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  • #1

    a plea to (sucky) travel agents

    If you already know the rate and your guest is not happy with it, please stop wasting your time calling me. Believe it or not the rates you have access to on your GDS are the exact same rates that I have access to on my reservation system... want to take a guess why... yup that's right, because those are the rates we are offering... unless you're asking for a corp account or group code that you need me to look up I'm not going to change the number just because it will make your job easier or your guest really wants that hotel.

    I'm sorry, but I have enough entitlement whores to deal with on my own without having to deal with yours.

    And on a related note... you have a system that will tell you the rates... I know this because of all the idiots asking if I have a different rate than what they have on their system... if you call asking for nothing but a rate and no other information I will kindly invite you to go to hell... my job is to assist with reservations... you calling me to ask for information that you can just as easily get yourself is just wasting my time.

    (my apologies to the travel agents on this board, I know the majority of y'all do a good job and aren't sucky... I've just been dealing with a lot of sucky ones today and needed to vent)
    If you wish to find meaning, listen to the music not the song
    Tags: None
  • #2
    Wait...there are TA's out there who see the rate in their GDS systems and then call you to get a better one????

    Good god.

    I am on all three GDS systems at work (Sabre, Worldspan and Apollo) and without fail, the rates are usually the same across the board. Why the hell would they call you for better rates???

    Granted, I do have alot of customers who think our rate is higher. My response to them is basically if they don't believe me, THEY can call the hotel and see...but I've never called a hotel to see if a rate was better.

    That sucks, SE. TA's like that give the rest of us a bad name.
    "So, if you wanna put places like that outta business, just stop being so rock-chewingly stupid." ~ Raudf, 9/19/13

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    • #3
      If you truely want a cheaper rate, sometimes it's easier to call the hotel directly. Say you're staying for an extended period? Our hotel has a weekly rate that we don't advertize (I think we would get more business if we did... but we're not supposed to). *shrugs*
      Ridiculous 2009 Predictions: Evil Queen will beat Martha Stewart to death with a muffin pan. All hail Evil Queen! (Some things don't need elaboration.....) -- Jester

      Ridiculous 2010 Predictions: Evil Queen, after escaping prison for last years prediction, goes out and waffle irons Rachel Ray to death. -- SG15Z

      Ridiculous 2011 Prediction: Evil Queen will beat Gordon Ramsay over the head with a cast-iron skillet. -- FireHeart

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      • #4
        Quoth Evil Queen View Post
        If you truely want a cheaper rate, sometimes it's easier to call the hotel directly. Say you're staying for an extended period? Our hotel has a weekly rate that we don't advertize (I think we would get more business if we did... but we're not supposed to). *shrugs*
        i wish I could say it was something like that where one might think there is a unadvertised rate for like an extended stay or something... no they are looking for just one night with no other discount than I'm feeling nice
        If you wish to find meaning, listen to the music not the song

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        • #5
          Hugs for my poor Smiley.

          *hugs*

          Sucks to work for CRS I guess.
          Ridiculous 2009 Predictions: Evil Queen will beat Martha Stewart to death with a muffin pan. All hail Evil Queen! (Some things don't need elaboration.....) -- Jester

          Ridiculous 2010 Predictions: Evil Queen, after escaping prison for last years prediction, goes out and waffle irons Rachel Ray to death. -- SG15Z

          Ridiculous 2011 Prediction: Evil Queen will beat Gordon Ramsay over the head with a cast-iron skillet. -- FireHeart

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          • #6
            Quoth Evil Queen View Post
            Hugs for my poor Smiley.

            *hugs*

            Sucks to work for CRS I guess.
            there is some positive to come out of working both at a hotel and CRS... the hotel employees now know to back off of the CRS agents because they now know just what it's like on the other side of the computer screen.
            If you wish to find meaning, listen to the music not the song

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            • #7
              Quoth Evil Queen View Post
              If you truely want a cheaper rate, sometimes it's easier to call the hotel directly. Say you're staying for an extended period? Our hotel has a weekly rate that we don't advertize (I think we would get more business if we did... but we're not supposed to). *shrugs*
              I found out about extended period rates last Christmas. We had planned on staying 8 days, but ending up leaving after 4. We were still charged the extended stay rate since it was already in the system.

              Would I be an SC to take advantage of that rate structure in the future?
              "I don't have to be petty. The Universe does that for me."

              Comment

              • #8
                Quoth Ironclad Alibi View Post

                Would I be an SC to take advantage of that rate structure in the future?
                no, not at all... if the hotel offers an extended stay discount by all means feel free to use it... now asking us to give a extended stay discount when you aren't an extended stay or complaining about having the rate adjusted if you check out early would be sucky. So long story short... as with everything in the hotel industry, we could care less what rate you use as long as you are using it properly and as it is intended.
                If you wish to find meaning, listen to the music not the song

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                • #9
                  as with everything in the hotel industry, we could care less what rate you use as long as you are using it properly and as it is intended
                  That's pretty much every industry. "Pay the prices we ask and we're happy."
                  "Always stand near the door." -- Doctor Who

                  Kuya's Kitchen -- Cooking, Cooking Gadgets, and Food Related Blather from a Transplanted Foodie

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                  • #10
                    I would also like to add to this post, since you and i deal with the SAME STA's....

                    1)No. Do not call me when your client has given an invalid or declined credit card number and the hotel has, rightfully, cancelled the reservation. No, I will not ask the hotel to "JUST HOLD IT" when there is no 24 hour hold or 6 PM day of arrival hold for the hotel. Do not then proceed to scream at me for 10 minutes stating that you will NEVER stay at one of our hotels again and you won't book people with us. Know why not? Because I DO NOT CARE. YOUR client provided you with a bad credit card number and if YOUR CLIENT does not have a good one and you called the hotel and they are now sold out and have no more rooms, then that is YOUR CLIENT'S fault.

                    2.) No. Do not book the advanced purchase rate, not pay attention where you are booking/forget to tell the client about the cancellation policy until AFTER you book the reservation and expect me to "make an exception or you'll never book with us again"

                    3.) I understand you're wondering where your commission is. I have no idea. This number I provided you can tell you. Do NOT get all high and mighty with me/complain non-stop that you have to call this other number. I have NO WAY of tracking this for you. This is not my department

                    4.) If your client is being an arse at the hotel and gets the police called on him and kicked out of the hotel, booked an advanced purchase rate, and the hotel has stated they are not refunding him anything...do NOT call me and make threats that you can not belive I am providing such poor customer service when I tell you there is nothing i can do. SORRY. YOUR CLIENT PUNCHED OUR FRONT DESK CLERK (true story).

                    5.) Do not call me on behalf of your client, ignore my repeated attempts to tell you that your client needs to call us himself to speak to us about the room conditions of the hotel (which is exactly what the agent who transferred you to me told you), spend an HOUR complaining about how horrible the hotel was (when you weren't there) and then demand compensation when I tell you there is STILL nothing I can do for you and to have him/her call directly because I have WASTED an hour of YOUR time. Had you listened to me or the agent before me, you'd have known better. Shut it. Seriously.

                    Comment

                    • #11
                      Quoth Ironclad Alibi View Post
                      Would I be an SC to take advantage of that rate structure in the future?
                      The only sucky thing would be to say you're staying for an extended period of time when you actually plan on checking out much sooner. You would, effectively, be lying to get a discounted rate. If you get caught doing this, a hotel has the right to charge you the regular daily rate.

                      (this happened once at my hotel; we caught the people who were cheating us and instead of charging them our special extended stay rate of 69$ plus tax, we charged them the whole 105$ plus tax. Granted, this was also the same guy that later solicitated one of my housekeepers for sex)
                      Ridiculous 2009 Predictions: Evil Queen will beat Martha Stewart to death with a muffin pan. All hail Evil Queen! (Some things don't need elaboration.....) -- Jester

                      Ridiculous 2010 Predictions: Evil Queen, after escaping prison for last years prediction, goes out and waffle irons Rachel Ray to death. -- SG15Z

                      Ridiculous 2011 Prediction: Evil Queen will beat Gordon Ramsay over the head with a cast-iron skillet. -- FireHeart

                      Comment

                      • #12
                        4.) If your client is being an arse at the hotel and gets the police called on him and kicked out of the hotel, booked an advanced purchase rate, and the hotel has stated they are not refunding him anything...do NOT call me and make threats that you can not belive I am providing such poor customer service when I tell you there is nothing i can do. SORRY. YOUR CLIENT PUNCHED OUR FRONT DESK CLERK (true story).
                        Any travel agent who goes to bat for a "customer" such as that one is not worth dealing with.

                        I'd say "Fine. See ya. Not our problem YOUR client decided to commit assault and battery and get kicked out of the hotel."
                        Knowledge is power. Power corrupts. Study hard. Be evil.

                        "I never said I wasn't a horrible person."--Me, almost daily

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                        • #13
                          Quoth dekydrose View Post
                          everything that dekydrose said in his post on this thread and others.
                          wow... now I'm kinda glad I didn't get the "promotion" to guest relations.
                          If you wish to find meaning, listen to the music not the song

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                          • #14
                            dude...i'm going to throw this in there right now...guest relations is a HELLA fun department to be in. You either help people or tell them no and it's non-repetitive. I sincerely LOVE my job. You should come try it out. It's awesome.

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                            • #15
                              Quoth Evil Queen View Post
                              The only sucky thing would be to say you're staying for an extended period of time when you actually plan on checking out much sooner. You would, effectively, be lying to get a discounted rate. If you get caught doing this, a hotel has the right to charge you the regular daily rate.

                              (this happened once at my hotel; we caught the people who were cheating us and instead of charging them our special extended stay rate of 69$ plus tax, we charged them the whole 105$ plus tax. Granted, this was also the same guy that later solicitated one of my housekeepers for sex)
                              What happened was we reserved for an extended stay, but a change in plans had us leaving early. The desk cleck said that even though we were leaving early, and stayed less than the time required for the extended rate, we still got the extended rate for the room since it was booked at that rate. I was pleasently surprised.

                              I agree that booking an extended stay with no intent to stay the full time would be SC behavior.
                              "I don't have to be petty. The Universe does that for me."

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