What a week. I’ve had so many little things irritate the crap out of me that I have a feeling two more and I will explode. Don’t believe me?? Just try. Be the one that puts me over the edge. This is actually not recommended. The world can be a Dick sometimes and it just makes you want to smash things. I know I said that you should not blast all your stuff out into internet land, but today I break all the rules. Want to know some really dumb stuff?? Cool cause I’m about to blow it up.
I travel a lot. It is my thing. I stay in hotels a lot. I stay in Marriott hotels a lot. I’m what they call a titanium member and have been for a number of years now. I stay at the same hotels many times and know the staff there personally. Some of you might even remember me posting things like the Asheville Courtyard Marriott decorating my room for my birthday and bringing out a cake. Say what you want, but the truth is people love my crazy ass. Some of you have known me since I was a teenager and not much has changed. I simply love to laugh and mess with people until they laugh too. I went to war in my head after getting paralyzed to make sure I didn’t lose that part about me. It was the hardest thing I’ve ever gone thru and can’t imagine anything else in life ever coming close to the darkness those days represented. You don’t know and I pray no one I care about ever truly knows the strength it took to not embrace that darkness.
Another day we can discuss that. Or not most likely as I don’t particularly like going back there. It is painful and scary to be honest. Feeling great yet?? Ha. You should be, if I can smile and laugh you sure as heck better be able to. With my status comes rewards from Marriott. They vary in what they are, but the two most common are vouchers for a free night up to a certain point total. Most of the times these vouchers are good for 40,000 points which is plenty to get a nice room just about anywhere. The higher end Marriotts can be all the way up to 120,000 points per night, but your local Courtyard is usually about 30,000. The other option are suite night awards. Instead of one free night you can get five nights upgraded to a suite for no additional cost. A very cool option for vacation when you have some loved ones with you.
Marriott gave me a choice on which one I wanted, but the email asking me went into my spam folder and I never saw it. They have also given me 10 suite night awards sometime last year I never asked for as well. Yahoo Marriott!! Thanks for the free stuff. Here comes the kicker. They do not have accessible suites in many of their hotels. My colleagues I travel with are mostly all titanium members as well and they get upgraded almost every stay to a suite or better room. I do not, because I need the accessible room. It is what it is. I use a wheelchair and in order to keep my sanity I accept things like this simply because to get upset by means I’ll be pissed off all the time. I don’t have that in me.
Last week I thought to myself “Self why don’t you email Marriott customer service and ask them to swap my suite nights for vouchers.” Seemed really logical to me as I can’t use the suite nights. I’ve tried in the past and every single time the hotel does not have accessible suites making it pointless. I explained that I am paralyzed from the chest down and because of that unable to stay in the suites of their hotels. I honestly don’t think I was asking for anything crazy, but simply asking to have my reward switched to something that I can actually take advantage of. The reality is it is BS they don’t have accessible suites in the hotels. I know us cripples make normal people uncomfortable so it is discouraged to leave the house and certainly not to try and stay in an upgraded room. Nope us cripples usually stay on the 1st floor next to the laundry room and elevators.
I was met with a massive NO WAY no matter who I talked to. I was kind of taken aback like “whoa” what did I do wrong?? I had one guy tell me other guests can’t change their rewards so I shouldn’t be able to change mine. I asked if all the other guest were paralyzed front the chest down to which he replied he treats everyone the same way. While that is a “thing” in my personal opinion it was being applied wrong. I explained to him/her that I understand the policy, but was hoping they could treat me like a person and not just Marriott member number 3938364 (not my real number). In life and business a person needs to understand that being right is sometimes the incorrect answer. I truly thought someone would say “Oh man, that is not cool” and then figure out a cool way to help me out. Instead I was left feeling ashamed I even dared to ask.
I obviously didn’t take my first three NO’s and quit so I started to email more and more people about my situation. I can afford the stupid rooms, but it became more about the principal than anything else. My final email back from someone started out thanking me for my loyalty to Marriott and how much they appreciate my position. I’m assuming they appreciate I’m paralyzed, but not exactly sure what that statement meant. This guy acknowledged the suites are not accessible, making it impossible for me to use the reward, but they still refuse to change the rewards and I should stop because it can not escalate further. Escalating is what I do. I’m hoping it is what you do too. I am fine with keeping the suite night award, but that should mean I have every opportunity to use my reward just like others.
Maybe I’m looking at this wrong and if you think that please let me know because the way I see it sucks. I love Marriott most of the time. In fact I have written a dozen complimentary emails with one of them leading to a group of employees at the Courtyard Marriott in Asheville, NC to be recognized nationally by Marriott receiving an award. They could use their award as it was cash I do believe. I really believe Marriott should be better than this. What do you think???
Be kind to others unless you’re Marriott. Then do whatever you want because you are massive and trading out one crippled pricks suite nights to free stay vouchers will bankrupt the whole company.
FknBucky
FknBucky 