What I did on my summer vacation — part 1

August 9, 2022 | Bad service,Family,Summer,Traveling

Dream vacation, nightmare travel planning

Several years ago, I dreamed of a family vacation to California because I’d never been there before. Fast forward to a time when I don’t have to ask anyone else’s permission for anything, I started planning that vacation. I knew it would be in July. I’d worked with a national travel company (the one that shows up to jump your car) to plan getaways to Orlando with the kids, so that’s where I called on a Saturday in January. I spent an hour on the phone with someone named Brian. He said he’d get some information to me by Monday. Monday came and went. I know things have been chaotic in offices everywhere, so I tried to be patient. At the end of the week, I sent him an email, saying, “There’s no rush yet to get information, but I thought I’d check in with you since you said you’d have something for me Monday. Is everything OK?” I got back an automated reply:

I am currently out of the office 

Please Note: I have been out of the office for an extended period of time and am following up with member requests as quickly as possible.

Maybe everything was not OK. I checked in again about a week later. Got another automated message. A week after that, I got a real email from Brian:

I am back in the office FINALLY !!!     Trying to dig out on emails and Voicemails …..       Have you given up on me or are you still looking ?     Please let me know and I will get this to you !!!!

Please accept my apologies !!!!

I replied that, yes, I was still looking for help. I gave him travel dates again, and he said he would get to work on it. Almost two months later, I checked in and got the automated message again, this time with more red and all caps. The next day, I called the main number, hoping to speak with him or someone else. Michelle answered the phone.

First, I asked for Brian. He wasn’t in the office. I asked if she had access to his notes so I didn’t have to start all over again. She checked (or she said she checked) and said he had no notes in my file. What?!? How could that be? I had spent at least an hour on the phone with him in January. And now this? I started giving her details of the trip I wanted to take, and she said she would send me an itinerary. Then she said, “And going forward, what I am not gonna do is listen to you complain about anything.”

My head tipped like a dog’s would when trying to make sense of a new sound, and my brain said this to me, “Oh-huh-ho. Going forward, there will be no going forward with this shit.” Out loud, I said, “Thanks, bye.”

She sent her email, and I ignored it. I asked folks I know for travel-agent recommendations. I got three, and I chose the local one.

More later …