Does adding Requests later affect priority

TiggerFreak

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On a different thread someone said that they sometimes will call MS to make requests on existing reservations. We have been told that requests are supposed to be handled on a first come first serve basis. That being said, does calling back to add a request like "Epcot View" or "close to elevators" put you at the bottom of the list for that specific request for the arrival date of your ressie. Or is the initial ressie date applied to all requests?

Not trying to start anything, just believe in "Forewarned is Forearmred(sp?) ! ! ":p
 
This works two ways...

Typically, your requests are filled by seniorty of the date you booked your reservation NOT the date you added the requests. There really isn't a good way to know when requests are added.

Catch!!! (I am speaking from my front desk experience alone) If you call an add requests after the rooms have been pre-assigned by the room assigner, you have a lesser chance of getting your requests.

Example: At OKW, when I was there, we blocked special requests for view, location, etc. 5 days before the arrival.

So everything with a special request is blocked for 5 days from now. A member calls and is arriving tomorrow or two days from now or three days from now...basically anything that has already been assigned. This member booked their reservation 11 months from their arrival date. They did not have any special requests on their reservation except that they want non smoking (which they have been assigned to). They suddenly decide they want to be on the first floor close to the hospitality house. Unless there is an unblocked room to change this to, it is simply not feasible to reblock everyone arriving for the next few days to accomodate this request.

This is when the resort will put a note in the reservation that "member called to request hospitality house the day before arrival". This request would then have low seniority.

I cannot say this is how every resort does this, nor can I say this is still how OKW does this, but this is how most room assigners approached this situation when I was there.

My entire point is, if you want to make special requests, it is a good idea to call MS at least 1 week before your arrival. This way the resort will have no clue that you just made your requests recently.
 
DVC Nut,

Thanks for the info. So the system doesn't keep track of the date for requests made after the orinal ressie. Are cash ressies treated the same way or do members get preference?

Maybe when they get an online reservation system, we'll be able to pick our room number from a map. ;)
 
Member or no member...all ressies were done by date reservation was booked.

Ex: If a non member with requests (you would think it would happen more, but it doesn't, they usually do not have requests other than smoking/non smoking) books 10 days out and you book 2 days out, then the non member would get their requests first.

The choosing a room location when you book thing would be great...never going to happen. The system is ten times more complicated than anyone could ever imagine, unless they have done the job. Too many unknown factors to assign rooms when reservations are made. A lot can change in 11 months. We can keep wishing something like this will happen though :)
 

Originally posted by TiggerFreak
Maybe when they get an online reservation system, we'll be able to pick our room number from a map. ;)
That works on a cruise ship, where everyone checks out on the same day, and thus every room is available for check-in.

But I don't see how it could work at a DVC resort. They really have to assign rooms for check-in from the pool of rooms from which people are checking out.

I think the current system system is as fair and efficient as anything I could think of. If you keep your requests few and reasonable, there's a good chance of complete success.

But if you only want one of six particular rooms, and 25 other people have requested the same six rooms, and only one party (or perhaps nobody) is checking out of those rooms on the day that you're checking in — well, guess what?
 
It could be automated. There are far more complex systems coded and running for years that make the decision tree for this look like elementary school math. That said, would it be cost effective at this time to implement such a system? Probably not yet. But someday it will be.

Werner, on any day the status of a given room is known for the next 11 months. So at the time of the initial reservation all request could be honored based on availability. The sticky part is how to apply cancelations. However that is decided still ends up being a rule to implement in the code. Don't know if I'd want to write it:eek:
 
I think this is very interesting because I have heard of a number of posters who advocate faxing the room controller a few days before arrival...in light of this post, does this make any difference or is it a bad idea?
 
Originally posted by TiggerFreak
Werner, on any day the status of a given room is known for the next 11 months. So at the time of the initial reservation all request could be honored based on availability. The sticky part is how to apply cancelations.
The problem with letting guests lock in specific rooms for specific date ranges is that it would result in all sorts of short date-range "fragments."

Let's suppose that one guest locks in room 1234 for Jan. 1 check-in and Jan. 8 check-out. Another guest locks in room 1234 for Jan. 9 check-in and Jan. 11 check-out. So now the room is unassigned for one night, Jan. 8. Multiply that by hundreds of rooms, many of which would end up with short "fragments" of one or two nights. Soon, all that's left for a given month are "fragments." Now, someone wants to make a one-week reservation, but they're forced to change rooms every night!

It would make booking a non-home DVC resort at 7 months worthless.

DVC resorts (and timeshares in general) operate on near-100% occupancy, so it's not possible to say that a lot of rooms are empty anyway. (They aren't.)

The current system allows rooms to be assigned efficiently, and the priority based on the original request date seems like a fair way to approach preferences.
 
Makes sense that specific room request could lead to fragments.
Does the current point structure of lower weekday points lead to fragments? I wonder how often you would be sucessful in obtaining a 7 day ressie at 7 months with the current system. I have not yet tried to do this yet.

Of course those that don't have access to the online reservation process would be at a disadvantage. I can see it now, "Dear, now don't forget to set the alarm for midnight so you can get room 5365 that Sussie has her heart set on!"

I don't have any problem with how they assign rooms now. It would be my hope that requests are handled as fair as possible.
Just exploring the option of online reservation.

Maybe instead of specific rooms, you could choose a floor, view, etc. just as we do now. But have, say the first, maybe the second, request guaranteed.

How about specific room requests would only be honored for full weeks? That might lead to less fragmentation. The premium already exists for the weekend days and some might be inclined to book full weeks if they could get a request honored.
 
Originally posted by TiggerFreak
Does the current point structure of lower weekday points lead to fragments?
The weekend point premium prevents fragments beacuse is evens out demand. Without such a premium, Friday and Saturday nights would be grabbed up quickly by members who want to take weekend trips and by members who would want weekend nights at both ends of their stay.
Originally posted by TiggerFreak
Just exploring the option of online reservation.
There are a lot of us who would like to see online booking — but not with the goal of pre-blocking specific room numbers.
Originally posted by TiggerFreak
Maybe instead of specific rooms, you could choose a floor, view, etc. just as we do now. But have, say the first, maybe the second, request guaranteed.
When you use Marriott.com to book hotel nights (not Marriott timeshare weeks), there are radio buttons and check boxes for common requests and a freeform blank space to make other comments or requests. The system immediately confirms whether your smoking/nonsmoking status is guaranteed, while requests such as "high floor" or "low floor" are captured, but never guaranteed. It's a good system.
Originally posted by TiggerFreak
How about specific room requests would only be honored for full weeks? That might lead to less fragmentation.
If you mean specific room numbers, I guess i don't see the point. If you mean specific room attributes (high floor, water view, golf view, near bus stop, etc.), then I think an online system should allow guests to select and prioritize such requests — regardless of the length of the stay.
 



















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