I won’t pretend to be the only one to have service problems and some are more bearable than others.  However, my experience at the Glasgow Marriott is legendary . . . in a bad way.

I have had problems with the Marriott in Glasgow previously, especially with the iBahn internet service.  I understand the problems with using WiFi in an old building with high floors (although it could be solved).  I have often suffered through the poor speed of the broadband as the substitute to the WiFi problem.

Unfortunately, the problem experienced was more egregious  . . . I was completely kicked out of the system.

The first time I had the problem, the answer was a different room (a suite).  The second time there were nor other rooms (apparently).  Being Platinum with the Marriott Hotels, usually I get taken care of in these situations.  No today or even the week I was there.

The problem started when things were working fine with the broadband connection and I was kicked off the system.  Calling down to the front desk, I was told that iBahn handles these problems – why is it when a customer has a problem no one takes responsibility in service?  This is failure demand (the failure to do something or do something right for a customer – 95) pure and simple.  Regardless, I was passed to iBahn customer service.

iBahn customer service wound up resetting my system and my service was restored which is fine or so I thought.  The problem became repetitive and I was continually kicked out of the connection . . . sometimes in 20 minutes, sometimes in two hours.  I had to call down to the front desk and get transferred over 20 times over 3 days and I was out during the day!

One day they tried replacing the modem, didn’t work.  The sad part is many customers get to pay for this privilege  because they don’t have Platinum or Gold status with Marriott.  A customer doesn’t want to have to fix a problem that is not theirs and to have to pay for it is ridiculous.

My problems as a customer that you create are yours to solve . . . not mine.  Passing the buck and washing your hands of the problem because its the “vendor’s problem” does not wash with customers in any service.  Marriott chose this vendor, not me.  As a customer, I should be exempt from solving problems for Marriott.

Tripp Babbitt is a speaker, blogger and consultant to service industry (private and public).  His organization helps executives find a better way to make the work work.  Read his articles at Quality Digest and his column for CustomermanagementIQ.com.  Learn more about the The 95 Method for service organizations.  Reach him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/TriBabbittor LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/trippbabbitt.