Entitlement is the opposite of enchantment ~~ Guy Kawasaki
photo:pixabay
I recently read a hotel review by a fellow blogger. I was interested in reading it since I had stayed at the same hotel during the same days for the same conference. Whereas, I thought the hotel was very nice and would happily return, he seemed to find fault with many aspects of the hotel experience based on his notion of what a diamond is entitled to. I thought his comments reeked of entitlement and probably negatively colored his whole experience at the hotel.
Of course, I thought immediately of this infamous Youtube video which cracks me up every time I see it:
Don’t get me wrong, I like having status. I like loyalty. I like having nice things. And I like when the loyalty is rewarded. I’m not afraid to speak up or ask for something. But I try to remain appreciative and humble. I don’t want to forget how much I have to be thankful for.
It’s not difficult though to lose track of things, and I’m not without fault. We’ve come to expect upgrades, bigger rooms, welcome gifts. (The hotel chains are not innocent either – they bestow benefits upon us hoping that we will keep returning to them). We compare room sizes and amenities and then complain about the smallest things and expect compensation for horrors like gum wrappers found in corners of hotel rooms. The same holds true for airline status. Of course, I prefer to sit up front, but, for me, what ultimately counts at the end of the day is not showering in the sky but the ability to travel and getting to the destination safely and timely. (I mean, if there’s turbulence, I’m still going to throw up, and it doesn’t matter whether I’m puking in economy or puking in first class).
When I first attained hotel status with Hilton and then Hyatt, I didn’t have a full comprehension of what to expect with that status. I was thrilled to receive a warm greeting, a room that didn’t look like a box, a late checkout and a light breakfast. I’m sure that the delight I felt for some of the hotel rooms I stayed at early in my loyalty years, I’d now say aren’t really so nice, or are just eh. When did I become so fancy?
In deference to my fellow blogger’s negative hotel review, there are facts other than a sense of entitlement that could have colored his opinion. For me, something as seemingly minor as the front desk agent’s attitude can mean the difference between a good and bad impression of a hotel.
At what point does having status push some people beyond wanting nice things and treatment to being jaded or unrealistic or even rude?
At what point can having status ruin the experience and make people look like jerks to those who must cater to them when they drone on about the suite we wanted or the unsavory selection of breakfast items in the club?
At what point does entitlement shatter gratitude?
A New York frequent flyer who elegantly combines her passions for worldwide travel, running a gazillion marathons all over the globe and staying fit ... without sacrificing her fancy for good wine and food.
Nice, always try and stay humble and objective.
Good an thought provoking.
The guilty shall remain nameless? Isn’t that the antithesis of blogging? I do love that video… did you happen to see Diamonde’s experience of the Grand Hyatt Dubai?
Indeed! Well said, Kathy. And I love the giraffes!
i find that i’m happiest when i stay where i want (especially in terms of location), and am less concerned about what elite perks i do or don’t receive. when i book a less conveniently located hotel because I have status there and am looking for those perks, i’m grouchy when they don’t pan out.
Whenever I read a review about a “rude” waiter/gate agent/desk clerk, I always remember that in all my thousands of transactions with service personnel, not once did any of them treat me poorly. I have, however, seen them respond rudely to self-entitled whiners who first became belligerent toward them. And justifiably so.
“For me, something as seemingly minor as the front desk agent’s attitude can mean the difference between a good and bad impression of a hotel.”
As a Hyatt Diamond, I do appreciate the smile at the front desk. Yet, if the agent does not, I look around at how many people have arrived, and the time of day. If there a ton of people coming in and out, it may be that the agent is dehydrated, or just dealt with a not so nice person.
I am always thankful when I am upgraded and have been delighted when upgraded to a suite without using a suite upgrade.
I do expect Hyatt hotels not to have mold or mildew in any shape or form in any room, and I will then ask to be moved. I don’t need to point out that I am Diamond. They can see it themselves.
I guess the only places I get disgruntled in are Hyatt Regencys without a Regency club, as I do like the snacks since they are reliable and safe for me to eat in whatever country I am in.
I attained Diamond status for 2018, ending Feb 2019. It will be my fifth year and last. Yet, it has been a great way to travel.
Loved the video, especially about the guy being in the wrong city. The agent should have done a dance at the end and waved goodbye to the I am a Diamond man.