Travelers know more than anybody that even the best-laid plans can go awry. Hotels don't meet expectations, airline flights get canceled with few options for rebooking, and cruise lines cancel port calls.
Whether pre- or post-travel, many of these situations will find travelers seeking to be made whole again, meaning they'll often have to contact their travel providers to explain the situation and weigh their options. There may often be a complaint, or multiple complaints, involved.
Any traveler who isn't satisfied with the service they receive from a travel provider should at the very least let them know. Travel providers typically measure their service delivery, but direct feedback from travelers is also valuable-and it gives them an opportunity to make things right in situations where they've honestly failed to deliver a promised service.
I've worked on both sides of the equation, so I have some tips on how to communicate most effectively when having these crucial conversations with a travel provider.
Be Reasonable
When contacting a provider with a service complaint, a traveler is essentially seeking to make up for the portion of the service that was lacking-being "made whole". In other words, a minor delay on a flight from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh doesn't warrant a free First Class ticket to Paris; if a hotel room isn't guaranteed available until 3:00 in the afternoon, don't complain that it wasn't available at 10:00 in the morning.
For perspective, a traveler's objective for contacting a travel provider should be limited to first informing them of the issue so they can take corrective action, and giving them the opportunity to make up for the defect-it shouldn't be punitive.
A yardstick is that a provider will typically only consider refunding or replacing services that don't exceed the value of what a traveler initially purchased.
Be Specific
If you're contacting a provider because you feel you're owed compensation, make this clear. I've read plenty of examples of correspondence where travelers have lodged complaints for which they've received a heartfelt apology and an explanation, only to follow up with further (often unpleasantly worded) correspondence asking where their compensation was.
Don't assume that a provider will connect the dots and understand that you're asking for a refund or a travel credit. If you feel your situation warrants one, ask.
Don't Embellish
Bear in mind that a travel provider will research the details surrounding any complaint. If the delay was two hours, don't say it was twenty. It's also important to limit the details to the complaint at hand. A delay in a hotel room being ready doesn't mean the hotel is liable for every inconvenience a guest experiences while they're waiting, so it doesn't need to be included.
Stick to the problem, plus the impact: "My room wasn't ready, and the four-hour wait was an inconvenience because I had planned activities upon arrival."
Don't Make Threats
This might go under "Be Reasonable," but it happens often enough that it really deserves a separate column. Anyone who has worked in complaint resolution for a travel provider is used to hearing from customers what's going to happen if they don't get what they're seeking. From getting them fired to filing lawsuits, contacting the media or posting bad reviews online, they've all heard scores of (generally empty) threats from upset customers.
It's natural to want to throw your weight around when you're feeling wronged and frustrated about it. Not only is it not nice, but it's not particularly effective as it chips away the willingness to help of the one handling your complaint. Stick to outlining the problem and how you'd like it made right-this allows for productive discussion.
A softer threat is to take your business elsewhere. While true (and undoubtedly the well-trodden complaint in the annals of customer service lore) it's similarly ineffective because it's the implied problem in any complaint, so leave that one out too.
Do Take Advice From a Travel Agent
Travel agents are more than just experts at selling travel-dealing with travel providers is literally one half of their job, so they're a seasoned resource for resolving conflicts. Travel agents also typically have insight and clout with their favorite providers, and many will happily put that to work resolving their clients' post-travel complaints-provided the trip was booked with them.
Travel agents can also help clients sift through the web of involved travel providers to determine who the best contact is. Should a client talk to the tour company or the hotel? Did the travel provider include airfare-should ticketing questions go to them, or does a client need to contact the airline directly?
Consulting with a travel agent also provides travelers with a seasoned voice in their travel planning process. Perhaps a refundable fare will better suit the needs of a traveler who may have to change travel dates, or maybe the extra money for that cruise line cancellation waiver really is worth the peace of mind.
Avoid Complaints by Insuring Your Trip
If I'm being perfectly honest, I'll say a number of the complaints I see involve issues that can easily be solved by purchasing travel insurance.
Travel planning is complex and costly for everybody involved. Suppliers require prepayment and levy cancellation penalties because they're incurring expenses based on their customers' promise to show up. Their customers, in turn, incur risk because they're promising against an unknown (time) that they'll be able to do exactly that.
A number of the complaints that I see involve correctly enforced policies that suppliers have every right to uphold. In such cases, the best bet for travelers to protect their investment is to purchase travel insurance. In many other cases, there's been a mistake or a misunderstanding and it just takes a little extra effort to reach a resolution.
In that case, contact the supplier-and remember to be reasonable, specific, factual, and polite.
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