Poor Membership Program

Location/place: Mumbai

Name of company/service: Orchid Gold

I am a member of your Orchid Gold Club, we are a total of 3 members and are totally disappointed with the membership. It has been a total waste of our money by becoming a member of Orchid Gold. The hotel is good but the membership program & the program managers are hopeless. Following are my point of dissatisfactions & complaint.

1) As I told you we are three member and when we joined the membership sometime In July last year, we were committed by your marketing girl (I don’t recollect the name ) that each of us will be given an extra buffet voucher. Till date only I have received an extra buffet voucher, my other two companions have not received any extra buffet voucher inspite of reminders.
2) The members help desk contact members have been disconnected but they have not been intimated to the members. If we want to contact for bookings or an enquiry there is no way we can contact you. Your website also lists is the old contact nos. In this age and time does it take so long to update you contact nos. to all the members?
3) No regular updates / intimations are given to us members about ongoing events and promotions at the hotel. Even the facebook page has become stale and outdated

4) Earlier, we were members of other prestigious hotels in Mumbai and even till date we receive calls from their members desk to wish us on our important days like birthdays, anniversary etc and they would ask us if we would like to reserve a table for the evening. Your member’s desk has no information about its members. Till date none of us has received any call for any of our important date, let alone asking for reservations. This is a very poor and irresponsible members desk and service.
5) We became members last july-10, but had not utilized the facilities of our membership till date. On 29th January 11, we decided to go for the midnight buffet at the restaurant. I tried calling up you members desk for reservation but was of no use since the phone numbers were discontinued. Then I send an email to the members desk. After some time I received a call from you program manger Nilesh. I complained to him also that the members desk has a very poor service and he promised that he will look into it (sic) I requested him, that I would like to book a table for 9 pax for the midnight buffet. On telling him that we were three members and would like to avail maximum benefit of all three cards, he suggested then we should inform the hotel staff in advance that we were three members and that three different bills should be made. I asked has the rate of midnight buffet and he told me it would be Rs.674/- all inclusive. I Once again reconfirmed whether it was an all inclusive rate or taxes will be extra?. He replied affirmatively that it was all an all inclusive rate and no taxes extra would be levied. I asked him to go ahead and book a table for 9 pax and also ordered an egg less cakes to be given at the restaurant. He assured us that he would do the needful and that we should reach the restaurant.
On reaching the restaurant at around 12.00am, we were shocked to know that there was reservation only for 3 pax and not 9 as we had informed. On telling them that we were 9 pax and will need the table accordingly and that we are not responsible for the goof-ups made by the members desk. Luckily the hotel staff had the required vacant tables and they could arrange for a table for 9 Pax. What would have happened if there were no vacant table at that hour? Were we expected to walk out and find another place for dinner at that hour?
Also the restaurant staff informed us that since we are 9 pax together they would not be able to make different bills for different cards and give us the maximum discount. On informing them that this was already told to and suggested by Mr. Nilesh only. Later on one Mr. Ashish came and meet us and we explained the situation to him. I suggested he call up Nilesh and ask him the facts. On calling up Nilesh, he flatly refused having given such an advice to us and also was not able to offer any explanation as to why a table for only 3 pax was booked . Luckily the cake was ordered and was given to us.
Mr Ashish suggested that we start and enjoy the buffet and he would take care of the billing. On finishing the buffet when we went for billing there was more shock in waiting for us. Ashish had given us the discount based on the number of members but the rate of buffet charged was Rs. 674 plus taxes and not Rs. 674 all inclusive as informed and reconfirmed by Nilesh. It was already about 2.30 in the night and we didn’t want to fight at that time, so we settled the bill and told Ashish to take up the matter seriously with the members desk and other higher ups. He assured us he would look into the same and gave us the contact number of one Mr. Mayur Luthra, who according to Ashish is the Head Program Manager of the Members Desk. This is so bad, even your employees are not aware of the rates & taxes at the restaurant and are misleading the members and guest. This again highlights the inefficiency and ignorance.
6) On Monday I called up Mr Mayur and expressed my disappointment on all the above points. He listened to me and promised to me that he would look into the matter and get back to me with a feedback latest by Wednesday. Its been almost more than 15 days, and I have not received any call / feedback from any of your people.
This is how you treat your members and guest? Are we to expect such treatment in the future also? All the three of us are cursing, why did we decide on this membership and not some other membership with so many options available. This is a totally inefficient and careless members program. We would definitely expect an explanation for all the above grievances.