Legal Commentary

A Customer Service Failure

By Patrick J. Lamb

I just concluded a stay at a Four Seasons Hotel.  When checking out, I was stunned to see two $100 plus charges for phone calls.  When I inquired about the charges, I was told that the first minute of each call is $8 and each subsequent minute was $3.  The rates are not listed on the phone, and it seemed unconscionable that a quality hotel would charge so prohibitively for phone services without making the scale of the charge clear.  I said something to the manager as I was leaving, and the phone charges were cut in half.  

This was a fair outcome, but really disappointed me.  Four Seasons takes tremendous pride in its customer service.  It should know better.

Is there a moral of the story? If so, it is that when the bar is set high and you fall, it looks like a long way.

Full post as published by In Search of Perfect Client Service on February 26, 2010 (boomark / email).