DISGUSTING CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE

I'm hoping this gets to higher management of Protea Hotel :

I booked with Umhlanga branch for the 9th Jan as an anniversary spoil for my husband and I via the Agoda website.

However, due to a misunderstanding - my brother was beaten really bad and was arrested to which he has to appear in court on the 10th Jan.

At 6pm on the 9th Jan I called the hotel to ask If they could please postpone my booking for a week after, the gentleman checked with management and confirmed no. I called Agoda, and they said the booking time has passed so if any amendment needs to be made, it can only be done by the hotel; I called the hotel again and asked to speak to management, I got through to Zama and explained forfeiting R1750 is a lot of money for me, I didn’t want to cancel – just reschedule, she said the booking needs to be changed by Agoda as its hotel policy, she said cancelations should have been done 24 hours prior. But I did not expect this to happen hence I could not make prior arrangements.

Zama was then going to check with someone else and I was left holding the line for 7 minutes before it disconnected. I called Agoda back, and the agent said it all depends on the hotel, the agent 3-way conference contacted Zama on my behalf ; Zama quickly shut us down and said she cant do anything and left us holding again for another 10 minutes before the line disconnects AGAIN.

So I just wanted to highlight this series of events that would have caused me to forfeit R1750. Amidst the family issues my husband checked in late last night so we wouldn't have to forfeit our money, But it was not a happy, or enjoyable time at all.

THE STAFF WAS VERY FAST TO SLAP US WITH HOTEL POLICY, YET UPON CHECKING IN – IF ONLY THEY COULD ENFORECE HOTEL STANDARDS; THE COUCH IN OUR SUITE WAS STAINED AND DIRTY, PILLOWS WET, NO BATH TOWELS, NO BATHING ESSENTIALS, NO TOILET PAPER, I HAD TO CALL HOUSE KEEPING FROM MY MOBILE AS THE TELEPHONE DID NOT WORK…

Its quiet easy to hide behind hotel policy, but if we’re claiming such professionalism with procedures, then our staff etiquette, house keeping, hygiene and overall customer service should match the same.

To Protea hotel, we can't afford your hotel at random so some of us work really hard so that we can get a bit of an extra spoil. Instead of just slapping us with hotel policy, take a few minutes to actually LISTEN to the person on the other side, we are HUMAN too and it's not only about business and money !!!