Mark Conroy, refunds and despair

[Ninabelina]

To all of you who wanted to know my progress in trying to get a refund for expenses I incurred due to the Voyager arriving a day late into Fort Lauderdale on the 2nd of December.
What can I say, I am in fact about speechless by the whole futile excersise, but shut up....... I will not!!
As already discussed on a previous thread I applied for my refund, sending it by surface mail on the 23rd of December. I don't know the exact date that Regent received my documents because they couldn't be bothered to acknowledge receipt of them as I specifically requested Regent to do. I only found out that they had the docs when I emailed on the 8th January to see if they had arrived. I waited another 20 days but nothing from Regent. I then e mail again and I am told that the Accounts department are dealing with it and that as soon as a cheque is issued I would have it and that 'she was at their mercy' Thats their own Guest relations specialist who's at the accounts dept 's mercy. Huh! I'm not the only one then.
I am now so frustrated that I add my feelings to a thread that starts to run on this forum after holding my tongue trying to be patient, I just had to comment.
A member kindly sends me the President of Regent, Mark Conroys email address. I e mail him on Saturday the 7th of February. He replies that day, saying he or another staff member ( he names that person to me) will be in touch on Monday, I am very impressed, delighted, ecstatic. I e mail back saying I will look forward to hearing from them.
NOTHING, NOT A THING!!!!! I e mail Mr Conroy again on Wednesday, NOTHING, NOT A THING so I am now relegated to the most unimportant person on earth, I don't exist and all my extra expense, stress and frustration counts for absolutely nothing.
I know Mr Conroy will have bigger fish to fry and more important people to see and be seen with, BUT I DO MATTER and I will not let it rest. I am one little person but many little people make a business and I find the whole episode distasteful, dishonourable and disgraceful.
I run my own business and my customers are the most important component of it. Without them I would be bankrupt.
From one very cheesed off customer.:mad::mad::mad:

[Island Cruiser]

Thanks for this posting. You did a service to all by sharing this experience. Judging from comments posted and even more dramatic testimony circulating off the message boards, your cruise was one of those rare if anything can go wrong it will cruises. IMO, Regent should have a designated point person at headquarters to stay on top of all complaints with respect to this particular disaster to be certain all are made whole in a timely fashion. Apparently that has not happened. We were on the Mariner several years ago when one of the pods went out. We arrived in Whittier a day late. That incident was handled really well as far as I can tell. About 1,400 Regent clients were directly impacted. And as far as I know, claims were tended to promptly.

Pat

[Colonel(Ret.)Wes]

Lorraine, also sent you a private email with similar advice below.

Am sure Regent is trying to do the right thing but not at a time schedule that seems
reasonable to you (or me for that matter)...keep pressing...obviously, you are due
refunds w/respect to your December Regent cruise. I believe after two months you have patiently waited what "the reasonable Regent conusmer" would wait for refund action from Regent. If you do not hear from Regent within one week, suggust you consider filing an informal complaint with the Federal Maritime Commission, the
US agency responsible to answer cruiseline complaints. www.fmc.gov will provide
you guidance, if you need (hope not) to take this route. Believe FMC ombudsman service would be a good route to take. You can call the FMC,Office of Consumer Affairs and Dispute Resolution Services who will help you resolve your complaint.

Press on, good luck and please keep us posted.

PS..if you have a Travel Agent, he/she could run this to ground for you (bringing economy of scale (many clients vs. just you) in the TA's complaint
resolution efforts.

r/wes

[San Jose King]

We too were on the same cruise and did suffer additional cost due to the Voyagers delay. While on board we were given the card for the "Guest Relation Manager" and told to contact him when we got home. I made 2 calls which went to voice mail and were never answered. On the 3rd try I did reach some soul who told me to fax or mail the details to the guest relations department. This was done, and after 1 more call, a check for the proper amount was received. This was on January 27th.
Very poor service on the part of Regent.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

Unbelievable. I agree, if you have a travel agent, make use of them for this.

[Island Cruiser]

When I did my last post I assumed the cruise you were on was the chocolateless cruise. Apparently you were on the crossing. I understand the crossing, apart from the one day delay, was generally a good cruise, unlike the chocolateless cruise that followed. Sorry.

Pat

[Ragnar Danneskjold]

I would not expect a company of any sort to process something like this in less than 90 days. Especially as it occured around the holidays.

[cruiseyguy]

While I agree that a prompt and reasonable response should have been forthcoming I don't understand the hysteria.

[Ninabelina]

Thank you for all of your responses and comments, some of them are very interesting and constructive.
Cruisguy, obviously some people will wonder why the hysteria, well when I am talking several hundred pounds sterling why should I have to have that money laid out for 3 months? It wasn't my fault. But what really annoys me is Regents total lack of communication. They can't even be bothered to do what they are supposed to do which is sort out any problems in an efficient professional way.
If the President tells me that he or someone under his employ will contact me on a certain day, I know it sounds stupid of me and shows that I have a total lack of understanding of how people run large corporations but I actually thought someone would contact me. Silly me.

[Down Under]

I'm with you - if the Chairman had promised me something and didn't deliver it, I'd be upset too. Maybe there are a few who could afford to have that money owing to them, but I'm not one of them!

[Ninabelina]

Just to let you all know that in my post today was a cheque and a very long letter of apology, which I accept gracefully!
If only Regent had kept me informed, it is so simple, comunicate to your customers and then people know what is happening. A progress report of just a sentence would surfice, people then have no cause to worry and become angry and frustrated.
They assure that the slow processing of refunds should now be at an end as their new system is in place. Alleluyah!
Thank you to evryone who has offered advice, Regent are obviously trying.......literally at times!

[Colonel(Ret.)Wes]

Lorraine, great to hear, thanks for the "good news" update...r/wes

[Wendy The Wanderer]

Hey, that's great news. We've all been aware of their systems and computer changes, so I suspect you got caught in the middle. I have had the impression that staff responsibilities have been moving as well, from Omaha to Florida, so perhaps that's another reason.

So, question of the day: after all this, would you cruise Regent again??

[cruiseej]

So, question of the day: after all this, would you cruise Regent again??

Wendy, I think there should be a mandatory one week "cooling off period" before Lorraine thinks about and answers that! :)

-- Eric

[traveller333]

I must be missing something. Who is Lorraine ?

[Host Dan]

I believe Lorraine is "Ninabelina". (OP)

Host Dan

[Ninabelina]

Yep, thats right my middle name which I use all the time is Lorraine but my first name is Nina.
In answer to the question would I cruise Regent again? I'll take thats weeks cooling off period :):)!!!

[Down Under]

So glad that you can now relax and enjoy life!