madge, what would happen if unit not avail. at check-in?

[riu girl]

By chance, if I booked a studio through RCI EV at the Fairfield Palm Aire for 12/2007 and say construction/refurb. is not finished by that time. Then say at check-in, Fairfield says it is not their problem since I booked through RCI and not through Fairfield.

Would I receive my $ back from the RCI EV or would RCI be able to find me a comparable unit in the area (I am talking Christmas week).

Any info. would be greatly appreciated.

I have called the resort several times today/yesterday and have been told about 80% of the time that the studios would be avail. by the summer.

But what happens if I purchase the RCI EV and then they are not ready by then?
Thanks

 

[JLB]

There is a department in Indianapolis that handles problems like this at check-in. You would call the number everyone else does and leave a number that they can call you back at. Since check-ins are kinda lumped together at the same times on the same days, you have to wait your turn.

In December the problems department called me to see if I could help them out with someone else's overbooking problem, which I could have had the lady left the area code for the number she left on the voice mail. It was not 317, but the older gentlmen who answered those two calls was a bit annoyed at me. (I found out the next day it was one of the toll free prefixes).

From that experience I found out that some of the call centers can connect you to that department if you really press the issue and some totally cannot.

Not Madge

 

[Madge]

riu,

RCI will be in regular contact with Fairfield about the status of the construction. We should know well before check-in if the unit you're confirmed to is not ready so that we can try to get you moved to another resort in advance.

However, should you ever have a problem checking into your confirmed resort, and the resort's management cannot resolve it, please call us from the resort. We provide staff 24/7 who will make every effort to help you.

 

[riu girl]

Thank you JLB and Madge for the info.

 

[JLB]

I know Madge knows her stuff, but people do go home from work and don't come back until they come back.

So, the 24/7 may be misleading if you need a particular person. In my case, that person went home at 9:30 PM, so all I could do was play voice-mail tag.

Then, she came in fairly late the next morning and the best I could do is to talk with the lady at the next desk. She could not handle the other lady's assignments, so more voice mail tag.

Finally, while we were on the way to the next resort, she called to say she had already straightened things out for the other person.

 

[happybaby]

There is a department in Indianapolis that handles problems like this at check-in. You would call the number everyone else does and leave a number that they can call you back at. Since check-ins are kinda lumped together at the same times on the same days, you have to wait your turn
Not Madge

I only know of one number, the 800 one for RCI, and very seldom do I get the Indy Office. Very seldom do I get a person that speaks English

I recall Madge saying if a problem after hours to call the 800 number and somebody answers. I am going to have to try that this weekend and see what happens. And if normal business hours, if there is a problem, do I have to give my number and wait for somebody from the Indy office to return my call? YIKES!! I usually get a person that does not speak very well English and that message may never be delivered to the proper department

So far, we have never had a problem with a check-in and hope we never do..
I just hope my "duplicate" confirmations do not cause a problem, since I never received the first confirmation that was supposedly mailed out. And I can't print them on line (RCI feedback never answered me)

 

[JLB]

I'm still not Madge, but yes, if you have a problem at check-in, you call the regular number. You give them a number where you can be reached. Then you wait for someone from the problems department to call you.

That's the way it works.

I said what I said earlier, and you seem to echo it, that most of the call centers cannot or will not connect you to that department. But, I did get one that did, after a lengthy explanation that I was trying to return a call and giving them the partial number I had been given.

My experience was during the large problem in SE Florida, and related to that.

 

[riu girl]

Does anyone know approx. how long it would take for this particular dept. to return a call? Or could I just stay on hold until the issue was resolved? My concern would be is that we do not own a cell phone, therefore, how would they get in touch with me ?

 

[JLB]

There is no pat answer. It will take however long it takes to get to you. And then it will take however long it takes to resolve it. You can't stay on Hold. If you are concerned, get a cell phone or ask the resort if they have a line that will remain open until you get your call.

Unless and until someone authoritative says something different, this is the way it is done.

I don't want to make this more alarming than it really is, but when I pursued this previously, I was told the percentage of exchanges that have problems at check-in, and although it sounded low, when you take it into the total number of exchanges, and the fact that most of them are during peak times of the year, and then mostly Friday and Saturday, and a bit on Sunday, and mostly at the same check-in time in major destinations, you quickly see why the problem department works the way it does. Cuz the problems happen all at the same times.

Each problem takes however long it takes.

Referring again to the SE FL situation, a home had to be found for each person left homeless. That takes some phone calls, time.

When I had pursued this previously, when OLCC was overbooked by hurricane cancellation victim rebookings, the answer was not a pleasant one.

Does anyone know approx. how long it would take for this particular dept. to return a call? Or could I just stay on hold until the issue was resolved? My concern would be is that we do not own a cell phone, therefore, how would they get in touch with me ?

 

[riu girl]

Thanks so much for the info. I just hope the renovation/construction is finished by December so this won't be an issue at all!!!!!

 

[JLB]

Like the weather in December, you can keep on top of this as it gets closer. If there appears there is going to be a problem, address it before you leave.

Thanks so much for the info. I just hope the renovation/construction is finished by December so this won't be an issue at all!!!!!

 

[Madge]

riu girl,

The after-hours staff are all currently housed in Indianapolis, although we hope to expand this to additional centers in the future.

If you call the main number during business hours and explain that you're calling from a resort, you will be asked to be available for a return call within the next two hours. If the person assigned to your case leaves, he or she should have attempted to contact you or left your information with someone else so that you receive a call within the two hours. I'm sorry to hear of Jim's experience.

If you call after our business hours, you will either get someone on the line live or will have the opportunity to leave a message. Return calls after hours are usually very prompt.

 

[riu girl]

Thank you for the info.

 

[happybaby]

riu girl,

The after-hours staff are all currently housed in Indianapolis, although we hope to expand this to additional centers in the future.

If you call the main number during business hours and explain that you're calling from a resort, you will be asked to be available for a return call within the next two hours. If the person assigned to your case leaves, he or she should have attempted to contact you or left your information with someone else so that you receive a call within the two hours. I'm sorry to hear of Jim's experience.

If you call after our business hours, you will either get someone on the line live or will have the opportunity to leave a message. Return calls after hours are usually very prompt.

Took 5 hours for RCI to call me back. Checked in later then normal and they called back around midnight, even tho they said I would be notified within 2 hours. At that point, we just stayed where we were, they couldn't find anything that late at night and we had plans for the following days and couldn't waste my time waiting for RCI to call back again.

 

[Madge]

Took 5 hours for RCI to call me back.

This would be unprecedented. It is likely that an attempt was made sooner. Sometimes a Guide may provide an incorrect number, it may be difficult to discern from the voicemail, resort staff don't answer, etc. This is just not the experience members should expect if they need to contact us from a resort.

Which resort was it?

 

[happybaby]

My cell phone number was given and it scared the heck out of me when I received a call close to midnight 5 hours later.