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(c) Elliott Publishing.

Stolen PC
ChrisCrossings · August 31, 2000

Q: I am an educator who attended a conference with a Chamber of Commerce representative from our city at a Hyatt in Indianapolis. After I worked on some reports one evening, I checked my laptop (which belongs to my school) into security at the hotel. As I was leaving for the airport, I went to retrieve my laptop. It was gone.

They showed me the locked room it had been stored in and asked me if I could see it there. Gone. Stolen from security. Hmmm. You don't have to be a brain surgeon to figure out what happened here. Indiana has a law on the books that says if anything is stolen in a hotel in Indiana, the hotel only has to pay you $200. My computer was worth more that $3,000.

When I spoke with the manager, he acted as if I were going to make a claim on the district's insurance. Our district cannot afford to carry policies on individual items less that several thousand dollars, so we are out of luck. Our state department is considering banning stays at the Hyatt because of this ordeal, not to mention our district. We are a community of 75,000. Needless to say, I am not doing any positive PR for Hyatt. They treated this whole ordeal very poorly. Right out of security! I still can't believe it! Any advice?

- Barbara Voigt

A: Yes. First, I would contact Hyatt's corporate headquarters. The franchisee clearly mishandled the situation and deserves to be investigated by the company. Here's who to contact:

Scott Miller
President
Hyatt Corporation
200 West Madison
Chicago, IL 60606

You should also send a carbon copy to:

David Jacobs
General Manager
Hyatt Regency Indianapolis
One South Capitol Avenue
Indianapolis, IN 46204

What should you write? A few points to consider:

  • Keep the letter to one page, double-spaced.

  • In the subject line, summarize the story. Your subject line might read: "Re: Loss of laptop at Indianapolis property."

  • Describe the circumstances briefly.

  • Tell Scott how much your business means to the hotel chain. If you're a frequent guest, throw in your card number so that your status can be proven. You also mentioned the probability that your employer will stop using the hotel chain. That's good to mention as long as it doesn't come off as a threat.

  • Say what you want. A refund? A free night's stay? A new computer? It's up to you.

  • Be as cordial as possible. Don't allow yourself to become emotional. I know it's difficult, considering your loss. But throwing in a line about "respectfully requesting a refund" works better than "I am outraged" or "I demand a refund!"

  • Send copies to the hotel itself and cc any relevant industry contacts.

  • Mail it certified so that you're sure they receive the note.
You want my advice? I'd also cc me and a few other folks who cover the travel industry, including TV, radio and print reporters who specialize in full-time customer advocacy. What this property did is inexcusable.

But let's be honest: You're not getting your laptop back. The best you can hope for is to shame the hotel into offering you some kind of monetary compensation, and I'm left with the impression that any attempts at that kind of make-good will fall short.

Take heart, though. You're not alone. According to computer insurance company Safeware, more than 319,000 laptop computers were stolen last year. And this year, despite the availability of new security systems, it's bound to be more.

Given the indifference that hotels regard the safety of their customers, there's only one surefire way to keep your portable computer from getting stolen. Never leave it anywhere.

Christopher Elliott's column appears on Thursdays. All e-mailed questions to ChrisCrossings become property of Ticked.com and may be edited, condensed or republished at the site's discretion. You may reach Elliott at chris@ticked.com. Or visit his home page at http://www.elliott.org.