New SPG website -- pre-launch comments
Jul 19, 2007, 2:05 pm
#31
Company Representative - Starwood
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Austin, Texas
Programs: Marriott Employee Level
Posts: 31,593
Given Continental's rather unforunate experience during the launch of their website overhaul, I would have expected (or perhaps hoped) that SPG might have come to Flyertalk and invited a select group of members who are long-time, established customers with some IT experience to beta test the new site for a reasonable amount of time before public release.
I hope the new site launches without major glitches, but I still don't understand why a company would decline to take advantage of free live beta testing and useful feedback - before the whole world hits the new site.
Best regards,
William R. Sanders
Online Guest Feedback Coordinator
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide
[email protected]
Jul 19, 2007, 2:17 pm
#32
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: NYC
Programs: CO Plat, Starwood Plat, Hyatt Plat, Hilton Diamond, CO Pres. Plus, Hertz #1 Gold
Posts: 1,213
Well, I hope it goes better than the last relaunch, which has been giving me problems up to right now. Maybe it’s because I’m Mac and have set cookie preferences a certain way, but I have always had some sort of problem with the site whether using Safari or using Firefox: only parts of a page would appear and not disappear whenever I cursored over it, getting caught in endless loops of cookie verification, and on and on. I would frequently just go back and forth between Safari and Firefox, copying page URL’s so that I could get past the bits that always got in the way. No, I never wrote them about it ‘cause I never read anything about them here - should I’ve checked the “Report Web Site Problems” thread? - but managed to make my way thru.
So, Starwood, break a leg on the launch. I’ll be seeing you tomorrow.
So, Starwood, break a leg on the launch. I’ll be seeing you tomorrow.
Jul 19, 2007, 2:19 pm
#33
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: check swarm
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Posts: 14,405
Quite frankly no - for this type of website there is NOT another source of qualified, motivated and capable beta testers who can put a new site through its paces as close to real-world public use as possible.
If they tested with live customers, it would have been posted or discovered here at FT. My use of the word 'decline' doesn't necessarily mean they refused offers (perhaps they did, perhaps they didn't), but refers to their lack of an offer or a decision made not to use FT as a beta testing source.
Either way, not doing it is a missed opportunity
If they tested with live customers, it would have been posted or discovered here at FT. My use of the word 'decline' doesn't necessarily mean they refused offers (perhaps they did, perhaps they didn't), but refers to their lack of an offer or a decision made not to use FT as a beta testing source.
Either way, not doing it is a missed opportunity
On one hand, Lurker was kind enough to take me up on my offer to speak to the gurus, but on the other hand the "gurus" did not follow-up or otherwise engage me on the redesign. While I can't speak for everyone on FT, I thought I was a good representative as well as a heavy user of spg.com and a loyal customer. Total missed opportunity on their end and an experience that has soured my opinion of a brand I admire.
Jul 19, 2007, 4:45 pm
#34
Suspended
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: new york, ny, usa
Posts: 13,536
at starwood, perhaps the brand people (and the customer service folks) are on the ball. the rest of the company, who knows?
Jul 19, 2007, 7:06 pm
#35
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Pittsburgh
Programs: MR/SPG LT Titanium, AA LT PLT, UA SLV, Avis PreferredPlus
Posts: 31,012
Heck, how many would even listen once, in person? Few, I suspect.
Btw, Amex is now proclaiming "INTRODUCING THE NEW SPG.COM!" under my SPG Amex account summary. The linked site looks the same to me.
Jul 19, 2007, 7:21 pm
#36
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Beautiful Atlantic Canada
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Posts: 1,203
Starwood... what I truly want is to be able to use SPG.com "glitch free" while using the Safari browser on my iMac.
Jul 19, 2007, 10:01 pm
#37
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: check swarm
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To be honest, I suspect that not many other companies of Starwood's size have responded by saying "oh good, one of our millions of customers thinks he can tell us everything we need to know about our web site - let's invite him to all of our meetings and fully engage in everything he says" when such a proposition is made.
Then, about a month ago, I was finally given a look at the same finished pages that have been previewed/promoted but thats it, no real solicitation of feedback. Again, total missed opportiunity on Starwood's end.
Jul 20, 2007, 12:05 am
#38
Join Date: Sep 1999
Location: Silicon Valley
Programs: AA:PLT&3MM, HGP:DIA, SPG:GOLD
Posts: 1,896
Jul 20, 2007, 5:06 am
#39
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2003
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Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry7130e/4.1.0 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/104)
Not to promote another chain but I was on the road this week and was able to book a room for a Holiday Inn Express at mobile.ICHotels.com on my BlackBerry 7130. What are the odds of getting that capability via spg.com?
Not to promote another chain but I was on the road this week and was able to book a room for a Holiday Inn Express at mobile.ICHotels.com on my BlackBerry 7130. What are the odds of getting that capability via spg.com?
Jul 20, 2007, 5:19 am
#40
Suspended
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Location: New York, NY
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Posts: 10,869
I'm waiting. New spg.com....come out, come out wherever you are! 
Last edited by KENNECTED; Jul 20, 2007 at 6:05 am
Jul 20, 2007, 6:13 am
#41
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Beautiful Atlantic Canada
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Surprise! It's not up! 
Last edited by NBSPGMEMBER; Jul 20, 2007 at 8:34 am
Jul 20, 2007, 7:11 am
#43
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: DFW (frmrly-AUS-Austin, TX)
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Jul 20, 2007, 7:29 am
#44
Join Date: Apr 2002
Posts: 2,955
Although I am a Starwood fan, I think we may be getting a bit emotional over a hotel web site.
Last edited by TTT103; Jul 20, 2007 at 7:34 am
Jul 20, 2007, 7:43 am
#45
Original Member
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Location: Orange County, CA, USA
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Hopefully it isn't too late (
) to request that they fix the bug where you can't see your reservation after it has been upgraded.
) to request that they fix the bug where you can't see your reservation after it has been upgraded.