In this day and age, all we hear about (and seem to experience) is horrible customer service, especially over the phone. Today I had to call Hotels.com directly, because I was having some issues on the site. I only had to press one option before I got to speak to a live person, a miracle in itself! When the time came to pay over the phone, Joe, my service agent, kindly informed me that there were some problems with my card. After trying it again, he asked if I had booked a flight today. Why, yes I had! He then took the time to explain some things he’d been noticing of late (namely, that CC companies are putting a courtesy hold on the cards until they can verify travel), and then, to my amazement, said he would hold if I would like to call my CC company.
As I called the company to clear it up, Joe sat on hold, and was there as soon as I got back on the line. He wrapped up my reservation, then, at the end, offered his full name (usually I can just get the first name out of them, if anything at all), then gave me his direct extension should I need further assistance or have any problems.
It’s the little things - like kind service throughout the call, combined with the call wrap up – that I find very rarely in today’s marketplace, and they make all the difference. This will definitely encourage me to use Hotels.com again in the future.
Ann K. Freccero
Strategists & Planners