have started to really get to me with the gouging on phone calls.
Nov 17, 2001, 1:16 am
#3
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Kirkland, WA
Posts: 6,932
If this is true it's a heartwarming reaffirmation of Starwood's responsiveness to customers. Way to go!
Nov 18, 2001, 2:22 pm
#4
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: Irvine, CA
Posts: 184
Hmm.. I can confirm that I was charged $2 for an 800 call at the Westin Fairfax in DC last night. Maybe they just haven't caught on yet..
Nov 18, 2001, 5:55 pm
#5
Join Date: Jan 2000
Location: Baltimore/Washington, USA
Programs: AA LT Platinum, Hilton LT Diamond, Marriott Titanium
Posts: 3,076
Double hmmm... Meadowlands Sheraton, (Rutherford, NJ), $2 per toll free call.
Nov 18, 2001, 8:35 pm
#6
Join Date: Jun 1999
Location: Rio de Janeiro, BRAZIL
Programs: AA 4MM EXP; Starwood Lifetime Plt
Posts: 2,498
Sheraton Rittenhouse Philadelphia -- all 800 calls free!
Nov 19, 2001, 10:10 am
#7
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: London, UK
Programs: KLM Platinum, BA Gold, ex-HHonors Diamond, Starwood SPG Gold (ex-Platinum), StarChoice
Posts: 419
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by Rolling Stone:
effective this week, the corporate office has directed all hotels to lower local and 800 calls to 99˘. And this was a chain wide directive.</font>
effective this week, the corporate office has directed all hotels to lower local and 800 calls to 99˘. And this was a chain wide directive.</font>
Also, would this be a world-wide policy or just North American?
Nov 19, 2001, 10:18 am
#8
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: May 1999
Posts: 46,817
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by Rolling Stone:
...So I ask the desk clerk and he informed me that effective this week, the corporate office has directed all hotels to lower local and 800 calls to 99˘. And this was a chain wide directive....</font>
...So I ask the desk clerk and he informed me that effective this week, the corporate office has directed all hotels to lower local and 800 calls to 99˘. And this was a chain wide directive....</font>
LOWER!
VERY nice Starwood! Thanks!
Nov 19, 2001, 4:26 pm
#9
Company Representative - Starwood
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Austin, Texas
Programs: Marriott Employee Level
Posts: 31,593
Local calls are now 99 cents + 10 cents per minute after 60 minutes.
Toll-free calls (800/877/888) are now 99 cents + 10 cents per minute after 60 minutes.
Directory assistance calls are billed at $2.50 each
Please note that this did not officially go into effect until today and that some hotels have the option to file for an exemption with the corporate office depending upon their local circumstances.
Best regards,
William R. Sanders
Specialist, E-Communications Department
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide
[email protected]
Toll-free calls (800/877/888) are now 99 cents + 10 cents per minute after 60 minutes.
Directory assistance calls are billed at $2.50 each
Please note that this did not officially go into effect until today and that some hotels have the option to file for an exemption with the corporate office depending upon their local circumstances.
Best regards,
William R. Sanders
Specialist, E-Communications Department
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide
[email protected]
Nov 19, 2001, 4:47 pm
#10
Join Date: Oct 2000
Programs: UA Gold 1MM, Marriott Ambassador/Lifetime Titanium, Accor Silver, Club Carlson Gold, BW Diamond
Posts: 2,432
now THAT is welcome news. Sure, free is better, but now we're talking reasonable. Thanks Starwood for listening, and thanks Lurker for doing what you do - clarifying situations so well!
aloha
aloha
Nov 19, 2001, 4:52 pm
#11
Guest
Posts: n/a
How about international hotels like those in Canada and Mexico. Will toll free calls be a lower price?
Nov 19, 2001, 5:19 pm
#12
Company Representative - Starwood
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Austin, Texas
Programs: Marriott Employee Level
Posts: 31,593
The above information is for hotels in North America only. As far as I know, nothing has changed for any of the other hotel divisions.
Best regards,
William R. Sanders
Specialist, E-Communications Department
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide
[email protected]
Best regards,
William R. Sanders
Specialist, E-Communications Department
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide
[email protected]
Nov 19, 2001, 6:33 pm
#13
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: Santa Barbara, CA
Posts: 7,149
If there was a thumbs-up smilie, I'd do it.
I still believe that if I'm staying in a nice hotel, I should not have to pay for something that is free at a Red Roof Inn or a Motel 6.
Nontheless, this is a step in the right direction for sure.
I still believe that if I'm staying in a nice hotel, I should not have to pay for something that is free at a Red Roof Inn or a Motel 6.
Nontheless, this is a step in the right direction for sure.
Nov 19, 2001, 7:48 pm
#14
Join Date: Nov 1999
Location: Los Angeles, CA, USA
Programs: AA PLT, SPG GLD, PC PLT SPIRE
Posts: 4,531
Way to go Starwood! 
Nov 19, 2001, 11:37 pm
#15
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 1999
Location: Over the Bay Bridge, CA
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Posts: 38,624
I wouldn't expect the cost of picking up the phone in overseas locations to change much, in the downward direction anyways. You know, they may actually experience more revenue this way. I'm more likely to pick up a hotel phone for a landline for .99 than to burn up weekday cellphone minutes.
