khabah

Oh it will change, but inevitably for the worse.

I received it too and though about filling it out to release some well-founded criticism of the program like in last year's survey from David Flueck, but I'm sure that if everyone said "HEY MARRIOTT, EVERYTHING YOU DO SUCKS", they'll come out with some 'enhancement' [read: devaluation] to the program with the usual tripe of "because we listen to our most valued members, here are enhancements made with your feedback in mind for you, our most valued members."

Pass.

khabah

arlflyer

So, I received the survey as well, and filled it out honestly. It asked specific questions, and I gave specific (and thus negative...) answers. To my surprise I actually just today received a call from a manager with the program, who left a direct callback #. Since I know what it feels like to do a million cold calls to nowhere, I gave her a call back and chatted for a bit. This individual did not sound like a line-level call center agent, but rather someone actually affiliated with the program, as she used a lot of sector-specific and management language. She made it very clear that the vast bulk of what they were receiving was critical of the program, that the feedback was being aggregated and fed to upper management, and that there would be a "revamp" in light of this. Now of course that does not mean anything until action occurs, but I will take it as a more positive sign than hearing nothing.

anteater

I received a similar survey post-merger in 2019 (I believe, it has been a while) and I too provided constructive, specific, and honest feedback about the program and the continued failures or issues. I received a call from a manager of the program who echoed what I wrote and said it would all be passed along and they would use the feedback to enhance the program. Give what has happened since the merger and the continued failures (even stays intermittently failing to post still), I highly doubt Marriott will add value to the AMB tier; I believe they will enhance it.

Ż\_(ツ)_/Ż

p.s. prove me wrong Marriott!

arlflyer

I'm plenty skeptical, for sure, and like I said I'll believe it when I see it. But I'd also say that 2019 versus now are very different situations. In 2019 they were basically bent on world domination, with economic tailwinds in their sails and their minds on merger synergies and cost reductions. Whereas now they have a legitimate need to re-establish their customer base: after a full year off, many frequent travelers are going to get the chance to clean-sheet (hotel room pun?) their loyalty choices. So we can perhaps hope that they'll give some thought to making the program legitimately attractive to high-value guests. Like I said, "hope"...

goodeats21

Thanks. Will be interesting if I receive a call as well. I typed paragraphs about experiences and provided my phone number in the survey.

goodeats21

Gonna give credit here, I just received a call from Marriott as well regarding the survey and my responses. I spent 30 minutes on the phone with them, going over pain points, past experiences, and such.
They seem to get that there is no value prop to Ambassador level at all now...not that there was much before.

Seems my comments were not unique, so they definitely have themes of what is failing. What they do with it will be the question...

Ryno1234

I have to admit: i am really bummed that I lost my personal ambassador that i have had since the programs inception. However, I have been really impressed by the response time to the general ambassador email address and their solutions. I haven't asked for anything crazy(i requested a missing receipt, early check in for two stays and planning for a wedding block for my nephews wedding this fall) and they have quickly and adeptly handled each with great ease and speed. Just a small data point.

longtimereader firstimeposter

I agree. Everyone who I’ve talked with has gone above and beyond. It’s what I’ve always preferred instead of dealing with and waiting for my personal
Ambassador. Sad to lose it this year especially knowing how abysmal the regular support lines are.

Wozza2404

Well, I'll be keen to see what they come up with to make it more aspirational.

Frankly my experiences over the past couple of years have been such that now I see absolutely no benefit of going any higher than Platinum - let alone shooting for AMB.

goodeats21

So, this is interesting. Just had a stay at a FS Marriott. Single night, award reservation. Stayed here numerous times before on both paid and award nights. Always been a standard, ho-hum kind of experience.

This time, greeted enthusiastically at check-in, obviously prepped for my arrival, upgraded to a very nice suite, and thanked profusely for being an Ambassador member.
I imagine a special welcome/recognition based on my conversation above. It was a refreshing change.

Glimmer of hope that Marriott is actually trying...

estedman

Just checked into a Delta, no recognition, nothing about points, breaky or anything other than how many keys would you like. After getting my key and hoping she would say something about status I asked if Ambassadors got breakfast. She she you get points. I guess I need to look up how to go about getting whatever it is I am supposed to get now, this is the first time it has ever happened.

longtimereader firstimeposter

for Delta it’s lounge access. If the lounge is closed, I you get breakfast in the restaurant or 750 points (your choice). Right now, Marriott has lowered the standards of “breakfast in the restaurant” to breakfast bags or something of the like. If you want that and it’s not provided you get $100. For your welcome amenity, you get 1000 pts or $10 F&B credit, again your choice. If you cannot select the $10 F&B, you get another $100. I just stayed at a Marriott where everything was closed so they had no option but the points. I claimed and received $200 from the hotel.

dcstudent

It's probably a bad thing that my best Ambassador experience so far is this one - at a Fairfield Inn in the suburbs of Atlanta, but there we go....

Fairfield Inn Woodstock, GA
2 nights -Friday-Sunday

Was having some work done on my house and for a couple nights it was easier to vacate the house so the contractor could have full run of the house. Check-in was easy.
Thanked for being Ambassador
Upgraded to Junior Suite from base room (Oversized room with a sectional couch, 2nd TV, and desk that are separate from the area with the closet, bed and another TV -6 of these in hotel, best room in hotel)
Reached Room to find handwritten thank you note signed by 3 staff members along with 6 waters and a goodie bag with candy and protein bars.
Thanked again for being an ambassador and choosing them on check-out

dcstudent

Hello. Me again. Utilized the general AMB email for the first time today. Have a stay coming up in a couple weeks in a city that has 3 properties in walking distance from where I need to be. I wrote the AMB Service to see if they would be so kind to contact each hotel (I really don't have time to call 3 hotels since Marriott won't provide emails) and let me know 1) What the elite breakfast situation is, 2) The wireless internet speed (I'll be working from the room some of the time), and 3) the status of 4pm checkout (which in hindsight I really didn't need to ask as none of the 3 hotels are conference hotels...but I hadn't thought that through when I sent the email.

The Good:
Got a response back in less than 2 hours with the answers, which was fantastic.

The Not Quite Bad but Interesting:
The general AMB told me that one of the hotels, an AC, only will give me the 4pm checkout if available. I don't know what the disconnect is, or the training or power of AMB service to escalate, but the AC is not a conference hotel and therefore the 4pm is guaranteed, so was surprised to have the AMB come back to me and report something that is against Marriott rules. Not on the AMB, really on the training provided the AMB and/or on corporate for not enforcing Bonvoy standards but found it interesting.

In the end it doesn't effect me because I chose a full service hotel that is offering full restaurant breakfast at no charge and a better wifi speed.

kaizen7

The good thing about current general ambassador service is their response time.
The quality of their answer however, varies between agents

About the late checkout issue, I believe Marriott need to pay more attention on training and also make sure member hotels know their responsibility.
It will be annoying if elites must argue with the hotel to get a guaranteed benefit.

I use 4 pm check out often and so far never have any problem.
Some resort hotel even extend those benefit without issues.

Hope that AC hotel is just "noise around the edge" that failed to understand the terms and conditions.