Marriott Platinum EXPECTATIONS vs. REALITY
 

There seems to be a misalignment of my treatment as a Platinum Rewards member vs. my EXPECTATIONS of treatment as a Platinum Rewards member. The following observations are based on a recent stay at the Princeton Marriott Forrestal:

MY EXPECTATION: I expect to be placed in a room on an upper floor of the hotel -- if not the concierge floor, then the floor below that.

MY TREATMENT AS A PLATINUM MEMBER: Sometimes the hotel is full, so I was initially not too upset to take room 383, three floors below the concierge floor and a LONG, winding walk from the elevator. Then I discovered, much to my chagrin, that there is a nightclub called Polly Esther’s directly beneath my room. I learned this because of the persistent beat that banged away at my head and lasted until 2 a.m. on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday night. I complained to guest services on Tuesday, and was offered another room. But I had already unpacked -- what's the point of moving once you have unpacked your stuff? I cranked the AC on high and slept with white noise as my companion each night instead.

MY EXPECTATION: According to the list of benefits of Marriott Rewards membership at the Platinum level available online, I get free local calls and faxes.

MY TREATMENT AS A PLATINUM MEMBER: According to the front desk staff at the hotel, that is NOT the case. I inquired about the $9 of charges on my bill at checkout and got not a verbal answer, but a wide-eyed, incredulous, exaggerated head shake that indicated not only are the local calls NOT comped, I was a fool to even ask!

MY EXPECTATION: 3) Platinum members staying on the concierge level are comped the Wall Street Journal AND the USA Today.

MY TREATMENT AS A PLATINUM MEMBER: Since I was on the 3rd floor, I received only a daily USA Today. That was okay through the week, because I typically only read it on the plane ride home on Friday. The front desk staff, however, seemed appalled that I would ask for a Journal on my way out on Friday. They pointed me to the business center, where I learned I could have a copy of the paper - for the newsstand price of $1. Forget it, I thought. I'll give the business to the airport newsstand where I am not a Platinum member because of my loyalty to the chain, but where at the very least I know exactly what I can expect in return for my patronage.

As it turns out, I am so upset over my lousy “Platinum Level” treatment (and a measly $10 in phone calls and newspapers) at the Forrestal Marriott this week, that I am considering bailing entirely on the Marriott Rewards program and seeing if Starwood Preferred or Hilton Honors will treat me better. What’s the point of a loyalty program that segments and differentiates your customers if you don’t bother to treat the high-value customers better than the others?

Here's my experience as a Platinum member:

Concierge floor: Sometimes have to make a minor fuss to get there, but I succeed most of the time. Often told that it's full, but after objecting, a room is magically "found."

Phone calls: Local calls are free at Courtyards, but not full-service Marriotts. I don't get free local calls, but I don't expect them, either.

Walll Street Journal: When I'm on a floor that doesn't get them automatically, I grab one from the lounge or go to the gift shop and get one for free by flashing my Platinum card. No problemo.

I will have over 100 Marriott nights by year-end, and I'm generally satisfied. My expectations and reality may be more closely matched than yours are.

Bruce

MY EXPECTATION: I expect to be placed in a room on an upper floor of the hotel -- if not the concierge floor, then the floor below that.

(I agree although I'll take an u/g room on another floor before a reg room on the conc. floor but all things equal, I would expect to be put on the conc floor if available)

MY TREATMENT AS A PLATINUM MEMBER: Sometimes the hotel is full, so I was initially not too upset to take room 383, three floors below the concierge floor and a LONG, winding walk from the elevator. Then I discovered, much to my chagrin, that there is a nightclub called Polly Esther’s directly beneath my room. I learned this because of the persistent beat that banged away at my head and lasted until 2 a.m. on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday night. I complained to guest services on Tuesday, and was offered another room. But I had already unpacked -- what's the point of moving once you have unpacked your stuff? I cranked the AC on high and slept with white noise as my companion each night instead.


(personally I would have moved and tried to talk them into a real nice upgrade due to the hassle even if I had unpacked)


MY EXPECTATION: According to the list of benefits of Marriott Rewards membership at the Platinum level available online, I get free local calls and faxes.

(not my expectation as I have never seen this benefit in writing and I have never rec'd free local calls at full service Marriotts but I do know at most RI, FI, CY free local and 800 calls are the norm, heck I even have to pay for toll calls sometimes and expect that at Sheratons and Hiltons as well even at their top tier)

MY TREATMENT AS A PLATINUM MEMBER: According to the front desk staff at the hotel, that is NOT the case. I inquired about the $9 of charges on my bill at checkout and got not a verbal answer, but a wide-eyed, incredulous, exaggerated head shake that indicated not only are the local calls NOT comped, I was a fool to even ask!

(nothing personal, but I agree with the front desk)

MY EXPECTATION: 3) Platinum members staying on the concierge level are comped the Wall Street Journal AND the USA Today.

(I expect a local paper or USA today)

MY TREATMENT AS A PLATINUM MEMBER: Since I was on the 3rd floor, I received only a daily USA Today. That was okay through the week, because I typically only read it on the plane ride home on Friday. The front desk staff, however, seemed appalled that I would ask for a Journal on my way out on Friday. They pointed me to the business center, where I learned I could have a copy of the paper - for the newsstand price of $1. Forget it, I thought. I'll give the business to the airport newsstand where I am not a Platinum member because of my loyalty to the chain, but where at the very least I know exactly what I can expect in return for my patronage.

(I go to the lounge to get my WSJ and/or local paper)

As it turns out, I am so upset over my lousy “Platinum Level” treatment (and a measly $10 in phone calls and newspapers) at the Forrestal Marriott this week, that I am considering bailing entirely on the Marriott Rewards program and seeing if Starwood Preferred or Hilton Honors will treat me better. What’s the point of a loyalty program that segments and differentiates your customers if you don’t bother to treat the high-value customers better than the others?[/B][/QUOTE]

(I believe you will find all the same issues at the Hilton, Starwood, and Hyatt so that will not help you out too much but go ahead and try, thats one less plat to compete with)

I have about 130 nights at Marriott properties this year, and my expectations are based on experiences during stays at other Marriotts.

Typically, if my expectations don't match my treatment at the hotel, Marriott staff is eager to bridge the gap (the free local calls expectation comes from the Marriott website and the promotional literature that came with my fancy but useless embossed platinum card -- it clearly states free local calls and faxes under Platinum Benefits. I did not make that up). That was not the case at the Forrestal, and the rude reaction from the desk staff irked me enough to post this message.

My point is simple: if you have an affinity program, there is a reason for it -- you treat your most valuable customers well because they are more valuable to you than everyone else. I wasn't treated well at the Forrestal Marriott this week, yet I am a valuable customer. Therefore, I felt I had the right to complain. This is a good forum for that. Thanks for listening.

Overall: Marriott has lived up to my expectations as a Platinum member. There is however a wide disparity between properties. Some go absolutely overboard with personal welcome phone calls, on top of turndown service on top of someone showing up with a welcome gift. I saw a change after 9/11. The staff reductions were obvious at all levels and therefore some of the perks were reduced. Lately, things seem to be improving (unlike my airline)--Concierge lounges are returning to normal hours, restaurants are offering better meal selections, and ya gotta love the bonus points!

This is copied from the Marriott Rewards website:

FREE LOCAL PHONE/FAX

When you stay at participating U.S. and Canada Courtyard, SpringHill Suites, and Fairfield Inn locations, you are entitled to free, unlimited local phone calls and faxes up to 15 pages per day to any U.S. and Canada destination.
____________________________

Note that this does NOT apply to full-service Marriott hotels (just as I said above).

Bruce

This is what I understood as well

I WISH it applied to full service marriotts

I've stayed at the Princeton Forrestal Marriott and found it to have one of the nicest concierge lounges - great dessert selection in the evening, complimentary bar. Overall a nice property.

I'm sorry you're experience was less than acceptable. The free local phone calls appear to be a misunderstanding of the stated benefit.

I did learn something here today as I didn't know you could get a free Journal in the gift shop with your platinum card.

All,

To be totally honest with you, Platinum lives FAR below my expectations. The main properties I have stayed at in the past 11 months for business travel are:

Marriott Fremont 19 stays
Courtyard Milpitas 16 Stays
Marriott Amsterdam 15 Stays

The Marriot Fremont is the worst excuse I have ever seen for a so called "full-service" hotel. Most of the front desk personnel do not care the least about your platinum status and you have to fight tooth and nail to get your platinum upgrade.
The service at the hotel has been very uneven and this property has suffered the most from the downturn this year and are probably at about %60 capacity now. (Versus being completely overbooked during the internet heyday) As a platinum you should not have to fight to get upgrades in a hotel that you know to only be at %60 capacity.

As for the Marriott Courtyard in Fremont, It is actually (and I prefer full service hotels when traveling on business) a better quality property than the Fremont Marriott. I am automatically upgraded to a king suite there and the staff goes out of their way to assist or help with any requests. Also the Courtyard in Milpitas has high speed internet access where the idiot management at the Fremont Marriott (In the heart of silicon valley no less) are too cheap to install it.

The Marriott Amsterdam @ Stadhouderskade 12
is an older property (70's) but the staff there makes all the difference. My upgrade to the 9th floor is always waiting for me and I never have to ask for it as I do at the US full service properties. Also the Executive rooms in the property are HUGE by US and Western European standards.

So all in all, Platinum is a level with mixed benefits. I made Hilton Diamond in 2001
and was just comped to Starwood Platinum and
with that being the case I am going to give up the Ghost at Marriott for 2002 and wish them all the luck.

Granted i have never stayed at fullservice Marriott, and I don't plan to. I didn't really see the benefits of being a Platinum in RIs except the staffs were generally very friendly, and sometimes, give me local calls (depends on the properties)

I'd stay at Marriott's properties next year again...

------------------
Regards,

Al

Okay, I've calmed down a bit.

I am back at the Forrestal Marriott as I write this for a brief, one-night stay. I am sitting on a king-size bed, on the concierge level of the hotel, in a room that is almost embarrassingly large. I cannot hear the nightclub, for it is closed on Mondays. But even if it were open, I wouldn't be able to hear it, anyway. It is too far below, on the other side of the building.

I was greeted upon check-in by a girl who actually recognized my name -- turns out she was the one who took my call last week when I inquired about the noise. I recall at the time she said she would "mark my account" so I wouldn't be put into a room above the club the next time I stayed here. I assumed she was just saying that to make me feel better, but it turned out to be true. This ridiculously massive room -- equipped with a luxurious plastic shower curtain (not the flimsy cloth ones that billow inward and stick to you that they have on the other floors), no less! -- is proof of that.

I am very content. Looks like you other plats will continue to have to "deal with" me!

This goes to show how important attentive customer service is in order to keep loyal customers pumping revenue into your business. Last week, I was treated rudely (the fact that I was charged for phone calls and couldn't get a free WSJ weren't really as important to me as the snarkiness I experienced from the desk staff on checkout). This week, I was treated well -- not over-the-top well, mind you, but well as in "listened to my legitimate concern and resolved it as soon as I gave them a chance to" well. Frankly, as a Platinum member, this is exactly how I EXPECT to be treated at a Marriott hotel.

In my case, treating me well tonight means over $20,000 a year in revenue will continue go to Marriott instead of their competition. Powerful stuff, this "customer service first" business philosophy is.

Plat does not meet my expectations - I have just moved to HH on a regular basis. Marriott quality has gone down a bit and when I stay at any Hilton properity I am treated like a king.

I probably won't call HH treating us like Kings but...to me it all depends on the individual properties.

Bravo Papa: glad to hear you've had a better experience. In our many, many years as plats we have had many better stays than bad ones, but there are always turkeys on the way.... Marriott seems, as it gets huge-mongous, to be getting a little less customer-focussed... and some properties are just ornery or ill-mannered.... but as you have found, it is the people who make it happen.

I believe that Marriott still has a better ability to hire the make-it-happeners than most companies. Let's face it, most customer service employees at a hotel are not there for a lifetime; it's probably an early job. So finding the right folks to occupy those positions is a key. And the really good ones are given incentives to rise in the hierarchy. All in all, we're still happier with Marriott, even if there are a few kinks now and then.

(At a recent, mostly unsatisfactory stay in downtown Philadelphia, we had occasion to talk to an MOD. We referred to a much better experience at San Antonio River Center, and got a knowing nod: "yes, they always win awards." Stay at San Antonio some time: a spectacular property in our experience.)

In the past 5 years of staying 400 nights at all sorts of different Marriotts, I would say I came away unhappy twice.

Once at the Renaissance Cleveland, where we received a dark, noisy, courtyard facing room. After the stay, I wrote a complaint letter and received a nice response from the GM offering us a free stay....which i have never used, but was glad to see that response.

Then earlier this year, stayed at the Vancouver Marriott where the food in the restaurants and concierge lounge were really bad. Once again I received an apology from the GM.

I have 398 good experiences to 2 not-so-good, which is a pretty good batting average to me.

[This message has been edited by DADISGARYK (edited 12-19-2001).]