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AGODA Played a ‘SQUID GAME’ Against Customers 

Chief Executive officer Brown, John,  Chief Operating Officer Omri Morgenshtern. Their executive staff of AGODA management team.

Good day.

I am not saying today to regain my hotel reservation that AGODA robbed. I’d like to talk about your business ethics. Regardless of your company policy, operation system, or whatever it is called, AGODA has dumped long-term loyalty customers on the street like garbage. Your employee keeps telling me that he/she gave me a 48-hour chance to answer, but I can't forgive AGODA for quickly kicking out the customer with an arbitrary cancellation of the reservation.

I found AGODA email (sent to me early morning September 16th TST) on September 17th around 18:30 (MST). First time I contacted to the Silver Hotel Group representative (1-416-362-1777) on September 17th Friday (just few minutes after I clicked the AGODA email) 18:38 hr. (MST). The representative of the hotel told me that until that time they do not know anything about the hotel transfer. According to AGODA email, it said Strathcona Hotel offer the transferring me to Pantages Hotel, but they did not know anything about it.

Here is one funny thing happened on September 17th. My reservation was under the condition that could be canceled until couple of day before the check-in day without any fee, but your company took money from my credit card, saying the entire amount could not be refunded due to the property policy.

I think that AGODA wouldn't have done that with the intention of stealing hundreds of dollars out of the customer's pocket. Then why AGODA did that serious mistake? Perhaps it was because somebody in your company didn't take a proper look at the reservation conditions because she/he was in a hurry to cancel just after 48-hours’ time limit.

If your company is forcing employees to do this, your corporate ethics can be seen as very poor. That was why I mentioned about your business ethics. You have no factories or products. Only asset you have is CUSTOMER SERVICE. You are a travel agency that specialized in hotel reservation. The customer means your everything. I understand sometimes hotels give you hard time or something unexpected happens. My reservation case, however, I believe AGODA could predict that Strathcona Hotel could be closed due to the pandemic. If AGODA were better company with better ethics as a world class travel agency, your employees would have tried to contact me better way such as texting, leave a message on the voice mail etc.

Do not hide behind 48 hours rule. Your company might count the time after you sent the email notice(even that short notice??), but it looked to me so cowardly business trick to avoid cost more. (I know Pantages Hotel is more expensive hotel than Strathcona). You know that the customer made the reservation more than 2 month ago. You never try to contact the customer by sending a text etc. before you arbitrary cancelled the reservation and kicked the customer out to the street just few days before his trip start.

I don't know where the more serious responsibility lies in this situation; between AGODA and the Silver Hotel Group. When I arrive in Toronto, I will go to the both hotels, Strathcona and Pantages the day I made reservation, and I will stay up all night in front of the hotel road and have a picket demonstration against AGODA's poor corporate ethics. The most unethical thing a travel agency can do is kick a traveler out of the street.

Regards

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별 건 아니구요.

아시는 분은 알겠지만 제가 다음 주에 동부로 단풍놀이를 떠납니다.

다른 숙소들은 문제가 없는데, 마지막 날 이틀 숙소에 문제가 생겼어요.

공항이동이 편하도록 토론토 다운타운 유니언스테이션 근처에 있는 스트라스코나호텔을 아고다를 통해 예약했는데 며칠 전 아고다로부터 이 호텔이 팬데믹으로 문을 닫았다는 연락을 받았습니다.

아고다가 보낸 이멜에는 근처에 있는 같은 호텔그룹인 Pantages Hotel 로 트랜스퍼해 준다는 설명이 있었습니다.

Pantages Hotel 은 원래 내가 예약했던 스트라스코나호텔보다 두 배 넘게 비싸고 위치도 나쁘지 않아 아고다 안내대로 트랜스퍼 호텔에 연락을 취했습니다.

근데 트랜스퍼 호텔에서는 아직 아고다측으로부터 아무 연락을 받지 못했다며 조금 기다려보라는 말을 했습니다.

근데 바로 그 날 아고다로부터 다른 이멜을 받았습니다.

자기들이 통고한 48 시간 안에 예스 노 답변을 하지 않았기 때문에 모든 예약을 일방적으로 취소한다는 것이었습니다.

호텔이야 다른 곳을 다시 예약하면 그만이지만, 정크메일같은 이멜  한 통을 보낸 거 외에는 고객에게 연락을 취하려는 아무런 노력을 하지 않은 채 48 시간이 되자마자 얼씨구나하고 즉시 예약을 취소하는 그 치졸한 행동을 벌이는 과정에서 아고다가 저지른 자잘한 실수들이 가관이었지만 여기서 세세히 나열하지는 않겠습니다.

그 실수의 일부가 일단 아고다 경영진에게 보내는 저 편지 안에 조금 언급되어 있기는 합니다.

호텔이 문을 닫는 초유의 상황에서 아고다가 호텔그룹과 딜을 하여 고객을 트랜스퍼하는 과정에서 텍스트나 육성전화 등으로 진지하게 접촉해 보려는 노력은 하나도 하지 않은 채, 무슨 오징어게임 처럼 ‘무궁화 꽃이 피었습니다’ 하는 동안 응답하지 않는 고객들을 길거리로 내쫒아버리는 식의 고객관리를 하는 회사가 travel agency 로서 온전한 기업윤리를 가지고 있다고 생각하지 않습니다.  

저 편지는 내 호텔 도로 내 놓아라 ! 하는 요구가 아니라, 아고다의 business ethics에 대해 내가 느낀 의견을 적은 것 입니다.