Originally Posted by ronin
In the internet era, marketing changes. Flyertalk is not an aberration, it's probably the rule, or at least a harbinger of a new rule. Marketing needs to understand this to be successful.
I agree. In an era of increased transparency (courtesy of the internet), customers will more readily observe discriminatory treatment and become disgruntled customers once they perceive such. For example, if Company A found out that a given vendor was giving a smaller client (and our competitor) Company B a better deal than we receive, then vendor shopping begins sooner -- with or without a remedy from the vendor. Trust/faith lossed is rarely re-acquired.