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Thread: RE: Trials and tribulations from the County

  1. #11
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    i wouldn't doubt it, how else do you think he get's to travel around so much.... i mean cmon, he's a gnome, how much could he earn a year??? not enough to take vacations like that every day.

  2. #12
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    yeah - you do have a point there
    ~ Beach Comber ~

  3. #13

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    Quote Originally Posted by dave1976
    Call during normal buisness hours when you can talk to some one that is in charge and mention that you where really put out by this situation and ask them what they are going to do to make this situation right.
    Absolutely. I find myself on the other end of these calls once in a while when the people are clever enough to obtain the corporate office number for our hotels. We do EVERYTHING possible to make it right. We always put them up at another hotel free of charge THAT night because we already know we overbooked. If it does happen to slip by and they do call, we comp them another stay to give us another chance. The manager is well aware of the situation and does everything to make sure their stay is an enjoyable one. This type of situation that you experienced is unacceptable. Don't settle for anything short of a couple of comped nights. Let them know the power of word of mouth advertising...

    Did they charge you for the nights as a no-show?

  4. #14
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    Unity, Maine
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    Quote Originally Posted by cameoooooo
    Absolutely. I find myself on the other end of these calls once in a while when the people are clever enough to obtain the corporate office number for our hotels. We do EVERYTHING possible to make it right. We always put them up at another hotel free of charge THAT night because we already know we overbooked. If it does happen to slip by and they do call, we comp them another stay to give us another chance. The manager is well aware of the situation and does everything to make sure their stay is an enjoyable one. This type of situation that you experienced is unacceptable. Don't settle for anything short of a couple of comped nights. Let them know the power of word of mouth advertising...

    Did they charge you for the nights as a no-show?
    To be honest one of the biggest reasons I was so upset was the cavalier attitude of the desk clerk who obviously wanted to go home and didn't want to spend any time helping us out.

    I have heard from you and another person in the business (at a snowmobile site) who said that they try not to overbook, but when it happens they offer to put the person up in another hotel free of charge, comp their next stay or even reimburse the person with a free meal, gas, etc. The desk clerk never offered any of these options . . . the only "help" I had was her offering to call two hotels and then handing me the list containing local hotels and phone numbers and telling me I could use the phone in the back office. So much for the "hospitality."

    This is a small hotel so I don't believe there is a corporate office and to be honest at this point I wouldn't want to stay there even if I was given a free week stay. Instead I have taken the liberty to send them a complaint letter (and e-mail) as well as a letter to the Caribou Chamber of Commerce, Aroostook County Tourism Association and Maine Innkeepers Association . . . it takes a lot to get me angry (I've got an Irish temper . . . slow to anger, but when I'm riled I stay angry for a very, very long time), but to quote David Banner, "you wouldn't like me when I'm angry." Oh yeah, I also posted my not-so-wonderful experience on-line at several forums . . .

    I sincerely hope I'm not charged as a no-show . . . if I am charged I may have to go on a roadtrip with Hiram and Dave . . . and yes, I'm kidding.
    "Courage is not the absence of fear, but the realization that there is something more important than fear."

    "Death is only one of many ways to die."

  5. #15
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    Quote Originally Posted by dave1976
    That really blows man. You handled it much better than I would have.
    My suggestions and that is all it is .

    Call during normal buisness hours when you can talk to some one that is in charge and mention that you where really put out by this situation and ask them what they are going to do to make this situation right. Dont tell them that you had a great night after all. Make it a point to tell them that bad publicity travels fast. If they wont make the situation right by means that make you content then tell them straight up that you will never have anything good to say about them and while you are there in the county drop a few bad words about them.
    I'm a pretty easy-going guy and in the end things worked out well with an ATVing buddy coming through . . . and showing me that famous County Hospitality. Needless to say, I still feel as though I owe him big time and plan on sending him a small gift in the mail . . . just taking him and his fiance out to eat wasn't enough in my opinion.

    As for my response to the inn . . . well just read what I responded to Cameo's post.
    "Courage is not the absence of fear, but the realization that there is something more important than fear."

    "Death is only one of many ways to die."

  6. #16
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    Quote Originally Posted by Hiram357
    so the crown royal in the park is a bad idea??? i thought crown royal altogehter was a bad idea, i'm allergic to the stuff... seriously, every time i drink it, i break out in handcuffs.

    heh, yeah, and dave, thats a good idea, jake if ya need help planning that one out i could probably get ahold of some old navy flares (ya could light a fire with 4 balls of magnesium from 400 yards! )
    One word: cardboard.

    It's the secret to my success whenever I want to burn a brush pile no matter how green the wood is.
    "Courage is not the absence of fear, but the realization that there is something more important than fear."

    "Death is only one of many ways to die."

  7. #17
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    Here's a copy of the letter I have sent to the Caribou Inn.

    ---

    To Whom It May Concern:

    I am writing to inform you of a recent experience with the Crown Park Inn that left me substantially less than impressed with your establishment . . . an experience that left me wondering for a few minutes if I was still in the County or if I had somehow got confused and ended up in Massachusetts.

    On February 3rd I called to several hotels in the County looking for a two-night reservation around 9:30 a.m. While most hotels were full (understandable due to the fact I was calling at the 11th hour, this area is one of the few places with snow for snowmobilers and the junior biathlon was going on in Presque Isle) I was able to secure a hotel reservation at the Crown Park Inn (incidentally I had reservations made at another hotel further north, but canceled those reservations when I was able to find closer reservations with your establishment.) At the time of reservation I gave my credit card information and informed the clerk that I would most likely be arriving late . . . to which the woman responded that it would not be a problem and they would leave the key at the front desk if there was no clerk available for check in since the front desk closes at 11 p.m.

    I drove up from Unity with my brother-in-law. For me this was a 4-hour trip, but for my brother-in-law this was a 9-hour trip. We arrived at the hotel at 11:30 p.m. I was a bit surprised to find the desk clerk still working and in fact thought myself fortunate at first . . . at least until she said as a way of greeting, "We don't have any rooms." Undaunted I responded by informing her that I had made some reservations that very morning to which she responded condescendingly, "Sir. You don't understand. We overbooked and we don't have any rooms left." Maybe I'm naive, but I guess I always assumed that when a person calls ahead to make a hotel reservation they're assuming that it means they'll have a guaranteed place to sleep that night . . . which is always important when a person is driving from several hours away.

    While I was not especially pleased with this fact I was still willing to let the matter go until the clerk continued, "All I can do is call around and see if there's any other hotel that has a room." After making only two phone calls and not finding any rooms the clerk handed me a list of area hotels and said, "I need to close up and I don't have time to help you. If you want you can use the phone and make some calls around and see if you can find anything." It was this clerk's cavalier attitude that set me over the top. After calling five hotels on the list in Caribou and Presque Isle and either finding the hotels' front desks closed for the night or that there were no more rooms available I left the Caribou Park Inn with a very bitter taste in my mouth. For a so-called business that specializes in the "hospitality business" I was rather surprised with the employee's complete lack of helpfulness and the over-abundance of ineptness . . . this was the first time I have ever reserved a room only to find that it was given away. I will give the clerk this however . . . she did apologize once for the fact that she (or another employee) had given away the room. However, apologies don't exactly keep a person warm at night. I have since spoke with one person in the lodging industry and he informed me that most hotels have policies when they over-book that will pay for the lodging elsewhere or compensate the person with a free or reduced rate for the person and their next visit . . . something that the clerk never once mentioned or suggested.

    Incidentally, I didn't have to spend the night sleeping in the truck since I had met a fellow from Washburn a few years ago and at midnight I called him and he graciously allowed me and my brother-in-law to spend the night at his house. If it wasn't for this acquaintance of mine (who I have met exactly two times before) I would have either had to spend the night in the truck or continued to search for a hotel room.

    I have been a visitor to the County for some time now as both an avid ATVer and snowmobiler. I have always said that the only thing better than the scenic vistas and the beauty of the land is the attitude of its residents who are among some of the most generous and understanding people I have ever met. While I will still maintain that it is the people of Aroostook County that is the area's biggest asset and will continue to travel to the County, I will have to say that my view of some of those folks has been diminished by your hotel's reservation policy and this clerk's attitude.

    I have already posted my negative experience on several electronic bulletin board/forum frequented by snowmobilers and ATvers from around the State of Maine and New England and will be sure to send letters of complaint to the Aroostook County Tourism office, Caribou Chamber of Commerce and Maine Innkeepers Association. You can rest assured that when I return to the area to snowmobile or ride the quad I will be sure to not utilize your establishment and will not recommend your inn to any others that I know are planning to stay in the area.

    Sincerely,

    Jason Johnson
    257 Stagecoach Road
    Unity, ME 04988
    "Courage is not the absence of fear, but the realization that there is something more important than fear."

    "Death is only one of many ways to die."

  8. #18
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    Didn't Seinfeld do an episode about reservations? That seemed funny at the time.. At least your adventure turned out OK in the end and I will be careful to avoid that establishment, either by not recommending it to anyone or visiting it. (Although I have standing reservations at my Monster-in-laws in Presque Isle, but only if I accompany my wife.) Thanks for the heads up about their shoddy service!!!

  9. #19
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    Quote Originally Posted by Trezurs*-R-*Fun
    Didn't Seinfeld do an episode about reservations? That seemed funny at the time.. At least your adventure turned out OK in the end and I will be careful to avoid that establishment, either by not recommending it to anyone or visiting it. (Although I have standing reservations at my Monster-in-laws in Presque Isle, but only if I accompany my wife.) Thanks for the heads up about their shoddy service!!!
    My good friend Joe says Seinfeld did do a bit about reservations . . . nothing like reliving that experience and it wasn't so funny. From now on I'll either try staying at the one hotel where I haven't had any problems, The Budget Traveler (they were full at the time) or I'll take up my friend's offer and crash at his place in Washburn.
    "Courage is not the absence of fear, but the realization that there is something more important than fear."

    "Death is only one of many ways to die."

  10. #20
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    Well, let's see if this works . . . if it works it's a GPSr map of my trip up north sans the Crown Park Inn loop. If you look closely you may note a spur near Washburn . . . that was due to my brother-in-law missing the trail until I was able to chase him down and steer him in the right direction. Also the GPSr turned off near New Sweden and I didn't notice this fact until Caribou which explains the relatively straight line at that point.

    http://www.imagetex.com/displayimage.php?album=lastup&cat=0&pos=0
    "Courage is not the absence of fear, but the realization that there is something more important than fear."

    "Death is only one of many ways to die."

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