Dec 26, 2014 01:17 PM
18003 Views
I am writing this feedback from Bangalore when I had planned weeks ago to visit Yercaud today several weeks ago, all thanks to TravelGuru(TG). I so wish that I had read some of the reviews of TravelGuru before I booked. Here is the complete run down.
I had booked a hotel for a group of 4 to visit Yercaud from 26 to 28 December through TravelGuru. As I usually do, I had compared hotels at several travel sites before zeroing on the one I finally booked the one I did at TravelGuru. I got a confirmation within minutes from TG.
All’s well so far.
Late in the evening of 25th December(less than 24 hours to check-in at the hotel), TG executive from escalations team, Anita reached out to me informing that the hotel I had booked is completely booked and not available. In her largess, Anita offered me a better substitute.
With one technicality, the new hotel was in Salem – a town 25 km away and possibly 15 degrees warmer than the hill station I intended to spend my holidays in. No amount of argument convinced her that this isn't a substitute by any means.
Moreover, her tone seemed to suggest as if this change was my fault and she is doing me a great favor by offering another property. Realizing that its futile talking to her, I asked to speak to a supervisor. Anita offered a call back.
This was to be our first trip with our infant kid and we also had a guest who had come all the way from Delhi for this trip.
Naturally I was quite agitated when I did not get a call back in the next hour. I call up TG again to be curtly informed by Anita that the executive will call back in 30 mins.
A full hour later, another executive calls only to request for another 30 minutes to check other options. Anita calls me later to offer a hotel in Yercaud this time and an expectation that I confirm tight there on the call. The reasons for this rush becomes evident when I did manage to buy some time:
The hotel is not in the same class as I booked.
The hotel had terrible reviews at tripadvisor and elsewhere – leeches, bedbugs, spiders, dirty sheets just to name some of the issues.
Another phone call, another argument, another long hold and another escalation manager later I get another 30 minute request.
This time I am offered two choices – I can take the substitute in Yercaud or cancel my booking. I explain that none of these options are acceptable to me. At this stalemate, we disconnect.
Few observations at this episode:
- Why was the cancellation informed at the last minute? Had it been done immediately after my booking I would have taken one of the other options available at that point.
I don’t buy the argument that TG will let the hotel get away with cancelling at the last minute. If they really did, they don’t have any control of any business whatsoever.
- I realized that this was not a standalone episode with TravelGuru. In fact, with the amount of similar reviews posted and the attitude of their staff, it seems that this might be their business model.
A haggard traveler will accept the lesser option provided rather than cancel the trip. TravelGuru wins, the hotels win. The customer looses.
- I asked the executives what is my recourse against this cancellation – full refund was the answer. I beg to differ. If I had cancelled on my own a day before, I wouldn't have got any refund. The loss would have been mine.
In this case, neither the agent nor the hotel suffers by the refund, since the service was not provided. The consumer, though, is left without options and hence suffers – for no fault of his.
Further, I had a guest who had come in from Delhi in anticipation of this trip. That money is an additional loss.
Lastly, despite all of the telephonic conversations and my requests, TravelGuru hasn't even bothered to inform me of this cancellation by a mail.
Perhaps that’s isn't a part of the business model.
