Explain the logic ?

[hellohello123]

Recently I was staying in a hotel in bkk for a few nights

The wotif rate and website rate was the same

I booked via wotif and wanted to extend by one night

I went down to reception and asked if I could extend the night and I could book directly with you to save the wotif commissions, the guy said just book on wotif and show me the reference number

I thought to my self, "I'm trying to be nice and save you money, oh well"

Still don't understand the reasoning good that unless the staff couldn't be bothered processing a transaction

[ravip]

The logic is it's a developing country with a poorly educated populace that happens to be situated in Asia, Land Of Asking No Questions.

Don't think too much or next you'll be wondering why one rule is followed "Because it's the rules" and another isn't because it suits someone's wallet.

But we also see worst educated people from other continents.

If the market principles are understood, there is logic in this situation.

Instead of degrading others, it would be nice and polite to really understand the subject - wild accusations in ignorance is rude, isn't it?

[JacChang]

Recently I was staying in a hotel in bkk for a few nights

The wotif rate and website rate was the same

I booked via wotif and wanted to extend by one night

I went down to reception and asked if I could extend the night and I could book directly with you to save the wotif commissions, the guy said just book on wotif and show me the reference number

I thought to my self, "I'm trying to be nice and save you money, oh well"

Still don't understand the reasoning good that unless the staff couldn't be bothered processing a transaction

This is what I was trying to say. You are correct, you don't understand.

You think you are doing him a favor, but it's NOT. You are trying to take his room quotas from him at a low price. If the wotif rate is 2,000 and they only have 3 rooms, and the website rate is also 2,000 with 5 rooms.

The hotel staff at the front desk has 10 rooms left which he can sell for at 2,200 to 4,000. The staff will keep his rooms, and won't let you have it. You are just a customer out of 300 customers. A 0.3% revenue. The calculations and statistics have been researched, and they allocate their rooms accordingly very effectively. Receiving the highest price possible to the highest paying customer for that particular room. There would be 100 people willing to pay 2000ish, 80 people willing to pay 3,000 and last 20 people willing to pay 4,000.

Just take it as a business procedure without any emotions attached.

Imagine the Immigration line up.

For example.

Fast Queue 1000 baht VS Normal Queue 300 baht

Normal queue you would get 50 people.

Fast queue you would get 2-3 people.

Do you want to go to the fast queue and say, "Hey buddy, the line next to mine is only 300. I know your chair is more expensive and the land you rent on this particular spot is higher, so I'll save you the fees, and I'll give you 300 baht directly." Please, don't be a joke. He'll rather smack your head. You are not doing anyone a favor and being smart. Understand the system, and use it to your choice. If everyone does that, what becomes of the fast queue? It becomes loaded.

If every staff works in the way the "misinformed" wanted, what becomes of the internet booking? What becomes of the online outsiders websites?

"OK Sir! We'll match the website you got from other sources!" NOT

Not that hard to understand.

[JacChang]

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I have done the same thing in Thailand and the Philippines. However, being informed that my rate will be higher - due to booking in person - I connect to their wi-fi and book the room from my laptop. Then i have them print out the email voucher. idiots...

The staffs are not idiots, you are just misinformed. Read my above post.

Only a few days ago was in Chiang rai, walked in, asked price 1500 baht. I said its only 1000 baht on Agoda.

No problem, you can use our internet and computer to book.

So, I sit in their lobby on their internet, then shout over to reception...."You got the booking yet?"....."Yes"......here is your room key!

A lot of reactions I'm seeing is most people feel that the staff or hotel system is incompetent or the like.

Most misinformed customers, as I would like to label it, check the internet to see the prices of 1,500 for example, then walks in gets offered 2,000. They feel insulted as if the staff is trying to trick them. And to prove the staff wrong, they book it online and gets checked in. MOST will roll their eyes, and considers the service bad. Most will feel superior as if they accomplished something to prove the staff wrong. Did you know, the staff is having a disapproving nod?

Have you ever wondered what the staff is thinking? Read my previous post, it has all the complete details for you to understand, it is completely business and completely RATIONAL AND LOGICAL. You are making a fool of yourself by doing all those things you have posted. The staff did not prevent you from ordering online did they? They supported you to order online if that is your wish, and that I give thumbs up to them already for service. They have never stopped you from doing so. Turn it around, today in the hotel restaurant, you order a nice steak for 400 baht, and then you complain the outside street vendor sells for only 20 baht. Idiot problematic customer? Most would agree. Ok, now take this exact same situation and place it on the pricing of the hotel. The online sells for 1,500, but you are walking into the hotel which the staff offers for 2,000. VERY VERY logical. Smart customer. Ruthless complaining. IF ONLINE IS CHEAPER, BUY IT ONLINE THEN, WHAT'S THE FUSS?

And for those saying or claiming 20+ years in the business and proving others wrong. Sorry, I don't know about the sales agent level, but I work with the board of directors and General Managers of each hotel, and this is how the business model works. I don't care if your computer doesn't show up how "outside companies" didn't book 10 rooms or so on.

Where in my post did I suggest or infer that "the staff or hotel system is incompetent or the like."?

"Most will feel superior as if they accomplished something to prove the staff wrong."....What are you talking about? That statement says more about you than me. It's the system and I appreciated the fact they encouraged me to book online. You DO realise it's the same in other countries (UK, France, Germany) etc, not just Thailand.

"You are making a fool of yourself by doing all those things you have posted.".......ridiculous statement.

Do you think the staff care less how a customer books a room? The owner maybe but certainly not the staff, especially when the place was almost empty.

Where have I complained in my post, I was just stating a fact.

I could not care less what a hotel does or what it's staff think as long as I get a room, at the price i think is correct for the level of accommodation!

Where in my post did I suggest or infer that "the staff or hotel system is incompetent or the like."?

This is a multiquote, not directly towards your comment or you. But others do think this way, and that attitude should be changed if they are informed.

"Most will feel superior as if they accomplished something to prove the staff wrong."....What are you talking about? That statement says more about you than me. It's the system and I appreciated the fact they encouraged me to book online. You DO realise it's the same in other countries (UK, France, Germany) etc, not just Thailand.

This issue is not restricted to Thailand. As far as I am concerned, the hotel industry is an international market, and those outside companies work around the world. And every single staff will respond the same way. They will not offer you the same room for the prices you see elsewhere if they have their own prices in place already.

"You are making a fool of yourself by doing all those things you have posted.".......ridiculous statement.

Statement stands, many staffs do feel this way, especially those customers who make a huge fuss and starts to get angry for refusal to meet the price requested. But again, that statement not directly at you.

Where have I complained in my post, I was just stating a fact.

I could not care less what a hotel does or what it's staff think as long as I get a room, at the price i think is correct for the level of accommodation!

I would like to apologize to you, as you were just describing your experience. Just the shouting part, as we type messages here, can't really find out the tone. I just thought you were angry and giving the staffs a hard time. I know, for your quote, I wrote longer, and it seems it was mostly directly at you. But honestly it's not, it's more to the first quote. I just didn't appreciate how many misinformed customers are getting angry at the conflicts and giving the staffs a hard time.

So, I sit in their lobby on their internet, then shout over to reception...."You got the booking yet?"....."Yes"......here is your room key!

Next time, please don't shout, some people are sleeping. Cheers

[patricev]

The root of the problem is with the OTA who force hotels to abide to parity rules, meaning that they cannot offer rooms for less than the OTA, including walk-ins. But that monopolistic practice is coming to an end with the German, the Swiss and now other countries investigating these practices as they are restraints of trade and anti-consumer. The OTA have been able to get away with it because of their sheer size, hotels cannot live without them these days but they sure would love to stop paying upward to 25% commission while the transaction cost on their own site is less than 5%.

In Thailand, it is actually easier to negotiate a better rate than it may be in western countries because ... well ... this is Thailand and there is always a way

[hellohello123]

Recently I was staying in a hotel in bkk for a few nights

The wotif rate and website rate was the same

I booked via wotif and wanted to extend by one night

I went down to reception and asked if I could extend the night and I could book directly with you to save the wotif commissions, the guy said just book on wotif and show me the reference number

I thought to my self, "I'm trying to be nice and save you money, oh well"

Still don't understand the reasoning good that unless the staff couldn't be bothered processing a transaction

This is what I was trying to say. You are correct, you don't understand.

You think you are doing him a favor, but it's NOT. You are trying to take his room quotas from him at a low price. If the wotif rate is 2,000 and they only have 3 rooms, and the website rate is also 2,000 with 5 rooms.

The hotel staff at the front desk has 10 rooms left which he can sell for at 2,200 to 4,000. The staff will keep his rooms, and won't let you have it. You are just a customer out of 300 customers. A 0.3% revenue. The calculations and statistics have been researched, and they allocate their rooms accordingly very effectively. Receiving the highest price possible to the highest paying customer for that particular room. There would be 100 people willing to pay 2000ish, 80 people willing to pay 3,000 and last 20 people willing to pay 4,000.

Just take it as a business procedure without any emotions attached.

Imagine the Immigration line up.

For example.

Fast Queue 1000 baht VS Normal Queue 300 baht

Normal queue you would get 50 people.

Fast queue you would get 2-3 people.

Do you want to go to the fast queue and say, "Hey buddy, the line next to mine is only 300. I know your chair is more expensive and the land you rent on this particular spot is higher, so I'll save you the fees, and I'll give you 300 baht directly." Please, don't be a joke. He'll rather smack your head. You are not doing anyone a favor and being smart. Understand the system, and use it to your choice. If everyone does that, what becomes of the fast queue? It becomes loaded.

If every staff works in the way the "misinformed" wanted, what becomes of the internet booking? What becomes of the online outsiders websites?

"OK Sir! We'll match the website you got from other sources!" NOT

Not that hard to understand.

Well I must be stupid for not knowing how the hotel bookings system works and it's intricate details

I mean I must have been stupid to assume that a third party like wotif would take a commission and therr would be no commission by bookibg at the front desk

[KED]

A similar situation with AIr Asia - I tried to purchase a ticket online within Inodnesia for USD 50.00; however, due to security safeguards on their website - my U.S. credit card kept getting denied. So, I was meeting a friend the next day at DMK - I arrived a little early and went to the AIr Asia desk and wanted to purchase the ticket; however, the reservation was held for only 1 hour and had been cancelled. The Air Asia ticket agent said she could rebook it - but that she would have to charge me USD 100 for the same flight. I took out my smartphone and booked a new reservation and got the same USD50 fare and the same CC denied message. However, once I gave her the confirmation number - she sold me the ticket for USD 50.00.

I understand that hotels and airlines want to direct booking traffic to the webstite; however, if you have a customer in fron of you with cash or CC, then you should be able to offer them the same fare rather than creating the extra step of having them book online directly in front of the company sales agent.

[patricev]

A similar situation with AIr Asia - I tried to purchase a ticket online within Inodnesia for USD 50.00; however, due to security safeguards on their website - my U.S. credit card kept getting denied. So, I was meeting a friend the next day at DMK - I arrived a little early and went to the AIr Asia desk and wanted to purchase the ticket; however, the reservation was held for only 1 hour and had been cancelled. The Air Asia ticket agent said she could rebook it - but that she would have to charge me USD 100 for the same flight. I took out my smartphone and booked a new reservation and got the same USD50 fare and the same CC denied message. However, once I gave her the confirmation number - she sold me the ticket for USD 50.00.

I understand that hotels and airlines want to direct booking traffic to the webstite; however, if you have a customer in fron of you with cash or CC, then you should be able to offer them the same fare rather than creating the extra step of having them book online directly in front of the company sales agent.

Now you can pay for your AirAsia booking, in cash, at any 7-11 in Thailand. You have one hour to do that after you make the booking.

[KED]

A similar situation with AIr Asia - I tried to purchase a ticket online within Inodnesia for USD 50.00; however, due to security safeguards on their website - my U.S. credit card kept getting denied. So, I was meeting a friend the next day at DMK - I arrived a little early and went to the AIr Asia desk and wanted to purchase the ticket; however, the reservation was held for only 1 hour and had been cancelled. The Air Asia ticket agent said she could rebook it - but that she would have to charge me USD 100 for the same flight. I took out my smartphone and booked a new reservation and got the same USD50 fare and the same CC denied message. However, once I gave her the confirmation number - she sold me the ticket for USD 50.00.

I understand that hotels and airlines want to direct booking traffic to the webstite; however, if you have a customer in fron of you with cash or CC, then you should be able to offer them the same fare rather than creating the extra step of having them book online directly in front of the company sales agent.

Now you can pay for your AirAsia booking, in cash, at any 7-11 in Thailand. You have one hour to do that after you make the booking.

This is valid only for bookings that originate in Thailand - I was buying a ticket within Indonesia so this was not an option.

[patricev]

A similar situation with AIr Asia - I tried to purchase a ticket online within Inodnesia for USD 50.00; however, due to security safeguards on their website - my U.S. credit card kept getting denied. So, I was meeting a friend the next day at DMK - I arrived a little early and went to the AIr Asia desk and wanted to purchase the ticket; however, the reservation was held for only 1 hour and had been cancelled. The Air Asia ticket agent said she could rebook it - but that she would have to charge me USD 100 for the same flight. I took out my smartphone and booked a new reservation and got the same USD50 fare and the same CC denied message. However, once I gave her the confirmation number - she sold me the ticket for USD 50.00.

I understand that hotels and airlines want to direct booking traffic to the webstite; however, if you have a customer in fron of you with cash or CC, then you should be able to offer them the same fare rather than creating the extra step of having them book online directly in front of the company sales agent.

Now you can pay for your AirAsia booking, in cash, at any 7-11 in Thailand. You have one hour to do that after you make the booking.

This is valid only for bookings that originate in Thailand - I was buying a ticket within Indonesia so this was not an option.

You are right, it would take more than an hour to get to a 7-11 in Thailand from Indonesia