Marriotts rocky rollout of new combined program not covered by bloggers
#61
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Toronto (YYZ)
Posts: 6,279
The only blog that is being upfront and highlighting this merger debacle is Loyalty Lobby.
Another post today about cancelled reservations and the points have disappeared. Member has been calling daily to follow-up, on his last call the agent hung up on him!
https://loyaltylobby.com/2018/08/24/...d-points-gone/
Another post today about cancelled reservations and the points have disappeared. Member has been calling daily to follow-up, on his last call the agent hung up on him!
https://loyaltylobby.com/2018/08/24/...d-points-gone/
#62
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: lounge next door
Programs: *A Gold / ST Elite+ / OWS / EK G / HH Diam. / MR Tit / Hyatt GLOB / IHG Diam. / SL Jade / GHA Tit.
Posts: 1,500
The only blog that is being upfront and highlighting this merger debacle is Loyalty Lobby.
Another post today about cancelled reservations and the points have disappeared. Member has been calling daily to follow-up, on his last call the agent hung up on him!
https://loyaltylobby.com/2018/08/24/...d-points-gone/
Another post today about cancelled reservations and the points have disappeared. Member has been calling daily to follow-up, on his last call the agent hung up on him!
https://loyaltylobby.com/2018/08/24/...d-points-gone/
#63
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: check swarm
Programs: DL DM & 2MM, SPG/Bonvoid LT Titanium, Hyatt Globalist, $tarbucks Titanium
Posts: 14,393
#64
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AS 75K; UA 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott LTP; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
Posts: 56,300
#65
#66
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AS 75K; UA 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott LTP; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
Posts: 56,300
More advanced in knowledge, yes, that's fine. But I would hope most of us are not narcissistically self-obsessed to the degree we believe that our choice of one loyalty program over another makes us superior to those who have selected another.
#67
Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 96
Marriott may be fooling their less sophisticated original members, but I think they underestimated SPG members and their true passion and loyalty. This not very well executed merger will not be kind to Marriott's bottom line and desire to retain SPG fanatics. And that is looking past these IT problems. Who likes the Marriott website? Why didn't they use spg.com's functionality and very detailed property info?
With that said, I do agree that Marriott has done many things wrong with this merger that could have easily been done much better. I just wish people like you wouldn't demean other members to try to make this point.
#68
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: SLC/HEL/Anywhere with a Beach
Programs: Marriott Ambassador; AA EXP 3MM; AS MVP, Hilton Gold, CH-47/UH-60/C-23/C-130 VET
Posts: 5,234
I'm thinking maybe we can start a thread about why those who stayed in SPG are smarter, wealthier, more sophisticated, and better looking and then the mods can just move all these posts over there so they can have a place to tell each other that while the rest of us try to help each other and learn how to enjoy the program more.
#69
Join Date: Apr 2005
Programs: Starwood:Lifetime Platinum, Air Canada:Basic, Asiana:Lifetime Diamond Plus, ANA: Basic
Posts: 980
I am a big supporter in changing our program so the gap between the best maximizers and the average user is small - like a 10-20% making maximizing a lot of work without much pay off and people would do it just for hobby. Currently, it is too crazy on the 3 or 4x more profitable to churn or use various tricks to make it than to do the hard work.
As for data proof. We consider some facts in life true enough that we believe it to be self-evident and don't need data to support - but we will change our minds if data refutes it - ie showing it is false. For example, we believe the earth round - it's not round - it's fatter on the equator but good enough we say the earth is round. We claim it to be self evident that all men (women) are created equal - there is no data to support this conclusion- but it's true enough we take it. Hard work will eventually pay off - again no data to support this - but we believe it to be self evident.
#70
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: check swarm
Programs: DL DM & 2MM, SPG/Bonvoid LT Titanium, Hyatt Globalist, $tarbucks Titanium
Posts: 14,393
I'm so sick of hearing this crap about Marriott members being less sophisticated. I've been staying at Marriott's hotels for business trips during the last decade because those hotels are where my clients had special rates (and therefore would not reimburse stays at other hotels, even if the rates were lower). It was more sophisticated to make the most of the Marriott Rewards program than to stay at an SPG property and eat the cost. However it certainly isn't sophisticated to overspend and go into debt just to earn Starpoints. Nor is it sophisticated to think that Starpoints could possibly be of incredible value to someone who can't earn a decent amount of them.
With that said, I do agree that Marriott has done many things wrong with this merger that could have easily been done much better. I just wish people like you wouldn't demean other members to try to make this point.
With that said, I do agree that Marriott has done many things wrong with this merger that could have easily been done much better. I just wish people like you wouldn't demean other members to try to make this point.
I will say that most companies do keep a fair pulse of customer feedback, so I'm surprised that MR members have put up with a website that didn't display average rates, only discloses generic details of rates, doesn't allow for a search of up to 4 rate types at once and lacks property details such as public transportation options, property specific announcements and user-submitted photos. Perhaps there are other more important factors to the average MR member, but it does seem to me like MR members are less sophisticated to not demand or want those features. Clearly Starwood was smaller and more attuned to that kind of feedback, hence frustration from people like myself. Same for a very small amount of points for foregoing housekeeping, allowing pedestrian F&B options, etc.
#71
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Atlanta, GA
Programs: DL 3 MM/DM, Marriott Titanium Elite, Hyatt Globalist, National Exec Elite
Posts: 4,001
I hear you and aplogize for framing my frustration in a way to demean original MR members. I now understand that not everyone has a choice to willingly select MR as their program.
I will say that most companies do keep a fair pulse of customer feedback, so I'm surprised that MR members have put up with a website that didn't display average rates, only discloses generic details of rates, doesn't allow for a search of up to 4 rate types at once and lacks property details such as public transportation options, property specific announcements and user-submitted photos. Perhaps there are other more important factors to the average MR member, but it does seem to me like MR members are less sophisticated to not demand or want those features. Clearly Starwood was smaller and more attuned to that kind of feedback, hence frustration from people like myself. Same for a very small amount of points for foregoing housekeeping, allowing pedestrian F&B options, etc.
I will say that most companies do keep a fair pulse of customer feedback, so I'm surprised that MR members have put up with a website that didn't display average rates, only discloses generic details of rates, doesn't allow for a search of up to 4 rate types at once and lacks property details such as public transportation options, property specific announcements and user-submitted photos. Perhaps there are other more important factors to the average MR member, but it does seem to me like MR members are less sophisticated to not demand or want those features. Clearly Starwood was smaller and more attuned to that kind of feedback, hence frustration from people like myself. Same for a very small amount of points for foregoing housekeeping, allowing pedestrian F&B options, etc.
But then I got to deal with the Marriott site. What a pain. Far inferior to SPG.
What a failure to seize the opportunity to improve things whilst building a new combined program site.
#72
Join Date: Nov 2017
Posts: 3,359
In all honesty, I suspect we're starting to enter peak payola territory with some influencers
-James
#73
#74
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: Singapore
Programs: BAEC GGL, Bonvoy Ambassador + LtG, Hyatt Globalist, United Silver
Posts: 45
I wonder whether Starriott told its hotels to paint a rosy face and talk to guests about how smooth and successful the merger has been. I'm definitely getting this from legacy Marriott assistant managers, but Starwood hotels frankly say that they've had difficulties with the merger/transition. Warning: small data set, really anecdotal information.
#75
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: London
Programs: BA, VS, HH, IHG, MB, MR
Posts: 26,865
Excuse me but I think these so called "bloggers" that you refer to require more dignity and respect than that! For one thing they'd like to be referred to as "media influencers". They're also independent enough not to have their opinions swayed by mere promises of interviews with the execs at hotel/airline chains. No, no, no, they require comp'ed stays and cash-mollah in their piggy banks for them to be influenced!
In all honesty, I suspect we're starting to enter peak payola territory with some influencers
-James
In all honesty, I suspect we're starting to enter peak payola territory with some influencers
-James
I also don’t understand why you think bloggers, who have kids and other responsibilities like anyone else, are so desperate for a free stay somewhere. I hired someone young and childless at a very chunky full-time salary partly to take the free J flights and 5-star hotel reviews I am offered, because I have better things to do.