SOG reservation strategy

[LizPR]

I have a room booked at the Contemporary through SOG from 10/4 - 10/. Last week the kids' school sent home the calendar for next year and guess what, 10/3 is a day off. So now I need a room for 10/3. Hooray and extra day at the World!

Is my best bet to get on the waitlist for 10/3 or to try to book an overflow room? My understanding is that I cannot do both.

 

[LizPR]

Room reservation is for 10/3 - 10/10.

 

[palmtreegirl]

That's a tough call. Is it possible to call and find out what your place would be on the waiting list first? If you'd be at the top you then maybe you should do that so you don't have to change hotels, but if there are a lot of people ahead of you then you could do the over flow.

 

[lap1031]

The person I spoke to said they have no way of knowing where you are on the waitlist, but I have been on it twice and both times I got a call with the dates I wanted. I would try that and if it gets too close to your trip I'm sure you can always get overflow rates somewhere.

 

[Alice28]

When we went last time, I asked to be on the wait list for just one extra day at the beginning- just like you are trying to do...within a matter of weeks they called and told me the day had opened up. I would say it was at least 6 if not 8 weeks before we left.

Hey, maybe we will be next door neighbors- we arrive on the 3rd and leave the 8th.

 

[nicurnc]

Yes, take the waitlist. Have been called twice to say that the room was available.
SOG reservationists must be like Disney CMs, depends on who you talk to
They did tell me how far I was on the list, but would not say how fast I might move "up" on the list.

You will enjoy the CR - And it's a great bargain at SOG rates

Loretta

 

[madge]

take the waitlist--I'm sure the closer 30 days comes there will be some concellations. Personally, our reservation will be trimmed down as soon as I book our flight.

if nothing else, you can always book something through CRO to have as a backup....

 

[FirstNo]

Originally posted by nicurnc
Yes, take the waitlist. Have been called twice to say that the room was available.
SOG reservationists must be like Disney CMs, depends on who you talk to
They did tell me how far I was on the list, but would not say how fast I might move "up" on the list.

You will enjoy the CR - And it's a great bargain at SOG rates

Loretta

If they did "tell you", then I hate to be the one to tell you, but you were lied to. Although a number can be seen (which is how they know they can't put any more on the list due to the numbers all ready there), they can't tell you for certain you're "number 24" or "number 32" or whatever.

Why? Because although you may be #24 on day 1, you could be #3 for day 2, #59 for day 3 and so on. Each guest picks a different number of days for their vacations so there are always overlaps. Unless you are #1 for every single day, there is NO WAY OF KNOWING WHERE YOU ARE ON THE LIST....PERIOD.

And since very few people, myself was one of them, figure out who gets to get called, more than likely, the person you're speaking with doesn't have a clue as to how the list is made up.

That stated, those who have been there a while know how the ebb and flow go with the rooms. If they can see that you're calling about mid Dec and it's the beginning of Jun, they'd probably tell you, and rightly so, that you're chances of being contacted are pretty good. However, if it's now the beginning of Jun and you're trying to get on the list for the Jul 4 time frame, they'd probably tell you the list is closed, or if it's open, you're chances of being contacted are slim. As always with the waiting list, it is NOT a guarantee of a room. It is a chance and when you gamble, there's always a chance you'll lose.

Being the beginning of Jun and the guest only needing one night at the beginning of Oct, I would recommend to the guest to go ahead and get on the list. I'd be very surprised if he/she didn't get it.

 

[nicurnc]

But I don't look at it as being lied to, maybe just a way of keeping a customer satisfied

I was told there was no way of knowing how fast, or even if I, I'd actually be called for a room being available. This way, I just felt like I had a chance. I had made back up reservations, but we did get called a few weeks prior that the extra day we needed was available.

This wasn't a bad move, I never called back to see if I was "closer", I knew I'd get called if space became available

Loretta

 

[FirstNo]

Originally posted by nicurnc
But I don't look at it as being lied to, maybe just a way of keeping a customer satisfied

I was told there was no way of knowing how fast, or even if I, I'd actually be called for a room being available. This way, I just felt like I had a chance. I had made back up reservations, but we did get called a few weeks prior that the extra day we needed was available.

This wasn't a bad move, I never called back to see if I was "closer", I knew I'd get called if space became available

Loretta

It's great you have such a positive attitude about being lied to (no, I am not being sarcastic, I truly do mean it!!). However, one of the main reasons we all were told to never, EVER tell a guest where they are on the list (besides the fact we don't know) is because it never fails this situation happens:
Guest is told they're number 10 on the list for their dates in Nov. They were put on the list back in Feb. It's now Jun. They are calling and griping and complaining that back in Feb they were put on the list and were #10. How on God's green earth were they #10 4 months ago, and they have yet to be called? Are we stupid? Did we lie to them? (well, yes, we did!) Are we not doing our jobs? See where it's going???

Yes, those situations happened. Not every day; it depended on how many times and different agents gave different stories to guests. The guest has every right to be upset for being lied to. Personally, I'd tell the guest that we can't see where they are on the list. If I'd get a guest who couldn't understand that concept (there were more than a few), I'd further explain just as I did here, how the list works and why we can't see that information. That usually did the trick. You'd have the occassional one or two guests a year who couldn't understand the explaination, but then they became the manager's problem and not mine <G>.