 Poster: A snowHead
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Or has anyone got a fairly senior contact there?
Tired of being ignored by two different departments, and I need to tell them why I am about to ask for several thousand pounds back and cancelling a few thousand more.
I'll be sure to update Snowheads with the delights of why I am so utterly disappointed with yet another company in the ski industry, but think I'll get my money back before it comes to all that.
There seems to be a depressing determination by almost every company in the industry to go out of business by treating customers like crap. If I was as bad as this in my job I'd get fired within a week. I suppose I'd go and work in the ski industry, where this seems to be the norm.
Thanks.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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There was somebody from Esprit Ski on here a few years back IIRC, but that was before they were taken over by Hotelplan but I don't know if they still come on here. Have you tried via their Facebook?
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Thanks all. Hopefully they are going to decide to actually fix the problem today, but suspect tomorrow is going to be CEO e-mail time. Over a month of delays and excuses to respond to a simple query about how I can spend some more money with them seems pretty excessive, I am fairly sure the CEO of any business would be interested in the client experience when booking a large group trip, but hopefully the one last chance approach will actually work before this goes a bit nuclear.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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There's always twitter too.. I find that's often quite effective when everything else has failed.
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Hmmmm... Panda... Pandora - just sayin' 
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Mistress Panda, I'll keep my fingers crossed that they care more than First Choice/Crystal did with me a few years back with an £11k booking. Stopped using TO after that.
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Bode Swiller, I am starting to understand how people do a Pandora now. I've finally had a response. The response is that we are probably losing our accommodation pending some alternative that they are trying to come up with.
This now seems to be an annual problem. Book 12 months ahead of time, and over the summer the TO either loses the contract or has problems in resort or with overall capacity that means accommodation no longer available. The last 3 trips this has happened, amusingly even if we'd gone with another TO that I got a quote from that accom would have fallen through too.
Is the early booking system finally dying due to lack of consistency from TOs, or has it always been this way?
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Mistress Panda, always been this way, worse actually - think back to the early days of package travel. TO makes a contract with property owner, property owner later gets a better deal from someone else or has "accidently" over booked, TOs contract gets binned. Meanwhile they've sold it to you.
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Mistress Panda, IMV early booking has always been a game operated in the TO favour - they get a slug of cash yet can't possibly be in a position to guarantee accommodation unless they've already rolled over the contract. Basic inertia/hassle aversion then gives them the opportunity to keep hold of punters' cash with an alternate offering. Only solution is really to throw cash at the smaller owner-operators who have more stable stock but then of course they might go bump.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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TOs renegotiate contracts all the time and obviously try to get as big a cut as possible. Sometimes properties get dropped if they didn't perform well the previous season or sometimes the owner doesn't agree to the same terms/allocation.
There are all sorts of factors but these days things change quicker/more than they used to. Maybe the reason why you have noticed it more. It is very frustrating and the reason why more people go with DIY but it is also the reason for cheaper deals with TOs.
Unfortunately all the big TOs have started competing on price and forgot about customer service...
I used to know lots of people at Inghams but no one is there any more....
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Mistress Panda, Out of interest, where were you looking at?
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| Mistress Panda wrote: |
This now seems to be an annual problem. Book 12 months ahead of time, and over the summer the TO either loses the contract or has problems in resort or with overall capacity that means accommodation no longer available. The last 3 trips this has happened, amusingly even if we'd gone with another TO that I got a quote from that accom would have fallen through too.
Is the early booking system finally dying due to lack of consistency from TOs, or has it always been this way? |
Happened to my group a couple of times over the years. Crystal lost our business forever more with their poor customer service (up to 60K + now!) and Mark Warner came close last year (if it was only down to me they would have been history as well!).
Obviously I posted experiences on SnowHeads. Got very little sympathy from many SmugHeads. Not that I wanted it - I was only sharing experiences as a warning to others. But couldn't believe how many SmugHeads couldn't understand that when you pay your deposit money ten months in advance to secure your specific choice of accommodation and resort, it is beyond annoying to be told "no longer available and now that there is only 10 weeks to go, there is now only the crap left which no-one else wanted - take it or leave it".
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You know it makes sense.
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| Mistress Panda wrote: |
This now seems to be an annual problem. Book 12 months ahead of time, and over the summer the TO either loses the contract or has problems in resort or with overall capacity that means accommodation no longer available. The last 3 trips this has happened, amusingly even if we'd gone with another TO that I got a quote from that accom would have fallen through too.
Is the early booking system finally dying due to lack of consistency from TOs, or has it always been this way? |
Happened to my group a couple of times over the years. Crystal lost our business for ever more with their poor customer service (up to 60K + now!) and Mark Warner came close as well last year (if it was only down to me they would have been history as well!).
Obviously I posted our experiences on SnowHeads. Got very little sympathy from many SmugHeads. Not that I wanted it - I was only sharing experiences as a warning to others. But couldn't believe how many SmugHeads couldn't understand that when you pay your deposit money ten months in advance to secure your specific choice of accommodation and resort, it is beyond annoying to be told "no longer available and now that there is only 10 weeks to go, there is only the crap left which no-one else wanted - take it or leave it".
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Thing is this can happen with or without the presence of a TO. Ever booked a hotel on booking.com (or similar) a few months in advance to find that the hotel has gone bust/changed ownership/burnt down by the time you are due to stay there?
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Poster: A snowHead
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Mistress Panda, twitter?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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queen bodecia,
If I ever use one of the cheapskate sites I always confirm the booking with the hotel ASAP.
Mistress Panda,
Hit them with the full might of social media - they'll be running to assist you as Borris and feef have suggested.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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| Mr Marmot wrote: |
| Mistress Panda wrote: |
This now seems to be an annual problem. Book 12 months ahead of time, and over the summer the TO either loses the contract or has problems in resort or with overall capacity that means accommodation no longer available. The last 3 trips this has happened, amusingly even if we'd gone with another TO that I got a quote from that accom would have fallen through too.
Is the early booking system finally dying due to lack of consistency from TOs, or has it always been this way? |
Happened to my group a couple of times over the years. Crystal lost our business forever more with their poor customer service (up to 60K + now!) and Mark Warner came close last year (if it was only down to me they would have been history as well!).
Obviously I posted experiences on SnowHeads. Got very little sympathy from many SmugHeads. Not that I wanted it - I was only sharing experiences as a warning to others. But couldn't believe how many SmugHeads couldn't understand that when you pay your deposit money ten months in advance to secure your specific choice of accommodation and resort, it is beyond annoying to be told "no longer available and now that there is only 10 weeks to go, there is now only the crap left which no-one else wanted - take it or leave it". |
can agree 100% with that and my First Choice/Crystal (they were merging at the time) and SH experience
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Same here with First Choice thats why they are now called last choice in our house, I now never book with a tour company its always direct with the hotel/chalet were ever I am going 
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Well I still use chalet TOs but the smaller independent ones as their early season weeks are a bargain - especially the week before Christmas. OK at times the chalet is not exactly running smoothly but a little bit of Fawlty Towers never hurt anyone especially at bargain prices.
I also like knowing that whatever happens on a package holiday it is their responsibility to get me back to the UK.
Oddly enough it seems that after years of steady decline due to people booking independently over the 'net summer package holidays are on the increase. Also I read somewhere that ski packages are selling fast - although the cynic in me suspects that may be TO hype to get people to book.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Well, sod it. They've had their chance. I've now e-mailed the CEO address suggested above, in some vain hope that I might even get a response to my e-mails.
On 20th August I made a straightforward enquiry about Inghams confirming that the flights I had booked were confirmed and that the members of the group flying from a different airport would indeed by flying from there. No response.
I then get a holding response with one of the "sales guys" will call me about potentially increasing the size of the booking and to confirm a couple of other bits.
On 30th August I e-mail again asking for any kind of response. No news from anybody.
On 10th September this was referred to the Guest Services Manager. Apparently she will be in contact shortly. She has not been in contact. I am reassured that I will not be asked for the balance payment on the scheduled date until they confirm stuff. Too sodding right you won't, you are lucky to still have the deposit!
On 11th Sep, yet another chasing e-mail from me, response: "Again am sorry about this but I done some digging and have discovered the reason why there has been a lack of communication and that is because of an issue with the chalet"
And then, since the 11th September, despite repeated calls (which they don't answer, 20 minutes of hold music and then nothing or get cut off) and repeated e-mails, literally nothing from anyone at Inghams, they have my mobile number, they have my e-mail address, all I know is that we are probably not getting the holiday we have booked.
Amusingly they are still offering the chalet in question on their website and presumably taking bookings.
I don't really know where to go from here. I am unfamiliar with companies that use ignoring a customer as a method of getting them to pay their balance.
I suspect the only thing likely to work will be a legal letter requesting my deposit back, but then leaves me with a large group with no holiday, with 10 weeks to go...
Utterly sodding ridiculous. I think this will be my last involvement with Inghams, I am now rapidly running out of companies in the ski industry that I will actually deal with, who I could describe as anywhere approaching adequate or capable, and I don't think I am being unreasonable here.
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| Quote: |
And then, since the 11th September, despite repeated calls (which they don't answer, 20 minutes of hold music and then nothing or get cut off) and repeated e-mails, literally nothing from anyone at Inghams
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That is really awful customer service. Hope it gets sorted but doesn't look hopeful at this time.
Inghams going down the pan?
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Mistress Panda, There is somebody on here called Moira who has answered queries on behalf of Ski-Total & Esprit, & as they & Inghams are all part of the Hotelplan group, maybe you would get some joy from her.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Mistress Panda, can you get to Godalming? see them person to person?
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No response yet to today's e-mail. Do Inghams have Twitter?
Godalming not a million miles. What a sad state of affairs if one had to drive to their offices and make a scene in reception to have a conversation with someone who can just tell me WTF is going on with my trip.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Mistress Panda, inghams are on twitter.
@InghamsHolidays
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They are at Hemel today, perhaps you could nip up there.
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You know it makes sense.
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Just twitter them asking WTF is up with your holiday setting out the tale of woe you've set out above. And email the CEO, cc Watchdog, Simon Calder etc.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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| Mistress Panda wrote: |
| No response yet to today's e-mail. |
As it looks like you only emailed the CEO this morning, I'm not surprised you haven't yet had a response. Presumably it'll be the first he's heard of it so, if he's even in the office or free of meetings, he'd need to find out more before responding to you. Now you've quite rightly escalated it, think you need to give him a chance to answer.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Flight cancellations is another of these problems. Just had my January, Sunday return flight from Friedrichshafen (which I booked many months ago) cancelled. They have decided not to do Sunday flights from there so offered me the day before. Luckily we get a refund and it is early enough to book another flight.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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snowball, agreed. Sadly they have already changed the return flights to a much earlier flight, so losing the last morning of skiing and a very early start to get the transfer home, and the outbound flight has been changed from a sociable 11am to 7am, after much discussion and complaint managed to miraculously find some outbound flights at about 10:30 to avoid various members of the trip having to check into airport hotels the night before. That was July, since then I don't actually know what flights we are supposed to be on, and from which airport...
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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The only time we booked a holiday with Inghams (catered chalet in Alpbach, we took the whole chalet for a family party) they only told us on arrival that it wasn't a catered chalet after all, and we would be eating in the hotel next door (hotel owners also owned the chalet) because the kitchen wasn't adequate. We had a good holiday but it was DESPITE the god-awful food in the hotel (we were all shoved onto a very crowded table in the corner of the dining room and served a set meal which varied from mediocre school dinner quality to inedible by anyone other than starving skiers).
If we had known earlier of the change I would have cancelled and booked elsewhere; that's no doubt why they didn't tell us.
To add insult to injury when the lift in the chalet broke down at 1 am with five people full of beer trapped inside, the hotel owner told my son to get lost when he went to get help. Fortunately he speaks German, even when drunk, and called the Fire Brigade.
The Inghams "chalet boy" who made our breakfast, kept the place clean and made a cake for tea each day was delightful; much the best thing about the package.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Well, one e-mail to CEO, one phone call from Head of Guest Services, and no answers yet but at least someone is finally trying to help.
I have been promised some alternatives by the end of the day. We will see if this comes true. It would mean that I must have found the single most efficient member of staff in their entire organisation if so, but it is possible.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Our newest sH has the username InghamsHolidays.
Mistress Panda, maybe they've joined up to see what the fuss is about ? Good Luck
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Our recent experience with Inghams (Zermatt chalet last April) was excellent, in terms of accommodation and staff. It's true that communications from the HQ aren't 100%.
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Dubaian, my money would be on it being a sock, but I'm very cynical
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Dubaian, I suspect their Head of Guest Services has picked up on the fact that I am here and quite actively providing updates that are exceptionally similar to the e-mail sent to the CEO, and they want to see everything written and perhaps respond on here.
Latest update is that this morning I was offered an alternative holiday that is on their website at £655 against the holiday we had booked which is still on their website (despite them not actually knowing if it is available) at £653, and they want me to pay more money to make up for this. The amount requested? £40 per person, which looks to me to be several times the actual difference in price.
Either their pricing is utterly borked, or they are trying to profit from a customer service disaster. Updates to follow...
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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I should also add, in their defence, that they did come up with the promised alternatives by close of play last night.
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Mistress Panda,
Set them a deadline for a satisfactory resolution. If they fail to meet it unleash the social media goblins. That seems to make people sit up and listen.
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FAQ
