A-Club stupidity

[gumpy]

Twice in two weeks A-Club have signed me up for a new account...

I hate them so much... why are they so stupid?

Everyone, I advise you to stay clear of them.

rant over.

 

[thewinchester]

Details would be nice to make a more informed judgement of your views. Having someone signed up for a loyalty program twice isn't necessarily a reason to avoid them.

• What were the circumstances behind being signed up twice?
• Did you make a hotel booking and forget to include your existing membership details?
• Did your orginal membership request get accidently processed twice?
• Did someone at a hotel you stayed at attempt to boost their quota by signing you up again when you were already a member?

 

[straitman]

Details would be nice to make a more informed judgement of your views. Having someone signed up for a loyalty program twice isn't necessarily a reason to avoid them.

• What were the circumstances behind being signed up twice?
• Did you make a hotel booking and forget to include your existing membership details?
• Did your orginal membership request get accidently processed twice?
• Did someone at a hotel you stayed at attempt to boost their quota by signing you up again when you were already a member?

Good questions.

There have previously been quite a few mentions of problems with A-club so that probably tempers people's enthusiasm into not asking too many questions and simply accepting their ineptitude.

 

[markis10]

A-Club is a textbook example of how a loyalty program when poorly implemented creates the opposite of loyalty, cannot see why someone would complain about being signed up twice if they had not already tried to put their A club details in the booking and on checkin.

I get the feeling the staff looking after that program have a KPI that based on number of members rather than customer satisfaction with getting whats advertised.

 

[Sprucegoose]

They are stupid. So Stupid in fact they couldn't retain my loyalty for a second year, and honestly I am still with my first bank and Telstra.

What does that tell you, seriously???

 

[drron]

Sometimes their stupidity works to your advantage.I booked and stayed in an Accor property 2 months ago using my own name but their computer system then changed it to mrsdrron's name and she got points-I am not a member of Aclub.

 

[Sprucegoose]

Sometimes their stupidity works to your advantage.I booked and stayed in an Accor property 2 months ago using my own name but their computer system then changed it to mrsdrron's name and she got points-I am not a member of Aclub.

Serendipitious!

 

[gumpy]

Details would be nice to make a more informed judgement of your views. Having someone signed up for a loyalty program twice isn't necessarily a reason to avoid them.

• What were the circumstances behind being signed up twice?
• Did you make a hotel booking and forget to include your existing membership details?
• Did your orginal membership request get accidently processed twice?
• Did someone at a hotel you stayed at attempt to boost their quota by signing you up again when you were already a member?

I made the booking using my gold card number for both a Pullman and Mercure booking. For the Pullman I actually got special rates because of the gold card number I entered.

Sunday on the day of check in i got an email saying activate your new a-club membership. On monday I called a-club, asked them to cancel it.... they said just merge the accounts... fine I did, they merged it on wednesday.

Sunday (yesterday) i checked into mecure, presented my card which was already in their system. 3 hrs after check in I get an email saying activate your new a-club... I cracked the ****s with the manager. He said it wasn't them and must be A-Club themselves doing it...

The only thing different from my a-club details to the booking was my email address. As this was a work booking I used my work email for the confirmation.

THey are the facts behind what has happened.

 

[Alanslegal]

Early in the year, I joined A-Club using some promo code that gave me instant Gold status. Since I now have some status with them, I started looking at some of their properties. I tried their Best Rate Guarantee feature, and it took them almost 9 days to get back to me. Yep, 9 days! And it got rejected anyawy.

Anyway I looked at the FT A-club threads and some of their BRG claims can take almost three weeks! That is insanely crazy as rates aren't static, and can change quite quickly.

I did email back a complaint re: the BRG process and since this day, almost two months later, have not yet received anything back from them! Not even a single reply, saying "thanks for the feedback".

Unless an Accor property has a super-rate I think I will skip any Accor properties, and just try to requal. for SPG again.

 

[thewinchester]

Even without BRG's, I've always found the rates at Accor properties to be quite good.

And just because you can't get a timely response doesn't mean you should thumb your nose at all Accor properties. After doing my fair share of hotels in the last 12mths, I've always found their properties to be consistent in all aspects across the world and within chain.

I agree whole-heartedly that their loyalty program has and continues to suffer a rocky road, I two have suffered at the hands of points or bonuses that haven't credited. However, this is easily fixed like most programs, and you're on your way again. Having said this, their program has only been in operation for a short period of time - specially when compared to the loyalty programs of the other chains which have 10yrs or more older.

And like any program, they won't know the problems unless you tell them. I had cause to speak with their Asia Pacific service centre this week after a points claim went wrong. Not only did they fix it (on the spot I must add), but they also committed to finding out why it went wrong and educate the relevant staff members accordingly.

Give them time, they will (hopefully) learn and get better. *crosses fingers*

 

[oz_mark]

While A-Club has only been going a few years, and to be honest it had quite a ropey introduction, I have only ever had to chase points once.

Having said that, they seem to drive a lot of matching off the email address in the bookings rather than the A-Club number. I have inherited a couple of A-club accounts when I have done something with an email address that is different to the A-club account I normally use.

Other loyalty schemes have had their issues in the past. Priority Club loved dragging out the deeply discounted 'non qualifying rates' excuse at the drop of a hat (For example they have rejected Best Flex rates as deeply discounted). Not as bad as they used to be, but still pops up.

 

[Alanslegal]

Even without BRG's, I've always found the rates at Accor properties to be quite good.

And just because you can't get a timely response doesn't mean you should thumb your nose at all Accor properties. After doing my fair share of hotels in the last 12mths, I've always found their properties to be consistent in all aspects across the world and within chain.

That is a fair point and people shouldn't just thumb all their properties down because of a poor BRG process. But for my situation, I mainly look to stay at a Sofitel property and where there are Sofitel's there is usually a competiting Starwood property - and I need to requalify for SPG this year and so on. I have no doubt alot of their properties are very nice but as a cheap-y traveller, I need to make the most of BRG's and I can't sit around for 9 days waiting for a rate confirmation ........ and although SPG is sometimes inconsistent with BRG's, at least I get a response within 24 hours (and resubmit another claim if I have to ).

PS. I always look out for their regular sales though.

 

[thewinchester]

PS. I always look out for their regular sales though.

Who doesn't look out for sales and specials

That's right, the n00bs we all get to laugh at because they spent too much money on their trip!

 

[Verde]

I'd mostly agree about the Accor properties being fairly good. Novotel Nadi is the one exception which I found a pretty miserable stay (largely due to the air conditioning which was useless on the humid days I was there). If I can't get a decent nights sleep then the hotel fails in its basic functionality IMO (the other issues were pretty minor in comparison). All the Accor properties I've been to in Australia have been quite pleasant however.

A-Club is a failure too, except for my first stay I don't think they've actually awarded me points. I'm over them now and just avoid them unless a stunning bargain comes up and then I'd think about it and just not expect points to come through.

Even without BRG's, I've always found the rates at Accor properties to be quite good.

And just because you can't get a timely response doesn't mean you should thumb your nose at all Accor properties. After doing my fair share of hotels in the last 12mths, I've always found their properties to be consistent in all aspects across the world and within chain.

I agree whole-heartedly that their loyalty program has and continues to suffer a rocky road, I two have suffered at the hands of points or bonuses that haven't credited. However, this is easily fixed like most programs, and you're on your way again. Having said this, their program has only been in operation for a short period of time - specially when compared to the loyalty programs of the other chains which have 10yrs or more older.

And like any program, they won't know the problems unless you tell them. I had cause to speak with their Asia Pacific service centre this week after a points claim went wrong. Not only did they fix it (on the spot I must add), but they also committed to finding out why it went wrong and educate the relevant staff members accordingly.

Give them time, they will (hopefully) learn and get better. *crosses fingers*

 

[markis10]

I'd mostly agree about the Accor properties being fairly good. Novotel Nadi is the one exception which I found a pretty miserable stay .

It was not much chop 10 years ago when it was the All Seasons Mocambo, handy for an early morning departure but not if the aircon is U/S.