TexasCHLforum.com

And then I received this email:

Dear Mr. Long:



Good Day! This is Demetrius Jackson with Guest Assistance. It is my understanding that the hotel has been in contact with you to discuss your concerns. It was my pleasure assisting you in this matter. Thank you and have a great day!



Best regards,

Demetrius Jackson

Guest Assistance Specialist

Hilton Hotel Corporations

755 Crossover Lane

Memphis, TN 38117


My response was partly unsuitable for a ten year old daughter, pointing out that his pleasure in assisting me was purely one sided and had no relation to any dealings with me.

I also pointed out that since he had me full name in my email, the fact that he also could not be bothered to get my name right indicated that his purpose in sending the email was not to help but to irritate.

I reiterated my new found unwillingness to do business with all things Hilton and suggested that instead of a reply he should escalate the issue to someone who at least had some customer service skills.

I received a response from Hilton yesterday, but it sure wasn't anything like what I expected. I sent my email to Hilton's corporate according to their web site.

First of all, it was a telephone call - I always include my phone number in such missives - from "Hilton Austin" 512-385-6767, according to my caller ID, which seems to be an individual hotel rather than corporate.

Next, the young lady apparantly couldn't read, she had to make a couple of tries to get my last name right, leaving off a syllable the first try, and substituting an "a" for an "o" as well as leaving off the syllable on her second try. This kind of thing from "customer service" reps really ticks me off.

Once she got the name right, she had trouble articulating my issue back to me, she wasn't even aware of what a CHL was.

When I queried whether she lived in Texas, she stated that she did. When I asked her why she wasn't aware of concealed handgun licensing in Texas, she then stated that she had "just moved here." BTW, she also couldn't have been referring to my original email here either, because I was very careful NOT to use "jargon" and had spelled out Concealed Handgun License each time.

When she asked me when I had stayed there, I told her I had not, and then she wanted to know when I had seen the sign, so I explained, as I had in the email, that I was responding to Jerry Patterson's communique and intended to boycott the Hilton family of companies as well as influence anyone that I could to do the same.

She did not know who Jerry Patterson is, nor did she evince any knowledge of his political position in our fair state. I spent a little time educating her and then finally discovered that all was for naught anyway.

She stated that the hotel referred to in my email, which was never actually identified in my email, was not associated with them. When I asked whether the one she was referring to was a Hilton, she responded that it was, and then I asked whether her hotel was also a Hilton (note the "also"), she responded affirmatively, so I then asked her how the two hotels, both wearing the name "Hilton" could not be associated - she could not come up with any other reply than that they are not.

I then carefully explained that any such signage was discrimination against law abiding citizens, and a couple of other things, asked her to please have corporate respond rather than some low level flack, and ended by paraphrasing my friend Brian Burns "Welcome to Texas, now won't you please go back home" and hung up in disgust.

I just wish I had been in a position to tape the call.

Cool!

I will also point out, in my email and letter to them, that the Hilton Family, which they are a "proud member of" trademark states "be hospitable" and this can be viewed as way less than hospitable by the entire class of law abiding citizens that it discriminates against.

I also will send back my Hilton HHonors card with the same mailing. Of course it hasn't been used in more than a year, but it's the thought that counts.