KelownaGuy

I have 49 nights for last year (but am Platinum based on stays) and SPG is not offering any goodwill allowances. I know I didn't qualify and there needs to be a cut off point somewhere (which is obviously 50 nights), but to piss off one of your better customers (which regardless of how they achieved their status, a Platinum member is) for the sake of what could have been a $100 night at a 4P's (if they had known they needed one more night) is too bad. Other thing is I had an additional 7 or 8 nights of cash/points, but because they were earlier in the year, they didn't count. If I had used them later in the year, they would have. Not the end of the world but a little frustrating.

ExitRowAisle

According to the apologists, you should have been more loyal to Starwood last year. It's your fault for following the rules and qualifying as a Platinum but not knowing that 50 nights of business is worth 10 future suite-nights but 49 nights of business is worth squat! Of course all of this being applied after the fact, but why get caught up in the details?

ExitRowAisle
A Dissatisfied 2nd Class Starwood Platinum Member

Forstbetrieb

And where will be the end? If the c&p, point and award nights and stays before the first of october would count someone - like me - also would have fulfilled 75 nights. And if there are more starwood hotels in Italy, Austria, Germany, Switzerland and France I would also have more than 100 nights.

Do I get a pony now?!

KelownaGuy

I think you would have a reasonable issue regarding your 75 nights. You would have qualified given the criteria that currently exists now (Award nights counting). Your second point is irrelevant.

This isn't about being entitled to something that I don't deserve. I had no idea I could even aspire to earn it and those that were over the threshold, were there by luck, not by any added commitment to SPG. They had no idea that a new 50 night threshold was coming. This is about using some common sense when dealing with an issue, that potentially could annoy a number of your best customers. I just find it amusing that a company that works so hard to build brand loyalty, would risk pissing off some of it's top tier clients over something as small as this. In reality, using some judgement when granting goodwill adjustments to those customers that request their accounts be reviewed (for a benefit that one could argue actually costs them nothing), to me would be a smart customer service move. Instead, there seems to be a blanket "No", regardless of circumstances. Why leave a bitter taste when one could be avoided?

d'Yquem

I like the idea of confirmed upgrades.

My fear is that this means SPG Platinum customers will no longer be as likely to receive priority upgrades on check-in, or that de facto, it will be limited to a certain number a year.

Starwood Lurker II

If a member has both the consumer card and the small business OPEN card, they get another set of 2 stays/5 nights credit. So total max credit for both is 4 stays/10 nights in one year. If he opens up the Small business card in 2012, he should get the credit in 2012 for that.

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Thyetus Lee | Social Media Specialist
Starwood Customer Contact Centre (AP) Pte Ltd

owner1

If you got the 10 suite upgrades from 2011 do they show up in your account after March 1st?

Forstbetrieb

I have NOTHING to CLAIM / DEMAND!!! Everything which was given to us is an extra, a FREE extra. And no one could have had an idea if or what will come. If I see all the discussion right now I am still thinking by myself that never anything will be enough fore someone, even if it is for FREE...

drron

Yes an extra benefit so no complaints from me.There are some hotels where suites are uncommon.Somehow I dont think my use of these certificates will do much for me at the Westin Tokyo!

KelownaGuy

I'm just guessing, but you probably earned the Suite Awards, didn't you? It's easy to say you have nothing to claim or demand (which i haven't demanded anything) when you lucked into getting something for free and have no reason to feel ticked off.

My point isn't about being entitled to something, but rather SPG not using a little judgement to keep some of their top clients happy. Remember, we're talking about "ONE" night here.

Land-of-Miles

It is an extra for those who got it, the issue is that it potentially (and probably) takes something away from the rest of us who earned Plat status by following the rules we were told were to be applied in 2011, only to find that those rules changed retrospectively.

How much of a gift is it if it is "stolen" from someone else?

seanthepilot

The remedy to this double standard for Platinum qualification is simple.

Give 5 Suite Nights for every 25 nights.

... and don't reset the counter on January 1st. Make it a rolling 25 night calculation... EVERY 25 nights, Plats get more Suite Nights~!

SPG publishes two ways to qualify for Platinum. They have created the mess. It has lead to frustration in their loyal customer base.

I believe my proposal above is a more correct, more fair strategy. Are you listening SPG?

(by the way, I did not requalify for Plat in 2011, so this proposal isn't made to benefit me directly)

yosithezet

What mess was created? They published two ways to qualify for Platinum. Nothing has changed there. They have now published some additional benefits for those that go beyond. They also published some new benefits for all Platinum and all Golds. It isn't a mess. It is just some changes and improvements to the program. Sure some people are frustrated just as people are frustrated when airlines raise the number of miles you need for an award.

seanthepilot

They took two ways of qualifying and divided their loyal customers (previously equals) into two camps, gave one a set of cookies and not the other.

It's a mess. It's only my observation. And how frustrated were these Platinums before the announcement? No need to be an apologist.

But, do you agree or not, that this simple concept that I have proposed would dissipate the frustration and likely create happiness instead of resentment from the under 50 crowd?

yosithezet

I don't doubt that it would make people happy. I'm also sure that Plats that hit 75 and 100 and 125 and 150 nights would enjoy the extra suite nights. But I think that this would need to come at the expense of the already great Platinum upgrade policy. As such I think that even more people would be miffed. I doubt that the majority of Plats who aren't FTers and the like are upset with the fact that those that hit 50 nights are getting an extra bonus. Remember, they are also getting an extra bonus in the option of Free Breakfast.