So I sent off an email to Marriott Rewards letting them know about my extreme displeasure with the way the news of the “enhancements” was delivered to Marriott’s best customers and in return I received the same tired canned response I’ve seen posted by others alluding to the “thousands of elites” that they polled to help them come up with the changes and of course none of it addressed my real complaint of how the message is being packaged.

I really hope the message gets back to Ed French that due to his inability to deliver bad news in an honest and forthright manner he’s done irreparable damage to his and Marriott’s credibility with many of their best customers, and that it would be in his best interest to change tact and start addressing us as if we weren’t a bunch of idiots that can’t run the numbers for ourselves.

Had he just came out and said “here are the changes that we feel are necessary to remain profitable in these tough economic times” I wouldn’t have been happy about the changes but I also wouldn’t have such utter contempt for him and Marriott now that I’ve changed from someone that’s gone out of his way to praise Marriott and bring them new customers and business to someone that intends to take every opportunity presented to badmouth Marriott to anyone and everyone that will listen.

American Airlines has also recently made many changes to their incentive programs as well as introduced many new fees but they at least had enough respect for their customers to be honest about the changes and why they felt they were necessary to remain profitable. While no one is happy about the changes most of us AA elites understand the changes and want to continue to see AA remain profitable and will continue to do business with them, but then again AA didn’t choose to insult its customers probably thinking that would be bad for business…

Anyway, I’ve already cost Marriott more money through changing venues for a couple of medium size events next year than they’ll ever come close to taking away from me through these changes, and all because of some really stupid spin Ed French keeps perpetuating even after being called out on it.

Well played, Ed.