2008-10-10

When you just can?t get no satisfaction

This is not really a technology post, but since I have received over a dozen comments from disgruntled individuals complaining about either Travelocity or TripAdvisor, I thought it was appropriate to write this article.

At the PhoCusWright 2007 Conference in Orlando, I had the opportunity to listen to some pretty high profile speakers and CEOs like Stephen Kaufer from TripAdvisor, Michelle Peluso from Travelocity, and others. I wrote reviews and summaries of all these sessions and posted them to my blog. Since that time, thanks to the effectiveness of blogs and the search power of Google, I have received a number of comments from disgruntled consumers looking for some measure of satisfaction. It would seem that there are more than just a few people out there who have had less than satisfying dealings with a number of on-line travel providers.

There are a couple of ways of dealing with a company if you have not been satisfied with the service you have received. The first step is to contact the company directly and let them know that you are not happy with the service you have received. If this doesn’t work, then I recommend you file a complaint with the Better Business Bureau.

What is a BBB Accredited Business?

If a business has been accredited by BBB, it means BBB has determined that the business meets BBB accreditation standards, which include a commitment to make a good faith effort to resolve any consumer complaints. BBB Accredited Businesses pay a fee for accreditation review/monitoring and for support of BBB services to the public.

BBB accreditation does not mean that the business’ products or services have been evaluated or endorsed by BBB, or that BBB has made a determination as to the business’ product quality or competency in performing services.

Businesses are under no obligation to seek BBB accreditation, and some businesses are not accredited because they have not sought BBB accreditation.

The following is a list of BBB Company Reports for some the major travel brands. Most of the companies listed are Accredited members and have satisfactory reports. I was a little bit surprised to find that a couple of them are not members. To file a complaint, look for the “Complaints” or “File a Complaint” link in the navigation (usually the left area). The process is fairly straightforward but does require you to note specific contact details, so make sure that if you are going to complain to a company (or about a company) that you take note of when you contacted the company, who you spoke to, and what was discussed.