wdchuck1

a word to the Lurker or any other Starwood rep out there.

Targeted promos that exclude the best customers is a sign that they are taking them for granted and once you take a customer for granted, you run the risk of losing them - trust me, i know from experience in my business..

me, i am mildly annoyed and now will look at status match offers instead of reflexively tossing them - as a lifetime Plat, i really don't have much to lose by jumping ship..The Ambassador program is nice but not a game changer for me...

uanj

I find this irritating. It would be better to have differing promotions a la IHG promos but to offer nothing to some groups is not good. While the marketing people may think they need not work for my patronage as a plat100 over 50 nights this year I feel more like starwood is using me to subsidize others. At least I am getting more room upgrades this year. Nonetheless it may be time to look at other programs again.

Football Fan

Exactly true - as I said, I will keep canceling Starwood stays for that very reason. I'm already qualified as Lifetime Plat, so nothing to lose, really. In the meantime, LHW is getting a lot of business from me. Hotel Majestic/Barcelona over W Barcelona. Etc.

TravelinSperry

I feel exactly the same way as you guys. I've already started to shift business (see thread here http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/starw...ere-bit-3.html)

But I think that Starwood is getting exactly the behavior it wants. Promos work quite well in shifting behavior. If you have no promo from Apr 15 - May 31 and offer someone no targeting promo then you expect less stays during that period (perhaps demand is already high at *Wood and they don't need to incentivize those stays). Now they announce a leisure promo starting in June. So apparently they want/need add'l weekend nights... and they'll get just that from me. Mid-week stays go someplace else. So there promos are likely quite successful and are doing exactly what was intended by them.

However, like you two, I feel they are making a short term mistake by excluding their best customers from targeted promos, by having such lengthy gaps from promo to promo, and missing so many days in some promos (their current one for example). By doing this they are allowing their best customers to taste a competitive product and they run the risk of losing some of their top customers. Play with fire... you might get burned. Short sighted imo. Perhaps they believe their best customers grumble but don't shift behavior. Seems a risky strategy to me.

I hope the Lurkers pass on these thoughts to the marketing team so they can see our thoughts. Perhaps this may result in future promos for Plat 100's and even something beyond this level. I'd be 100% SPG if properly incentivized.

megalab

Start hyperventilating because I've been targeted again, with the same offer as last November. At that time I was, and had requalified for, Plat50. While it seemed odd that SPG felt a need to entice me to stay more, I hadn't stayed at SPG and had no bookings in the month between requalifying and when the offer was sent.

This year I'm way off pace to requalify as Plat50 due to SPG not being where I went so I could see their computers flagging me as someone needing a nudge. However, that's probably giving them too much credit; this appears too random and/or too broad to be more than an experiment as to what types of promos yield the most incremental business for which types of customers, rather than a bonus to "special" customers.

I got the same offer as you back in Nov. During that promo I had a 1 night, two room stay and the two stay credits counted for the bonus points, as I expected. I expect the same will be true this time.

wdchuck1

I find it strange that a company like Starwood who is (or claims to be) so social-media savvy is making a mistake like this..

My 900+ nights with Starwood started when a competitor did not respect my loyalty and took my business for granted - i tried the SGS in BKK and didn't look back and that was before the ability to Status Match

Same with airlines - i have over 10MM miles with AA that started when i got ticked at UA and gave AA a try - that was at the point when the AAdvantage program started...

i am not concerned about the kind of promo - business is good, promos are going to be weaker - that's business

i am not concerned with certain targeted promos within a complete marketing program - that's business too

it's when they offer targeted programs to potential customers without even throwing their most loyal customers some "bone".

For me, i am a lifetime plat so i really don't have much to lose to go for a status match and test the waters as Ambassador status is nice but not a deal maker...

Crazy4Birds

Yes, why is Starwood, who knows how fast this type of info disseminates on social media, so intent on alienating/marginalizing some of its best customers? It's not like we are suddenly going to forget that they did this....

Dolce Matzi

Hi Guys, you actially ever thought about the real reason they have this selected promotions! To me it looks like they simply having a big marketing analysis to measure the impact of promo types! It herefore means if you life time plat or whatever and got no promo its simply a random thing! If they would gice you a promo just because you are one of their best customers the results of their marketing analysis would not be accurate anymore! I guess they used a period when bussine sis anyway strong so they limit the negative effect of people who are pissed go to other chains! The results of this analysis may have a very high value for spg as they can plan in the future much better what promos und which circumstances for which hotel bring the biggest effect! well welcome to big data welcome to the future :-)

mahasamatman

Maybe they feel these people aren't really some of their best customers?

esquesk

Doubtful as I wasn't targeted and usually book on last second rates. This results in an ADR of 300+ in hotels that are nothing special for 200 nights a year.

If I'm not one of their best customers, couldn't imagine what would qualify.

Danial

The main reason why some of the best of us are not selected is Starwood has determine we are just too loyal to SPG that by not offering us targeted offers, even tough we moan, rollover and complaint, but in the end we just do stay and be loyal to Starwood. Currently I am only LTG with SPG.

alanslegal

I agree. They aren't. These guys are happy to move business because of a few thousand points. Sadly, and the truth hurts, is that there are 10x, 20x, 30x and maybe more the amount of elites out there who don't participate on FT but stay in the same amount of nights each year as these complainers do and continue to stay at SPG properties. Those customers are the best ones - the ones that don't need incentives to stay, because the current benefits match or already exceed their expecation and needs.

mahasamatman

"Best customer" is defined by much more than the amount of money you spend.

Consultette

No, I don't buy that for one second. If our marketing department decided to pull a large, uncontrolled sample like that they would be fired (and certainly would deserve to be).

esquesk

Not in the eyes of the shareholders of a publicly traded company.