Phone sales...must buy now!

[tuapekastar]

Not sure if this is the right place for this...apologies if not, mods move if desired.

Got a call the other day from someone (Mark, David?) from the "Intercontinental Hotels Group" - I'm a PC member with a few recent stays at Crowne Plaza hotels - stating 'one of our members' has passed your phone number to us. We are offering a 'Platinum Card' ($289, I think) to you with (then proceeded to list benefits, both standard and 'extras' he'd thrown in 'just for me').

When I could get a word in I asked (as I would normally do with these things) was he able to just e-mail the details and I would get back to them. 'We're a very busy organisation' came the somwhat patronising reply, then started reeling off more 'benefits'.

I eventually said 'not interested' and was patronised even more by 'what don't you understand about this offer tuapekastar' - he constantly used my first name, part of the sales technique I guess.

I then said 'I've gotta go now', and he gave up.

Now, I've always figured if they can sell it to me over phone one day for x dollars, then they can sell it to me a few days later via email, with me knowing all the fine print.

Book one night, get one free (once only) was one benefit - but I'm willing to bet that the paid night had to be at a the rack rate, and no points earned on the free night. And ditto with all the other perceived 'benefits' and freebies thrown in (i.e. the fine print got you).

Does anyone else share my distrust and disdain at these 'phone only' and 'must be bought now' type offers, no matter how attractive they sound over the phone? I simply wouldn't buy one, no matter how good it sounded. The 'fine print' can get you every time, i.e. you're not making an informed decision.

 

[oz_mark]

It is likely that the program they were trying to sell is Priority Privilege, which you can read about at your leisure here: Welcome to Priority Privilege - Priority Privilege AUS NZ Fiji - Priority Privilege There are a bunch of people on this site that are members, so they could well of got your number from someone here!

Yes, they do go for the pressure sales tactics, and like all other such telesales tactics it is annoying.

 

[Keith009]

I got a similar hard sell over the phone by Accor, friend of mine referred my name AND even told them about my travel patterns and SPG membership. So the hard selling was somewhat "here's why we're better than Starwood." No amount of repeating 'I'm not interested' worked so i simply hung up. That's the 2nd time in a row I got such a call from Accor - and if I wasn't a big fan of their brands before, I'm now more determined than ever to avoid their properties as a result.

 

[serfty]

What about your friend? ...

I have long ago come to the realisation that "must buy now" normally implies you can get the offer at the the same price or cheaper elswhere ... if you really need the item/product offered.

 

[medhead]

I have long ago come to the realisation that "must buy now" normally implies you can get the offer at the the same price or cheaper elswhere ... if you really need the item/product offered.

And that the telesales person doesn't get commission if you do buy it elsewhere for the same price or cheaper.

 

[MelUser]

I too received a similar call.

The call is not from IHG but a Melbourne based marketing company.

The first untruth is that they tell you they work for IHG - they don't!

I too was cut off abruptly when it became clear to the caller that I wasn't going to buy then and there.

I rang the marketing department of IHG in Sydney and complained. THe woman I spoke to appeared to be concerned that such techniques were being used as this was damaging to the chains' reputations.

This was about 12-18 months ago. Obviously the same marketing company is still using its old tricks!

 

[oz_mark]

The first untruth is that they tell you they work for IHG - they don't!

The program is run by Hospitality Marketing Concepts (HMC), which also runs the Hilton Premium Club.

 

[tuapekastar]

Interesting (and informative) replies (as usual with AFF )!

oz_mark, that link certainly looks like what they were trying to sell me and the price matches.

A real problem with these things is that to get the benefits, you've got to spend real money first (the membership, then accommodation, meals etc.). Can't be bothered doing any detailed cost/benefit analysis but I don't think the results would make great reading.

Interesting that they don't actually work for IHG. Dogs! :evil:

 

[Gold Member]

I had the same thing from someone purporting to be from IHG about 12 months ago. He was a little pushy but not rude when I politely declined.

I really dislike this sort of marketing hard sell. As a result I will try and avoid IHG properties if this is how they want to treat their loyal customers.

 

[Nigelinoz]

I got a similar hard sell over the phone by Accor, friend of mine referred my name AND even told them about my travel patterns and SPG membership. So the hard selling was somewhat "here's why we're better than Starwood." No amount of repeating 'I'm not interested' worked so i simply hung up. That's the 2nd time in a row I got such a call from Accor - and if I wasn't a big fan of their brands before, I'm now more determined than ever to avoid their properties as a result.

No offense meant at all QF009,but if one of my friends did that without my permission they wouldn't remain friends very long:!: I'm sure your friend meant well but I do think giving out those details without permission is beyond the pale.
As to the larger issue of these sorts of sales tactics I ask them if they have called me after I responded to an email or other form of invitation,if they say no I say "thank you for calling" and hang up.

 

[markis10]

A real problem with these things is that to get the benefits, you've got to spend real money first (the membership, then accommodation, meals etc.). Can't be bothered doing any detailed cost/benefit analysis but I don't think the results would make great reading.

Interesting that they don't actually work for IHG.

It sounds like its the Priority Privilege program being spruiked, as mentioned earlier its a marketing company that runs the program and specialises in this sort of thing, they also run programs for Le Meridien, Starwood, Ritz, Shangri-La, Mandarin Oriental, Husa, Orbis, and Swissotel, Radisson.

They are acting on behalf of IHG as detailed here:

http://hmc.clubhotel.com/Portals/2/PressReleases/PR_IHG_061004v1.pdf

For those of you that remember the Parkroyal/Centra/Travelodge chain you might remember a similar program called Pacific Privilege, that turned into Priority Privilege when IHG took over the properties in 2003. I remember the hard sell back in 1998 to join, sounds like things have not changed.


Its a bit disappointing to hear the hard sell is still there, IMHO the program sells itself if you spend 5 or more nights at the participating properties, you get two buy one get one free vouchers, the use of one at any intercontinental (we now have 4 to choose from - yeah) will pay for the program. Since they have started offering monthly specials where you dont need to hand the cert in, its even better value, I got around 21 free nights last year, and thats excluding the dining and % off vouchers for single night stays.


Since being made aware of the Priority Club benefits from Lindsay Wilsons posts in 2005 and rejoining the Priority Privilege program I have been able to get significant value from both, for instance I was able to get the three bedroom apartment at Holiday INN in Brisbane for an overnight event for $450 using the 25% off PP voucher, from which I got close to 15000 priority points which have now been invested in a three day stay at an Intercontinental over the holidays where the normal room rate is $240. That one stay paid almost paid for the years membership in one hit!

If you dont mind IHG properties and intend to stay 5 nights a year or more, have a closer look at the program.

My advice for the program operators, replace those hardsell salespeople with a special offer on either the Priority Privilege, Hilton Premium or Starwood Privilege programs or all of them for AFF contributors