fellow travel enthusiasts,

this turned out to be a good discussion. we have good people in here, i like it. everyone has very thoughtful responses.

here is the summary (i think): no matter how badly the travel company lets us down, no matter how elite-metal we are, we do not have the RIGHT, nor are we ENTITLED to abuse their employees. in short, we should strive to be nice, no matter how tired, how pissed off, how re-routed, and how middle-seat we are feeling. just like they are supposed to be, right? i bet a lot of people are pissed off at the notion that THEY have to suck it up, when they are the ones paying the money. you can stick up for your rights, and point out that the hotel is not honoring the contract, but you cant be a dick about it.

as Fters, we should strive to set a new standard for customer behavior. if i walk up to a desk with an FT t-shirt, i want the clerk to think, "oh goody" not "oh sh!t."

think about it this way - you wont be judged based on how you are treated, you will be judged based on how you treat others.

for those in a rush, quit reading, the rest is all details. for the curious, keep going, but watch out, its long, and kinda preachy.

here is how i approach these things: regardless of the *contract* between me and hotel chain X, when im in the lobby getting my room from the clerk, we are two human beings, with real lives and emotions. at that moment, i am not a number, and they are not a huge faceless corporation. its me and frank, and the goal is to get a good room, and a partially hydrogenated snack. yeah, i can wave a print-out of the perks in franks face, and make a fuss, and blind him with the reflective glare of my well-worn elite card, but what if there was a better way? how the heck did people get good service and perks BEFORE there were frequent traveler programs? by being NICE! (being rich and paying a ton of money helps, but you still get your spat in.)

reducing it to that, me and frank, two humans trying to get something done, here is my final comment on this.

[soapbox mode = ON]

people do not care about your emotional state, they care about THEIRS. its human nature to focus on yourself, and no amount of customer service training is going to make one person REALLY care about helping another. only you can create conditions so that the clerk *wants* to help you. ironically, it isnt about you. thus if you want them to do nice things for you, your task is not to impose YOUR hurting emotions on them. rather, it is to identify and empathize with whatever emotions they are experiencing. if you tap into their emotional state, and if you talk about THEM and not YOURSELF, they will enjoy themselves in your presence, and you will get superior service. thats the key.

understand that it is REALLY HARD! it takes a lot of practice and patience.

hint: do this before they know your name, your elite status, etc. take the initiative and be nice first. then if there is a problem with your reservation, they will think, "this person is a good person. it would be wrong for them to get hosed." and they are way more likely to help you.

for me, the goal is to get a good room, etc, not to hurt the clerk, even if i am hurt myself. thus, the above strategy is the one i use. it works with everyone, by the way, not just good old frank at the hotel.

im not special, im not good looking, im not rich, im not famous, and im a mediocre tipper. all i do is forget about myself and focus on them for a few SECONDS, and boom, stuff happens. my behavior says, "YOU are elite." instead of "*I* am elite."

[soapbox mode = OFF]