GodAtum

If a customer used a cent card I would bow down and kiss their shoes

mia

There are other threads in which the value of Centurion has been discussed. This thread is specifically about reactions when the card is presented.

HookemHorns

Another datapoint for those who are interested...I recently was visiting my little sis - she's doing the ski bum thing in a major resort, bartending at a high-end hotel to pay for lift tickets.

We talking about her work, and the topic of the Centurion came up. She didn't know much about it, but said that during season, she'll usually see a dozen or so per week at the bar. The reason she brought it up - she and her friends noted that holders of this card often tip less than average.

As a side note, she told me about the Orwellian amount of data the hotel has on their "VIP" guests, and the morning briefings detailing the VIP's preferences and how to address them. She said that most of what the hotel considered "VIPs" were not the ones flashing black cards.

tyberius

I had a funny experience today with the card. I had to pay for a passport photo, and put the $8.00 on the Centurion card.

The photo guy looked at the card, and said, "You know, these used to be prestigious 30 years ago. You used to have to make $50,000 a year in order to get one!"

Then I used it at the corner store and was again asked if it was some kind of debit card.

b8b

I'll admit: It's fun to use. I get a lot of comments about it being heavy from people that don't know what it is (about 50% have no idea), but I imagine someday, when they learn what it is, they'll think back and remember me... which is a fun thought.

When I was in Toronto recently, it seemed that everyone knew what it was and made comments about it.

I do feel obliged to tip more generously so we Cents don't perpetuate our bad reputation of not tipping well... so to you other stingy Cents out there: please tip well, you should be able to afford it and it makes you look good

Geoggy

So i haven't had my Amex Plat Card (UK) for very long.

At a function last week the talk on the table got onto credit card benefits. I mentioned the Amex Plat card and was asked by someone if they could see it.

"Nice card, etc etc"

Then one of the other people on the table got their Black Titanium Amex (i am assuming Centurion) card out and passed it around.

Is card envy wrong?



G

onefasteuro

card drool?

javacodeguy

No, but one-upmanship is.

In your shoes, I would have been tempted to comment how light the Centurion is compared to the Palladium in my pocket, but who really cares.

AtlanticBeach

Card envy can turn reasonable people into snarling, raging jungle beasts.

After I got a Centurion card two or three years ago, my sister wanted to know everything about the card. She said it made me better looking, taller, thinner and all of these young women seemed to be interested in me.

Let me tell you about my sister. She is 52 years old, owns a very successful business in the Mid-Atlantic area, but her Amex bills topped out at $200K annually. She is also the point person taking care of our aging parents (mom has severe dementia and dad has too many health issues to discuss here) and is doing a great job.

So, my sister has started taking more short trips to decompress from the issues of my parents and life in general. She dropped a few hints about the card and my concierge got some restaurant reservations and tickets for her, as a thank you.

One Monday a few months ago, after a trip to NYC, came the phone call - "I want a Black Card. Now." So, after making sure that my wife would not have a fit, my sister became an AU on my account. She says that she is the source of Card Envy among her friends, clients and business associates.

So, there you go. Sibling rivalry can turn into card envy, which can turn into an Authorized User.

DelrayChris

Anyone know how, on an AMEX account, to have the color of their primary Platinum card changed to Green, with the same functionality? I would surely do this. Although the power of perception is a powerful one, the limits of peoples' ignorance has no bounds.

I find it comical that people drivel on over the color of a piece of plastic. AMEX marketing has a big win in my book for their marketing of PLAT and of CENT and playing on peoples' emotions and sense of worth.

mia

I don't think this can be done in the USA. Most of this topic, including this aspect, discussed here:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ameri...rion-card.html

DelrayChris

Thank you.

CynthiaSteffe

Just more refined dick measuring contests. Will cause people to spend extraordinary amounts of money for things that don't really have that much value. See: Centurion Card.

CyberNomad

I don't think card envy is bad. Sure, someone might have something (a card, a car, whatever) that I would like to have and don't have yet, but I'm happy that person can have and enjoy those things. I'm sure I have things (tangible or otherwise) that others don't have.

Aaron01

So basically, it was like this?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cISYzA36-ZY