Would you expect to be compensated? (LONG hotel rant) (UPDATE, p 3)

[Gail T AGAIN]

How did you pay for your stay? I would want it all back, I am sorry but there was no need of that. I have never stayed in a Radison and now after reading this I never will. I hope you get some justice from this horrible experience.

 

[DocRafiki]

I'm not the type to ask for refunds either, but I sure would in this case. I don't think you deserve 100% back. If it were that bad, you should have left. The family who tried to leave and weren't allowed to without losing money... they should get close to 100% back, IMO.

 

[Tuffcookie]

I am a firm believer in writing letters!!! The people working the front desk do not want to give refunds and they know few people get home and write letters to their corporate offices with complaints. If you don't get satisfaction after talking to the "middle men", I would definately follow up with a letter to their corporate offices. Be sure to stick to the facts and try not to express emotion in the letter. Some of you know about the plumbing problems I had at the Poly this summer. I sat down when I got home (and was in a calmer state of mind) and sent the corporate offices a letter. They checked the work orders for my room and agreed the plumbing problems should have been fixed on the first dayl (it took 5 days and I had called the desk every day!) WDW refunded me 25% of my total resort bill!
Good luck!

TC

 

[shortbun]

Be sure to work from the "squeaking spoke"
angle. Hotels are much less apt to settle
something like this than they used to be.
I was a travel agent for 29 years and I
find this to be a pretty extreme situation that
you experienced. Don't give up and don't
take no from someone who can't say yes.
Everyone should get at least a 50% reimbursement.
Your friends who tried to check out should get
that night free and 50% off the 1st night.
Unexcusable inflexibility. Good luck.
mimi

 

[Michelle]

WOW! I'm one who can let a lot slide, but it is totally inexcusable for them to not have ROOM KEYS that worked!!! And even more inexcusable that they did not compensate you at all!

I agree with the others, keep escalating this until you get some satisfaction.

Good luck!

 

[AirForceRocks]

Did you charge the rooms to your credit card? If so, stop dealing with the hotel company immediately, and contact your credit card company. Look on the back of your statement when it arrives, it should have the customer service number - you can call and request that they fax you a form for disputing the charge.
Once the CC company receives WRITTEN notice that you are disputing the charge, they will remove it from your bill, and no interest will accrue while they look into the matter.

We had a horrible experience with a hotel chain a couple of years ago, a chain that also offered a 100% satisfaction guarantee or your money back. I won't go into details, but I'm not a "I want my money back" type of person except under extreme circumstances, which these were.

I disputed the charge on my credit card - I filled out the credit card company form, and wrote a complete description of the problems I encountered, including descriptions of all of my dealings with the chain in an attempt to cancel the charge to my credit card.

VISA took up the fight, and after 4 months, I was finally notified that the hotel had relented, and that I would not have to pay for the room. It was only a one night charge, but we didn't even stay - we checked out so that we could stay somewhere else.

 

[one_cat]

I would definitely pursue it with the head office. Good luck...

 

[minniecarousel]

They think that they can treat you like this because you were there with a soccer tournament. They had you over a barrel - no place else to go & they knew it!
Good luck in pursuing this.

 

[iluvorlando]

Yes, I would expect some form of compensation. Don't give up. I do think the credit card company is a great way to go also.

 

[Eeyore2U]

If you got the hotel from the recommended places to stay that was given by the tournament, I'd let the Tournament know as an FYI. With the amount of business that the tournament throws there way they would want to know. It is also a reflection on them.

 

[kylara]

I agree that you should be refunded at least part of your cost of staying there. If you do not get satisfaction, I would not only take it up with your credit card (if you paid that way) but with the BBB.

 

[MaryAnnDVC]

UPDATE:

The 24 hour deadline to receive a response from the Radisson came and went this morning. Meanwhile, this afternoon I got this email from Dan, the Soccer Coach (we were an "Under 10 team"...there was also an "Under 12" team from our town there):

Dear Soccer Parents:

I was told at the front desk upon learning of the lack of key issue that guests may be able to be compensated for their inconvenience once management returns during the regular work week and I planned on contacting the Radisson during the week regarding this matter. I was also told that the problem would be remedied by Sunday which did not happen.

Monday afternoon, I learned that a guest from the Under-12 party received a credit of $100 dollars to compensate him for his inconveniences during his stay at the Radisson. Those inconveniences included lack of hot water in the afternoon & inability to move freely to and from his room unless escorted by
a hotel attendant.

Upon learning of this, I made a verbal request of Ellen Sager (Director of Sales at the Hotel) asking for equal compensation since guests from our group had similar problems. She responded that no complaints were made that were noted from guests from our group and as such she would compensate me alone for my inconveniences at $40/day for a total of $80. I refused to accept compensation alone and leave the others from my party uncompensated as I felt most, if not all experienced similar issues. I then asked Ellen Sager that if $80 was what was being offered, please divide it by the seven members in our group and compensate each guest $11.43 as a reduction to their credit card charges. I further stated that I thought it was unfair to compensate one person $100 for similar issues and offer $80 to our group.

I am now asking that all those from our Under 10 group commit to writing a short note outlining your specific problems, if any since the Radisson's management does not have record of inconveniences to our group. I do not want to fabricate anything that did not occur, but would like to seek compensation on behalf of the guests in our group if inconveniences did in fact exist.

As such, I ask that you please forward a note to me regarding your specific problems/issues if any to my home address by Saturday or hand it to me on the soccer field this weekend.

My response to him and the others he sent the above email to, including the Radisson:

hi dan,

thanks for your email. i called radisson customer service yesterday and submitted a complaint. the complaint was to be forwarded to the radisson management in chelmsford, and management was to respond to me within 24 hours; we are now beyond that deadline and they have not contacted me. i posted my experience on a travel discussion board and was advised that there is a website called www.planetfeedback.com where complaints can also be made. i have not had a chance to look at the website, so i have not decided if that would be a route i would consider taking if we get no satisfaction directly from radisson.

to state that there were no complaints is outrageous. i certainly complained, and it is my understanding that many others in our group complained repeatedly as well. the fact that the front desk/management chose to dismiss those complaints in the first place, and then claim that they never existed, makes the situation far more outrageous and far more inconvenient as we continue to have to deal with this.

i appreciate what you've done to date, dan, and i feel terrible that you've had to deal with this. the hotel was beautiful and was otherwise an excellent choice and i enjoyed socializing with such a nice group of soccer parents and children, so please don't feel that any anger about the hotel situation has anything whatsoever to do with your choosing it. i appreciate your offer to split your credit but A) you shouldn't have to...the problems were the radisson's fault, and THEY should be taking responsibility for compensating us, not you, and B) that amount is unacceptable considering the experience.

i will speak with you further as this situation progresses.

sincerely,
maryann

 

[BethR]

Good Luck Maryann! I would think that now it is not so much about the money, it is about the principle!!! I hope that you get back every penny that you were charged. I have rarely heard of any customer service being so unresponsive.

 

[preshi]

A very similar thing happened to us at the Sheraton and the managers were terribly rude and not helpful at all. Well I'll add the Radisson on my lidt of places never to stay.

Sorry you are having such a difficult time.

Is this who you wrote to?

U.S./CANADA
Radisson Hotels & Resorts
Customer Service

Carlson Hospitality Worldwide
Customer Service

11340 Blondo Street
Omaha, NE 68164
800-333-3333


Not sure if they'll be anymore helpful but ti's worth a shot.

 

[Kallison]

It looks to me like you need to go over their heads to the next level of management.

 

[DonnaW]

I totally understand your frustration and really hope you get the compensation I believe you are entitled to...BUT...I see posters saying they are crossing Radison off their list of hotels to stay at...I have stayed at the Radison here in Chicago and it is a GREAT place to stay, never had a problem there...just want to point out that not ALL Radisons are necessarily bad places to be! Good luck in getting this resolved quickly!

 

[Dan Murphy]

Thanks for the update, Mare.