The member isn’t getting the referral fee anymore now too? Didn’t see that part. Thought it was just that the Referrals benefits aren’t as much.
So what would be the incentive of going on a referral then? You are not typically saving money. Maybe during extreme peak times. If I am not getting alcohol then I am for sure saying at check in that there is zero chance I am attending the presentation unless they change my band to black. I would be shocked if they wouldn't then say ok come to the presentation and we will give you a black. Problem solved. Everyone wins.
I'm assuming from reading this thread, that the referral program is ending. Otherwise, if you get no benefits, why would you do it? We only did it one time, because we had miles we had to use, and therefor couldn't get the bundled cheaper price from Orbitz. Without the benefits, just use your favorite site, and the money is the same.
I am sure their logic is if we do this people won't take advantage of the program to get benefits. However, the flaw in their logic is assuming people will still do a referral anyway. Once they see the Referrals go way down they will go full circle. My 'in the middle' solution would be to only give the black band once the referral person attends the presentation. People go so they get the benefits. The premier office gets more opportunities to sell. No one is taking advantage of anyone.
The referral program for existing contracts is not ending because Referrals are a part of the contract. However, they are going out of their way to effectively end their value, since they are removing most if not all of the benefits. They are still contractually obligated to provide a 25% room rate discount. Unfortunately, none of the other traditional benefits Referrals have gotten in the past are enumerated in the contract, so they can change them at will. Given that it is so easy to find cheaper rooms online, very few people will use a referral if the other benefits are removed. So, while "legally" still in existence, as of this moment they appear to be close to worthless. Assuming online info is accurate, apparently newer contracts (starting sometime in the last six months or so) apparently do not include Referrals. As @Jen&Kyle noted above, things will likely change if there is a big enough drop in the number of people who attend the presentation.
So I am going to make things really confusing now.. I just got email confirmation from Premier that we WILL get a black band when we arrive on a referral this Friday. The members that we used the referral through have been members way before the renovations. Not sure if that makes any difference.
