A few days ago I wrote about how IHG sent an email to members with a "member booking update," which was very poorly handled. In the email they stated that as of January 1, 2017, members would only receive the full benefits that come with IHG Rewards Club membership when booking directly through IHG, and…
Continue reading: IHG Clarifies Their Confusing Booking Clarification Email
Share your questions, experiences, and thoughts below.
Yeah, I don't think the second email added much to the conversation, though I know people were confused about whether corporate bookings would qualify (even though it said in the original email that they would).
I think what they were dancing around was that purchasing stays via an OTA will no longer provide for those most excellent IHG benefits. Would have just been easier to say that.
At least their poor communication is consistent.
Trying to speak with their phone reps is equally frustrating given that they're not based in North America and English isn't their native language.
Imagine the uproar if they actually had any elite benefits to withold from people
This fails to clarify whether benefits will be provided on Citi 4NF reservations.
I loathe this kind of writing:
"some of the details may not have been very clear,"
It is weaselly, wafflely, cowardly and obfuscatory.
No customer can trust a service-provider which approaches their own services and their own customers with that kind of cover-my-ass verbal mush.
The only thing clear is that the company will always benefit itself.
Honestly I find that almost all the programs promise a lot and deliver little. I find myself constantly fighting with hotels to get upgraded to "the best room available at check in" they almost always try to cheat you by calling the same category room a different name and when you push back and ask what the difference is they will stutter and say something lame like "well the deluxe room has a coffee maker and extra towels" it's actually ridiculous how much they lie to not give you the best available room! That being said I personally find the IHG CS really good compared to Marriott and SPG I find that IHG rarely makes excuses and is more about trying to compensate you for your troubles. I've had very good CS from the IHG team both overseas and sometimes in the USA. I find the CS from the Canadian SPG desk horibble and slightly hostile but realistically even though IHG outsources some of their CS to Asia they have a service culture unlike Canada where they feel it's beneath them. If I have a serious issue with IHG (once my reservation got cancelled the day I was to arrive without a call or email) the Asians will transfer you to the USA team who has more authority (they comped me at another hotel chain and paid for my Uber from SFO to San Jose because SF was so booked that night I had to go to San Jose to find a room) I'm a PT and have top status with Hilton, SPG, Marriott, IHG and almost (next week 😉 Hyatt) and I've had the best CS experiences with IHG. But just to add a little bit more to that I do find that the higher end IHG hotels will play the same room upgrade scams as the other brands, it's always insulting and I always push back and most of the time get what I have earned "the best room available" it just sucks you have to fight for what they have already promised.
Re the original thread of the reward points, it is even confusing the hotel staff. I was informed today at check-in at an IHG hotel that they could not award reward points for my stay as it was not booked direct through their website and mentioned the Jan 27 cut-off email. It was booked through my company's travel agent and, when I showed them the text in the 2nd clarification email I had received, they retracted and awarded the points. They said they will need to get clarification from IHG. What a complete mess!.....