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Complaining Effectively

Complaining Effectively

Old Jan 18, 2017, 4:13 pm
  #1  
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Complaining Effectively

We've all been there: the airline/hotel screwed up, either big time or small time, and you'd like some compensation. I thought it might be nice to have a thread discussing strategies for effectively getting the hotel, airline, or other service provider to compensate you for your inconvenience. After all, shouting on twitter about how you'll never stay with them again might be super cathartic, but probably won't get you much.

I recently had an atrocious stay at a Hampton Inn in New York (long story, but in short their elevators trapped me in the hotel because the front desk wouldn't send them up to me). I thought I might use that as a starting point for a discussion of how to effectively receive compensation.

I obviously sent in a complaint to Hilton (via twitter messaging, seriously, because I couldn't find the hotel's e-mail anywhere), and from there I heard from about 5 different people, who offered me five different things (a BMG certificate for a particular hotel, then for all Hilton hotels, then for a particular hotel, etc, etc....) I'm a Diamond member, and the hotel itself can't seem to agree with the chain on how to compensate me. The latest is, I said I don't usually stay at Hampton Inns and they offered me 20,000 points, which I find kind of laughable as a compensation offer.

So what are my do's and don't's?

Obviously, I find politeness is key. I always start with being polite but firm, explaining my issues and the negative consequences they had on me. I find it's useful to keep it cordial at first instead of getting angry, because this gives the possibility of "escalating" if things don't go your way.

Having a detailed list of not only complaints, but how/why they were particularly trying. For example, I have several conditions that make me extremely sensitive to noise, so when there's bad soundproofing, noisy neighbors, etc.... I can point that out to the hotel. Similarly, if I'm on a business trip and something the hotel does prevents me from conducting business (like trapping me on the 12th floor and not sending the elevator up for 15 minutes) I point out that this was not just an inconvenience, but directly interfered with my ability to conduct business on my trip.

Regarding the "I'm never going to stay at this hotel again/I'm never staing with X chain again!" statement.....for me, it's not a blanket "never use" statement, but I try to use it very sparingly, and when I've "escalated" the issue. I think it's most effective after you've given the hotel a chance to offer compensation; if you find it inadequate (or non-existent) then a polite statement such as "this kind of treatment is making me reconsider my loyalty" is, I think, appropriate. Stating it as information, rather than a threat (i.e. "This chain no longer satisfies my needs" rather than "I'm never staying with you again!!" is, I think, more effective). Thoughts?

Any additions? I've gotten a lot of miles by complaining about (perfectly legitimate, and not made-up) issues so I like to think the above is not too useless.
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Old Jan 18, 2017, 4:48 pm
  #2  
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Originally Posted by DrRodneyMcKay
We've all been there: the airline/hotel screwed up, either big time or small time, and you'd like some compensation. I thought it might be nice to have a thread discussing strategies for effectively getting the hotel, airline, or other service provider to compensate you for your inconvenience. After all, shouting on twitter about how you'll never stay with them again might be super cathartic, but probably won't get you much.

I recently had an atrocious stay at a Hampton Inn in New York (long story, but in short their elevators trapped me in the hotel because the front desk wouldn't send them up to me). I thought I might use that as a starting point for a discussion of how to effectively receive compensation.

I obviously sent in a complaint to Hilton (via twitter messaging, seriously, because I couldn't find the hotel's e-mail anywhere), and from there I heard from about 5 different people, who offered me five different things (a BMG certificate for a particular hotel, then for all Hilton hotels, then for a particular hotel, etc, etc....) I'm a Diamond member, and the hotel itself can't seem to agree with the chain on how to compensate me. The latest is, I said I don't usually stay at Hampton Inns and they offered me 20,000 points, which I find kind of laughable as a compensation offer.

So what are my do's and don't's?

Obviously, I find politeness is key. I always start with being polite but firm, explaining my issues and the negative consequences they had on me. I find it's useful to keep it cordial at first instead of getting angry, because this gives the possibility of "escalating" if things don't go your way.

Having a detailed list of not only complaints, but how/why they were particularly trying. For example, I have several conditions that make me extremely sensitive to noise, so when there's bad soundproofing, noisy neighbors, etc.... I can point that out to the hotel. Similarly, if I'm on a business trip and something the hotel does prevents me from conducting business (like trapping me on the 12th floor and not sending the elevator up for 15 minutes) I point out that this was not just an inconvenience, but directly interfered with my ability to conduct business on my trip.

Regarding the "I'm never going to stay at this hotel again/I'm never staing with X chain again!" statement.....for me, it's not a blanket "never use" statement, but I try to use it very sparingly, and when I've "escalated" the issue. I think it's most effective after you've given the hotel a chance to offer compensation; if you find it inadequate (or non-existent) then a polite statement such as "this kind of treatment is making me reconsider my loyalty" is, I think, appropriate. Stating it as information, rather than a threat (i.e. "This chain no longer satisfies my needs" rather than "I'm never staying with you again!!" is, I think, more effective). Thoughts?

Any additions? I've gotten a lot of miles by complaining about (perfectly legitimate, and not made-up) issues so I like to think the above is not too useless.
A short, well written summary, stating only the facts and your desired outcome.

Well paragraphed for ease of reading.

No excessive verbiage or irrelevant details, no threats, no hyperpole.

Don't bang on about your status (they can look at your account if they are interested), or how much business they will lose if they don't do what you say (they don't care).


GOOD COMPLAINT:

On mm/dd/yy, I stayed at the Hampton Inn, New York.

I was trapped by an unserviceable elevator for x hours/minutes.

Due to this I missed my flight/meeting/dinner, etc. resulting is additional costs of $xxx.

I request that you reimburse my consequential costs, and refund the cost of the nights accommodation.


BAD COMPLAINT:

On mm/dd/yy I stayed at your hotel and it was the worst night of my life!!!!! I got stuck in your elevator and couldn't contact my friend who was supposed to be meeting me for dinner. By the time I finally got there my lobster thermidor was completely spoiled!!!! All this after my friend had spent three hours cooking while I was stuck in your crumby elevator. You have totally ruined my social life and I am sue you and complain to your CEO. This really is the most disgusting way to treat such a wonderful customer as me!!!!!!! I will never stay at any of your hotels ever again!!!!!!!!
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Old Jan 18, 2017, 5:49 pm
  #3  
 
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- Be polite and concise.
- Ask for what you want and explain why it's reasonable.
- Don't ramble on about irrelevant details or sound like a crazy person.
- Use spell check.
- Don't make empty threats (they know you won't sue over $200 and they probably don't care if you never stay at their hotel again).
- If that fails, you could mention that you don't want this isolated incident to prevent you from posting a positive tripadviser review.
- If you happen to be a lawyer, attaching your business card ("to provide contact details") usually gets a result without having to make any actual threat
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Old Jan 18, 2017, 5:52 pm
  #4  
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Good thinking on the review front. I so far haven't posted any bad reviews or tweets. I wonder what kind of "leverage" is best to hold over a hotel/what do they "fear" the most? Is it having to reimburse my stay, or is it bad reviews? (of course nobody actually sues, that qualifies under the ridiculous category, I think). My take is also that if you have status such as Diamond, saying "despite my elite status, I am reconsidering my loyalty to this hotel chain" might be effective if communicating with the corporate end, not a particular hotel. I think corporate would certainly care if they lost someone who makes numerous stays per year at their various hotels?
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Old Jan 18, 2017, 6:06 pm
  #5  
 
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A bad review can cost a hotel much more than a few hundred bucks compensation. Many hotels proudly post their tripadviser ratings, so they are aware of its power. Tweets come and go, but bad reviews hang around for years. However, I think it's fair to give a hotel a chance to make things right before posting a bad review.

I think status does matter. If you stay at their chain alot, they are more likely to help you than if you only make an occasional stay. So if you've got it, flaunt it.
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Old Jan 18, 2017, 6:12 pm
  #6  
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Originally Posted by Low Roller
A bad review can cost a hotel much more than a few hundred bucks compensation. Many hotels proudly post their tripadviser ratings, so they are aware of its power. Tweets come and go, but bad reviews hang around for years. However, I think it's fair to give a hotel a chance to make things right before posting a bad review.

I think status does matter. If you stay at their chain alot, they are more likely to help you than if you only make an occasional stay. So if you've got it, flaunt it.
Good points both. I usually review on places like Yelp and the hotel's own website, if it allows it. I haven't done many TripAdvisor reviews, though I"m thinking of getting into it. They have a "points" system for reviews, but those points get you nothing - except maybe status, so that your reviews are more visible?

I think in this particular case I've given them more than a fair chance. It's been a week and they've emailed me multiple times. Now they're insisting I was informed beforehand of the non-functioning elevators (I wasn't) and that I could have cancelled a nonrefundable rate. Refusing to honor the 100% guarantee, offering me 20,000 points as a "goodwill gesture." I'm thinking this is laughable. Not even enough for one night. Probably time to casually mention bad reviews and changing my loyalty to another chain....
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Old Jan 18, 2017, 7:00 pm
  #7  
 
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Originally Posted by DrRodneyMcKay
Good points both. I usually review on places like Yelp and the hotel's own website, if it allows it. I haven't done many TripAdvisor reviews, though I"m thinking of getting into it. They have a "points" system for reviews, but those points get you nothing - except maybe status, so that your reviews are more visible?
Tripadviser points and badges seem like they were designed by a kindergarten teacher. They don't actually get you anything. However, I rely on their reviews when researching hotels, so I will generally leave honest reviews of places where I have stayed.
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Old Jan 18, 2017, 8:47 pm
  #8  
 
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Originally Posted by Low Roller
- Ask for what you want and explain why it's reasonable.
This point is one that many people don't consider.

One of my previous jobs was Night Manager during the soft opening of a hotel. The place was closed, gutted, and reopened. Unfortunately, we opened sooner than we should and charged market-rate for rooms that were not completely ready for guests.

My job essentially was listening to multiple (legitimate) complaints every day. [Worst job ever!]

What I quickly discovered is that different people may react diametrically opposite when it comes to offers of compensation. For example, offering to comp a night may thrill someone paying their own way. But, that same gesture might infuriate a business traveler who sees that as only benefiting her or his employer.

So, I think Low Rider's suggestion to say what you'd like is good advice.
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Old Jan 19, 2017, 9:49 am
  #9  
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Remaining calm, being polite, and sticking to the facts tends to work better as most upset customers rant about peripheral stuff.

Add to that effective use of the industry lingo, and they know you are not your average kettle. Particularly with airline staff...using terms like "IDB" and "NRSA" and calling the airline by it's two letter code works wonders.

I once thwarted a non-rev seat poacher who had the support of her FA buddy by saying something along the lines of "Come on, you know the UA rules on NRSA's and displacing rev pax, and if I VDB myself I will tell the station sup that you two ladies will take the late". They moved damn quick while apologizing and I got a free drink from the FA who was terrified I would make trouble for her.

I did anyhow.
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Old Jan 19, 2017, 12:45 pm
  #10  
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Originally Posted by Proudelitist
Remaining calm, being polite, and sticking to the facts tends to work better as most upset customers rant about peripheral stuff.

Add to that effective use of the industry lingo, and they know you are not your average kettle. Particularly with airline staff...using terms like "IDB" and "NRSA" and calling the airline by it's two letter code works wonders.

I once thwarted a non-rev seat poacher who had the support of her FA buddy by saying something along the lines of "Come on, you know the UA rules on NRSA's and displacing rev pax, and if I VDB myself I will tell the station sup that you two ladies will take the late". They moved damn quick while apologizing and I got a free drink from the FA who was terrified I would make trouble for her.

I did anyhow.
That's some impressive lingo! i should learn some (probably more for hotels than airlines, since that's where I seem to have most of my problems).
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Old Jan 19, 2017, 1:13 pm
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Originally Posted by Proudelitist
Remaining calm, being polite, and sticking to the facts tends to work better as most upset customers rant about peripheral stuff.

Add to that effective use of the industry lingo, and they know you are not your average kettle. Particularly with airline staff...using terms like "IDB" and "NRSA" and calling the airline by it's two letter code works wonders.

I once thwarted a non-rev seat poacher who had the support of her FA buddy by saying something along the lines of "Come on, you know the UA rules on NRSA's and displacing rev pax, and if I VDB myself I will tell the station sup that you two ladies will take the late". They moved damn quick while apologizing and I got a free drink from the FA who was terrified I would make trouble for her.

I did anyhow.
What does "take the late" mean? I understand everything else.
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Old Jan 19, 2017, 2:25 pm
  #12  
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On some airlines, it means being responsible for the late departure due to an action that a particular staff member performed. That member is cited on the logistics report explaining the delay for that flight. It usually ends up being gate staff or the pilots, but FA's get stuck with it too if there was an issue involving them. Most are not unusual and they are even expected, but excessive lates can reflect poorly on an employee.
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Old Jan 19, 2017, 2:48 pm
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All good points from the OP.

One thing I'd add is be reasonable about the compensation you request. Admittedly that goes hand-in-hand with a) avoiding hyperbole and b) being specific about what real inconvenience you suffered, but I call it out separately because I see people so often demanding extreme compensation for relatively minor problems.

For example, suppose you check in to a hotel a find your room isn't clean. You report the problem to the front desk, which promptly takes corrective action-- often by assigning you to a different room of equal or better type, or if they're full having your room serviced while you wait 20 minutes. Your stay is not "ruined". Demanding a free night or more is absurd. It's completely out of proportion to the severity and impact of the problem. More reasonable would be to request a few thousand points (whatever is a small fraction of the nightly cost, even when you're not paying with points) or a comp of a meal in the restaurant, one day's parking charge, etc.
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Old Jan 19, 2017, 8:49 pm
  #14  
 
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OP - what compensation were you requesting? Doesn't Hampton Inn have an unconditional money back guarantee? Are you asking for something in addition to not paying for the room?
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Old Jan 19, 2017, 11:02 pm
  #15  
 
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We stayed at a Hampton Inn a few years ago and at check in there was this big sign saying "If you aren't 100% happy with your stay, then it is on us"
So, do they still have those signs ?
I did think it was a foolish sign because, really, who is EVER 100% happy???

Just checked....still has the same policy

Why stay at Hampton?
We know balancing family, friends, work and other free time keeps you busy. We want to help you start your day off right. Whether you're visiting for business or pleasure, you'll always have high-quality and consistent accommodations and amenities. Enjoy a clean and fresh Hampton bed and free Wi-Fi. Wake up each morning to our free, hot breakfast with fresh baked waffles and hearty oatmeal with toppings. Plus, you can count on friendly, helpful service and so much more. Guaranteed. If you're not satisfied, we don't expect you to pay. That's our commitment and your guarantee. That's 100% Hampton.

Last edited by frogss29; Jan 19, 2017 at 11:03 pm Reason: checked facts
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