12 Dec 2022, a good noon in Mumbai and booked a hotel through Booking.com. As obvious, they will tell beautiful stories about the properties which I selected one(mind it, I am their Genius Level 3 customer so obviously I have been sold these stories for good time by them, and of course it was a choice). All looks good so far!
A number of messages on some partial amount to be paid via WhatsApp, Email, SMS. Did what was asked for with a quick thank you message along with confirmation of hotel room, again via WhatsApp, Email, SMS. Went to hotel around evening and there it is -’Sir, you have booked it from Booking.com and they are giving too low rates for which we can not accept your booking!’. And now here you are, the so far all looking stuff turns into -> check-in denied on your face. Even though showing them all the payment receipts and confirmations.
When nothing worked, called the so-called customer care at Booking.com, and as funny or interesting it may sound, they kept playing ping-pong game for which I waited for good 2 hours for some resolution to come my way.
Finally, they did not know what to do and informed the issue date was mistakenly captured for 11 Dec booking(which I had already completed my stayed with no issues, with the same Booking.com, the same property, who would happily accept booking for that day on what ever rates!). And as it gets more interesting for the sake, they(Booking.com) wanted to rework things and get back which again would have taken some hours so I put my foot down and asked the so-called well-trained customer care representative, if I could check-in on the hotel tariff for the day and that if they could refund the difference amount which I was okayed for(again well trained to say yes in such situations). And as suggested by the same customer care representative, I then reported the things the very next day with Hotel Invoice, Partial payment receipts/sms screen shots that I had paid earlier to Booking.com and then it starts getting more interesting, they would want me to supply the bank statements for me to prove that all this was not fake! And again mind it, all this with a Genius Level 3 customer so can you imagine what would be happening with other not so frequently booking customers and the priorities they would then get in turn, I can’t even imagine their plight.
Now as I start to follow up, which they would never provide any update unless I have called or emailed them. A number of calls, a number of follow-up emails, no update and then they disconnect the call. Can not believe this can be the customer care and complaints team professionalism sitting with Booking.com, a global entity, who were supposed to be backing their customer in such situations against those hotel guys who take you for a ride given there is no one who will listen to them! Any which ways, this level of professionalism is going to take you folks at Booking.com to the ’heights’ you would not have imagined even.
Good luck Booking.com, I am off your programs and platforms hence forth. Had no choice but to leave review on your great professionalism on such platforms!