I am a loyal Shangri-La guest, learning first from the Wuhan, China hotel. I've stayed in Makati Shangri-La quite a few times. My recent visit was marred by an ugly incident at checkout. I questioned a transportation charge that I knew was approx 1500 pesos but was billed as 3000 pesos. The night before checkout, Harold in Horizon told me over the phone that the charge would be 1500 and no need to come down to sign for it. I did anyway, and clearly remembered signing the page with about 1500 PHP on it. So I told the clerk at the Horizon Club that my bill was wrong and cited my two pieces of evidence. Of course, the burden of proof was on the loyal guest and I had to wait for 20 minutes for someone to get that piece of paper I'd signed. That was insulting: the clerk should have been trained in common courtesy and common sense: Does Makati Shangri-La assume that a repeat guest in the Executive Horizon floor with bill of 60,000 pesos is going to lie for 1500 pesos, and then put me on trial in public for that?
I had arrived for checkout at 10:30 informing everyone that my driver would be there at 11:00. The incident made me late for my ride. And unlike Makati Shangri-La, I do honor my appointments and consider my time valuable. Finally, when the signed receipt was delivered to the Horizon clerk, she was "embarrassed" and sorry and apologetic about calling me a liar in public and making me late.
At that point, the Horizon Manager, Stephanie Santos informed me that she had been "monitoring" my conversation with the clerk (whose name I did not get because I was so angry about being detained by this silly process). They corrected my bill and I had to wait more time to get checkout complete. Ms Santos was even more FURTHER sorry and more VEHEMENTLY APOLOGIZED and acknowledged their embarrassment. But they showed no concern for MY EMBARRASSMENT. Ms Santos promised they would "make this up to me" next visit, and I informed them that there would be no next visit. I don't need this kind of treatment from a hotel of any rating.
A proper and satisfying response would have been to immediately accept my two lines of evidence and correct the bill. End of story. But, since Makati Shangri-La staff default position is that the guest is always trying to cheat the hotel, they wasted my time and put me on public trial. A balanced and satisfying response, would have been: once they saw the signed document with 1590 peso charge, they should have immediately and publicly announced their embarrassing "mistake" and said: there will be NO CHARGE for this service and for the last day of your stay! But Horizon Club staff are not empowered to do those kind of sensible things.
First mistake was that Makati Horizon staff got caught. Second mistake was to shift blame to guest. Third mistake was to not offer any compensation on the spot the guest.
Ms Santos followed me downstair to help me to find my driver (he had to move out of the immediate area). She again offered to make it up to me. An hour or so later, while in the car riding to my next venue, I called and talked again to Ms Santos. I was still very angry. She again offered to "make it up" on my next stay, which would have been in a few days.
After I posted this complaint on the Shangri-La review site, I was emailed by Mr. Nicholas Chammaa, Residence Manager. He did not deny the substance of my complaint but apologized for faulty communication from his staff to me as .
“explanation” in his email.
"Please allow me to explain, on the day of your departure the charges communicated and acknowledged by you, were adequate to drop you off at SM Fairview, the additional charges that were posted, was for the trip to drop off your companion to Bulacan and thus the extra fare. This should have been communicated to you clearly beforehand and no additional charges should have been placed on your final bill before your approval, obviously this was not the case and for that I am truly sorry…."
In fact, there was very clear communication as my memory of what Horizon staff member Harold told me and my memory of going to the Hotel transportation desk WITH MY FRIEND at my side, when I signed for the TRIP TO BULACAN. This was indeed confirmed by the paper receipt. Mr Chammaa obfuscates, maintaining that that slip of paper was for transport to SM shopping center. I NEVER use hotel transportation to go to a local shopping center to which I can walk in 15 minutes!
The result is that I doubt I will return to an outrageously priced Makati Shangri-La that does not respect one of their best and most-loyal guests. I do not need the abuse and the work required by their policy service and weak empowerment of Executive Horizon Club staff.
I'd already posted a very positive review for Makati Shangri-La a year or so ago. I am now forced to update that report. In all my years of travel, I've never had that kind of experience and do not want anyone else to have it.
By the way, I am right now staying in Shangri-La, Wuhan China. Makati Shangri-La should send staff to Wuhan Shangri-La for training in what constitute good service.