Wed, 06 Jul 22 11:01:36 +0000

How the hotel's promise of satisfaction increased dissatisfaction

Article author:

Associated Press

Sally French Of Nerdwallet

From the 1990s to the early 2000s, the "100% Satisfaction Guarantee" was all the rage at many hotels. The point was simple: run into problems and get your money back.

Theoretically, this approach addressed a fairly serious problem, such as an early morning pool refurbishment that turned a drifter into an unwelcome alarm clock. bed bugs. There is no hot water.

However, some hospitality experts say that the promise (100% refund if the customer is not 100% satisfied) may have exacerbated the situation for both the customer and the hotel. It states that there is.

"If a toddler spills yogurt, it can take a long time to clean up staff and lead to bad reviews of dirty lobbies and refund requests," said Indiana-based. Bijoy Shah of the trip says. Advisor. "The idea that" customers are always right "created these guarantees, but it seems that customers have learned to abuse them as well.

These days, travelers rarely find such a confident promise. On the other hand, satisfaction is lower than ever. But that's not because the warranty is gone. Because it was there in the first place.

Hotel satisfaction is worse than ever

During that period, according to the American Customer Satisfaction Index Travel Study 2021-2022, which interviewed 6,000 travelers between 2021 and 2022. Satisfaction dropped by 2.7%. In the meantime, many hospitality workers say complaints are skyrocketing.

In 2021, things got so bad that the Rhode Island Hospitality Association launched the PleaseBeKind Toolkit with information on mental health resources and the handling of unruly customers. rice field. Some believe that this year's particularly high dissatisfaction rate is due to disagreements about whether the pandemic is over.

"In the early days of the pandemic, guests were sympathetic to frontline workers," J.D. Andrea Stokes, Power Hospitality Practice Leader, says. "Now consumers want to get back to normal, but the hotel industry hasn't, especially in terms of staffing."

Breakfast buffet pauses Pandemic-related issues such as are partially responsible, but the ongoing slump is not caused by the pandemic, but is upset.

In fact, the ACSI numerical score has been declining over the last decade, from a peak score of 77 in 2012 to just 71 in 2022.

Problem 100% Satisfaction Guarantee

Some hotel experts attribute the protracted impact of 100% Satisfaction Guarantee to low customer satisfaction. Not only has it eaten up the hotel's profits (and reduced the money to invest elsewhere), it may have inadvertently adjusted consumer demand.

"Do your best. Most hotel staff are reluctant, but they can't live up to everyone's unique and unrealistic expectations," said Hospitality Consultant Colleen Carswell. say. "We can't please everyone."

Hampton by Hilton is generally said to have created the first 100% Hotel Satisfaction Guarantee in history (this guarantee was originally in 1999). Established before the parent company Proms was acquired by Hilton).

Hampton by Hilton Global Brand Head Shruti Gandhi Buckley said the introduction helped give guests the confidence that they would have a seamless and problem-free stay. We will refund their money if their expectations are not met. No questions asked. "

However, some travel experts complain that this trained guest complains. Suspects that he believes it is equal to compensation.

"This advantage can even expand negative denialists who are always looking for bad things to point out, often in a very rude way," says Carswell.

Gandhi Buckley argued that the abuse was not really a problem, adding that "guests may have an unusual reason for invoking the warranty" and actually claiming a refund. Less than 1% of guests tried.

Still, Hilton revalued the offer over a decade later. It's still a "100% Hampton Guarantee", but the wording for a full refund is gone.

"I also found the original language to let guests know that something might go wrong," says Gandhi Buckley.

In addition, Gandhi Buckley says that most business travelers don't care about refunds anyway (because their stay was generally an employer's dime) and leisure travelers want a fix for the problem. He said he was out. Hampton's new promise shifts from refunds to allowing employees at all levels and departments to actually make those modifications.

“We can increase the flexibility of our team members,” says Gandhi Buckley.

How to ensure you get the hotel services you need

Reality: Low-priced motels may not be as generous as luxury resorts Please understand.

Read online reviews: Previous travelers may turn you over into sticky waffles.

Ask me properly: Hampton offers refunds for good reason, but Gandhi Buckley says it's common to get other types of compensation. If your room is not ready at check-in, you may receive a complimentary snack.

Polite escalation may be required in situations where staff cannot resolve the issue. After all, you deserve what you paid.

Retaining Elite Status: Hotels prioritize your return, so it's common to receive a money-back guarantee when booking with elite status, Stokes said.

Take Travel Insurance: Travel insurance may help in truly unacceptable situations. Coverage depends on your policy — and you're unlikely to find anything that covers a sticky waffle. However, most policies cover situations such as when the bell desk has lost luggage or cannot arrive due to bad weather. Many credit cards also offer travel insurance for travel purchased with that card.

First, ask the hotel for compensation. If these efforts do not work, please contact your insurance company.

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This article was provided to the Associated Press by the personal finance website Nerd Wallet. Sally French is a writer for Nerd Wallet. Email: sfrenchâ † * nardwallet.com.