FlyerTalk Forums - View Single Post - What Honors status information do hotel staff see at check-in?

Dec 11, 2011, 1:03 pm

#19

bigbuy

Join Date: Apr 2005

Location: ATL

Posts: 802

Quote:

Originally Posted by InkUnderNails

I some ways this is fine and in others it bothers me.

My favorite is the reaction from the desk clerk when I check in after a day of work. My work clothes are black Dickie's cotton work clothes. You know, the ones you get at Wal-Mart or rent from Cintas. I will be covered with machine oil, grease, ink and paper dust, fresh from the plants in which I work.

They will look at me and say, "Yeees? Can I help you?" like I am there to get directions to the Super 8 or the Motel 6. I hand them my Amex and they pull up my reservation and my info. This usually enlists a stream of ers and uhs and a stuttering "Welcome back to our property Mr. Nails." They will often say, no kidding, "I see your Hilton Honors Diamond status and ....." It comes off as being very insincere, well, because it is. Sorry, I do not wear a custom-tailored Italian suit so that you can recognize my status without your computer.

Bottom line, I get this a lot less at Hampton and HGI's and more at the 2Tree and Hilton's, but it occurs time to time everywhere. It is also much more prevalent with the male desk clerks than the females, either that or the women hide it better.

What is really, really fun is when I stand in the Hilton Honors line for check in. Not only does the desk clerk get a tweak, it gives me great pleasure to accept the check in packet with all of its amenities and the desk clerk mentioning the Exec lounge and the free breakfast and free internet, and the upgraded room, while the guy in the fancy suit in the non-HH line gets a key and directions to the room.

^
This type of thing happens at among others, Neiman Marcus also. Years ago, I was in the market for a new Italian Suit. I owned a supermarket and car wash and always dressed in jeans and tennis shoes. I walked into the NM in Atlanta with $1,500 cash (in 1991 dollars) from the store safe stuffed in my jeans. No one would even look at me. Meanwhile, 3 different guys in suits came into the mens dept. and the sales reps were all over them. I simply walked out, went home and called the lady that dressed the local CBS TV news anchors and usually took them to Neiman Marcus. She called the manager of the mens dept and I went back the next day with her. They had liquor and a private screening room for me. I wore the same jeans in there and dropped 5k that afternoon. Needless to say, they were very nice to me the second time around.

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