Customer ReviewsforClub 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.

Club Med, Within the first 10 mins of my Club Med experience, I could tell something was not right. Even though I was trying to be positive and hopeful, it did not not take long to realize I was a victim of false advertising. I quickly realized that my party of eight with three rooms thought we were staying at a high end resort but in reality this place should be shut down. We could begin with the seven restaurants that are advertised on your website. After booking they inform you of an app to download. On that app it advertises only 3 restaurants. However, when you arrive you find out there is only 1 buffet style eating location. That would be one camp like cafeteria for all three meals.. breakfast, lunch and dinner! Some food was good but most was questionable. - Not only was the on property golf course closed but so were the two other courses that the resort advertised and referred us to. -Buildings are falling apart... there are holes in the buildings. -Shingles falling off the buildings -Bathrooms on property unattended - The gym ... we watched the cleaning service walk in, sign their name and walk out. She didn't clean anything! (COVID or not)! Speaking of cleanliness, not one time during my stay did I see anyone wipe any handles, doorknobs or any heavily used area. In fact, the bar tender at the adult pool requested that we reuse our cups due to a shortage! - Not 1 landscaper or maintenance person seen yet, the property is overgrown with dead trees and shrubs. - Trash is everywhere! Unfortunately, they are so understaffed and at max capacity. The staff is literally running to try to keep up. As you can imagine, the standard of care to the paying customers does not meet the expectations of a high quality resort. As a matter of fact, it's worse then awful. -Lap pool - the entire pool floor is breaking down with algae growth on the sides. If your looking for pool towels... good luck. Not only will they not have any available for the next half hour they also do not provide them poolside after 5:30 when the pool is open until dusk. - Laundry area... rusted broken down machine with the forgotten clothes left laying all week. -Restaurant service... again.. understaffed ... food left on tables where birds eat the unattended food. Meanwhile, as we watched a server or lady bussing our table, she choose not remove what she believed were our unused utensils and napkins. That's right, she saved my spoon for the next person! When they run out of certain foods, they do not make anymore (potatoes, vegetables). Our kids recognized that they ran out of chocolate and vanilla gelato every single night. It is not rocket science to figure out that they need to make double the amount of some flavors and maybe half the amount of others. - Our room floor feels like it is sinking. The tiles are loose or possibly a weak floor joist. - Our rooms are so outdated I wouldn't even know where to begin. They will provide a lifetime of family humor and jokes. Examples... the fridge is in the bathroom and the light switch to the bathroom is by the bed! (Talk about a middle of the night hazard without a light)! - Hospitality service does not exist during the day. Nobody walking around with drinks or snacks as shown in their website videos. Yet I did watch a cleaning lady with her leaf blower walk around the pool mid day blowing off the cushions! Even though they tried to make up for the outdated, broken down, overpopulated and understaffed resort with fantastic GO's, it does not compensate for a false advertisement. If these are the Club Med standards, your membership retention is in trouble. Throughout our vacation, we have been approached by at least five families. Some of which have flown across the country and or here from other countries. They have ALL expressed not only their disappointment but maybe more important to you, the fact that they would never go to another Club Med again. Sandpiper Bay is a representation of Club Med and first impressions are the most important. Unfortunately, you have failed to not just my family but I feel pretty confident to speak for the multiple other families feeling the same way. Your GO's hands are tied. There's only so much that they can do without the support of their corporate leaders. They have got to be exhausted! They deal with the exact same complaints from one guest after another. Another example of the low level Club Med standards and false advertising. I started writing this at midnight before the morning of check out. In the morning, I was pleasantly surprised to see a crew power washing and cleaning the moldy rundown mini golf course. That was the first scent of something clean that I smelled my entire stay. Maybe this is a start to something good. Your managers/GO's are trying however, they need more support from their leaders. Maybe, Club Med will one day meet the expectations that your website advertises. But to my family and the many current families visiting your Sandpiper Bay location, our first impressions were not only disappointing but we had to lower our expectations daily due to your false advertising. Rebecca Gallo

Our Club Med Guest Relations team has received this letter and is in the process of responding to the guest. Claims are processed in the order by which they are received. The customer will be contacted by a Guest Relations agent who will address each concern brought forward during their stay, as well as provide any compensation that is appropriate. All claims submitted by the customer are investigated and actioned by our management team promptly. We sincerely apologize for any frustration that has been expressed by the above declaration and seek to resolve as quickly as possible.

Rooms had dirt all over the floor.mold all over balcony.flies in the one place that you can get food.bartenders cant make simple drinks.the drinks tasted like soap.the check in host was immediately rude to my wife who gets along with everybody.the staff all looked miserable.we left early as it was just a nasty place full of bugs.the place is a ****. i slept better back when i was in the army in the desert.

Thank you for forwarding Mr. *********** concerns. We are very disappointed that Mr. ******** did not have a trouble free experience while staying at our Sandpiper Bay resort. Please accept our sincerest apologies for the lack of service and the comments on the overall appearance of the accommodations and resort. Please be rest assured that his concerns have been forwarded to the resort management team so that they may resolve these issues. On July 30th, Mr. ******** was sent an email from our Guest Relations department acknowledging his concerns and offering a future travel credit in the amount of $470.87 which represents 100% of the land cost of the two night stay. It is our hope that Mr. ******** will allow us to demonstrate that his experience was the exception to the rule and he will use that credit towards another stay at Sandpiper Bay or even one of our other amazing resorts world wide. The credit is good for 2 years so this will allow ample time to use the credit. Again, we sincerely apologize that Mr. *********** experience was not the excellent experience we are known for in the industry. We hope that we can welcome him to another Club Med resort in the near future.

I have many years of experience driving a jet ski and went to jet ski at clubbed sandpiper.. what a horrible experience as the staff seem to be abnormally rude, have sever anxiety and attack us because we passed an invisible line. They really shouldn't do this as a business.

Dear Ms. ********

Thank you for contacting the BBB regarding your recent stay at Club Med Sandpiper Bay and the jet ski experience. We are very disappointed and apologize that your experience with the jet ski staff was unpleasant. The jet ski product is conducted and offered through a 3rd party vendor, and the employees are not Club Med employees, however it is important that we are made aware of such experiences so we can share feedback with the vendor directly so that they may review and rectify. We also recommend reaching out to the jet ski provider directly to share your concerns. Their information is as follows:

WakeScout Worldwide Watersports

****@wakescout.com
tel:(XXX) XXX XXXX

Again, we apologize that your experience with the jet ski excursion was not trouble free. Our goal is to always provide a pleasant experience for our clients and that includes any vendors as well. We hope that despite this experience you will consider staying with Club Med again. It would be our pleasure to welcome you back to one of our resorts in the near future.

Sincerely,
Club Med Sales, Inc.

I was not the only person that was faced with such behavior. An African American lady was yelled at and called stupid in front of everyone because she crossed an invisible line in water. We love clubmed and been coming to clubmed for many years, however this was a Northville experience for be and my kids. They did end up charging our card and no we will not contact them directly as they are absolutely disrespect and I don't wish to get attacked verbally once more. However, I do believe we need to be refunded as the whole idea behind going to jetski was to have fun with our kids but this left us with a very bad experience 😕 Clubmed should be responsible about people they work with to give service at their property.

Dear Ms. ********

The behavior you described is unacceptable and we sincerely apologize that you were subject to this behavior by the employees at Wakescout. As the jet ski excursion was purchased through Wakescout any refunds will have to be pursued with them directly. Unfortunately, Club Med does not have the funds you paid directly to Wakescout to refund as this was not booked as part of your Club Med reservation. While we understand that the vendor provides a service for Club Med guests, we are unable to take responsibility for the behaviors of their employees or provide compensation not paid to us directly. it is imperative that therir management team be made aware of the lack of service that was provided to you and your family and it is very important they are contacted directly from the consumer to address any concerns. We understand you do not wish to contact them directly and we apologize for any frustration this may cause you; however, we highly recommend that you do so and ask to speak to a supervisor or manager, so they can rectify the situation and provide you compensation.

Once again, we are truly sorry for your experience.

Sincerely,
Club Med Sales, Inc.