The Marriott-Starwood merger has been an epic diaster, spawning a new verb: Bonvoyed. I don’t think a day goes by when my Twitter feed isn’t littered with complaints about issues with reservations or point balances.
It’s really amazing that Marriott hasn’t addressed these widespread problems and has instead focused on lobbying for awards and tooting their own horn. Basically, Marriott is acting like a delusional Millenial.
So what recourse do Marriott members have under these circumstances? Here are four things to do if you’ve been Bonvoyed:
Share your experience with Marriott
Complaints to Marriott seem to be falling on deaf ears, but that doesn’t mean you should stop doing it. When there is enough negativity on social media, eventually Marriott will realize the need to get it together.
Just the other day, MommyPoints had an incident with a reservation that hit a dead-end after hours on the phone with Marriott. Eventually, @MBonvoyAsssist was able to resolve it:
Time to buy a lottery ticket. My Marriott points are back and rain might hold off for the kiddo’s unicorn birthday party. Full Marriott story coming but short version is @MBonvoyAssist is your best asset when the call center gets you nowhere. pic.twitter.com/lb5cCPpULh
— Mommy Points (@mommypoints) May 18, 2019
A few people commented on her tweet, saying BonvoyAssist was also able to help them after the call center failed. This is good to hear because for months now, I’ve seen people on Twitter complaining about the Marriott social media team’s inability to resolve their issues. So Marriott is improving in one area, at least.
Use the Bonvoyed hashtag
If you do complain to Marriott on Twitter, consider including #bonvoyed. Most companies are at least somewhat conscious of brand perception and nothing damages their brand more than being associated with a negative hashtag.
#bonvoyed has become a reprieve for Marriott members to air their grievances. Seeing the complaints stack up under this hashtag will hopefully be proof enough for Marriott’s executives that the merger has not been smooth and things need to change. Fast.
Share your experience with Bonvoyed.com
Bonvoyed.com was created by frustrated members who weren’t getting heard by Marriott. It’s essentially a database of complaints that will make your head spin. Some of the things happening to customers are so ridiculous that Marriott would almost have to put effort into getting it so wrong.
If your complaint is too long for a Tweet, consider submitting it to Bonvoyed instead. Maybe one day a bored Marriott executive will browse the site and be as appalled by the experience of their best customers as I was.
Switch your loyalty
If all else fails (and that seems to be the case for the majority of unhappy Marriott customers these days), switch your loyalty. There are lots of great hotel rewards programs out there to choose from.
My top pick is Hilton Honors, which has over 5,000 hotels worldwide to choose from. Hilton also has the most generous hotel rewards program and the easiest way to earn free nights via credit card spending. Plus, earning top-tier status is as easy as picking up a Hilton Honors credit card.
Hilton Honors elites get treated exceptionally well. Take it from me. I’ve been upgraded every single time (except for once) I checked into a Hilton hotel.
Hyatt is another great alternative to Marriott. Earning top-tier status isn’t as easy as it used to be, but maybe that’s a good thing. It means when you check-in as a Globalist member, you won’t deal with some of the nonsense that Marriott elite put up with.
Plus, Hyatt has expanded its portfolio substantially, partnering with MLife and Small Luxury Hotels of the World. That gives you significantly more opportunities to stay with the brand when you’re traveling within the U.S. or abroad.
Final thoughts
The Marriott-Starwood merger hasn’t been smooth and by the sound of it, you have to book a session with a therapist after getting on the phone to fix the inevitable booking issues you’re going to have. Who needs that stress in their lives? There are plenty of hotel loyalty programs out there that will treat you better. Make the move, voice your complaints with Marriott, and eventually, things will get better….I hope.
Have you been Bonvoyed by Marriott lately? How were you able to get your issues resolved?
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