onlycat

I do like the hotels selections and quality of the beds. However, during my recent stays in Vancouver and Toronto, I have been having problems and issues with the hotel staff, as well as customer support representatives. I have lost my patient to been royal to SPG anymore.

1. Sheraton Centre Toronto front desk insulted me twice, one during check out to ask me show the proof of payment; second, the hotel didn't provide free breakfast first day while I booked and paid for a club lounge. (I requested to downgrade to a lower floor, but didn't ask to downgrade my benefits!)

2. Called customer support at 11:55 am pst and spoke to one of the representative in regards of qualified nights at Sheraton hotels. I noticed she was unpleasant to help me and answer my questions, so that I asked her why. She hang me up immediately.

I am just shocked right now that since when SPG hired those employees and wonder if SPG ever train their staff?

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Sorry guys, so many replies and I am getting frustrated for being accused of my story. well, my husband's experience at hotel and my experience with call centre. English is not my first language but I do know the culture in English speaking countries. So I don't think there is any miscommunication. Let me restate our stories below:

1. I booked the hotel on spg official website for husband, using his SPG corp preferred card. This is to separate our account since he was using his corp rate. It was high season, so the only room I could book was the king size room on club floor. It is not a prepaid rate, but credit card info was entered when I made the reservation.

2. Upon check in, husband asked for a lower floor because he didn't know the reservation was on club floor. The front desk didn't remind him or tell him about that . Not to mention it comes with breakfast. He was asked to provide a credit card and ID.

3. The hotel room was booked for 2 nights. Husband realized second day he need to have breakfast, so he wonder if the spg preferred card could offer him free breakfast. 100% of time he was travelling with me and let me handle all hotel issue. So he has no idea about anything of his membership. The front desk offered him free breakfast at club lounge, so he was very happy and texted me the pictures. This is the time I realized he downgraded his room without the same benefit as what has been paid for. But both of us were busy and don't think a free breakfast is a big deal to deal with the hotel.

4. This the details for point 1 above separation line. Husband went to check out because he wasn't sure which credit card will be charged on the rooms. He wants to make sure he won't be double charged. I used his credit card on booking and he provided the same on check in. But we didn't communicate over this during his stay. It was never that complicated, room was booked with credit card online and should be billed on the same one. But when he checked out, the front desk told him that he didn't know if the room has been paid or not! front desk told him in the system, he cannot tell whether it has been paid or not, so it will be charged on the credit card that he provided when checked in. Husband called me, 7am in the morning Vancouver time, woke me up, and asked if I paid or not! I told him, it was taking care of when I made the reservation and hotel has sent me a folio at 3am. So he told the front desk who then asked him to show the proof of payment! How could hotel system do not know how the room is booked and how it was paid??????????

5. Last but not least, I called just to confirmed if husband's account has accumulated 4 nights in Sheraton hotels so that he could qualify for the 1 night free promotion. The call center representative just beeing rude and had a bad tone when she spoke to me. I asked her that i could see 4 nights been posted under the account, but cannot find it posted under the tracker. She told me to log out and log in again, but I am not that stupid not doing anything first then waste of my time to call them. I told her I have done it and it hasnt show up. just wonder how long it normally will be posted. She told me whatever there is there..And didn't try to help me find out the answer. I asked her if there is any difference among the membership title and otherwise why she sounds unpleasant and not willing to help. She said no and then hung me up!

This is the full stories with as much details as possible. Longest post i ever replied. Just want to make sure you made your judgement before hear my voice!

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Room Description
King Bed
• Club Floor Non-smoking, Smoke-free
• 28 Sq.m/300 Sq.ft
• Continental Brkfst In Club Lng
• Exclusive Club Lounge Access
• Free Wi-fi Internet
• Newly Renovated

Starwood Lurker IV

Hi onlycat,

I would like to first apologize for your recent experiences. The circumstances you describe are not reflective of the training provided or level of service we aim to provide our guests.

Please feel free to email us with full details and we would be happy to follow-up further on both instances.

Kind regards,

Alexandra Baker
Specialist, Social Media
Starwood Hotels and Resorts

[email protected]

Often1

1. Being asked to provide proof of payment is hardly insulting.

2. No wonder the agent hung up on you.

This sounds as though OP has issues in dealing with professionals who are trained to be of assistance, but are not servants.

satman40

Sounds like a personal problem..

Flews

I read about your experience at the Toronto Sheraton and thought you were making a mountain out of a molehill, and far too quick to find blame without accepting any responsibility yourself.

Having read this, I see a definite pattern emerging...

Cheers,

awu25

Also read that post and was quite confused about the details. OP mixes between "hubby" and "we/our" so not really sure if just the hubby was staying there or they were staying together. If they were staying together, why did hubby ask if he could have free breakfast when OP knew they should have it. The post makes it sound like the OP made the reservation but only the hubby was staying, and therefore didn't recognize which benefits he was supposed to get

Being asked for proof of payment is hardly insulting. Even though they should never do it, I'm sure more led up to the customer service rep hanging up.

LovetoTravel83

No matter what the OP did, a CS agent hanging up on a caller is uncalled for.

mahasamatman

In fact, I don't think I've ever stayed at a hotel where they didn't ask for a credit card at checkin.

I guarantee we don't have the whole story. For example, sometimes one party can legitimately think the call is over and already be in the process of hanging up (I've done this and had it done to me).

ldsant

I'm in agreement with this (always asked for proof of payment or a credit card and an ID).

Working with customer service agents, I can say that if somebody did actually hang up on you it would be tracked through the CS system. Most of the "hang ups" are accidental especially when an agent needs to check on something.

jibi

But the OP said during check-out not check-in. That is a bit odd.

MSPeconomist

I assume that the OP had a prepaid rate which might have required a voucher. Or maybe there was some issue about whether the hotel actually charged the OP's credit card in advance, although the samme could have been true at a property (IME, primarily resorts so not applicable here) that requires a deposit.

sunseeker

the whole story seems odd to me.

it is not unheared of you have to present your cc at checkin AND checkout, should that have been the issue.
and for the agent hanging up, given the attitude of the op, i can think of other good reasons for her/him to do so; such as getting loud, coping with which is not in their job description...

LovetoTravel83

It is unheard of to me. I never presented a credit card at checkout. Whether it was in the US or abroad. Mostly I checkout on the phone.

sunseeker

strange; it happens to me all the time that at checkin a certain deposit only is charged, the balance to be settled at checkout, with the deposit slip voided and destroyed.
while this may not be common practise in the usa, more often than not this standart procedure in asia..

Tommys888

With regard to the pre-paid rate, I was never asked for proof of payment since the hotel should see that it is a pre-paid rate. If the hotel explains to you that there is a problem with the pre-paid rate, then I do not see it as an offense.

Being asked for a credit card and ID is always the case and this should not be considered as offense.