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Bad service at national parks

Thursday, June 28 at 12:01 AM

This Speakout has not been edited

By John Goetz

I too lament the day when Xanterra got the contract to manage the lodging and other services at Grand Canyon.

One, I have been going to the Grand Canyon for hiking and backpacking every year for the past 26 years. My visits usually involve a night or two at Phantom Ranch, which is managed by Xanterra, in combination with 2-3 nights camping which require national park overnight camping permits. Two years ago, Xanterra arbitrarily changed from allowing people to make reservations up to 23 months in advance for Phantom Ranch to allowing reservations only 13 months in advance, which has made it almost impossible to both get through to their call center to make reservations and to get any reservations at all.

In order to make Phantom Ranch reservations and have any chance of actually getting them, one must call on the first of the month, 13 months before the month of your planned visit. It usually takes 1-2 hours of continuous dialing, and getting continuous dial tones, to get into their Denver call center cue, then another 45 minutes to an hour sitting in their cue until you get a live person to talk to.

After this sometimes 3 hour ordeal, there is a very real risk that you cannot get a reservation at all because Xanterra is all sold out for the month you want. IF there are still any openings, they are usually only for single nights and not the dates I had hoped for in order to coordinate with my national park service overnight camping permit dates.

I know there is a great demand for Phantom Ranch and limited accommodations, but with the previous contractor, I NEVER had the kind of problems I have had with Xanterra. What was really maddening was when I complained to the reservation call center manager, I was told in a very cold, unsympathetic and indifferent tone, that the change from 23 months to 13 months advance reservations was Xanterra's new "policy" and that Xanterra thought the "policy" change was in the "best interests" of their "customers". When I pointed out that the "policy" change would just amp up the demand for Phantom Ranch and pore more people trying to get reservations in to a smaller funnel, thereby making it more difficult for their customers to both get through to them and to get reservations, which would most certainly NOT be in the best interests of their customers, the manager became arrogant and autocratic and basically told me "Tough Luck".

Two, Xanterra manages a LOT of properties in a LOT of different national parks and other locations. The RESERVATION FOR ALL OF THESE LOCATIONS GO THROUGH THEIR SINGLE DENVER CALL CENTER. The demand for Phantom Ranch puts enough pressure on their understaffed and poorly equipped call center, but add the calls for all Xanterra managed properties and one can see why dealing with Xanterra leaves such a lousy taste in your mouth.

Three, I too have had back experiences checking in and checking out of Xanterra managed hotels at Grand Canyon. It's not so much that their employees are rude as just slow and seemingly poorly trained on the procedures, systems and customer service. The employees are not very efficient or friendly and just seem to be going through the motions. They don't acknowledge you when you step up to the counter and the words "please" and "thank you" are not in their vocabularies. I have even heard employees talking amongst themselves, behind the check in counter and within ear shot of customers, complaining about their supervisors.

I could go on, but I think you get the point - dealing with the Xanterra "monopoly" as Mr. Sowell so accurately labeled it, is not in the best interests of this consumer and the 4 million others who visit the Grand Canyon each year. THANKS!

READER COMMENTS

Yesterday, Sept. 1, I spent 3 hours, 35 minutes repeatedly dialing Xanterra, until I got through. I estimate I made 1505 attempts before getting through. I then waited 23 minutes to speak with someone. I asked for overnight reservations at Phantom Ranch for a year from now--Sept. '08--, at which I point I was told Phantom Ranch is already completely booked for the entire month of September of next year. I had been researching and working on this trip for a year. I guess I could try again on October 1, and every other first of the month, in hopes of getting lucky. But really, what gives...it's like a lottery. I'm disappointed and heartsick. I've been wanting to do this for some time. Should I just give up?

Posted by Nancy on September 2, 2007 04:11 PM

I too enjoy the Grand Canyon and it is aptly named. But perhaps Xanterra is right. Instead of allowing people to book for the next two years, the one year policy allows other less avid hikers, access. Initially I was put off by the idea of the one service provider (monopoly?). However lodging and food is much more expensive in town (completition?) For myself and my family, it was a wonderful stay and we have no complaint about Xanterra's service and appreciated the price break.

Posted by Tom on June 28, 2007 10:30 AM