Marriott International announces top executive moves

On May 16th my wife (Kelli Weisenburger) was on a business trip in Dearborn, Mi. She stayed at one of your Courtyard Marriott’s location in Dearborn. The stay had no surprises and my wife left there business as usual.
Upon arrival we did our normal meet and greet talk and discussed the trip and how and what transpired.
She explained the charges, where I was interested as I used my card to place $50 incidentals hold on my debit card. She paid cash because her card deposit wouldn’t post until Monday May 17th and received cash back after the checkout. She thought they had charged her card because she gave them her debit card. “And my card” I asked ”did they give you a receipt” no was the reply. I called the hotel and after a transfer to someone qualified to handle my questions I learned that they had charged the whole amount to my card. The women who took my call had a manor that reassured me she would work on finding out why they charger my card the full amount and not my wife’s. She didn’t put me on hold and handled herself in a completely professional manor. Without offering a “I’m sorry” the words, she said something like “ any incontinence to someone staying or involved in payment of Courtyard Marriott stays is important to address” adding after she helped me, with great satisfaction, she said twice “what can I do to further help you?” My experience with her started my mind to think how could I address any incontinence, as I am in the service business.
Later that night my wife informed me that she believes that she left her phone charger at the hotel .I called and asked and they did, where the clerk explained that she would need a charge card to pay for shipping back the charger, As a started to give card she asked are you the gentleman that called about room charges earlier. I stated yes where she said we would bill this to our account. I ‘m not sure of her name but I assume it is Jo Harville because her name is on the package fill out form.
For over the last twenty years my occupation is in the Ballroom Dance industry. I have stayed in hotels coast-to-coast and north and south. Where 90% of the time they are high level hotels and the service is expected and demanded. I can say with complete confidence that your employee at Courtyard Marriott Dearborn offered the best of service on a small incident.
The story has another side on May 22nd I was in the process of purchasing a dance video on-line. I checked my balance and it came up with a negative $55 balance where I assumed the balance would be around +$40 balance. After investigating I discovered a $93 (from Courtyard Marriott) hold on my card as well as the full balance of $142.55 for the hotel stay. Being in the service business I understand mistakes and my last experience was of the best service I was looking forward to seeing how they would handle this. I called another Courtyard to see what the procedure is like in a case like my own. First if a hold of $93 was placed then the balance of $142.55 would be charged, being $49.55. Second if they me told over the phone during check-in that a hold of $50 was needed and a higher amount was needed after the call they would inform me by phone or my wife staying there and explain the charges. They did not call and again I was looking forward to the call.
I called Courtyard Marriott Dearborn only stated that I was looking for information as to why if told a $50 hold was all that was needed why would there be a $93 charge. I got three times the procedure of 3-5 days the hold would be lifted, and why the hotel places a hold. Never did she answer my question nor did she offer any concern or statements of apology. I brought the attention to the checkout and asked why if they already held $93 would they charger me the full balance of the hotel stay. I got the same procedure of 3-5 days the hold would be lifted, and why the hotel places a hold. I explained that I understand because during check in my wife called and said that a hotel clerk wanted to talk to me about me giving my debit card as a hold. The clerk explained the reason for a hold, the amount $50, which I verified the amount twice and she also explained the procedure of 3-5 days the hold would be lifted. I also stated that I do many merchant transactions and that I would like to find out who did the transaction, maybe they could help as to why. Her reply not only shocked me but also made me want to drive to Dearborn to personally finish this discussion. She said “I wasn’t there and so I can’t help you in this matter” after a few second silence she add, “Is there anything else.” I went back to the amount held ($93) and stated is there a certain percentage or amount that is expected on holds and again why if I was told that $50 was asked and told would be the hold Why the $93 dollar charge. She gave me the procedure of holds again and said why not wait till Monday and call your bank that the hold should be lifted.
My patience tested and not at all willing to let this matter dropped. I stated that I have talked to my bank and what is needed to do is draft a fax letter stating that the full charges have been collected and the hold of $93 be lifted. Before she could respond I informed her that being in business where I deal with merchant charges and if there was a hold that only the balance should be charged not the full amount knowing that my customer would not appreciate having an extra amount held for any amount of days. Her tone became worse and she said that it would not do any good since the banks are not open until Monday and that it wouldn’t do any good today. If rocket fuel were made from the insides of an extremely upset individual there would have been enough fuel to fly to the moon from me. My reply was that all you have to do is fax the information and my bank would do the rest. I didn’t need nor want from her “I can do it but I can tell you it won’t do any good” “ and “ I’ll need the fax number”. I stated that I had already talked to my cardholders charge dispute division and gave her the number. She wanted to know my name and was it my card, I gave her my name and yes it was my card and asked her what her name is and she told Marian Wyatt and stated and that I’m the General Manager and hung up. The general manager? You’ve got to be kidding me. The general manger, which I assume has been with Marriott for some time or at least in the field of hotel service and hospitality for a period of time long enough to be able to handle this incident. I’ll save my comments about this employee and the HR person who hired her.
Today is May 28th and the hold HAS NOT BEEN LIFTED. MY CARD HOLDER HAS NOT RECEIVED A FAX TO RESOUVE THIS MATTER. THE RESONABLE TIME OF 3-5 DAYS HAS LONG PASSED. It has been 9 business days. The manor of treatment from Marian Wyatt, your General Manager there, and her service manor even on a bad day is not acceptable. The time does not matter now and another call to your hotel staff is not necessary. I no longer want but need this matter handled. I no longer want to hear anything from even your best service employee as to why this matter happened .I only need to hear as to how this matter will be resolved.
I have read your Marriott International, Inc. Business Conduct Guide, Business ghts (with J.W. Marriott’s picture and name on it) and browsed thru several of Marriott’s sites. My experience has given me knowledge that in business maintaining your currant and loyal customer’s enthusiasm, for your business, is far less work than bringing new customers on board. Recently I read this statistic in “How to Win Customers and Keep Them for Life”

“Why Customers quit”
· 3% move away
· 5% developed other friends
· 9% leave for competitive reasons
· 14% are dissatisfied with the product
· 68% quit because of an attitude of indifference toward the customer by the owner,
Manager or some employee.

And this from the same book; “A typical dissatisfied customer will tell 8 to 10 people about his problem. One in five will tell twenty. It takes twelve positive incidents to make up for one negative incident.”
I recently read about John Willard Marriott and his start in A&W Root beer, The Hot Shoppe, and the opening of the Marriott’s first hotel in, actually a motel the Twin Bridges Motel Hotel in Arlington, Virginia, and that there are approximately 3300 lodging locations of Marriott in U.S and 67 countries. I am expecting an expedient reply and resolution to this matter.

Mark Weisenburger
5720 Liberty Ct.
Fort Wayne, In 46804
260-797-5753
academyofballroom@gmail.com