The Travel Thread

[CrimsonNBlue]

soo I was gonna ask this in the tourists thread, but since y’all killed that thread, let’s just ask here:

If you’re traveling and at your lodging accommodation the WiFi craps out, what is an appropriate reaction and response from a traveler?

Ask what the issue is. Ask if it's going to be fixed. Suggest it should be fixed. If it can't be fixed, reimburse any feed that was paid for WiFi.

In some circumstances, if I was there for work and had to have it, being I'm a Marriott guy, I'd ask to cancel reservation and reimburse room rate and would ask for assistance at booking at another Marriott property.

Entitled MFer.

Of course, the difference between WiFi and an early check-in is that ousdahl is representing that WiFi will be available to, at the least, people that pay for it.

If you say you have it, you need to deliver. If you can't, make it right somehow. WiFi is a degree above not having a certain dish at a restaurant. You can really put people into a bind not having WiFi.
Emotional reactions, while probably not justified, can be expected.

[Shirley]

soo I was gonna ask this in the tourists thread, but since y’all killed that thread, let’s just ask here:

If you’re traveling and at your lodging accommodation the WiFi craps out, what is an appropriate reaction and response from a traveler?

Ask what the issue is. Ask if it's going to be fixed. Suggest it should be fixed. If it can't be fixed, reimburse any feed that was paid for WiFi.

In some circumstances, if I was there for work and had to have it, being I'm a Marriott guy, I'd ask to cancel reservation and reimburse room rate and would ask for assistance at booking at another Marriott property.

You're not talking about wifi that doesn't require a password, are you?

[CrimsonNBlue]

Ask what the issue is. Ask if it's going to be fixed. Suggest it should be fixed. If it can't be fixed, reimburse any feed that was paid for WiFi.

In some circumstances, if I was there for work and had to have it, being I'm a Marriott guy, I'd ask to cancel reservation and reimburse room rate and would ask for assistance at booking at another Marriott property.

You're not talking about wifi that doesn't require a password, are you?

Every hotel I have been to that has WiFi that is not password protected also represents and advertises that they provide WiFi for their guests. So yes, there is a responsibility for having it in working condition.

[ousdahl]

You guys are wrong.

The heart of the issue is, although we are a hospitality business, we should advertise ourselves instead as dealing in the trade of sabotaging vacations, cuz y’all disabled the WiFi on purpose, didn’t cha?

[CrimsonNBlue]

You guys are wrong.

The heart of the issue is, although we are a hospitality business, we should advertise ourselves instead as dealing in the trade of sabotaging vacations, cuz y’all disabled the WiFi on purpose, didn’t cha?

That brings up experiences I have had on Asian airlines.

Many 1st world Asian countries have internet and wireless (cell phone) internet service that absolutely blows the United States's services out of the water.

Therefore, some Asian airlines simply don't offer WiFi on planes because the tech isn't very good yet--they got sick of dealing with all of the complaints from customers used to blazing fast internet everywhere.

[ousdahl]

And yeah, if the place offers WiFi then a guest can and should expect WiFi.

If the WiFi goes out, it’s a guest’s prerogative to throw a tantrum, but don’t expect that to make the WiFi come back on any sooner. (Oh, and just generally having a human side about it is gonna get you further with the service staff either way)

The funny thing is, there’s a different WiFi network in the conference room, which is working, and we even put out coffee and pastries in there to make up for the inconvenience.

It’s sad how many guests don’t take this as an acceptable alternative, though either way they will smash the pastries.

[CrimsonNBlue]

You can't watch pornhub in the conference room.

[MICHHAWK]

Not sure if I should feel small because I live an existence that is not required to be connected at all times. Or fortunate.

[Shirley]

You're not talking about wifi that doesn't require a password, are you?

Every hotel I have been to that has WiFi that is not password protected also represents and advertises that they provide WiFi for their guests. So yes, there is a responsibility for having it in working condition.

You're talking availability, I'm talking about security. I never use public wifi. I create a hotspot with my phone and tether my computer to it, because it's password protected. (I'm sure you know this.)

Free public Wi-Fi—think the networks you use at airports, hotels, and even restaurants and coffee shops—can seem like a blessing. After all, no one wants to sit and twiddle their thumbs during a two-hour layover. But public Wi-Fi comes with risks, and if you’re not careful, you can leave your information open to hackers.

Security software publisher Kaspersky notes that hackers can position themselves between you and the network you’re connected to. This allows them to snap up any information you send online, including emails, financial information, usernames, and passwords. Unsecured public Wi-Fi networks can also be used by hackers to target your laptop, smartphone, or tablet with malware.

[...]

[TDub]

Not sure if I should feel small because I live an existence that is not required to be connected at all times. Or fortunate.

Fortunate

[TDub]

You can't watch pornhub in the conference room.

But you CAN catch coronavirus. Especially if youre indulging in those half bagels ous left out

[Deleted User 89]

Leaving social media was one of the greatest choices ive made.

x 100000000000000000

(to the exclusion of this site, of course)

[Deleted User 89]

Not as much a problem now as when I was much lower on the ladder, but one of the most infuriating personalities to deal with is a person with authority over me who demands 24/7 responsiveness, but himself or herself cut their teeth in an era where there that was not just unexpected, but impossible.

and that’s exactly why it’s expected now...because it’s probably possible in 95+% of situations. tail wagging the dog sort of thing

[CrimsonNBlue]

Every hotel I have been to that has WiFi that is not password protected also represents and advertises that they provide WiFi for their guests. So yes, there is a responsibility for having it in working condition.

You're talking availability, I'm talking about security. I never use public wifi. I create a hotspot with my phone and tether my computer to it, because it's password protected. (I'm sure you know this.)

Free public Wi-Fi—think the networks you use at airports, hotels, and even restaurants and coffee shops—can seem like a blessing. After all, no one wants to sit and twiddle their thumbs during a two-hour layover. But public Wi-Fi comes with risks, and if you’re not careful, you can leave your information open to hackers.

Security software publisher Kaspersky notes that hackers can position themselves between you and the network you’re connected to. This allows them to snap up any information you send online, including emails, financial information, usernames, and passwords. Unsecured public Wi-Fi networks can also be used by hackers to target your laptop, smartphone, or tablet with malware.

[...]

Yes. They always send people in to scare everyone shitless at CLE's for this sort of thing. I imagine CME is not different.

But, not sure your point to my original post, doc.

[PhDhawk]

Ask what the issue is. Ask if it's going to be fixed. Suggest it should be fixed. If it can't be fixed, reimburse any feed that was paid for WiFi.

In some circumstances, if I was there for work and had to have it, being I'm a Marriott guy, I'd ask to cancel reservation and reimburse room rate and would ask for assistance at booking at another Marriott property.

Entitled MFer.

Of course, the difference between WiFi and an early check-in is that ousdahl is representing that WiFi will be available to, at the least, people that pay for it.

If you say you have it, you need to deliver. If you can't, make it right somehow. WiFi is a degree above not having a certain dish at a restaurant. You can really put people into a bind not having WiFi.
Emotional reactions, while probably not justified, can be expected.

"Would it be possible to get an early check-in, we got here sooner than expected?"

"Is there something wrong with the wi-fi, I'm having trouble logging in?"

Neither one of these questions should be a problem or considered rude for someone working at a hotel.

I'll grant you your point that the wi-fi situation puts a bigger burden on the hotel in terms of making it right.

But this dovetails back into the restaurant business issue of getting free-refills and things. If Red Robin advertises free refills on french fries as a selling point, and then a customer wants a refill of fries, the fact that the waiter has to get them their fries without a necessary increase in tip, is not the fault of the consumer. The waiter should have a problem with Red Robin, not the guy consuming too many carbohydrates.

But in any case, the customer could become an asshole in terms of his response in any of these scenarios...but that has nothing to do really with the initial question or request.

[Shirley]

Every hotel I have been to that has WiFi that is not password protected also represents and advertises that they provide WiFi for their guests. So yes, there is a responsibility for having it in working condition.

You're talking availability, I'm talking about security. I never use public wifi. I create a hotspot with my phone and tether my computer to it, because it's password protected. (I'm sure you know this.)

Free public Wi-Fi—think the networks you use at airports, hotels, and even restaurants and coffee shops—can seem like a blessing. After all, no one wants to sit and twiddle their thumbs during a two-hour layover. But public Wi-Fi comes with risks, and if you’re not careful, you can leave your information open to hackers.

Security software publisher Kaspersky notes that hackers can position themselves between you and the network you’re connected to. This allows them to snap up any information you send online, including emails, financial information, usernames, and passwords. Unsecured public Wi-Fi networks can also be used by hackers to target your laptop, smartphone, or tablet with malware.

[...]

Yes. They always send people in to scare everyone shitless at CLE's for this sort of thing. I imagine CME is not different.

But, not sure your point to my original post, doc.

I was just curious what other people do, and I know you travel a lot.

It almost never matters to me if a hotel's wifi is out, because in my experience, their wifi is rarely password protected, so I wasn't going to use it anyway.

[CrimsonNBlue]

You're talking availability, I'm talking about security. I never use public wifi. I create a hotspot with my phone and tether my computer to it, because it's password protected. (I'm sure you know this.)

Free public Wi-Fi—think the networks you use at airports, hotels, and even restaurants and coffee shops—can seem like a blessing. After all, no one wants to sit and twiddle their thumbs during a two-hour layover. But public Wi-Fi comes with risks, and if you’re not careful, you can leave your information open to hackers.

Security software publisher Kaspersky notes that hackers can position themselves between you and the network you’re connected to. This allows them to snap up any information you send online, including emails, financial information, usernames, and passwords. Unsecured public Wi-Fi networks can also be used by hackers to target your laptop, smartphone, or tablet with malware.

[...]

Yes. They always send people in to scare everyone shitless at CLE's for this sort of thing. I imagine CME is not different.

But, not sure your point to my original post, doc.

I was just curious what other people do, and I know you travel a lot.

It almost never matters to me if a hotel's wifi is out, because in my experience, their wifi is rarely password protected, so I wasn't going to use it anyway.

Nearly every hotel I stay at has the interstitial page where you have to provide your name and room #.

I don't know if that's technically PW protected or not, but you do have to be in the system as a registered guest.

The techies would say that is not close to secure enough.

[jhawks99]

I can use that, but I need to be on my company's VDN.

[CrimsonNBlue]

"Would it be possible to get an early check-in, we got here sooner than expected?"

"Is there something wrong with the wi-fi, I'm having trouble logging in?"

Neither one of these questions should be a problem or considered rude for someone working at a hotel.

I'll grant you your point that the wi-fi situation puts a bigger burden on the hotel in terms of making it right.

Question 1 for each situation is not rude, so long as the person is not rude. Rudeness just might be foreseeable when it comes to the WiFi situation.

Questions 2 of "well, why the hell not?" More understsanble for no WiFi. Unacceptable for early check in.

[ousdahl]

Tell that to y’all.