Sheraton Vistana, the Sequel…
The story of our Sheraton Vistana mishaps continues, but to a lesser degree…
In my letter to the resort, I forgot to mention that I had called the Vistana weeks before our arrival, asking if they offered any discounts on Disney tickets. I was told, “No.” I decided to order the tickets from Disney online at full price and, upon my arrival at the resort, discovered that they do in fact sell tickets at a discount. I would have saved about $9 each, totaling approximately $45.
Event after unbelievable event, in an attempt to print out my complaint letter to give to a resort manager on Tuesday, I was shuffled from building to building, from office to office. I finally resorted to posting my complaint online so that I could print out my letter at the on-site cybercafe. I approached Janice, then in charge of the caf�, and told her that I needed access to the internet in order to print my complaint. She promptly showed me how to swipe my credit card so that I could pay for access to the ‘net. I told her in no uncertain terms that I was not going to pay Sheraton in order to print my letter. “Don’t you have a code that you can use to bypass the credit card authorization?” No, she said. She then directed me to the reception area to use their printers. *sigh*
It was hot and humid outside, but I walked to the reception center anyway. Would have arrived a lot sooner if I hadn’t initially walked in the wrong direction! When I finally arrived, I waited in line at the front desk and told the person that I had a complaint letter I needed to print. Four people later, each time being asked to move over so they could help the next person in line, a “manager” walked out to help me, carrying a blank complaint form. I told this Jeffrey Lex that that was not what I asked for, that I had asked to be able to print out a complaint letter. Beyond belief, he told me to go back to the cybercafe! When I explained that I had already been there and was sent to the front desk, he called them and authorized them to use an access code to gain free access. I asked for his business card, which read “front desk supervisor”, a far cry from “hotel manager” as he originally presented himself. So he lied about his title, and Janice lied to me about the apocryphal lack of access codes. Two lies in a row! Even after I told the same individuals that I was in the process of making a formal complaint!
So, back to the cafe! Janice punched in the access code, only to discover that I could neither print a page on the internet or copy the text to be pasted into their built-in word processor. I had to convince her that I could walk her through the process using her own computer, a process she was reticent to do. After about an hour and a half since the beginning of this latest ordeal, I had my four-page printed letter, but was too hot and tired to go a couple rounds at the reception desk again.
I was done playing around by now, so I called the general manager, Paulette Temple. Although she was apparently out at a three-day conference, her assistant, Dassie Shuta, helped me. The easiest thing to do was to direct her to the relevant “issue” of RR… directly, and I did so. Before I had the opportunity to inform her of the difficulties I’d had getting a printout of my complaint, her first comment was that it was unfortunate that I had to resort to posting my complaint online before speaking with her! She, along with James Walker (the *real* hotel manager!), arranged to move us to unit 1730 in a newer section of the resort. Apart from the master bedroom toilet not flushing properly, which was promptly fixed, the new room is more as originally expected; it’s clean, reasonably decorated, well-maintained, and I have yet to see a single cockroach inside. Outside, though, is another matter; I saw three cockroaches by the pool last night alone! Despite that, Week Two looks like it will be ending just fine. Dassie has been calling daily to ensure that the room is still OK.
The disaster of Week One, on the other hand, has not been satisfactorily resolved. Dassie offered us “as a start” $80 in Sheraton Vistana coupons, under the apparent assumption that we would be continuing to spend money at the resort. They arrived via messenger in an envelope, $20 each. They are pretty much limited to paying for activities, meals at restaurants, and items at the general store. Also, no point in paying for the occasional virgin Pina Colada at the poolside bar with one, since change from them cannot be made, limiting their use to purchases at or over $20. The problem is that now that I know where the local fast food joints, the sit-down restaurants, the grocery stores are, I have had no desire to spend money at the price-inflated resort. I’ve got $80 in coupons that are attempting to force me to spend money where I have no wish to spend it.
It is merely a token reparation. I look forward to a more satisfying resolution.
What is ironic is that Vistana managers spend hours indoctrinating employees about the virtues of customer service: but they themselves give terrible service. You didn’t meet Paulette Temple “the real manager” because she works 9am to 4pm (if at all)and never on weekends when the trouble starts. She should be a banker or school teacher and doesn’t belong in the business world. You talked to her secretary. Vistana managers think they are “the annointed ones.” Meanwhile all around them there is customer disatisfaction, low employee morale and high turnover (that’s why employees don’t know anything — most are new.)
Sorry, The above article I placed months back was when I was disgruntled against my former managers. See I am on anti-depressants and medications to keep me calm. I realize my managers who have far more experience than I obviously were only trying to help me but my arrogant/pompous attitude kept me from being rational until one day I snapped and was terminated for my harsh insubordination. I also am frustrated over my wife and I not being able to conceive, and the recent loss of my former supervisor had me so distraught I handed letters out to the family of the deceased critisizing my old bosses and spreading rumors the deceased didn’t care for our managers even though he stayed with the company, got promoted unlike me and stayed close friends with Butch Rivet & Phil Clemente. I must again apoligize for such an attrocious and sickening inappropriate act. Please consider the fact I am over 40 and make less than $25,000 a year. If you scan my name on the net you will see I often am angry and ramble on, please forgive me.
Written so obviously by Peter himself. Right!! Yet another (or, God help us, the same AOL luser who has struck thousands of times here before) person mascarading as someone else. Someone who cannot leave their real name in a public response to an issue they disagree with AND — this is key — instead pretends to be someone else in the process, is a true coward in all respects. - RDL
The false comic above cites this eulogy which simply relates the truth. Mrs. Mandarini said she would “cherish it forever”. Let the readers judge for themselves. (She asked for more copies and she gave them out, not me.) Joe Mandarini Eulogy I remember the last time I spoke with Joe. It was the night before I got fired from my security officer job at Vistana Resort. He called me at home. “Watch out, Peter,” he warned. “Management is going to call you into the office tomorrow.” “Don’t worry, Joe,” I said. “The worst they can do is send me home.” “I know, but I didn’t want you to go in there blind,” he said. Joe was courageous, like few men in corporate America are. In an age filled with “yes men”, Joe was his own man. You could trust him because he spoke his mind. He wasn’t a two-faced manager’s sycophant. This is why I admired him. I worked with Joe Mandarini for three years. He was my security supervisor; I was his assistant and trainer. He was important to me because he treated me like a colleague although he was 20 years older. I felt honored to work with him. The hospitality industry is full of transitory, empty relationships. Joe made it different. Before Joe, I never had a good relationship with a supervisor. There was always mistrust (on my part) and condescension (on their part). Joe opened me to the possibility of healthy, productive, and mutually rewarding business relationships. He demonstrated personal concern, friendship and gave me his confidence. He achieved psychological closeness with the people he worked with because he understood them. He made me feel valued. I felt tremendous loyalty to him. I wish the hospitality industry had more leaders like Joe Mandarini. Joe shared his personal frustrations with me, too. He felt very discouraged with management. I remember one rainy night, sitting with him in his black Camaro, talking about Phil Clemente and Butch Rivet. Joe felt they did nothing but criticize him. They buried him in frivolous paperwork and gave very little instrumental support. He was infuriated with them. After I was terminated, he soon took another position because he wanted to get away from Phil and Butch. We had our funny moments, we had our tragic moments, and sometimes we had both simultaneously. I remember one sunny afternoon being called to the Cascades Pool for a code 59, or a medical emergency. We both arrived to discover a very large man having a heart attack. He was unconscious and white foam sprayed from his mouth. Joe and I reached into our first-aid kits for “barrier protection masks” to begin CPR. Unfortunately, someone had removed the masks to teach a class. Joe looked at me, I looked at Joe, and we both looked at the revolting puddle of bubbling, white foam spouting from the man’s mouth. “Hey, you!” Joe said to the large man’s wife. “We need you to blow into him while I begin chest compressions.” Joe vigorously worked on the man while the wife blew air into his lungs. Joe did his best to pump life into the man, who was dead when we arrived. Then Orange County fire and rescue paramedics arrived to take over. Joe Mandarini was an inspiration and a better man than we knew. He will be remembered.
Violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) at Vistana Resort While employed at Starwood’s Vistana Resort from Oct 1998 to Dec 2000 I was frequently pressured by security managers/supervisors to work off the clock. There was both direct pressure and indirect pressure. Managers failed to respond in an appropriate manner. They failed to pay hourly employees for work performed. For example, one supervisor, Bob Cooper, instructed me to punch out and inspect security vans for damage and cleanliness at the end of my shift. This occurred for four months before I complained. When I wrote a memo of complaint, the assistant security manager Butch Rivet responded: “We know that our security officers love their jobs so much that they would work for free
Vistana’s Retaliation Against Whistle Blowers I made an internal written complaint to my training manager, Andrea Puchatty, regarding the off-the-clock work described above. She was mute on Phil Clemente and Butch Rivet’s exploitation of their security staff. Many other security officers including Andy Kolb, Scott Koppinger, and Donna Roy had voiced concerns about the work they were doing for Phil Clemente on their own time (for free.) Phil Clemente called me into his office and questioned me about the uncompensated labor. He found blame with the supervisors, but failed to take any responsibility. Two weeks later I was fired for spurious reasons — “talking too slow on the radio.” This was masked retaliation because I “blew the whistle.” The corporate corruption continues at Starwood Vistana Resort. It’s the Enron of the hospitality industry.
Dear Richard I see that my posts about Vistana Resort angered them. I keep getting phone calls and emails from apartment managers saying I called for information (I didn’t). My medical history, my adoption plans, my wife’s infertilitiy have been posted on your web site. (only Vistana managers would have that private information although I take blood pressure meds, not related to anything psychiatric, mostly genetic. ) Butch Rivet, assistant security manager, is the culprit. Its obvious, because the information related is only known to certain managerial staff. For example, the “Eulogy to Mandarini” I posted on your web site explained Joe’s frustration with Vistana managers. It was given to his wife and my friends. Vistana managers received copies too, sent anonymously. ]:-> Thanks for giving me the opportunity to upset them. Nevertheless, its illustrative of the immaturity, ignorance, and corruption at Starwood Vistana. Thanks Peter V. I am writing a complaint to the US Department of Labor, on grounds that confidential information in my employment records were published by Vistana staff.
All is not lost; the unconquerable Will, And study of revenge, immortal hate, And courage never to submit or yield: And what is else not to be overcome? That Glory never shall his wrath or might Extort from me. To bow and sue for grace With suppliant knee, and deifie his power, Who from the terrour of this Arm so late Doubted his Empire, that were low indeed, That were an ignominy and shame beneath John Milton “Paradise Lost” This passage by John Milton captures my feelings about Starwood Vistana. John Milton wrote “Paradise Lost” in 1674. He was resisting the climate of tyranny in an oppressive religious orthodoxy, which discouraged liberty of thought. Corporate America is the economic church of today, and its record of tyranny is scandalous. Why did so many accountants at Arthur Anderson shred documents in defiance of SEC injunctions? Why did Enron Human Resources staff fabricate lies? Why does Starwood terminate employees who resist unjust coercive action by managers? Liberty is threatened by these corporate organizations. As Thomas Jefferson said, the tree of liberty needs to be refreshed by the hemoglobin of tyrants and patriots from time to time. Is this a good metaphor, for corporate corruption’s remedy?
The integrity and values learned from my father will live on in my management position with a much larger corporation.
I wish Joe lived longer. Unfortunately the stress and strain from working at Starwood Vistana destroyed his health. It’s not fair that good men, in their golden years, must work for bad corporations like Starwood. Joe talked of returning to work as an airline pilot. I think he’s up there now, soaring in the clear blue skys.