GeGao Master writes back!

Dick wanted a formal confirmation via email or he wouldn't process my transfer date request. So I give him confirmation plus feedback:

feedback@cdc.com.sg

Dear Mr Dick,

I apologize if this confirmation email came late as I am swamped with my research papers due this week and I just turned in at 6am in the morning so I didn't get your 9am sms until now.

Confirmation:
I'm confirming that my land tour departure date is 15th May 2007 at the price of $578 each with no additional charges for the transfer as agreed via our teleconversation on sat. My total bill will then be $(578 x 2) 1156. I don't know whether that includes the $3 NATAS fair reimbursement. I understand that CDC will contact me 2 weeks prior to departure (approx 1st - 2nd May, i'll call CDC on 3rd May because I'm having exams on 2nd and may not be able to pick up the phone) and notify me whether there are sufficient people to move on that date. Should there be no tour, I will be refunded the money in full after 2-4 weeks or 3-4 weeks. I'm ok with either.

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Feedback:
Perhaps I can clarify my predicament better through email as I feel that your good side may not have understood me. I am not an unreasonable customer. Perhaps some background information might help.

I booked the initial tour to depart on the 15th at the NATAS fair with the purpose of extending my stay for a few more nights. However, I could not confirm the number of nights there and then at the NATAS fair. I then made a trip down to a CDC branch and spoke with Viktor whom made it clear that if I were to extend, there is still no guarantee that it would be approved and I would only know 2 weeks prior to departure. Hence there is a possibility that I may not be able to extend, something which I wanted in the first place. Hence, we opted to downgrade to a land tour and because it was done within 3 days of my booking at the NATAS fair (I think it was the 2nd day), there was no fee incurred for the change. He also told me it was possible largely because our tour was not confirmed yet as well. Seeing that we had no constrain in date, I asked if there was an earlier date as we don't mind leaving earlier and he suggested the 14th. After checking the price to be $578 with him, we agreed to change it to the 14th. He told me to call Dick to confirm the next day. I left CDC glad that the staff were helpful and attentive.

When Dick contacted me, he confirmed with me of the change of downgrade and change of date of departure from the 15th to the 14th. I verified that this was so. I then asked him if there was a change in the land tour price. I was told by Ms Neo (the other person taking the land tour with me) that she was also told the same, that land tour no change in price, only air ticket will change. I then asked whether I should go down to sign anything or verify everything at the CDC office as I wanted to make sure everything was fine and there were no problems as I would be very busy after that with my research papers due and my exams coming as well. He said that there was no need and that CDC would send the invoice/itinerary direct to my house. I left it as that and didn't think much of it.

A few days later, I got the invoice/itinerary from CDC in the mail and I was puzzled over the $100 increase in the total bill. My initial reaction to be frank was that 'don't tell me because I didn't go down to verify the numbers with them, they anyhow add $50 per person'? Since it was in the evening, I could only call to ask why there was an 'increase' the next day.

When I called Dick to enquire about the increase in price, he explained to me that my date of departure on the 14th was for the 4*5* band of hotels and not the 3*4* band of hotels which I signed up for in the $578 package. I then told him that my price was $578 as confirmed by Viktor and said I didn't agree with the price of $628. He then checked with his computer system and then said that he had told me the price the day I had my teleconversation with him and hence he updated it into his system, so there was no qualms about his notification to me of the price. I reiterated that what he told me that day was that there was 'no change' in land tour price and I identified that there was a possible miscommunication as he may have been thinking of 'no change' in the $628 price whilst I was thinking of 'no change' in the $578 price and we both did not verbally confirm the numbers with each other. I then told him to please change me to a package with the $578 price. As he said that he had verified the information and price with me before changing my itinerary, any subsequent changes which I propose to make will incurr a $75 fee per pax and $150 fee total for both me and Ms Neo. As this $150 is more than the $100 difference, he advised me to keep the current itinerary. I made my point in that I did not wish to have 'changes' if not for the fact that the price was 'changed'. If he claimed that he had given me the price and I had agreed to it in our first teleconversation, why would I call him up and query him on the extra charges now? By the fact that I called him up, shows that I did not agree to this price of $628 and as I had no prior knowledge of the difference in hotel room standards, I totally have no benefit in claiming why there is a change in price as in my mind, the land tour packages were all the same at $578 (as confirmed by Viktor) and I was 'overcharged' at $628. Dick told me his perspective that it was basically my word against his and he would bring the matter up to his manager and request for the change of date to a $578 package. He then repeated that his system cannot be wrong and he would get back to me. (Do note that I had identified the possible miscommunication during the teleconversation and not him.)


I do understand that the NATAS period was very busy for everyone at CDC. Hence I was prepared to overlook any possible errors/problems that might have occured and spend precious time clarifying them despite my deadlines and exams.

The day after good friday I called him up to check on the status. He acknowledged that Viktor may have given the wrong price to me but said that the company had decided that 'any further changes are subject to the fee of $75 per pax'. I wasn't very convinced because any company when faced with the facts of a present miscommunication as above would actually be moreso inclined to give the benefit of the doubt to the customer and allow the change. Furthermore, it would come down to either a waiver of the $150 fee or the $100 difference and it would not make economical sense to waiver the $100 difference as the changing fee is imposed by the company (paper value) whilst the $100 difference goes towards the actual cost of the higher hotel room rates. I then asked him what he told the manager and he said as a matter of factly that he told the manager about my situation, but it is company policy that they allow customers to change once (which I did, from package to land tour), but any other subsequent changes will be subjected to a fee of $75 per pax. I then asked what exactly did he tell the manager? Whether he told the manager that I wouldn't have wanted a change if not for the miscommunication prior? He told me that he told the manager of my situation, and he told the manager that he had confirmed the price with me before keying it into his computer system, hence his manager said there was a fee to be imposed.

Instead of acknowledging that there might have a genuine miscommunication and telling the manager about it, he actually repeated what he had been telling me all the time: there can be no error on his part and he had verified everything with me before changing my itinerary. This obviously makes me out to be a very unreasonable customer in the eyes of the manager. How can this customer agree to changes and price, then come back and want to change this change that and expect us to waiver the fee whilst giving us more trouble trying to accomodate all the changes? I expect one to be defensive when told that there was a very likely possibility that he forgot to do something (in this case confirm the numbers), but not defensive to the extent in not bringing up the possible case of miscommunication to the manager and instead insisted again that there was no error on his part. This left me feeling that CDC staff weren't that helpful after all.

There is simply no incentive for me to keep changing the dates as immediately after my confirmation of land tour date for the 14th, I had booked my air tickets via Jetstarasia. I don't mind changing to another date as I made it clear that I want the $578 tour. I'm not so free as to worry about my travel plans when I have my papers due and my exams coming. On hindsight, I should have insisted going down to the office to verify everything on the first day.

It's very simple, I just want my price of $578 within my travel period of 13 - 23 May.

After explaining everything to him over the phone again, he agreed to waiver the fee on the account that I submit to him an email as above, stating that I want to change the back to the 15th (initially he told me it couldn't be done as I had changed from the 15th to 14th. i then told him i changed to the 14th because i was given the option but i am flexible on it as my tickets were from 13th May to 23rd May) and that if I required any more changes, I would be subjected to a fee. If the tour fails to move, i would be fully refunded at a later date. I don't mind agreeing to those so as long as both parties are clear on that.

I am sorry that the company had to make the various changes especially in the company's p.o.v., the difference is only $50 per pax ($100 total). The reason why I don't want the $628 tour so much despite it being 'more comfortable' is not just because I didn't sign up for it (the principle), but because the additional $100 goes towards 3 nights of my budget hotel stay (the practical). So do understand that $50 per pax may not be alot for the company and they may wonder why we do not wish to spend $50 more for better accomodation, but from our point of view, a hotel is just to spend the night, so it's not that important to us.

I don't require an apology and certainly don't expect to get one from my unpleasant experience with CDC. However, next time to other customers, do make it a point to verify the prices and details. You can say that you did, but the fact is if you did, I wouldn't have to go through so much trouble now and spend so much time worrying over this whilst I have my deadlines and exams looming. I will however tell my friends and family etc. about my problem with the company and will probably never book another tour with CDC again after this although I do still hope that the 15th tour (if it moves) will not be affected by this incident nor this feedback.

Regards,
GeGao Master

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He really waste my precious time. Too bad this is not ebay, no rating system.