I wish to share with you a basic discover which I agree I could have done a lot before and perhaps you FT experts always know.
The Elite Marriott numbers are staffed with good CRSs !
I never used (up to today) the dedicated Elite line for MR members. It was a mistake. The person I spoke with today was friendly, comprehensive and pointed out a few good alternatives to solve my concerns/questions. A totally different quality compared to the others I spoke with at the normal MR telephone line. I realize MR cares also for the lowest Silver member (me!).