Days Inn

• We sometimes think that our policies should prevail in all circumstances. But I would like to share a letter with you from an experience I had a few years ago that illustrates the assumption that dissatisfied customers will try to tell the whole world about their bad experience and happy customers may not tell anyone at all. Property managers need to keep this in mind whether they manage hotels, apartments or office space. In the property management blog I hope to share insights and experience that will help you with your properties. Business blogs and apartment blogs are probably filled with people who want resolution to an issue. Most times it is better just to resolve the issue. I am still sore about an unpleasant experience I had 2 years ago. Here is the letter: Dear Mary, I received your letter of 10/10. Here is the history of events leading to the attempt to cancellation my reservation at the New Paltz Days Inn. On Weds. The 2nd of October I stayed a night at the Inn. The room smelled bad, the heater was incredibly noisy, and there was human hair in the bathroom sink and tub. There was dust and dirt in areas that should be easy to reach for the cleaning staff. It was very late, around midnight, when I checked in, after a full day of travelling from Central Missouri. The last thing I wanted to do was to spend more time awake comparing and changing rooms. The next morning when I went to check out, there was no one in the office, so I left my keys at the desk waved to the cleaning staff person that I saw in the distance in the walk –way and went about my day. I then called the customer service line later in the day to cancel the reservation I had made for the three days in question. The customer service line said they could not help me and referred me to the local property. I called the local property and spoke to a woman who answered the phone, She said only the owner can cancel the reservation. I played phone tag with him during the day and was unable to reach him. I made it clear to both the customer service line reps and the woman at the property that this was an unusual circumstance. I understand you have a 72-hour cancellation policy. That is fine under usual conditions. When I finally did talk live to Mr. Patel from the local store, he made it clear to me he would not cancel the room or refund the 407 dollars in question, even if I felt the room was a dump. I travel frequently and know others who travel frequently. If this issue is resolved to my satisfaction. That is, if my credit card is refunded the $407.16, I will assure you that I will tell everyone I can about how you were able to make it right with me and I will pledge to stay at a Days Inn whenever possible in each of the 15 business trips I am planning in 2003. If the only response I get from this situation is “too bad, so sad”, I will never stay at a Days Inn ever again and will be as loud a voice as possible complaining about the “gotcha” tactics that you and your local property have used in this instance. I leave the ball in your court. Is it the goal of your department to make it right with a customer or to create interference and try and wear down my resistance to a “gotcha” tactic? If your customer service department is seen as a profit center by your superiors, then refunding the $407.16 to my credit card would create immeasurable good will as well as real revenue from my business and the business of others I tell about you. On the other hand the profit from the $407.16 could never even come close to the lost revenue and lost good will that will happen because of it. Sincerely , Tron Jordheim bye for now, Tron

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Disclamer: This entry is intended to promote our partner StorageMart and some or all participants received compensation.

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