Disappointed with AKL concierge

[jdm_dkm]

I have not yet stayed in concierge. This will be our fist time. I had e-mailed them regarding reservations we would like, one for V&A and one for the brewers dinner. I sent my e-mail on the Monday night before reservations began for F&W events. I didn't get a return e-mail on Tuesday so I called Wednesday. The person answering the phone said they saw the e-mail in the system and that someone was probably working on it. Still no return e-mail so I forwarded copies of the e-mails this morning. I got a return e-mail saying V&A arrangements were made but no availability a Brewer's Dinner. Did I handle it wrong? Did they drop the ball? I thought concierge may have a better chance at getting the ressie vs. me calling at 4:00am my time?

 

[k&a&c'smom]

Well, you're right, they should have contacted you right after you emailed, acknowledging your message.

However, I wouldn't give up on your res. just yet. Concierge does have more pull, and they will continue to try to get it for you, if there is a cancellation. That's why I love CL, because they get first dibs on cancellations and can snag something at the last minute!!

To be sure, just let them know you would like them to keep trying for you. Sometimes a little magic happens!

 

[currycook]

have stayed only at the BC, YC and WL concierge but there service was promt and really impressive. I would give them another call and see what is happening. Dont be afraid to call them. You are paying for it.

 

[Peter Pirate]

AKL Concierge is the best, IMO. Keep trying but remember they're concierge not personal assistants and while their pull is great they will sometimes NOT be able to meet your requests...That isn't a fault of their ability but simply reflective of the business or popularity of some events.

 

[Cinderella37]

I always send our requests 2-3 weeks before the window for the PS opens. This way, you can be assured that they have received it and that someone has read it before it's too late. I'm sure they are extremely busy at AKL booking for the F&W Festival, so they may not have even read the email until after it sold out. I know this doesn't help much this time, but next time maybe you won't be disappointed. There are always cancellations - just let concierge know that you would like them to keep trying. Good luck!

 

[Ladyhawke10]

I love AKL, but when I stayed in concierge there were a lot of mishaps. Even though we had a confirmation number for our sunrise safari, we were not showing up as reserved. They squeezed us in on the trip because of the mishap, but they had apparently lost our reservation, or concierge forgot to input it correctly.

AKL concierge checked us out early for some strange reason. The locks were changed while we were at the pool. We called the front desk on a courtesy phone and they said there was a mix-up in concierge. Hmmmm, another mishap. The entire day we did not receive maid service or turn down service, because everyone's records showed that we were checked out.

Not the end of the world, but we've never had anything like this happen in concierge elsewhere at WDW. I love AKL and like to get the savannah or pool views, but after this we were hesitant to stay w/ AKL concierge again, and usually splurge on concierge at other deluxe resorts.

 

[Peter Pirate]

No offense Ladyhawk, but if those "complaints" are the worst examples of 'bad service' you experience on vacation I need to find out how you do it...I'd personally never consider those transgressions as anything other than bad luck.

 

[Gabrielle]

Ladyhawk

I agree with you. I think being locked out of your room while at the pool and not getting maid service is poor service and especially so, while staying concierge.

Sounds like you have a good attitude about it, though!

 

[pirateofthecarolinas]

Ladyhawk,

I love AKL CL, but I agree with you. That is very bad service.

We were locked out of our room in May. It took about 2 hours for maintenance to work things out. Pop Century comped part of our bill. That is good service.

Lori

 

[Peter Pirate]

Not too many high expectations around here.

It's so sad that the staff messed up on the Sunrise Safari reservation...Forget the fact that they made it right...Oh, and that oh so nasty room key fiasco...You know I happened to have been locked out of my room at AKL just two weeks ago due to a mistake, but amazingly I found the consequences of no consequence...But in retrospect it sounds like maybe AKL owes me a couple of free nights or something...

 

[sherry8253]

Hi jdm_dkm - My DH and I stayed concierge 2 years ago at AKL and we were not very impressed with them. They failed to get CRT for dinner and an illuminations cruise for me. And we cancelled our dinner in Epcot one evening while we were there. We were having a glass of wine and decided to try Boma instead of getting room service. I asked the concierge if Boma had anything available. I was told there was a table for 4 but they could not book it on the system for 2 people. The concierge then went on to tell me I should walk down to Bomas myself and ask if they would seat us. I would have thought that for what we were paying the concierge would have been considerate enough to pick up the phone and ask that question for me.

 

[eeyore45]

peter pirate . love your spirit, and I agree to a point. being locked out of your room before you check out whether you are concierge or not, has to be unacceptable, wdw, or other hotel... and yet, you're right, to demand/expect a comp well that's pushing it... however.... how about turning it into pixie dust... for say... a make a wish trip???

that would make a frown turned into a more positive spin... and of course it is totally out of reason... but still, one can dream!!

WDW is the #1 destination for make a wishes... and as such wdw cannot answer this.. so if there is anyway I could contribute I sure would...

random acts of pixie dust

 

[pirateofthecarolinas]

Peter Pirate, I was locked out of my room and it is no fun. I had to make two trips from the 70's building to guest services. They cut new keys twice! Still didn't work. This is after we are all tired after a long day in the parks. A girl from maintenance came and she tried to reprogram our door. Still didn't work. She needed batteries but didn't have them, nor did she have a master key to let us in our room.

Do you think YOU would still be patient? Another CM came with the master lock to let us in the room. Can't leave the room because we have to wait for CM with the battery. It took Carlos 45 minutes to get to our room after we saw him down the hall trying to convince other guests he needed to replace the batteries in their door.

PC offered to comp. part of our room for our inconvenience. Why do you think people are trying to get something for nothing? We didn't have use of our room for close to 3 hours.

I don't understand why you are being so judgmental of others.

Lori

 

[Ladyhawke10]

Originally posted by pirateofthecarolinas
Peter Pirate, I was locked out of my room and it is no fun. I had to make two trips from the 70's building to guest services. They cut new keys twice! Still didn't work. This is after we are all tired after a long day in the parks. A girl from maintenance came and she tried to reprogram our door. Still didn't work. She needed batteries but didn't have them.

Do you think YOU would still be patient? Another CM came with the master lock to let us in the room. Can't leave the room because we have to wait for CM with the battery. It took Carlos 45 minutes to get to our room after we saw him down the hall trying to convince other guests he need to replace the batteries in their door.

PC offered to comp. part of our room. Why do you think people are trying to get something for nothing? We didn't have use of our room for close to 3 hours.

I don't understand why you are being so judgmental of others.

Lori

Yes, and its lame when you come back from the pool area ready for showers w/ toddlers sprinkled w/ sand from the sandbox and you've been checked out and your room door has been re-programmed. We were very lucky that our things were not discarded (if we'd stayed at the pool an hour later, they would have been, we were told). The AKL CMs were very compassionate, much more so than Peter Pirate has been on this board, and we have been to AKL many times since--I just avoid CL because I didn't think the service was worth the money. That's why we go for the savannah or pool view rooms now. It was not an issue of bad luck, we'd been checked out for no apparent reason by a concierge staff member who was being careless, and it was an important mistake.

Peter Pirate is reacting to something outside of this issue--his responses are not particularly rational. I hope whatever is bothering you beyond the disboards becomes resolved, Peter Pirate. I'm glad you are having fun on another thread w/ this .

 

[Ladyhawke10]

Originally posted by Peter Pirate
No offense Ladyhawk, but if those "complaints" are the worst examples of 'bad service' you experience on vacation I need to find out how you do it...I'd personally never consider those transgressions as anything other than bad luck.

I can clearly see that you are not trying to be offensive--particularly by starting another thread on this . I have no real interest in continuing a debate on what transgressions you consider severe--we both love AKL and agree on that, but I don't even know you, and it is no matter to me. I find it unusual you are so concerned w/ my opinions, but I'll take it as a compliment to my status on this disboard that my perspective came across as such a threat to you . But seriously, I don't think that getting checked out early or having our Sunrise safari reservations mysteriously disappear were just bad luck. Yes, we were lucky the Sunrise safari wasn't full that morning--had it been, we wouldn't have been able to get in and we had planned our stay to coincide w/ the morning of the safari. The careless CM should have had more coffee on the morning they lost the reservation...and same with the check-out issue and being taken off the service lists all day.... I don't normally have a lot of problems w/ luxury hotel services because I research the hotels beforehand and stay in places that get good reviews, and I don't go or return to situations where the service is lackluster. No reason to, there are plenty of alternatives. We love AKL and stay there frequently, but we do concierge at other deluxe properties because we thought the concierge seemed flighty at AKL because of these problems. End of story.

 

[Peter Pirate]

I aplologize to those offended. It just seemed trivial to me and I responded...I found it so trivial in fact I DID include it my other work, but I was only expressing my own opinion, as misguided and demented as it may be...

The fact is, though, at my last visit to AKL (just two weeks ago) I WAS locked out of my room TWICE!!! It was a bit of a pain but caused me no real inconvenience and I expected nothing for it.

 

[Fridye]

Peter Pirate -- I like your outlook. I got such a chuckle out of your other thread. And I love AKLC and the animals. You've made me want to stop and smell the noses. And if life deals me poop, I'll make compost. Okay, just one more: I'm not going to run and hide.

I think I'll hoof it on out of here now.....

 

[Gabrielle]

Originally posted by Peter Pirate
I aplologize to those offended. It just seemed trivial to me and I responded...I found it so trivial in fact I DID include it my other work, but I was only expressing my own opinion, as misguided and demented as it may be...

The fact is, though, at my last visit to AKL (just two weeks ago) I WAS locked out of my room TWICE!!! It was a bit of a pain but caused me no real inconvenience and I expected nothing for it.

Well, good for you that you weren't inconvenienced but you have taken a rather mild message on the part of Ladyhawke and not only made a mountain where she did not, but then held her post and others up to ridicule in your "parody".

I think her post included the words "not the end of the world"; "hesitant to stay..." Hardly extreme and hardly super critical. And, certainly not worthy of parody.

 

[Peter Pirate]

Gaby, mind if I call you Gaby? Sorry I'm sooooo offensive to you but gee, based on the responses to my other post, my humor seems to be taken rather well around here. If you don't like it or my posts perhaps you should consider putting me on your ignore list.

I've already apologized for offending folks (and I am sorry if I caused anyone to feel bad) but I won't recant what I personally consider to be trivial...

As for the parody, the room key was only one issue of many, after all...And it was caused because I went to the wrong room...Not funny? Oh well.

 

[Ladyhawke10]

Originally posted by Peter Pirate

The fact is, though, at my last visit to AKL (just two weeks ago) I WAS locked out of my room TWICE!!! It was a bit of a pain but caused me no real inconvenience and I expected nothing for it.

Were you checked out by a concierge CM and then did not receive maid service or turn down service for either day? If so, then I think there is some kind of problem going on there that needs to be addressed. I didn't ask for compensation either, in fact, I was extremely nice about it. It was my birthday, after all. Didn't want to make a big deal out of it, but if you were mistakenly checked out like I was then there is some kind of technical issue they are having (or a CM that is pushing the wrong buttons). But then, I don't know why you were locked out twice. They told me it was a mistake in concierge, and that we were lucky we came back in time before our items were removed from the room. Your response to my incident was much more dramatic than mine ever was, actually--thanks for caring .