I’m convinced now that we go away on vacations because of some kind of weird peer pressure. Think about it. When you declare you’re going on vacation, the natural response is always “Where are you going?” If your response is,”Oh, I’m just going to stay home and relax…” well……dull.
I’ve been bragging for weeks about my vacation. Italy and Croatia! I planned to blog my adventures every day and take tons of pictures. I’ve been on vacation now for 3 days. I’m sitting in an airport hotel next to Dulles. I won’t bore you with the details but this has been the trip from hell so far. I actually prayed for the world to end yesterday – not even that happened as scheduled.
Last night I had a meltdown and today I am feeling quite Zen about the entire thing. Here is what I have learned:
1. Service levels in America are at an all time low. This recession has done the opposite of what I had hoped. Instead of people embracing their jobs, lucky to still have one, they are surly, sloppy and scared.
2. As much as I love rewards programs I have experienced the effect they have on employees. Case in point – I am Marriott Gold. When our flight to Rome was cancelled we were sent to the airport Marriott. I did not have my Gold card with me (didn’t think I would need it) and the desk clerk said no problem – she would look it up. Apparently she did not. Last night when we tried to charge our dinner to our room the waiter said we had the room number wrong. Mark went to the front desk and was informed that we had to move to another room – one door down.
It should be noted that this is when I lost it.
Seems they had a big group that reserved a block of rooms and when we checked in after sitting on the tarmac for 3 hours and then were told our flight to Rome was cancelled and stood in line for 2 hours to find out we cannot get out of DC for three days…….oh sorry, wasn’t going to bore you with the details…..anyway beeotch did not look up my Gold Card number!
We moved all of our stuff to the room next door. THEN I called down to ask about a fax I was supposed to have received and casually asked if my Gold number had been entered yet. She said it had not and she looked me up. Suddenly the world changed. Apologies all around and get this – come back down to the lobby and we will rekey you so you have access to the Concierge lounge, etc.
This is when I lost it. I really just wanted my points for the three night stay – I expect that everyone will be treated well at a Marriott. I have blogged numerous times about how much I love their service. This is the first time it has been horrible. Apparently their policy is to only treat the elite well. The rest of you can go to hell. This was a real eye opener for me.
I live in the Land of Enchantment. 300 days of sunshine a year. I have a lovely home and now a wonderful little doggie that is so excited to see me it makes my heart ache. Last night I fantasized about just being home for the week. Waking up when I wanted to – taking hikes with Mark and Dexter. Watching movies. This is the last vacation I think I will ever take – where I leave paradise to subject myself to long lines, crowds, surly service, hotel food, living out of a suitcase and…wait for it……starting tomorrow. The Euro.
Stay tuned.
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May 22, 2011 at 6:30 am
Vacation. « The 2020 Vision of Marketing | Tour Magz
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May 22, 2011 at 1:04 pm
Beth Zimmerman
If I was from the Land of Enchanting I would never leave the enchantingness to go to Rome. Besides from you I don’t know any New Mexicans. I only know Old Mexicans and they don’t go to Rome either. I don’t know where Crotatia is but I bet its nice there.
While you are stuck in DC you should be hiking the hills to let all the congressmans aids know what a good ting credit unions are and to not take our debit fees away from us. Have a nice rest of trip!
May 22, 2011 at 1:48 pm
1st Thinker
In normal times people actually took vacations. Now with the “do more with less” and then do it again (and again). Most are too exhausted to go anywhere. Home hasn’t been kept up because of work pressure… and work suffers because the house is a wreck. So vacations are peoples attempt to get back to “Normal”. The pressures of doing more with less are taking its toll… on vacation.
Perhaps what you’re running into is other business’s that are under the same pressures we are.
May 22, 2011 at 5:42 pm
Hap Landies
Hmmmm. “This recession has done the opposite of what I had hoped. Instead of people embracing their jobs, lucky to still have one, they are surly, sloppy and scared.”
Personally, I had hoped that the recession would end soon so more people wouldn’t lose their jobs, their homes, and their dignity. I failed to see the upside of the recession, as you did, e.g.. hotel service might improve.
Thanks for pointing this out to me.
May 22, 2011 at 6:17 pm
Denise Wymore
Hap,
We are a service economy and we are put on this earth to serve one another. I don’t apologize for wanting and expecting good service from hotels, airlines, and restaurants who depend on business travelers and vacationers for their livelihood.
Hope is not a strategy Hap. We have to work our way out of this mess. And if the definition of economics is the study of human behavior – then it would stand to reason that if our economy is in the toilet – we humans have been behaving badly.
May 23, 2011 at 9:09 am
MB
Oh dear, Denise, I don’t know whether to laugh or cry over your blog. What a disaster. At least these first few days. But you are pretty good at making lemonade when life hands you a slippery banana peel. I hope everything goes well from here on out and you are basking under the Tuscan sun or Croatian sun or being someplace happy, full of good food and enough wine to be a bit tiddly.
You are right about service. Scared employees are not happy employees ready to do a good job. My daughter has been a waitress on and off for about 8 years and I will never understand the managements that think it’s such a good idea to threaten them regularly with being fired if they don’t up-sell more desserts, or tell them they can have their jobs or that day off to be a maid of honor at their best friend’s wedding but not both. And don’t even think about getting sick.
At some point, the pendulum has to start swinging back the other way and then maybe people in service jobs will be more appreciated.