That’s the longest and least-apologetic rationalization I’ve ever read.

First, I can tell you that like every hotel, we do not just charge a credit card because the reservation was guaranteed to that card. It’s something we do to look out for the guests in the event of credit card fraud. The only way we have the authority to charge that card is when the cardholder either presents it physically or sends us a credit card authorization form in advance along with a photocopy of the front and back of the card along with a photo id.

Second, I recall Ramzi, who was the front desk agent assisting you, clocked out because he was supposed to leave for the day. Then he sat down at an empty desk to call Paypal to see what we needed to do on our end. He sat on the phone for atleast an hour on two separate occasions because first they were telling him they could not take the charges off the card, then they wanted him to jump through hoops so they could reverse the charges. In the 5 years I’ve been in this business I’ve never dealt with a company that gave us that much trouble reversing authorization.

Third, I’d like to remind each of you for future reference to read the manual that comes with your debit card. It specifically explains that rental car companies and hotels will authorize more than the actual charges to cover any incidental charges that may be incurred, and that it may take 7 – 10 business days after departure (or vehicle return) for the unused funds to be returned to the account.

Lastly, I hope you were able to enjoy the SXSW experience. I understand that if you felt that the Hampton employees had wronged you, your trip to Austin was probably overshadowed by it. I’d like to think that you’d give the Hampton Inn one more chance. If not be prepared to have the same experience with debit cards and not being able to charge the card on the reservation at any hotel in Austin.

It really was the post-issue handling that upset us. Again and again.

:(

Thanks Aaron for clarifying that. And since you’ve said that, I find that hard to believe because Embassy suites gave me such great service that I never thought Hampton, being a Hilton company, would fail so miserably.

Interesting.

I have been to only one hotel that ever treated me as the MOST IMPORTANT person on the planet, and that was an Embassy Suites Hotel. A Hilton hotel, and quite frankly, I don’t like the Hiltons, but, I would stay there first before going back to a Hampton. You pay the same, but get world class service.

That’s the value of good service.

First off, thanks for stopping by. Second of all, do you know how your team was reacting? Do you know how they were handling things when you weren’t there. I very much appreciate your assistance, despite the fact that I had to find out on Monday that you didn’t follow through. You were 99% helpful in this situation. Your staff, on the other hand, rolled their eyes and stonewalled on me the entire time and only reluctantly did anything to help me.

You wouldn’t know this because you weren’t there, and they of course will deny it choosing instead to cover their collective asses.

Why do you think I’ll never come back? Do you think it’s because of the money? No, money stuff happenes. It was the eye rolling, the lack of follow through, the fact that I had to sit all day on the phone with Paypal and keep going back to the front desk to get things done right.

I won’t come back because I wasn’t treated like a guest – which, when we pay $925, I should be entitled to without asking.

@vantan: I know. Sorry we never figured stuff out to podcast. :(

Idiots. IDIOTS!!!

Oh, and Paypal sucks. Just thought I’d throw that in.