Lindsay's Lessons

As you know we do a fair amount of travel this time of year. With that in mind, we belong to nearly every customer rewards and loyalty program available. From airlines to hotels, we have racked up millions of points. Yet amazingly, with the exception of Southwest Airlines who has actually honored our loyalty with some free flights, we rarely see the benefits of those rewards.

Well, that's not entirely true. I do get a free bottle of water when I check into the Holiday Inn. With that in mind, why wouldn't I come back? Clearly I am valued.

I can't say that these rewards programs are a complete failure. There are many times that we try to stay with a particular chain in hopes of finally reaching that next level. You know, the level where you actually feel good about being a customer. After all, isn't that all we ever really want as a customer; to feel good about our experience when we leave.

However, I recently abandoned all of my loyal principles and decided that I just needed an inexpensive room in which to crash before an early morning flight. I wasn't looking for frills. I didn't need a free bottle of water. I just needed a clean place to rest and a quick shower. So, I finally did it. I went to Priceline.com and named my own price.

The service allowed me to choose the area of town in which I wanted to stay and to set a minimum standard for the type of hotel in which I would stay based on a system of stars. Beyond that, whatever deal they found would be my sentence for the evening.

Much to my surprise, I ended up with a room at a very nice Hyatt Place hotel for a rate that was beyond reasonable. When I arrived at the hotel, I was thrilled. My room was spacious and comfortable. The amenities were wonderful and they even offered free Wi-fi. I was a happy customer. Moreover, as I often find myself in need of a room near Columbus, I was prepared to have a new favorite place to stay.

Best of all, we are proud members of the Hyatt Rewards program. We are loyal customers who frequent their hotels in our travels.

The next morning I approached the front desk to check-out with one very simple request. I asked the gentleman behind the counter if he could please apply my customer reward number to my stay as I checked out. It sounded simple. I am a loyal customer. Their program supposedly strives to reward customer loyalty.

Alas, my request was denied.

"I'm sorry, but since you booked through a third-party provider, you didn't pay for the room so we are unable to credit you with reward points."

Wait a minute. I had just stayed in the hotel as if I were a customer. And I was fairly certain I was being charged for the privilege.

I said to the gentleman, "So you're telling me that I'm not being charged for my stay?"

He said, "Well no, of course not, you already paid for it when you booked the room."

"Oh, so then I am the customer." I responded.

"Well, no," he countered, "Not according to our policy. It says the third-party provider is the customer."

"Would they have booked a room here last night if I hadn't initiated the request?" I prodded.

"I guess not," he continued, "But just look at it this way, you saved a lot more money than you would have if you had called us directly."

"Oh, I see. So as a loyal customer you would charge me more if I called you to book my room? But since I didn't so that I could save money, I can no longer be rewarded for being a loyal customer. Do you see where I'm headed with this?" I asked.

He responded, "Well, it's not really my policy, it's theirs."

"Fair enough." I conceded. "So don't you think you should probably share with them, that because of their policy a very loyal customer who had just experienced a great stay in your hotel and was looking forward to staying with you again soon is now leaving very unhappy."

"I can, but it won't do any good." he said with honesty. "It's just the way it is. We've been through this before."

At that point I decided it was time let go of my little chew toy and move on. After all, how can one possibly begin to argue when they've just effectively been told, "We know and we don't really care."

To recap, in order to receive the best rates at a Hyatt hotel, I must book them indirectly because even though I am a loyal customer, I will be charged more if I simply call them to book a room. Yet, if I don't pay more for the privilege of staying with them, I can not receive rewards points for my loyalty.

And while apparently numerous customers have expressed frustration over this insane policy, Hyatt would rather have them leave unhappy than to alter their policy.

To give credit where it's due, their loyalty policy is clearly working. It does inspire loyalty...just not to the Hyatt.

It's another late night at Commodity Classic, but before I turn in for the evening I wanted to share a few thoughts and highlights from this year's event.

-The weather committee gets an A+ for planning! I'm not having any trouble adjusting to temperatures in the 60's.

-The media room planners also get high marks this year. Our thanks for a much improved and smoother registration process, as well as a larger media room better equipped with ample internet connections. It has made coverage of the event much easier!

-Congratulations again to Rob Joslin of Sidney, Ohio who is presiding over the meetings here as ASA President. So many Buckeyes are making a difference in agriculture!

-Kudos to our friends at John Deere for once again bringing the hype and the crowds to their display! The unveiling of the much-anticipated Foose 4020 did not disappoint! You can check out all of the pictures by visiting ABN Radio's Facebook page and viewing the Commodity Classic photo album.

-Special thanks to Gene Hemphill and New Holland for this evening's media reception and welcome event for new NAFB Executive Director Mark Vail. We so appreciate the chance to get together with our fellow ag reporters, and especially loved the great room set-up and extra space this year.

-And, of course, our sincere appreciation to John Deere, Leist Mercantile, the Ohio Soybean Council and the Ohio Corn Growers Association for making our coverage of this year's event possible!

On that note, time for this farm broadcaster to call it a night as we have another busy day ahead at Commodity Classic!

Everyone was up and at 'em early this morning to soak up the last few moments we had to spend in Maui. Those who know me know that I would normally relish a few extra hours of sleep in the morning, but even I decided to jump out of bed early and move to a resting place on a hammock alongside the beach. Now, if only they hadn't decided to run the lawnmower and weed eater all around me, it would have been perfect!

No one was looking forward to gathering this morning because we knew it meant leaving the resort as it was our last day on the island. Fortunately, we had a lot to look forward to beginning with lunch and a visit to the Maui Ocean Center. We were amazed to see some of the most amazing and unique fish we've ever laid eyes on. I'm fairly certain we saw some things you won't see back in Ohio!

There was a small pool full of starfish and other creatures that you could even touch! We also walked through a tunnel that took us into the aquarium surrounded by sharks and stingrays. I have some pictures posted on ABN Radio's Facebook page for you to enjoy.

From there we traveled into the Iao Valley, which is far from the beaches into an area that is much more like a rainforest with lots of vegetation. The deep valley of 'Iao features the 'Iao Needle, a natural rock pinnacle that rises 2,250 feet to preside over the 'Iao stream and surrounded by the walls of the Pu'u Kukui Crater.

Those more adventurous group members (including me!) climbed the path up the side of the mountains and ascended nearly 100 stairs to the scenic overlook. Once there, we formed the human O-H-I-O while our travel companions below took pictures. Yes, our Buckeye Spirit is truly present everywhere we go! I'll have pictures of our O-H-I-O posted to Facebook soon.

As we left the Valley, we stopped at Kepaniwai Park's Heritage Gardens which are a showcase for Maui's diverse heritage with ethnic houses and gardens representing the Hawaiian, Portuguese, Japanese, Caucasian and Filipino cultures.

As you can imagine, after that climb up the mountainside, we had worked up quite an appetite. That was not a problem because our final stop was for our last group dinner, and trust me when I say that no one went away hungry! It also gave us a chance to celebrate another birthday of one of our travel companions!

And now, I sit at the airport finding it difficult to believe our first-ever Hawaiian AgVenture is drawing to a close. I can not put into words how neat this experience has been or how grateful I am to our travel companions for a wonderful trip. They were truly the best!

I would also be remiss if I didn't acknowledge Dave Lien and all of the folks at Holiday Vacations who did a stellar job from start to finish in planning our trip. We hope to travel with Holiday again in the future!

Our day today was all about fun and relaxation in Maui! It was a day for our travel companions to experience their own adventures before gathering this evening for a traditional Hawaiian luau.

With so much to choose from, some of our travel companions began the day with a walk down to the local shopping area to enjoy breakfast and check out the shops. One of our couples took a helicopter ride to a neighboring island and saw beautiful waterfalls. Another traveler took surfing lessons for the first time. Some preferred to "hang loose" near the beach and pools. And, many in the group opted for a whale watching excursion.

Over the course of our trip, we've noticed a lot of whale activity in the waters off the coast of Maui. With mating season in full swing, there are plenty of whales in the area and February is actually a peak time to see them. And, the whales did not disappoint. As a matter of fact, one mother and calf swam up to our boat and decided to hang out for awhile. Everyone enjoyed watching the two of them breach, spout and play all around the boat.

We were fortunate to see many different pods of whales and even a few dolphins turning flips as we headed back to the harbor.

This evening, many in our group dressed up in Hawaiian attire as we attended a traditional island luau. Everyone received a floral lei to begin the experience. From there, we took some more group photos before heading to the party. As you might expect, we were treated to a feast of Hawaiian fare including pork, chicken, fish and more. My favorite was probably the chocolate macadamia nut pie they offered for dessert!

There was lots of music and dancing as a wonderful show took place after our dinner. The highlight was a fire dancer who twirled flaming batons while doing all sorts of dance moves. We all agreed that the young man performing should be auditioning to be the next drum major at Ohio State because he was very talented!

It's hard to believe this was the last full day of our vacation. Tomorrow we will check out of our hotel and enjoy seeing marine life at an Aquarium. We'll also have another group dinner before heading to the airport late in the evening. No doubt it will be difficult to say "Aloha" to Maui!

I uploaded pictures from our whale watching excursion and our Hawaiian luau to ABN Radio's Facebook page. You'll find pictures of the largest banyan tree in the United States while you're there!

Today was one of our most jam-packed days yet! Our tour bus today was a bit smaller that what we've been riding on, but as we twisted through the hills and turns of Maui we soon learned why there were some places our long bus could not have traveled!

We began our morning at Monsanto Hawaii. Our first speaker was the Executive Director of the Hawaii Farm Bureau who educated us about the very diverse agriculture of Hawaii and the challenges facing the various industries. Just as in Ohio, the state's Farm Bureau is hard at work trying to educate consumers and lobby the state's legislature in support of Hawaii's farmers. Incidentally, there are 11 county Farm Bureaus in the state of Hawaii.

Our next speaker was from Hawaii Commercial and Sugar Company. The company has roughly 34,000 acres of sugar production on the island of Maui. However, they are facing significant and difficult challenges from environmentalists involving disputes over diverted water. Water is an obvious necessity for agricultural production, yet in the islands the rainfall is sporadic, so there are certain times of the year where water is plentiful and others when the island is in drought making water availability a significant issue.

HC&S has diverted water for more than 100 years to irrigate its cane fields, but a three-year drought and restrictions on the amount of water it can take has left it short and contributed to mounting losses.

HC&S reported losses of $13 million in 2008 and an estimated $30 million in 2009. The drought and water restrictions have caused sugar cane production at HC&S to fall from 200,000 tons six years ago to 127,000 tons in 2009.

Of course, we also heard from three different presenters from Monsanto who shared how testing of corn plots is conducted at the Hawaii research facility. It's amazing to think that what these scientists and researchers are doing today may be what ends up in our Ohio fields years down the road. It's like getting a glimpse into the future.

We were also stunned to learn that each field must be assigned a monitor. These monitors act as human scarecrows walking the plots, watching for birds and clanging a noisemaker that will protect the plots from birds. One species of bird, in particular, likes to swoop in and work their way right down the rows removing all the seeds. Certain laws restrict what can be done about these nuisance birds, thus creating the need for these human scarecrows who must spend their days in the hot sunshine protecting the fields.

As a side note, my family also received some exciting news in the form of a phone call that came while we were visiting Monsanto. The group cheered as we learned that my brand new nephew has arrived! Needless to say, I'll never forget receiving that news while in Maui!

From there we boarded the bus and made our way to the Surfing Goat Dairy Farm where we saw another fascinating aspect of Hawaiian agriculture. Of course, with cattle dairy farms disappearing from the islands, the goat dairy is one of the few places to get freshly made cheese and dairy products. And, the farm is suitably named for the goats who like to play on surf boards!

While there, the farm's owner Tom, treated us to an amazing feast of salad, sausage, steak, chicken, sweet corn, bread and more! We also celebrated the birthday of one of our travel companions as we surprised him with a cake and candles. Happy Birthday David!

Our final stop was at the Ali'i Kula Lavender Farm. This 10.5 acre farm showcases over 45 varieties of lavender, olive trees and native Hawaiian Gardens. Situated at 4,000 feet elevation on the slopes of Haleakala Crater, the farm offers breathtaking views. We learned that while many may just think of lavender as a pretty flower, it actually offers much. It repels mosquitos and other insects, acts as a natural disinfectant and antiseptic, can reduce symptoms of congestion and headaches and can help heal cuts, scrapes and burns.

As you can imagine, our group was tired as we ventured back toward our resort. Yet that didn't stop the conversation on the bus, which erupted into an improv as everyone began taking turns telling jokes!

This evening some are opting for quiet nights on the shores of the beach or in their rooms. Others are going to dinner in one of the nearby restaurants. Tomorrow is a free day in Maui, but the majority of our group has decided to take a whale watching excursion in the late morning. In the evening, we will celebrate our trip with a traditional island luau!

With all of the beautiful gardens, I took lots of pictures today which you can enjoy by visiting ABN Radio's Facebook page and becoming a fan.