New Year’s Eve 2009

Our 2009 New Year’s Eve destination was local skiing so that my husband, T2, could try out the “new knee” before planning a trip out West later in the season.

We made reservations at Will O’ The Wisp, on Deep Creek Lake in Oakland, MD. We had stayed in their condos before, so we knew that a 3BR/2BA suite would give us plenty of room to relax after a day on the slopes of Wisp Resort. We were to arrive on New Year’s Eve 2009 and depart on Sunday, January 3, 2010, but here’s how our weekend went:

12/30/09 7P – phone call from Will O’ The Wisp to our home telling us that there was a plumbing problem in the unit we rented. T2 spoke with the customer service rep and told them that they had 24 hours, so they needed to fix it before we got there.

12/31/09 11:30A – email from Will O’ The Wisp that there is still a problem and asking us to call. (Unread until 1/1/10.)

12/31/09 12:30P (as we’re driving there) – phone call from Will O’ The Wisp to T2’s cell phone letting us know that the problem was unable to be fixed and they couldn’t rent the unit due to health department regulations. The lodge was sold out, but they could put us up in one of the “rustic cottages” instead. Since we were about an hour from our destination, we agreed to check it out.

12/31/09 3P – After a nice (and inexpensive) lunch at Casselman Inn we arrived at Will O’ The Wisp ready to check in. We were shown the “rustic cottage” which was clean…smaller (only one bathroom), without a working fireplace…and, well, rustic. At the “right” price (free) and since there was nothing else with 3 beds available in a 20+ mile radius, we took it. The manager was even kind enough to give us a complimentary dinner at the Four Seasons Dining Room at Will O’ The Wisp if we stayed the second night (New Year’s Eve was booked solid). Wow, am I ever glad they did!

1/1/10 5P – Even though the accommodations were not as we expected, the dinner was amazing!!! Although we had stayed at Will O’ The Wisp in the past, we hadn’t eaten in the restaurant there and most likely wouldn’t have visited the restaurant on this trip either, but now that we’ve tried the food there, we were amazed! Perfectly cooked steaks and seafood, plus desserts that melt in your mouth!

1/2/10 12N – Partly due to the accommodations, partly due to the weather (7 degrees Farenheit and 40 mph winds), we checked out a day early and came home to get some real rest in our own beds.

Overall, the customer service people at Will O’ The Wisp did everything right – consistent, clear communication; offering the customer an available alternative; and adding something of value to make up for their inconvenience. We still weren’t thrilled with the room substitution, but we appreciated the lengths that the customer service and management at Will O’ The Wisp went to in order to make us happy. We’ll be back — if not for a place to stay, then definitely for another meal in the restaurant.

Have you had a similar customer service experience? Better? Worse? Please leave a comment below and let me know about it. And don’t forget to check out my post Almost Nuts About Southwest Airlines for more customer service suggestions.