Brand Loyalty
I can be a brand loyal kinda gal. I used to love anything made by iRiver; I think I had 3 of their MP3 players. I'm on my 2nd Toyota. I like pretty much anything the Amy's food company does.
I used to be loyal to Best Westerns. I found them to be everywhere, pretty cheap, and fairly consistent. Until they weren't. I don't know what happened, but somewhere along the lines, they just didn't seem that good.
And somewhere along the lines, we had stayed in Hampton Inn as if it were some amazing step up... but it was. It's no Ritz-Carlton, but it matches what I like in hotels. Consistent. Clean. Some of the most comfy beds I've been in in my LIFE. So we started being brand loyal to Hilton, especially to Hampton Inns. This was over a year ago.
Driving to and from eBay Live, I stayed exclusively in Hilton properties... Hiltons, Hilton Garden Inns, and Hampton Inns. Racked up an insane amount of Hilton points. :)
Driving back from eBay Live, I decided I had to see it. Branson, MO. Well if you read an earlier blog post, you'll know that went badly mostly because I picked a Radisson. I thought it would be a step up from Hampton Inns, but it was a major step down, at least in Branson. It was a room only a crime scene investigator or a person with no working senses would like.
And we asked ourselves out loud why we bothered trying to stay anywhere but a Hilton. We found a Hampton Inn, and we checked in around midnight after 20 minutes being disgusted by the Radisson. Going to that Hampton Inn was like going home. Not to my home, but to something that felt home. I knew what it would be like, and it met my expectations.
Recent east coast biz trip: 10 nights through four states. 8 nights in Hampton Inns or Homewood Suites. 2 nights at Stratosphere. :) It was supposed to be three nights at Stratosphere and 7 nights in Hilton brands, but they cancelled my flight out of JFK at 11pm. A local Hampton Inn with a free airport shuttle was quickly found. Paid for in Hilton points since I didn't want to open my wallet for the airline's mess. Done.
Actually, it was 7 nights in Hilton brands and 1 night in a yucky Comfort Inn by Marriott. The Hilton I booked decided to overbook and bump me. Not nice to do to someone this brand loyal. She can look in the system and see that I've put on something like 40,000 Hilton points in the last 6 weeks, and she should say, "I'm not going to bump her." I had also called at 10pm and said to save my room because I was going to be there late. No problem, they said!
Do not mess with your most loyal customers! I am positively viral and I will keep coming back unless you piss me off enough! I used to be brand loyal to someone else, and I can switch again if you piss me off!
Thanks, Hilton, for all the great nights we've had. For all the times we knew that the Hampton was going to be great. Mediocre breakfast. Free internet. Some of our favourite beds. Some of our best nights' sleep. Some of the nicest desk clerks and other staff. I'll probably never be a fancy hotel kind of gal. But no matter what mood I'm in, the Hilton will have a brand that matches me, what I need, and usually what I am willing to spend.
To which brands do you find yourself loyal and why?
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