Has Marriott always been this virulently anti-guest?
Mar 15, 2019, 6:27 am
#46
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This entire thread and especially the title is absurd. As much as I don't like Marriott (mostly due to their CS and IT incompetence), I would never describe them as anti-guest.
Mar 15, 2019, 8:38 am
#47
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This post by Loyalty Lobby may have some answers as to what has gone so wrong at Marriott https://loyaltylobby.com/2019/03/14/...9/?omhide=true
Mar 15, 2019, 8:46 am
#48
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This post by Loyalty Lobby may have some answers as to what has gone so wrong at Marriott https://loyaltylobby.com/2019/03/14/...9/?omhide=true
Mar 15, 2019, 8:50 am
#49
Join Date: Jun 2016
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Marriotts relationship with its membership has always been more transactional “you give us your biz stays, we give you points”. It mostly upgrades but rarely to Suites (I run about 10% suite upgrades) although that’s partly an outcome of Marriott building fewer suites into its hotels. Elite lounges and free breakfast used to be weekdays only but now free lounge/restaurant breakfast is 7 days a week but it remains, as it always has with Marriott, a rules based transactional program. It’s not as bare-bones as IHG but neither is it as fullsome as SPG was, and Hyatt is.
Anti guest? Not really, but if you come from the SPG side of the merger I imagine you’re finding the changes to Marriotts transactional arrangement pretty jarring.
Anti guest? Not really, but if you come from the SPG side of the merger I imagine you’re finding the changes to Marriotts transactional arrangement pretty jarring.
Mar 15, 2019, 8:55 am
#50
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As I've noted earlier, there were tons of complaints about customer service, consistency, upgrades on the SPG board before the merger.
That being said, I don't think customer service issues have anything to do with rude former Starwood reps.
Its a learning curve issue compounded by poor planning to set up additional call center capacity and lack of training at the hotel level.
That being said, I don't think customer service issues have anything to do with rude former Starwood reps.
Its a learning curve issue compounded by poor planning to set up additional call center capacity and lack of training at the hotel level.
Mar 15, 2019, 8:55 am
#51
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The call center has gone downhill fast in the last 12 months, but I think that is more to do with the systems and policies Marriott have implemented than anything else. Arne & Co. are getting further and further detached from whats happening on the ground and that is never a good path for a business to take
I was plat with both pre-merger and found both solid, unfortunately the merger outcome has fallen short of the sum of the individual parts
Mar 15, 2019, 10:38 am
#54
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Mar 15, 2019, 11:32 am
#56
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It was my understanding that Marriott (pre-merger) also had a larger CS phone team as they were not as automated as Starwood was. I was also told that Marriott/Marriott Rewards members tended to skew a little older and naturally preferred phone calls when needing customer service.
Mar 15, 2019, 11:44 am
#58
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It was my understanding that Marriott (pre-merger) also had a larger CS phone team as they were not as automated as Starwood was. I was also told that Marriott/Marriott Rewards members tended to skew a little older and naturally preferred phone calls when needing customer service.
Since 8/18, phone call hold times are absymal & I may or may not get an agent that knows what they're doing (which may be to SPG/MAR agents learning the ropes on the others). I feel sorry for the agents (on both sides), as due to MAR IT etc, they're being drowned w/ calls, emails, faxes, etc, and yes I blame MAR corp more than the agents or franchisees.
Cheers.
Mar 15, 2019, 12:36 pm
#59
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There were always lazy or clueless agents on both side pre-merger, but I knew that I could call back and get someone competent to fix things.
For some posters to claim that rude former Starwood reps are the issue here is simply false, and I have noted that many are not even members with status.
