You totally get what you pay for with Hotwire.

You want cheap? You got it. But at what cost?

I will tell you at what cost. It will cost you frustration. It will cost you time. It will cost you money. It may even cost you your dignity. No matter what it costs you, Hotwire.com owned by Expedia, will NOT care nor will they do anything to fix it without you having to pull teeth, fuss and bitch, complain and climb the corporate ladder.

It all started with a map.

Simple right? There is a map. It is labeled “La Guardia Airport Area- Flushing”. So you would think that your hotel will be where? In the La Guardia airport area in Flushing. Nope. And you better hope you are familiar with ANY area you are traveling to. Why?

Because “It is the customer’s responsibility to know the area and call the hotel listed to make sure they are where they need to be.” – Supervisor Tina M. in the Midwest area call center.

I find this difficult to swallow. One, because they hide the names of the hotels until after your purchase, there is NO WAY you would even know where to begin calling within that map. Two, because if you are not from an area, and you look at a map labeled “Flushing”, would you not assume that everything in that area is Flushing? I did. Stupid me. Being from North Carolina, I should have just “known” that East Elmhurst was an entire area aside from Flushing and not a burb name like SoHo.

Now, I had to go over this point with 2 reps before I even got to Tina M. The first one hung up on me when I asked for her supervisor. She was a B-I-T-C-H. I called her on it. She didn’t like that. Click.

The second, Bob C., put me on the compulsory pretend-to-get-my-supervisor hold, came back and lied to me about a supervisor not being around. Now, I work in a call center and have for years, both as a rep and a supervisor. I know damn well they don’t leave 500+ reps sitting around without supervision. So when he gave me that line of hooey, I told him I knew it was crap and that I would hold while he “found someone”.

You know what he did?

He asked me for my name and number, as if he didn’t already have that information right in front of him, and started his “canned closing”. I asked him if he heard me when I said I would hold. He gave me the closing again. I asked him straight out if he was going to hang up on me. He gave me his closing speech again. I asked Bob C. again if he was going to hang up on me. He finally asked if I would hold because, “I think a supervisor just became available.” Like magic, all of a sudden Tina M., supervisor in the Midwest Area was on the line.

Not that it helped.

So now we are back to it being my responsibility to call hotels randomly and check maps for exact streets to make sure they are in an area I know nothing about.  This is a load of CRAP. You know how I know it is a load of crap? Because as a “courtesy” to me, aka “please shut up and leave me alone you crazy lady”, I was offered a FULL REFUND. Of course, you KNOW there was a catch. There was no way of knowing when that refund would be “processed” by their offices. Now, because I didn’t have almost $400.00 extra dollars to toss around for the FIRST hotel room, I sure as HELL didn’t have an additional $400.00 for a second hotel room while I waited for Hotwire.com to get off their asses and process my refund in a “minimum of 7 to 10 business days”.

So I asked them to not refund my money, but to book a room of the same rating, etc in a hotel actually IN Flushing, NY.

This apparently was laughable, as they were doing me such a HUGE favor by offering me a refund to begin with. I was refused. So I did what I do when I feel that the service I have been given was equally as laughable. I asked for the name and contact information of the CEO / President of the company where I could lodge my complaint about the service I was given. Again, I was refused. Why?

Because Tina M., supervisor in the Midwest Area call center did not know his name.

What she DID however provide me with was a P.O.Box in Green Bay and a phone number in the 920 area code. Then I was given the super helpful information of only a name of a “corporate customer care contact”. Enter stage left: Ms. Amy Monfils. No number for Amy, no email for Amy. Only her name. Amy Monfils. I was to assume, I guess, that I was able to contact her at the long distance number I was provided earlier. I wasn’t told that, however. I should have just “known” it. Kind of like I should have “known” that the map titled “Flushing” included areas that were not Flushing.

So being the smart and resourceful girl I am, I hopped on Google.

Holy crap! The things you hear about someone on Google. Especially when they are not known for helping, but for their canned email answers and abilities of merely repeating back what your concerns were but never really addressing them. It was in these numerous posts that I found where someone had posted her email address. Guess what? Ms. Amy Monfils is not listed as Amy Monfils at all, but as akent@hotwire.com. I guess I should have “known” that she had gotten married and I should have “known” what her married name was. If that is even the case, as it was never really clarified. (BTW- if you need an alternate email for her, try HotwireCorpEsc@apacmail.com which is another way I found her listed in blogs as well as how her address is published in her replies to me.)

Now after all this… you would think they would be falling all over themselves to make things right. WRONG.

Now, don’t get me wrong. Ms. Monfils is very good at restating your concern. It’s an active listening technique they teach all of us good customer service people. And as one of the top ranked quality surveyed specialists in my center,  I would know. This would be great if she actually used that skill to listen and help as opposed to fill space and deflect. For example:

Me:

—–Original Message—–
From: XXXXXXXXX
Sent: Thursday, November 05, 2009 9:28 PM
To: HotWire Support – Temp Forwarding
Cc: akent@hotwire.com; akent@hotwire.com
Subject: RE: ‘CustSrvTH=181-921′ Hotwire Help: Hotels
Importance: High

Dear Sirs,

While I do certainly find your site’s information and maps to be incorrect, misleadingly labeled and lacking, I find your customer service and supervisors even worse. I have been in customer service and call center supervisory roles for 13+ years and I have never kept employed any reps who would talk to a customer the way I was spoken to today. Also, I have always been able to tell a customer who inquired, the president and/or CEO’s names upon request and expect my employees to be able to do so as well. It is shameful the way this situation was handled by your employees, therefore your company.  

If you will note, I did not refuse the refund I was begrudgingly offered because it was an unacceptable solution, but because of the fact that the funds would not be returned to me immediately, making purchasing another room in the CORRECT location impossible. As I have a disability, I do not have extra money to throw around while your company takes its time to make this right. I will be using the reservation as it stands, not because I agree with your bad business practices and horrible customer service, but because I have no other feasible choice.

Monfils:

From: HotwireCorpEsc@apacmail.com
To: XXXXXXXXXX
Date: Mon, 9 Nov 2009 09:05:31 -0600
Subject: RE: ‘CustSrvTH=181-921′ Hotwire Help: Hotels

Dear XXXXXX, 

I am writing in response to your inquiry to Hotwire regarding a hotel reservation in East Elmhurst. 

I understand you booked a hotel reservation in the La Guardia Airport LGA – Flushing Area, New York expecting the hotel to be located in Flushing. Upon confirming your reservation you discovered the hotel’s address was not within Flushing. As such, you reached out to Hotwire Customer Care and were dissatisfied with the service you received.

I regret your Hotwire hotel experience was less than exceptional and appreciate you took the time to express your concerns. Customer feedback is an important component in ensuring quality products and services at Hotwire. 

To ensure our customers concerns are handled properly, we hold our Customer Care Associates accountable by recording all our phone calls. I personally reviewed the conversations you had with three of our agents and determined the calls were properly handled.

I understand one of your concerns was the name of our CEO was not provided when you spoke with one of our supervisors. The corporate contact address provided was correct; the name of the President of the Hotwire Group is Clem Bason. Please understand I handle all customer contacts on his behalf which is why my name is provided by our agents. 

Our goal is to exceed your expectations; we regret we were unable to do so on this occasion.

Best regards,

Amy L. Monfils

Customer Care Relations

Hotwire Corporate Office

Ms. Monfils did very well at repeating my concerns. Right before she essentially told me “Too bad, so sad.”

Me:

—–Original Message—–
From: XXXXXXXXXXX
Sent: Monday, November 09, 2009 4:14 PM
To: akent@hotwire.com
Subject: RE: ‘CustSrvTH=181-921′ Hotwire Help: Hotels
Importance: High

Ms. Monfils,
  If you had indeed truly listened to all 3 calls, which we both know that calls are randomly recorded and that not every call is captured, you would not feel that the calls were handled properly. Additionally, though your name was given, your contact info was not, also something you would know had you actually heard all 3 calls. I had to research the web for info on you which I only found in other negative blogs and posts about your company where the writer posted your verbatim canned email responses. Your email address that we are corresponding on now isn’t even in your name. I lucked out finding that. Had I not taken the time to do the research, my ability to stand up for myself against your company’s misleading maps and map titles would have had to stop there.
 
  Considering that you feel that nothing was wrong in how things were addressed nor in the way the map is listed, I will have no choice but to make VERY certain that everyone I know learns of what has transpired with your company. Something that I’m sure you would agree on, again had the calls truly been listened to in their totality and entirety, is that I do not have a problem being very vocal about my opinions. Neither do my friends or family. I’m sure the executives at Hotwire and Expedia Travel will be thrilled to learn that a negative blog was published in a high traffic area about an experience that very easily could have been made right with even the smallest amount of effort on anyone at Hotwire’s part.
 
  Additionally, aside from the map issue, I have a LARGE complaint about the actual hotel where I stayed. This place was atrocious. Semen stains on the bedspread when I checked in to my first room – which was barely big enough to hold the king size bed with any additional room to move. The “new” room I was placed in had mismatched dingy sheets and the towels were also dingy and mismatched as well as rougher than sandpaper. The room’s carpet was filthy, the bathroom water faucet ran constantly, and the doorknob fell off twice. These issues were addressed with the staff and not properly corrected. Heat / AC were interchangeable, as neither worked properly. The “pad” of paper supplied was ONE sheet ripped off a tablet and the pen had something sticky and crusty dried all over it. The ironing board fell off its hook and smacked me in the head and the luggage rack collapsed the moment I placed my bag on it. The “breakfast facilities” were dirty and the food was stale and disgusting. If I had paid $40.00 for this room, it would have been too much, let alone $89.00 before taxes. The fact that this hotel, with it’s “Grand Opening” sign hanging out front, is being sold to any customer is an affront to your customers’ intelligence and their pocketbook.

BTW- This hotel was a Clarion on Ditmar in East Elmhurst, also known to Hotwire as “Flushing.”

Monfils:

From:	akent@hotwire.com (HotwireCorpEsc@apacmail.com)
Sent:	Tue 11/10/09 10:57 AM
To:	XXXXXXXX

Dear XXXXXXX,

I am writing in response to your additional correspondence with Hotwire regarding a reservation with the Clarion Hotel La Guardia Airport and your Hotwire Customer Care experience.

I understand you doubt whether or not I reviewed all three phone conversations you had with Hotwire Customer Care because calls are only randomly recorded. Additionally, you intend to voice your concerns regarding the information provided to customers throughout our booking process and the way you were treated by our Customer Care Associates. Finally, you were dissatisfied with your stay at the hotel due to several quality issues. 

Again, I assure you I was able to review all three phone conversations as all calls at the call center you reached are recorded. While speaking with our Customer Care Supervisor, Tina, she provided my name and phone number when you asked for the name of our President as contact information for our CEO is not provided to customers. I regret she was unable to provide you with the name of our CEO, however, I do feel she provided the correct contact information for the next level of customer interaction.

Regardless of a hotel’s star rating; you should expect a quality experience from our hotel suppliers, including a clean, comfortable room. As this was not the case with your reservation, please accept our apologies along with 50 HotDollars toward your next Hotwire Hot Rate car rental, hotel, or flight reservation. Your HotDollars are valid for up to one year, expiring on November 11, 2010. 

Our goal is to exceed your expectations; we regret we were unable to do so on this occasion. We look forward to better serving your needs in the future.

Best regards,

Amy L. Monfils

Customer Care Relations

Hotwire Corporate Office

 

Fifty bucks? Is she kidding?!?

I paid $89.00 plus taxes PER NIGHT and you want to give me $50.00 in Hot Dollars?? In so many words, I emailed her back and told her that her $50.00 would not cover one night let alone 3 and that her $50.00 would only force me to frequent their site again and give them more money to pay the difference.

As of 1:32 a.m. on 11/12/09…. I have yet to receive a response.

Soooo… with all this said, I shout from the rooftops,

“DEATH TO HOTWIRE.COM!!!” (Then I mumble as an afterthought, “Oh, and if not death, at least a really uncomfortable wedgie to Expedia for having such a substandard division.”)

PS- I am now as we speak being stalked, I mean “followed” on Twitter by Hotwire…

Also check out:

 http://www.cgstock.com/essays/hotwire 

http://www.chasingcleanair.com/chasing_clean_air/2009/08/hotwirecom-hot-wired-my-money-lied-to-me-and-has-zero-credibility-in-my-opinion-.html

http://www.rateitall.com/i-57788-hotwire.aspx

for additional Hotwire horror stories!!