WE HAVE BEEN ABSORBED INTO THE COLLECTIVE. s- THE BORG

Just kidding. More power to starwood if they are astute enough to have this resource data-mined to come up w/ lessons learned and commercially-applicable conclusions.

Sure wish AMEX would spend a few bucks and subsrcribe to this [type of] study. Oh, how they could improve their Membership Rewards (and AMEX CENTURION benefits package) products with just a few tweaks and create true blockbuster affinity programs. Instead, AMEX seems to always evolve into marginality, whether intentionally or via neglect or simply via apathy. Repeatedly, AMEX announces their programs w/ a bang...and then lets them dilute and meander to marginality. What a way to run a business.

Starwood listens, apparently, and proactively researches and peeks and pokes...and they win the Freddy year after year. This is another confirmation for we spg members that shows starwood is tuned in.

William earns more "cool points" among his peers in this industry.

Indeed, although I guess William is the main mouse here. ;) I'd be kind of nervous if my employer commissioned a fancy study on the effectiveness of my position. But in this case the results were pretty obvious: "...we believe that the starwood lurker is providing a return on investment for starwood" (pg 19). Well, duh...

I agree, very interesting. I am curious to see how promotions and new hotel initiatives impact profits and occupancy percentages.

Can anyone shed light on this?

For example, when *wood offers a promotion to earn 2,000 bonus points after two stays, do hotel occupancy rates go up?

While Starwood should be commended for having the wisdom to use this board to foster even greater loyalty, it wouldn't have made a bit of a difference if William wasn't William. His responsiveness, concern and humor make a difference and put a sort of "face" on the faceless internet. It is a feeling that it's hard to see in the many charts the article contained.

My guess is that he'll end up as Starwood's VP of Customer Service at some point.

Thanks William for all your efforts. I am sure Starwood is benefiting from the forum as we are benefiting from Starwood's (i.e William's) contributions to the forum!

Looks like I'll have to post a little more often - only 140 last year.



SPG room good stay good room upgrade like appreciate service good vacation promotions bonus points locations happy SPG room good stay good room upgrade like appreciate service good vacation promotions bonus points locations happy SPG room good stay good room upgrade like appreciate service good vacation promotions bonus points locations happy SPG room good stay good room upgrade like appreciate service good vacation promotions bonus points locations happy SPG room good stay good room upgrade like appreciate service good vacation promotions bonus points locations happy SPG room good stay good room upgrade like appreciate service good vacation promotions bonus points locations happy SPG room good stay good room upgrade like appreciate service good vacation promotions bonus points locations happy SPG room good stay good room upgrade like appreciate service good vacation promotions bonus points locations happy SPG room good stay good room upgrade like appreciate service good vacation promotions bonus points locations happySPG room good stay good room upgrade like appreciate service good vacation promotions bonus points locations happy SPG room good stay good room upgrade like appreciate service good vacation promotions bonus points locations happy SPG room good stay good room upgrade like appreciate service good vacation promotions bonus points locations happy

:p :p :p

I asked cause when I opened this thread, the OP has 0 posts... now they have 1.

Might have been a glitch.

I wonder, are the writers of the report are reading this thread?

Although I thought I posted frequently on the SPG and HHONORS boards, I am glad to see that I do not make it to the super-user level!

Trying to mess up the data mining software? :cool:

Fascinating read! :cool: I was surprised to see myself as the only MR-HH-SPG connector. Figured since those are the "big three" here, there'd be more of us that played 'em all with posting patterns that didn't make us a loyalist of any single one.

Also glad that the conclusion was that an active, uncensored lurker is a good investment. ^

From the report: Are they trying to suggest that our Starwood Lurker is simply a Troll that's come out of the closet?

;)

LOL. Now that was funny... :D

Two things, really. One, thanks for the kudos...deserved or, no doubt in some instances, undeserved.

Two, I would not assume that Starwood or SPG sponsored this study.

But, it is pretty fascinating what people can do with software and other analytical devices these days.

Sincerely,


William R. Sanders
Customer Service Coordinator
Starwood Preferred Services

[email protected]

Just from looking at the paper, I assumed that Anderson Analytics bought some presentation time at this international conference and chose Starwood as their case study to present. I'm guessing that Starwood is a client - either directly as a partner/vendor through their main agency of record.

The purpose of the paper is to promote the AA and their toolset; all SPG had to do was grant permission to use the data and findings from the FT research as their case study.

Frankly, I'm not even sure they would have to get that from SPG. From Randy, maybe, but SPG does not own the content I provide at Flyertalk, much less anything anyone else would provide. ;)

Sincerely,


William R. Sanders
Customer Service Coordinator
Starwood Preferred Services

[email protected]

Interesting table on pg 11 too - confirming FTers are highly over-represented in the higher statuses.