Most consumers will hold the hotel at least partially responsible. I would suggest that the analogy offered does not truly capture the dynamic. Consumers understand the difference between a simple restaurant recommendation and a hotel or cruise line giving its stamp of approval to a guide company or excursion. The whole point of the article is that these companies represent the hotel’s brand. They may be separate in a court case, but they are rarely separate in the court of customer emotion.

Hey Alicia!

Great to see you here! Thanks for the excellent comment and for adding the perspective of a subcontractor. I think recommendations from others, particularly those that understand what you are looking for in a sub, is the key — you are so right.

Very cool to hear about what you do — that is an interesting niche.

Thanks again for stopping by!

I’ve seen you around Bill and Kaarina’s sites. When she mentioned your customer service stories I had to stop by. What a crazy vacation story! I’m glad you made it back safely!

As a subcontractor myself, I thought I’d weigh in. I’m a virtual assistant specializing in transcription. Being that I have a specialized niche, many other VAs subcontract their transcription work to me. Therefore, I don’t deal with the end user–I work with the VA. I’ve had nothing but wonderful experiences and my clients (and their clients) are quite happy. However, we discussed guidelines and expectations up front so everyone was on the same page. I think it also helps that I’m a business owner–just like them–so I understand the importance of meeting a deadline and client expectations.

My advice to those searching for a subcontractor would be to get a referral from someone else. Talk to others in your field and ask who they use or recommend. Put it out there to your industry on Facebook, Twitter, etc. Chances are, if you receive a glowing recommendation for a subcontractor from a person you know and trust, you’ll be happy with them, too!

This one gave me a laugh. thanks!

Curacao was a beautiful island. Even at 60 mph. 🙂

Your comment Adam made me think of the larger trend. You broach a good point — that this is a topic that will be gaining in importance over time.

You bring up an excellent point here. In a business society where so much is outsourced, it’s no wonder that customer service is lacking in so many ways.