DYKWIA? – Don’t Be Like This Marriott Elite

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One of the major problems with elite status is that it gives a small portion of the population an idea that they’re special in a way that they’re really not. In internet parlance these guys (and gals) are referred to as DYKWIAs (Do You Know Who I Ams) named for the phrase they’re most likely to utter to some poor unsuspecting airline/hotel employee when they don’t get their own way.

These are generally the sort of people you’d cross the street to avoid and that you regularly see exhibiting a remarkable level of arrogance at airports and hotels. They’re the travelers that don’t believe lines are for them, that think that rules don’t apply to them and think that everyone in the hospitality industry should be getting down on their knees and kissing their posteriors.

It really is amazing what a shiny loyalty card can do to a person’s ego.

Anyway….

While what I’m about to put forward as an example of DYKWIA-ness is nowhere near as bad as most of the things that go on, it’s still worth highlighting if only to make people stop and think about what they expect from hotels/airlines and how they behave.

I was using TripAdvisor to do some research on hotels in Hong Kong when I came across this review of the JW Marriott Hong Kong:

I have to admit that I laughed out loud when I first read the highlighted section of the review.

In the space two sentences the reviewer manages to criticise the hotel’s lounge for being overcrowded AND criticise the hotel for not breaking the rules and allowing him to add to the overcrowding!

This is a perfect example of the type of thinking you’ll see from DYKWIAs and, so you know what to be on the look out for, there are two things in that review that point to the person being exactly that:

• A mention of status – a classic sign of a DYKWIA but not always conclusive proof that that’s what you’re dealing with.
• A complaint that rules weren’t broken to accommodate them

While the mention of just one of those items in a TripAdvisor review isn’t necessarily the sign of a DYKWIA, the mention of both is classic DYKWIA territory.

You see, to DYKWIAs the benefits of status aren’t enough. They expect the rules to be broken to accommodate them when they think the need arises.

The Executive Lounge at the JW Marriott Hong Kong

These are the people who would be first to complain if they were to witness the rules being broken for someone else’s benefit (they’d be very quick to trot out the “rules are rules” line) but as soon as it suits their purposes the rules are suddenly there to be broken because they (and only they) are special.

The thing is that, at least half of the time, these people are so far up their own rear ends that they don’t realise just how abhorrent their behaviour is….even when it’s staring them right in the face.

The example of this reviewer who clearly can’t see the issue with what he’s written is testament to how DYKWIAs think and how oblivious they can be to their own behavior and expectations.

So why am I bringing this up?

Well, firstly because I thought the review may give some of you a good laugh, and secondly because it would be nice if everyone took a moment to think before they start making demands based on what they think an airline or hotel should be doing for them.

The various loyalty programs set out the benefits they offer very clearly on their websites so by all means make sure you’re getting what you’re due…but don’t go throwing around your status in an attempt to get something that you’re not entitled to. That’s just rude and obnoxious.

In my experience airline and hotel staff will make exceptions to the rules off their own back if the situation warrants it…. and there is nothing wrong in asking for an exception to be made as long as you follow three simple rules:

• Ask politely
• Ask with the full understanding that this is something you’re not entitled to and should not in any way expect.
• Never, ever, complain if the rules aren’t bent or broken for you.

To be fair, the reviewer I’ve highlighted only appears to be a low-level DYKWIA as the rest of the review reads ok (the high-level DYKWIA would find a way of criticising just about everything about the hotel if they didn’t get everything their own way).

The Man Ho Chinese restaurant at the JW Marriott Hong Kong which the reviewer really liked

But there’s still no excuse for demanding what you’re not entitled to and then complaining when you don’t get it.

If you’re humble and polite to airline and hotel staff, you may be surprised at what a great level of service you get but, if you start acting like a DYKWIA, don’t expect anything but the very basic service you’re entitled too….and you’ll be lucky to get that.