First Reservation Experience - big disappointment

[lancejr]

I've read about the challenge of making reservations on this BBS, so I shouldn't have been too surprised at what a disappointing and unprofessional experience I encountered at making my first attemtps to reserve for 2007.

The vacationclub.com web site was not only slow, it bombed out on me repeatedly with "VB Script" and "Uncreoverable" error messages. The reservation line was not a help either. First it continually rang busy, and then when I finally got lucky to get it to actually ring, I got a voicemail message that said that call volume was to high and to call back later.

Then 14 minutes after 9:00pm, I finally get through to somebody who tells me that all dates for the week are already confirmed.

I would expect a better experience from Marriott. This is dissapointing and frustrating to say the least.

 

[dougef]

Which resort were you trying to reserve, please?

 

[TinaS]

See my reply in the thread "Marriott Reservations Suck".

TinaS

 

[lancejr]

I was trying to reserve Summit Watch.

 

[gailo]

Marriot reservations

I tried for an hour this moring to get Pres week at OP
then after the usual recording , busy etc the rep told me at 9:15 Central all were gone.
Just for the heck of it I called again an hour ago and got Sun checkin for week 7. Huh?
Also my reservation for Frenchman Reef week 6 does not show up on the website - rep says they are a separate system right now. Huh?

 

[Clemson Fan]

I've read about the challenge of making reservations on this BBS, so I shouldn't have been too surprised at what a disappointing and unprofessional experience I encountered at making my first attemtps to reserve for 2007.

The vacationclub.com web site was not only slow, it bombed out on me repeatedly with "VB Script" and "Uncreoverable" error messages. The reservation line was not a help either. First it continually rang busy, and then when I finally got lucky to get it to actually ring, I got a voicemail message that said that call volume was to high and to call back later.

Then 14 minutes after 9:00pm, I finally get through to somebody who tells me that all dates for the week are already confirmed.

I would expect a better experience from Marriott. This is dissapointing and frustrating to say the least.

You're not alone. I had the same exact experience trying to reserve the same exact week

This has been a problem for several years that Marriott will not fix. Being hung up on is very unprofessional and frankly unfair. For example, say their inadequate phone system can only handle 200 calls and if you're caller 201 you get hung up on. Then, somebody who calls 30-60 seconds AFTER you is just lucky enough to have the call volume at 199 and they get placed in the limited queue. I could stomach not getting the reservation I wanted if I was placed in a fair queue on my first call, but that doesn't happen with Marriott's current system.

Their website should also be able to handle the increased volume on these crazy days, but it clearly cannot.

Marriott did this to themselves by combining all the check in days to one reservation day. They need to be held accountable for not being prepared for the volume they certainly should've known they were going to receive.

 

[jerseyfinn]

. . . my reservation for Frenchman Reef week 6 does not show up on the website - rep says they are a separate system right now. Huh? . . .

Yes, when you call in on the phone to reserve a week, it can take a few days for the confirmed reservation to migrate to your web page where you can see it, but you do indeed have a reservation. When one uses the website to make a reservation, the new reservation appears immediately ( at least in my experience ). It's an operational issue.

I went on the MVCI web site yesterday morning and was able to reserve Ocean Pointe Presidents Week Sat-Sat. I do this about 8AM EST.

Reserving can indeed be a trying experience, especially if you're at work trying to squeeze in a call to reservations. I myself don't see it as a failure by Marriott as much as it is a measure of the demand for certain weeks and lots of folks queuing up for those floating weeks. We've gotten the first weeks we wanted 4 of 6 years and find equally nice second choice weeks the other two years as well. I see TS a being about planning and flexibility ( as well as a little luck ).

Barry

 

[Clemson Fan]

I myself don't see it as a failure by Marriott as much as it is a measure of the demand for certain weeks and lots of folks queuing up for those floating weeks.

That's the problem, Marriott is not queuing up folks and instead have a voice message that states they're "too busy" and your call gets dumped.

Marriott asked for this by funneling everybody into one reservation day. They need to improve their technology to handle it.

 

[Stefa]

Lance, I checked the II demand index and it looks like any week up through 11 (which I believe is mid-March) has really high demand. Since you are lookiing to trade, just keep calling every week until you are successful. Good luck.

 

[Clemson Fan]

Lance, I checked the II demand index and it looks like any week up through 11 (which I believe is mid-March) has really high demand. Since you are lookiing to trade, just keep calling every week until you are successful. Good luck.

Stefa,

I didn't read anywhere in Lance's posts that he was looking to trade.

 

[Stefa]

It was in a different thread...