Business ProfileforClub Med Sales, Inc

The following email was sent to Club Med after my stay re: misleading information on their website and booking voucher as well as staff interactions via email, phone, and in person. My personal identifiable information has been removed from this entry. I have provided it directly to Club Med as well as the BBB via previous submittals.

Dear Club Mediterranee Management,

I am writing in support of my declaration (attached Document A) I left with ********* at Club Med Sandpiper Bay upon my check-out on August 28, 2021. My membership number is: XXXXXXXX and my booking file was: XXXXXXXXX. Please forgive me as my unsolicited feedback may seem overwhelming but as a domestic guest staying at Club Med for the first time, my overall experience did not leave me with a great first impression of a brand I thought was much more stronger, focused, and determined.

First, I will start with the booking process. I tried many times to call the Club Med (800) phone number to book my trip as I was booking two rooms: one for me and one for my parents. After a couple days of always being told to call back, I finally booked online. I will say spending over $4,500.00 (USD) for two rooms and not being able to ask questions of an agent was very nervy. I would like to suggest you get more phone operators/agents since business is very strong for your product as well as offer a call back option to the inquiring party so when your agents are able to respond they can call the inquiring party back.

Second, is about accurate information. While I realize in these COVID times, adjustments to operations need to be made but it's also equally important to update the Club Med Sandpiper Bay documents and website in real-time. (This is how I made the decision to book a vacation at this property.) When I completed my booking process (attached Document B), the booking confirmation made mention of the Riverside BBQ & Grill, as well as the "pick your room" service. When I inquired about both (attached Document C), I was told they were both no longer available options. While I was also told by ******* (July 24) that she could help me with room preferences, I never heard back from her; nor about the parking pre-pay question I submitted. Therefore, I called back to pre-pay the parking on August 17 which took 15 minutes to process $72.00 (USD) with the agent. (Computer issues I was told?)

Third, is in the area of in-person customer service versus phone call customer service with Sandpiper Bay. On Saturday, August 21, my parents advised me they had tested positive for COVID (and obviously would not be arriving the next day.) At 3:30 p.m., I immediately called Sandpiper Bay at the telephone number listed on my booking confirmation. I explained the situation to the female answering the phone. She had no compassion *** said she needed to transfer me to reservations. I was thinking at Sandpiper Bay; no it was to the general reservation number and I got the "we are too busy call back later" response and the call disconnected. Frustrated with this process, I called back to Sandpiper Bay and got the same female. She mentioned she could do nothing for me. I asked to be elevated to the Front Desk Manager since she was not able to assist me further and she hung up on me. I attempted to call back two more times to the same number and my calls were answered then disconnected. (I presume there is caller ID and she did not care to take any more of my calls.) I immediately sent an email (attached Document D) to Sandpiper Bay at the email address I had communicated with ******* previously. I requested immediate attention and never heard back from the property. Even at check-in the next day, no one mentioned a thing. I would think at some point my email would have been received and connected back to my account and/or I would have been called. Thankfully, I was able to reach ****** at the reservations number and she walked me through the process in order for my parents to rebook their reservation (XXXXXXXXX.)

In this same vein, on the last night of my stay, I had revelers staying in my building. At 12:15 a.m., they came back to their rooms yelling, screaming, laughing and having a great time. But with no understanding that the building had people/families trying to sleep. At 12:30 a.m., I called the front desk. ***** (?) answered and I explained the situation. He said he would notify security. Still noisy at 12:45 a.m., I called ***** once again and he said he alerted security. At 1 a.m., I tried calling ***** again and for 15 minutes, no one picked up the phone. I was calling from my mobile phone too in case the general number was different than the room touch pad phone. 15 minutes...no answer on either line. (What if I had an in-room emergency? What if someone was trying to call the front desk for help from their mobile?!) At 1:15 a.m., ***** picked up and I asked for security to come to my room. They arrived within 10 minutes. As I opened the door, the noise was at a peak level. I asked if he was able to ask the partiers to be more quiet? The security guard said he was just called and didn't know why he was responding to my room. This was not the response I wanted to hear at 1:25 a.m. I was told by ***** twice he told security but when security arrived they didn't know what for? In any case, the revelers were quiet within minutes of security leaving my room.

While I have shared two instances of negative phone-based guest service issues, the Front Desk team at arrival, departure, and any time I stopped by were always very helpful and pleasing. So it seems to me, those hiding behind the phones feel they don't have to be as kind or helpful.

Lastly, the state of my room and the resort facilities are in dire need of repairs/updates. Photos shown online did not represent the condition of my room or the resort as it is today. In addition, there is a terrible bug infestation at this property. From the bathroom, closet, countertops, and bed/living space to the chairs and lounges across the property these smaller than an ant, fast moving bugs were a nuisance and left bite marks all over. (I also live in Florida and on a lake and this problem does not exist at my home.)

In closing, there was much friendliness by the staff - activities team, bartenders, bussers, and housekeeping specifically. Not to mention, the food quality at the buffet was top notch! There was always something for everyone and you didn't leave hungry. Kudos to the food team!

I thank you for getting through my concerns and feedback. For $1,500.00 (USD), I was expecting a different experience from Club Med. I am hopeful that with the Club Med corporate meeting I was told was held the same week as my stay, they too noticed the state of the property. Further that the food quality/selections and staff friendliness was not just because they were on property?

I am happy to expand further on any topic if desired. I can be contacted at this email or mobile: XXX.XXX.XXXX. I am also happy to participate in any research regarding my stay. Companies learn and grow through customer feedback as tough as it is to hear; that only helps to make them stay relevant and competitive plus improve their brand recognition and loyalty.

Best Regards,
***

Thank you to Mr. ***** for providing his feedback to the Better Business Bureau. Mr. ***** also sent his feedback and concerns directly to Club Med Guest Relations by email. We are in the process of researching his concerns and will be responding very soon.
The feedback he provided are of great concerns to us and will be shared with the resort management for review and resolution. Mr. ***** will be hearing from us shortly. We appreciate the opportunity he has given us to discuss this further.