Don't always trust the DRI on-line availability

[T. R. Oglodyte Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close T. R. Oglodyte]

Having just got off the phone with DRI from making reservations in Poipu next summer, I offer as an observation that there is more that is available than what shows up on the web site.

I was frustrated that availability that I should have been there wasn't showing up when I searched on-line. So I called to find out what was going on, and sure enough the person I spoke with on the phone was able to see options that were not showing up on the web page.

So my advice is that before you certain accommodations are not available, you might want to place a call with DRI to check and to have them check for alternate days.

[longtimer Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close longtimer]

Thanks for the tip. Too bad DRI isn't able or willing to keep their on-line system up-to-date.

[T. R. Oglodyte Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close T. R. Oglodyte]

Thanks for the tip. Too bad DRI isn't able or willing to keep their on-line system up-to-date.

It's got to be a programming nightmare. They have to keep track of how inventory is allocated to specific groups of owners. Then they have to keep track of where each allocation of points an owner has comes from because that affects reservation rights. Then when a reservation is made they need to keep track of which particular points are used for that reservation.

With resorts that have a mix of week owners and Club members as well as flexible check-in days, they also have to be sure that they retain enough whole week blocks of each ownership type that can be used by those weeks owners. (Actually, that should be one of the easier constraints to implement if they've done it right.)

When a person has points in their account coming from several sources, how do they know what inventory to show? When a person books a reservation on-line how do they know which pools of points are being used?

I am not at all surprised that things don't register correctly on the web site. Actually, the wonder would be if they did manage to make it all work correctly.

[kexueli Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close kexueli]

Last minute bookings

Yes, it is worth a phone call if you can't get what you want online. The website wouldn't let us book a room for the next day - it said you need to book at least 3 days out. We called and the representative talked to the resort directly and found a room for us.

[T. R. Oglodyte Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close T. R. Oglodyte]

Yes, it is worth a phone call if you can't get what you want online. The website wouldn't let us book a room for the next day - it said you need to book at least 3 days out. We called and the representative talked to the resort directly and found a room for us.

Yeah - that's another good example. Any transaction through the web site will require a minimum number of days (I think it's a three-night minimum.) In my past experience there are some super users of the system (including the managers of reservations departments) who can make lots of things happen in the system.

Though with the changes they have implemented to the reservations pfogram it hasn't been clear to me if those powers still existed. I've feared that they have implementing inventory control through via programming, which is almost guaranteed to create problems.

[dougp26364 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close dougp26364]

Having just got off the phone with DRI from making reservations in Poipu next summer, I offer as an observation that there is more that is available than what shows up on the web site.

I was frustrated that availability that I should have been there wasn't showing up when I searched on-line. So I called to find out what was going on, and sure enough the person I spoke with on the phone was able to see options that were not showing up on the web page.

So my advice is that before you certain accommodations are not available, you might want to place a call with DRI to check and to have them check for alternate days.

I believe this holds true with I.I., as well as any online booking system. As you've already pointed out it's a complex system.

[T. R. Oglodyte Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close T. R. Oglodyte]

As you've already pointed out it's a complex system.

And it had to have been significantly easier to manage when each resorts reservation manager handled the inventory for his or her report, subject to the ownership rights and governing documents applicable at that location.

Centralizing inventory control into Las Vegas has to be a significant complication if they are now managing inventory for all of the resorts out of one location. There are some ways to run the system to make it inventory control easier, specifically by keeping inventory clearly segregated, and matching owner points to inventory when searching. But I don't believe they've don that because when I go to make a reservation there is no indication as to which points pool I want to draw from to make a reservation.

*****

So I suspect that either I'm being shown all inventory regardless of whether it matches the categories of points I have available, or I'm only being shown part of the inventory. I suspect the latter; I think the site is serving up to me the inventory that is in the Club via trust ownership, even though I'm reserving using a deeded ownership. That's why when I called they were able to find inventory that was available to me even though it wasn't being shown to me.

******

I had a go-round with them about inventory control and availability a couple of years ago, when the site was treating me as if were non-Hawaii owner, and not showing any inventory until 10 months before check-in. I had to do a manual override to get a reservation completed,

After I brought this to DRI's attention, and got the reservation made, I noted a month or two later that I was now seeing all inventory, even 13-month out. So I think the fix they must have done was to serve up all Club inventory to deeded Club members as if they were Trust owners.

*****

A side note. Two years ago when I was having a problem, I e-mailed Cloobeck about the problems I was having. I was very specific and polite - not just ranting, with specific information about how I obviously wasn't being shown available inventory.

My e-mail was routed to a very personable and pleasant womwn, with good access and information, whose primary job seems to be to deal with significant member concerns. She got my reservation completed for me, and I think that because it was being addressed at her level her trouble ticket got more timely action from the programming people.

I'm sure her jog is dealing with complaints, because later I got a call from her when I registered a significant beef about how the new (and unannounced) changes in moderation policies at the DRI message were stifling discussions and usefulness of the board.

[T. R. Oglodyte Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close T. R. Oglodyte]

I amend what I posted above. They're still messed up - which is not surprising given how they are trying to deal with this.

Now that I booked a 2011 reservation at Poipu, the website isn't recognizing that I'm a Hawai'i owner with current year Hawai'i points in my account and is only showing me 10-month availability. So it's clear they still haven't got the system set up to properly recognize ownership.

****

So the message again is don't just rely on what you see when you do a search on the site. If you want something and it isn't showing up, call DRI-CLUB to doublecheck.

*****

Relaxation - simplified. Hah!!!! Whoever came up with that line should be writing for Leno.

[winger Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close winger]

I amend what I posted above. They're still messed up - which is not surprising given how they are trying to deal with this.

Now that I booked a 2011 reservation at Poipu, the website isn't recognizing that I'm a Hawai'i owner with current year Hawai'i points in my account and is only showing me 10-month availability. So it's clear they still haven't got the system set up to properly recognize ownership.

****

So the message again is don't just rely on what you see when you do a search on the site. If you want something and it isn't showing up, call DRI-CLUB to doublecheck.

*****

Relaxation - simplified. Hah!!!! Whoever came up with that line should be writing for Leno.

This may be a good example of how complex some programming can be. Maybe they DID fix your issue two years ago, but the fix got "clobbered" by another more recent programming fix or upgrade. Software testing is a tricky art, and many things do get untested in the real world when everyone running a company is trying to save money nowadays.

[T. R. Oglodyte Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close T. R. Oglodyte]

This may be a good example of how complex some programming can be. Maybe they DID fix your issue two years ago, but the fix got "clobbered" by another more recent programming fix or upgrade. Software testing is a tricky art, and many things do get untested in the real world when everyone running a company is trying to save money nowadays.

I need no convincing to believe it's programming-related. I've doe a bit of programming work building environmental compliance and reporting requirements into operating tools. It gets really complicated because the applicable rules change depending on what particular product is being produced, and which particular process is being used to produce the product. Also identical pieces of equipment, used for identical purposes, can have different requirements.

Getting all of that coded correctly is a huge hassle.

Then after I do get it working correctly, the requirements change and everything needs to get redone and retested.

******

And the worst is when someone finds a bug and decides to try to fix it themselves, and screws up code.

[winger Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close winger]

I need no convincing to believe it's programming-related. I've doe a bit of programming work building environmental compliance and reporting requirements into operating tools. It gets really complicated because the applicable rules change depending on what particular product is being produced, and which particular process is being used to produce the product. Also identical pieces of equipment, used for identical purposes, can have different requirements.

Getting all of that coded correctly is a huge hassle.

Then after I do get it working correctly, the requirements change and everything needs to get redone and retested.

******

And the worst is when someone finds a bug and decides to try to fix it themselves, and screws up code.

It can be made even more complicated if the coding work were sent 'offshore' , which unfortunately is how many US-based companies have been doing more of in recent years. Distance does wonders for communications and relationships, alike.