We just returned from our stay at the Poly. Overall, we had a wonderful time and I remember why I love that resort so much! I had planned on posting my thoughts on CL since we had never tried it (beautiful view/tiny plates!), but we had a truly negative experience with a CL concierge CM at the end of our trip that has really colored our experience and I find myself just needing to vent about it...
So, it was the culmination of a couple of different ongoing issues...I apologize in advance as it’s kind of a long story so feel free to skip, although beyond venting, there is a small point to my post. I also preface it to say my DH and I are both very easy going people - it takes a lot to ruffle us...
Upon check-in, I booked a half day cabana for our last full day. We had the Villains event, and we thought it would be nice not to have to worry about finding chairs - and more importantly shade - so we could just relax before the event. I had called ahead of the trip for availability for arrival day, but there was none, but I just asked upon check in about the whole week just to see and I was told there was availability for a full or half day for Thursday. Booked, confirmed, easy-peasy.
That same day, we had a rather silly maintenance issue of our own making...my daughter’s Ipod ear bud (a gift) popped off her ear and managed to go inside one of the hollow sides (“footboard”) of the daybed. After much searching, we could see it inside but after much effort, we realized we could not access it, so we spoke to concierge about getting maintenance there to assist us. We needed someone with a tool to take off the back so we could get it.
What followed for the rest of our stay was just a comedy of errors, and a lot of miscommunication and wasted time that I can’t even fully explain. We’d explain the situation and ask for Maintenance, they’d send Mousekeeping who really couldn’t do it, they’d be baffled about why we called them, we’d explain again, nothing would happen, we’d explain again at Concierge and show them, they’d make a plan with Maintenance, we’d wait for Maintenance but then they wouldn’t follow the “plan” and contact Concierge to call us, so we wouldn’t be in the room but maybe watching our phone at the pool, cycle would start over again with new staff...by the second day I wanted to give up and take the loss, since it was wasting our “down” time during the afternoon, but they didn’t want us to lose her ear bud and really it wasn’t that tough of problem to fix, so it continued…in retrospect I wish I insisted we stop trying but, alas...
I guess part of my point is that this issue continued over the length of our stay for two reasons: (1) they were not actually listening to us regarding what the problem was (sending the wrong person for the job multiple times) and (2) there seemed to be problematic communication issues between departments. Multiple times Concierge said that Maintenance would let them know when they were coming so they could text us, but then they would come and go without contacting Concierge and we would miss them. Not sure if this is a understaffing thing or just communication? Trying to directly call ourselves didn’t seem to help either.
Thursday comes and HS is bananas. We leave a FP line since it is unusually long and we don’t want to cut into our cabana time. My husband goes to Concierge to deal with earbud, since Maintenance was there at some point and why weren’t we in the room? The kids head to the pool first and guess what? No cabana! Kids tell me CMs have no record of us. Okay, so I go to Concierge to inquire and it’s just me, and a Concierge CM talking to another CM. The Concierge CM is complaining - in a very mocking tone - about a guest. I feel uncomfortable and baffled why they are continuing this conversation in front of me. Then I realize, they are talking about MY HUSBAND! And, of course...the ear bud! And worst of all - the Concierge still is misunderstanding the issue, lol! I stand there, debating whether I should slither out of the room, but the fact that he is misrepresenting the problem sends me over the edge, so I interrupt them and calmly re-state the problem and what is needed to fix it.
He appeared shocked and embarrassed. The other CM disappears (come to find out later it is his manager - go figure!) and tells me that he is having “one of those days” but does not apologize for mocking my husband. I am a very introverted person, so in dealing with a conflictual situation, I generally find it helps me to regroup in order to address a situation in a constructive manner. I ask about the cabana, he refers me to the recreation director.
Recreation Director comes says they over booked but she saved me some chairs instead...in the baking sun! Hurray! After she leaves, I’m wondering if they are charging me, and I want to address the previous situation since I’ve had a bit of time to process, so back to Concierge I go.
Now there seems to be multiple Concierge CMs there, eventually including the one that booked the cabana, so it becomes a lovely scene. I address cabana first...no charge. Cabana CM (or somebody) was supposed to call and leave a message but it didn’t happen. He apologizes in a sincere manner for the inconvenience and that was fine, the cabana thing was not a huge deal to us - and he owned the mistake and simply apologized in a professional manner and we know things like that can happen.
The other CM was another story. I tried to address it in a direct but constructive manner but he doubled down on the “sorry not sorry.” He said nothing wrong, it was my interpretation. I asked him if he would have spoken that way in front of me if he knew I was the guest’s wife and why he proceeded to tell me what a bad day he was having to excuse it, if it was an appropriate way to be speaking about a guest, but he would not answer. There was no satisfactory end to the discussion. I wanted to speak to the manager but it had all taken so much time and I was becoming escalated at that point that I figured I would go soak my head in the pool and follow up the next day. I tried the next day but timing didn’t work so I got his email. I understand the need to sometimes vent about guests, but really, find a broom closet or something...
Anyway, we had a lovely trip and I love the Poly, we just lost a great deal of our down time dealing with stuff, and the location of the Poly to make down time easier was a big factor in choosing the resort in the first place. Oh, forgot to mention...in the middle of all of this, Maintenance came (without checking in with Concierge as planned but my son happened to be in the room), and was able to retrieve the ear bud in under five minutes.
).
