Customer Service

I have returned from my vacation out of town, but still have the rest of the week off. I had two dr. appointments last week, and this week I will go to PT 3 times.  That does not seem like much of a vacation, does it?  But not going to work is nice.

I stayed at the Quality Inn in Greenfield, Ma., http://www.qualityinn.com/hotel-greenfield-massachusetts-MA186#listpos1. I knew the pool was unavailable, but I am not much of a fan of chlorinated pools.  The room was adequate.  There was cable TV, minus ESPN http://espn.go.com/  and The Weather Channel http://www.weather.com/, but there was NESN http://nesn.com/, so I got to watch the Red Sox games (or reruns of the Red Sox games.)

The free wi-fi was easy to access, and unlike some systems, this one did not require me to change email settings to use it.  The staff was helpful and sometimes, intuitive.

But, the key card repeatedly did not work in the outer door.  My room was near the front, so going around to the front desk and having the key card re-set was not too inconvenient, but uncomfortable Thursday and Friday in the pouring rain. Grrrr. But, the staff at the front desk were pleasant and helpful.  When I left, I mentioned the problem.   One of the clerks, who had re-set my key card and thought it was set to use throughout my stay, was present.  They agreed they needed to list that as a maintenance item.   But did nothing to compensate me for my inconvenience.

I ate free breakfast every morning. The selection was small, but adequate.  I just wish they had had ketchup for the eggs, but that is me.  So, all and all, it was an adqueate experience.

I used Dollar Rental Car http://www.dollar.com/Locations/gen.aspx?locationId=BDL.  Although the rental car lot is off site of the airport, access by van was easy, and drivers were helpful.  Check in was quick, and they provided maps and directions to get to the interstate, and then to return to the site from the interstate. 

When I returned the car, I mentioned that I had had to add a quart of oil.  My brother had mentioned they should pay for the cost of the oil. I thought that would be fair.  They did not.They took 20% off of my bill. I thought that was more than fair.  Wow!  It was not really that wrong, but they sure made it right!

I used the Airport Shelter Park http://airportshelterpark.com/ for my car at the airport.  I usually use uncovered parking at another lot, and that lot has covered parking, but the cover is not as good as at Airport Shelter Park. We are in a weather cycle with intermittent chance of severe weather, including hail, so I wanted the car under the more substantial cover.  The driver insisted on loading my bags into the car, explaining that should I hurt myself doing so, I might not return as a customer. Sounds like good customer service to me.

I flew American Airlines http://www.aa.com/homePage.do.  I am used to Southwest Airlines https://www.google.com/search?q=Southwest+airlines&rls=com.microsoft:en-us:IE-Address&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&sourceid=ie7&rlz=1I7ADBF&gws_rd=ssl and the attitude of we will make your experience pleasant.  American Airlines was a neutral experience.  

So two out of four got good marks for customer service.  The others did not get bad marks, but nothing to write home about, either.

Wide Awake

On Wednesday, June 11, 2014, my first day of travel went well.  I was glad to have the time to get ready before flying out in the afternoon, but as I sat in the DFW airport http://www.dfwairport.com/, I was thinking "if I left early, I'd be there by now."  Well, such as it is.

I flew American Airlines http://www.aa.com/homePage.do this time.  Even figuring in the checked baggage fee, it was less expensive than Southwest http://www.southwest.com/. We were delayed because of traffic control issues at Bradley International Airport.  Our pilot got us out of the gate about 30 minutes late, and into the queue for take-off quickly, so we were less late than the airline had anticipated. 

I signed up for phone calls regarding flight update status, and received multiple updates.  It was a little much after a while.

I thought seriously about packing my clothing into my carry on bag, and leaving all of my toys at home (those are the space consumers.)  But, I am glad, after all, that I did pack my toys.  I used the computer the first night, and enjoyed reading on the plane. I was reading The Closer http://www.amazon.com/The-Closer-Mariano-Rivera/dp/0316400734, about Mariano Rivera, who retired last year from the New York Yankees http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/index.jsp?c_id=nyy from a stunning career as a relief pitcher.

We were late getting into Bradley International Airport http://www.bradleyairport.com/ near Hartford, Ct.  I got to the rental car agency, picked up my subcompact, and drove to the hotel, in Greenfield, Ma.  I had thought to buy a late meal, but had been eating nuts and jerky all day, and had a frozen yogurt at the airport.

I also had a diet Coke http://us.coca-cola.com/home/ on the plane.  I ordered a caffeine drink on purpose, wanting the effects to keep me awake on my drive north.  I started getting sleepy, after 3 AM EST.  I know some of that is excitement, too.

By the way, if you did not notice, this and other vacation posts will not be posted until I arrive home.  I do not want to advertise my absence.