100,000 Points for maintaining diamond?
Feb 3, 2015, 4:46 pm
#197
Join Date: Sep 2008
Posts: 67
No, I agree, and while I'm personally indeed feeling a bit offended by this, I'm sure there was some thought, at least on paper, put into determining who gets what.
However, that said, my larger gripe is simply with the fact that this is being done opaquely. The whole point of a loyalty/reward program is to reward...something. Time spent, money spent, referrals, whatever. Doing this without explaining why it's being done does nothing. It reinforces no message. The people who get it are happy, but don't know why they got it, and the people who don't are steamed because they've just been stiffed in return for their loyalty.
Rewards are supposed to reinforce a behavior. If you do X, you get Y, therefore customer will be inclined to try to do X (and thus get Y) again. But this has no such marketing value because no one knows what they are being rewarded for.
If there is a challenge or whatever that only some people can earn, fine. But just make it clear and tied to something so that a big chunk of your loyal customers don't just feel neglected for their business. It's one thing to not qualify and think "Ok, well, next time". It's another to just feel like you were abandoned or forgotten, and while I'm a few years removed from marketing class, I don't that recall that being a desirable customer sentiment.
But this has been repeatedly demonstrated to not be tied to any email. People are getting this through the deep link, which anyone can access and try to log into.
Also, my status email for 2015 came in December. Are some people just getting them now?
However, that said, my larger gripe is simply with the fact that this is being done opaquely. The whole point of a loyalty/reward program is to reward...something. Time spent, money spent, referrals, whatever. Doing this without explaining why it's being done does nothing. It reinforces no message. The people who get it are happy, but don't know why they got it, and the people who don't are steamed because they've just been stiffed in return for their loyalty.
Rewards are supposed to reinforce a behavior. If you do X, you get Y, therefore customer will be inclined to try to do X (and thus get Y) again. But this has no such marketing value because no one knows what they are being rewarded for.
If there is a challenge or whatever that only some people can earn, fine. But just make it clear and tied to something so that a big chunk of your loyal customers don't just feel neglected for their business. It's one thing to not qualify and think "Ok, well, next time". It's another to just feel like you were abandoned or forgotten, and while I'm a few years removed from marketing class, I don't that recall that being a desirable customer sentiment.
But this has been repeatedly demonstrated to not be tied to any email. People are getting this through the deep link, which anyone can access and try to log into.
Also, my status email for 2015 came in December. Are some people just getting them now?
Feb 3, 2015, 4:54 pm
#198
Join Date: Oct 2000
Programs: DL DM 2MM, AA Gold MM, Hilton LTD, Marriott LTP, Hertz PC
Posts: 639
Just got the email from Hilton for 100,000 points, but I had already registered from the link posted earlier.
First promotional offer I have received in a very long time. Been Diamond for about 14 years.
First promotional offer I have received in a very long time. Been Diamond for about 14 years.
Feb 3, 2015, 5:07 pm
#199
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: CLEVELAND AREA
Programs: -UA 1K-Hilton Diamond-
Posts: 210
Been Diamond for many years (10+) rcd. offer.. Personally really stinks all Diamonds did not receive this ..but remember with devalued points this is really only a 1 night stay at a decent Hilton property.... ( if that..... during prime time )
Feb 3, 2015, 5:31 pm
#200
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: DCA
Posts: 7,769
And again, this comes back to the nature of it being opaque - we don't actually know if it was earned or if it wasn't. In fact, if it wasn't earned, but was truly random, that might be a fantastic way to promote loyalty. 1 in 3 diamonds every year gets 100k points, boom. Incentivizes people to stay around for, on statistical average, 3 years. Brilliant. But it needs to be made clear as such, or else it just seems pointless and has no impact, only generates a bunch of "Why am I not good enough?" and "What did I do wrong?" sentiments.
Feb 3, 2015, 5:33 pm
#201
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: USA FL
Programs: Hilton Honors LT Diamond, Marriott Gold Delta Gold, Avis Preferred Plus,
Posts: 190
What were you stats with HH - Long time diamond, diamond, Other? Some of us with real long term loyalty have been told that we are not eligible for anything. Checking spam folder and wishing the tooth fairy will come are not going to do anything.
This is a double whammy for those of us who are lontime supporters of the HH program as it continues to flood the program with miles that make it more difficult to redeem awards and forces HH to inflate redemption rates to deal with the flood. I earned my miles the old fashioned way over 20 years as a Diamond. Now every Tom, Dick, and Sally can be a Diamond - total dilution of program and benefits.
This is a double whammy for those of us who are lontime supporters of the HH program as it continues to flood the program with miles that make it more difficult to redeem awards and forces HH to inflate redemption rates to deal with the flood. I earned my miles the old fashioned way over 20 years as a Diamond. Now every Tom, Dick, and Sally can be a Diamond - total dilution of program and benefits.
I am unable to extend this offer as this was a targeted offer available for select participants. However, I will be happy to extend a special offer of 2,500 bonus points for your first/next stay within the next 60 days.
Then I went to the link and Bam it said congrats here is your 100K.
Feb 3, 2015, 6:01 pm
#204
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Connecticut
Programs: Hilton Diamond, Delta Gold, Marriott Gold
Posts: 342
Feb 3, 2015, 6:08 pm
#205
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: SAN
Posts: 1,396
I'll walk into your office and take 50% of your coworkers out for a steak dinner this Friday. You'll be a bigger man than me if you shrug your shoulders and say you feel happy for them. It's human nature.
And again, this comes back to the nature of it being opaque - we don't actually know if it was earned or if it wasn't. In fact, if it wasn't earned, but was truly random, that might be a fantastic way to promote loyalty. 1 in 3 diamonds every year gets 100k points, boom. Incentivizes people to stay around for, on statistical average, 3 years. Brilliant. But it needs to be made clear as such, or else it just seems pointless and has no impact, only generates a bunch of "Why am I not good enough?" and "What did I do wrong?" sentiments.
And again, this comes back to the nature of it being opaque - we don't actually know if it was earned or if it wasn't. In fact, if it wasn't earned, but was truly random, that might be a fantastic way to promote loyalty. 1 in 3 diamonds every year gets 100k points, boom. Incentivizes people to stay around for, on statistical average, 3 years. Brilliant. But it needs to be made clear as such, or else it just seems pointless and has no impact, only generates a bunch of "Why am I not good enough?" and "What did I do wrong?" sentiments.
In my case, I spent $40k on the card for Diamond but all of my stays with Hilton last year (only about 12 nights) were reward nights. Maybe they are assuming my cash stays must go elsewhere, and are hoping that with more incentives I'll bring my business to them. Maybe they analyzed my folios and realized that, even on an award stay I'm a profitable customer since I spend at their properties (which was probably the case this year, as I think back on my stays).
Maybe they actually decided that giving a big benefit to some people was better than giving a small benefit to everyone - and maybe it really was random.
In any case, I guess I just feel that in order to "earn" something, you generally have to be aware that you are earning it. Here, you had no expectation to receive these points. Since there is no published benefit that entitles anyone to these points, there is no reason to get upset for not receiving them. You want to take my colleagues out to a steak dinner? That's between you and them. I have no expectation of a steak dinner from you, so I'd be happy for them. And even if I was upset or felt left out, I certainly wouldn't call you up and demand a steak dinner that I had no reasonable expectation of in the first place.
I just find it interesting that a bunch of people got 100,000 "free" points today - and somehow that is being construed as a negative occurrence.
Feb 3, 2015, 6:34 pm
#206
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Canada
Programs: AC SE 2MM, HH Dd, SPG; IC Pl/A; AA; DL
Posts: 14,321
link worked for me and I got my email today (after I clicked on link). Stays were about same as last year and nights too. No reward stays, all paid. Diamond for 14+ years I think. Guess I am happy--would prefer they speed up the internet though!
Feb 3, 2015, 6:36 pm
#207
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: DCA
Posts: 7,769
What is negative is that this event is playing to the weakness of the hhonors program' brand. It is already viewed as vague (T&Cs are full of weasel words and few guaranteed benefits), nonuniform in its application (benefits vary wildly between properties - see opt-out lists, lounge access, upgrades, etc.), and by some members, untrustworthy (major systemwide devaluations and frequent devaluations of handfuls of properties). It reconfirms the fact that not all diamonds, golds, etc. are treated equally, and thus what is the value of having status if you don't know how you will be treated? With this action, Hilton is going out and saying that despite them having the same classification (Diamond, Gold), some members are more important than others. So what's the point of having the classifications then?
Last edited by arlflyer; Feb 3, 2015 at 6:51 pm
Feb 3, 2015, 6:44 pm
#208
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Toledo, OH
Programs: Delta DM & MM, Hilton DM, Marriott gold, Hyatt Globalist, Alaska 75K, Wyndham Diamond,
Posts: 15,399
I wish Hilton would just quit devaluing points and start giving benefits like free HIGHEST speed wifi and a 4 pm checkout to diamonds instead of 100,000 points to random HH members
Feb 3, 2015, 7:00 pm
#209
Join Date: Mar 2010
Posts: 1,324
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (Linux; U; Android 4.4.2; en-us; LGL31L/V100 Build/KOT49I.L31L10d) AppleWebKit/537.36 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/4.0 Chrome/30.0.1599.103 Mobile Safari/537.36)
Good plan but all Diamonds should receive some kind of targeted promo this month.
Originally Posted by jamesteroh
I wish Hilton would just quit devaluing points and start giving benefits like free HIGHEST speed wifi and a 4 pm checkout to diamonds instead of 100,000 points to random HH members
Feb 3, 2015, 7:18 pm
#210
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Toledo, OH
Programs: Delta DM & MM, Hilton DM, Marriott gold, Hyatt Globalist, Alaska 75K, Wyndham Diamond,
Posts: 15,399
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (Linux; U; Android 4.4.2; en-us; LGL31L/V100 Build/KOT49I.L31L10d) AppleWebKit/537.36 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/4.0 Chrome/30.0.1599.103 Mobile Safari/537.36)
Good plan but all Diamonds should receive some kind of targeted promo this month.
Good plan but all Diamonds should receive some kind of targeted promo this month.