Don't stay here if you are counting on the typical Comfort Inn breakfast as part of your stay. I usually love Comfort Inns, and am not normally a complainer. But this time, I went way out of my way, past other hotel chains, to get to Comfort Inn. I was tired, cold and wet from a driving rain, had a big day the next day, and really had a quick, tasty breakfast foremost on my mind. When I checked in, the dining area looked great. The woman behind the counter was very friendly. I thought I was good to go. I set my alarm and crashed.
At 6:45 a.m. I found a dark, deserted breakfast area that had not been prepared at all, and no one seemed to be working in that direction. The coffee was actually cold - it had to have been there overnight. I couldn't find a single thing I would actually eat. I was on a schedule, so I left and found a Starbucks down the street that served up their coffee piping hot.
I sent a complaint to Comfort Inn, and they responded quickly. They added some points to my account, which was very nice, and appreciated. But what I didn't particularly appreciate was the grudging and non-apologetic tone of the customer service rep. She read my complaint back to me over the phone, and listened as I filled in some details, and mostly began to make excuses as to why things might have been the way they were. If she actually apologized at some point, I don't recall. It was lost in the overall tone of the conversation, which was annoyance on her part.
I felt she was trivializing my concerns - it's only breakfast, someone may have called in sick, etc. I realize all these things. I also work in the hospitality industry and I know how quickly things can slip with staffing, etc. She then tried to tell me they might not have had waffle batter because they're not one of the Comfort Inns set up for that, when there was a waffle iron and batter dispenser right there... she seemed to doubt my description of the place, which was annoying. She said they are in the process of changing their menu over, and maybe this hotel hadn't made the switch yet. Urghhh! How does that explain having all the gear for a full-scale Comfort Inn breakfast with no one preparing it??? So frustrating.
When I tried to fill in some more detail for her, she cut me off and said, "I understand that. That's why I'm offering you the extra points." She was clearly done receiving feedback, and done pretending to care.She'd given me my points and now she wanted me to go away. I think she perceives her job as giving out those points, and not as collecting feedback to improve their service. Maybe I misread her, but that's how it felt to me. This was worse than the breakfast debacle.
I realize breakfast is not the most important thing in the world. I survived. But when a company builds their brand around their breakfast, you'd think they would take that service seriously. I didn't complain to get points (though I will take them). I complained because as a loyal Comfort Inn customer, I actually care about heir brand. I want to be able to depend on them when I go to a new town. Customer service did not restore my confidence in that respect.
My room was fine, and I got some friendly service. But the breakfast and the lackluster customer service experience combined dropped me down to 2 points. So sorry, nice lady who checked me in. :(
- Comfort Inn Salisbury
- Salisbury Comfort Inn
