a plea to (sucky) travel agents

[smileyeagle1021]

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.

yeah, I already tried... this was put in morons in management before... but I was recommended to go into GR because my sales stats were down and my TM thought that maybe GR would be a good transition for me because it doesn't involve selling... then a different TM turned down my request for a transfer because... yup you guessed it, my sales stats were down and I shouldn't be looking for a transfer until I fix my stats... the right hand truly does not talk to the left.

though I probably would do well at it... in my night audit position (where I'm the MOD... I love that I'm a MOD after working there for 2 weeks) I've before had people irate that they got a room with only one bed when they booked a room with 2 beds (we were oversold) and I was able to appease them with $15 when they had started by demanding a free night (well kinda sorta gave them $30 because I also gave them a free upgrade).

[smileyeagle1021]

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.

at least at the hotels in our chain if you book an extended stay rate they are supposed to automatically adjust the rate if you depart early... now I don't know... it may be one of those things that is more effort than it's worth... the hotel I work night audit at doesn't have an extended stay rate so I don't have to worry about it... but to adjust the rate we have to manually add the difference to each night.

[thehippie777]

Our hotel does not have "weekly" rates. Our sales department, however, will work with people who believe they will be staying often or awhile.

I wonder if those calls from TA's are company travel agents? I seem to have the most problems with travel agents that work inside someone's office building & are a part of the company...???

[Peppergirl]

Our hotel does not have "weekly" rates. Our sales department, however, will work with people who believe they will be staying often or awhile.

I wonder if those calls from TA's are company travel agents? I seem to have the most problems with travel agents that work inside someone's office building & are a part of the company...???

Hmmm, I've been one of those and I guess I can see where that could happen, although I've personally never EVER gone to bat for a customer with a hotel. I've had them ask me, but I always tell them to deal with it themselves.

My personal experience is that the leisure travel agents are the worst. They are the ones that whine about commission all the time and get fiercely anal about their precious customers. They are kinda held hostage by idiot customers because they don't get future bookings from them if they don't kiss ass. Not to say that it's EVER acceptable to go to bat for a customer who has acted like an idiot and gotten himself booted out of a hotel. I'd personally starve before I attempted to stick up for a customer who has acted that way.

Which may explain why I lasted all of THREE months in the 'vacation' travel area.

[Evil Queen]

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.

Changes of plans happen. At my hotel we only allow you to keep the good rate if it was a family emergency (and I have canceled many a room with just that reason). Of course some hotels are just Uber.

[thehippie777]

My personal experience is that the leisure travel agents are the worst. They are the ones that whine about commission all the time and get fiercely anal about their precious customers. They are kinda held hostage by idiot customers because they don't get future bookings from them if they don't kiss ass. Not to say that it's EVER acceptable to go to bat for a customer who has acted like an idiot and gotten himself booted out of a hotel. I'd personally starve before I attempted to stick up for a customer who has acted that way.

Oh yeah the dreaded comission. You are prolly right. I am glad you wouldn't stick up for a jerk. Crap happens, and honest to God, I feel bad for people who can't get a room or had it booked for the incorrect day. I sometimes want to say that yelling at me won't get me or them any happier

[auntiem]

I'm a leisure travel agent (some biz). Other than to get a park n fly rate I rarely need to call a hotel - a few sales reps will program it in for me so I don't even have to do that. We did a lot of buisness with one hotel and we just asked for a particular sales rep and she would give us the better rate than what showed in the GDS, but that was a special arrangement with only one hotel - she offered we didn't ask/demand it.

If I had a client that punched a clerk then they would be an ex-client - well, after I stopped laughing in their face for asking me to call the hotel.

Ok, once I called a hotel that was showing full in my GDS and told them his name (he stayed there on buisness a lot). Every hotel in town was full - I didn't think they could magicly make a room appear, but might know a B&B that might have a room. The desk clerk said the town was so full the ferry was being used to house people and since he liked my client he offered to let him stay at his apartment.

And not to defend the commission whiners at all - but this might explain it. They might be working in a commission based office. I would never ever work at a place like that. My bonus / fam trip account is based on my commissions not my salary.

[Peppergirl]

I'm a leisure travel agent (some biz). Other than to .

Wow - I realize I just did something that I jumped on someone else for doing a few weeks back. In my original post, I kinda generalized and said 'leisure agents' without putting the SOME in front of it.

Please accept my heartfelt apologies.

[auntiem]

No worries, I know who you meant - I've been on fams with them. They give us all a bad name.

[Peppergirl]

No worries, I know who you meant - I've been on fams with them. They give us all a bad name.

:shudder:
Indeed!!