[Resolved]  SOTC — Pathetic Experience with SOTC

This is the mail sent to SOTC as feedback and no one replies to this mail also! Worst! Don't travel by SOTC ever!!

This is a feedback which though SOTC hadn't asked for but since we had such a great experience (pun intended), it forced me to share some of it with you. There were more of bad memories than the good ones to take away from the trip so the mail probably may not find you in good spirit!

Visa Issue of Nepalese Citizens and Ignorance of calls by Patna Office.

Just couple of days from departure, SOTC realises that the Nepalese citizens need Visa for Mauritius as there had been some change in regulations (previously it was Visa on Arrival same as for Indian citizens). Both the Passport is sent to Delhi office. Getting tensed on not receiving any update on the processing of VISA we tried calling people at Patna Office - only to find it answered sometimes and mostly being ignored.

Till 20th (day of departure) 1P.M. there was no confirmation on whether the VISA has been approved and by when the passport will reach Mumbai from Delhi. Then Mr. Kenneth of Kolkata branch intervenes and assures on sending the passports on time. We await for the passports at the airport. The flight was scheduled for 10:20 P.M and luckily in the nick of time the passport reaches the airport (9:30PM). We were happy to receive the passports just in time and the effort by SOTC. (though there was no fault from our end which should make us much happy rather we were more tensed on how the thing was done)!

This was just a start!

Mauritius Problems
On reaching the resort the SOTC representative informs that the itinerary of the tour has been changed. This was a clear case of cheat and fraud by the company, cause firstly you change the itinerary after taking the payment and not informing the travelers. Secondly you exclude half a day of the trip!

Moreover the best thing was when I was communicating the same at Kolkata and Mumbai office of the change in itinerary and problems, the people at SOTC got irritated of me calling them again and again. Bloody hell! What should you get irritated for?! Doesn't the company imbibe the culture to listen to customers complaint in right spirit that too when its not their fault!

Dubai Problems

The itinerary for this was also changed!!

The travelers reached the hotel at 7A.M as per the scheduled flight just to realize that they have reached the hotel way prior to their bookings done by SOTC (check in done by SOTC was @ 1PM). The hotel guy said that they will have to give 100Dhrams if they need to check in earlier. Like before there was no local SOTC representative to help with the issue and the communication needed was to be done by calling people in India!

Nevertheless to avoid much time in confusion the travellers left for the City Tour cause the city tour was also not included in the revised itinerary ( but for the same Mr. Keneth had assured that that cost will be refunded after talks with Mumbai Office. We are waiting for any response to come by).

The hotel was not upto the mark (at Dubai). Very bad choice of hotel selection by SOTC! Moreover the hotel people weren't informed about the meal preference (veg) by SOTC! Why was this not communicated?!

Moreover one dinner (as per the package) was also not there. Why was this done?!

Also if you aren't able to fill in the minimum number of people (10 for this trip), that doesn't gives you right to alter with the itinerary or give poor service to the existing customers!

With so many surprises, no assistance at any time ( Hotel, Trip etc.), irritated customer assistance, bad choice of hotel, change of itinerary without informing the customer ( a clear case of cheating the customer) and for all this spending over Rs. 1lac per person was truly not worth it!

This was supposedly a memorable trip planned to celebrate 25th Anniversary of my parents and all you gave us was painful experiences! If I had to coordinate everything (also account for spending of over Rs. 1000 on international calls in mere 7 days) and the time put in for coordination, I better should have planned this by myself. All you did was offer something for lesser price. Let me remind you its more of the experience that counts than the money! Now to tell you I had planned to choose SOTC just for the brand value it had (obviously now I understand its real value).

Nevertheless it was my duty as your customer to give a feedback on your service. Thanks for giving us a chance to avail the service. Hope you are able to rectify some of it with other travelers at least and understand that the crux of your business is service and you truly lacked in it, Hope you do justice to the travelers money! And give them a real life time experience!!