Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Timeshare Question #1

Here's a question that I thought of while attending a recent timeshare conference.  I'd love to hear from you with an answer...if there is one.

RCI and Interval International are the "big two" of timeshare exchange companies.  Speaking from experience, there is virtually NO training that new or experienced timeshare salespersons go through from either of these companies.  And yet, RCI and II are giving away total control of what is said about their companies and services to the timeshare salesperson.

Who is responsible for the education and training at the individual resort?

Perhaps if RCI and II took a more active role in this education and training process there would be less owner dis-satisfaction regarding exchanging (the #1 reason people buy timeshare) and the "you can trade a week in Alabama for a week in Hawaii for only $149" pitch would go away forever.

2 comments:

Ross Perlmutter said...

I don't think it's that simple, Lisa. There are a wide range of products and programs out there, there is very high employee turnover on the sales floor and even with training, there's no guarantee that the truth won't get...massaged.

With that said, I would completely support a pro-active online customer education tool that would clearly explain the limitations of the product and the exchange system in general. If consumers were pre-educated about the exchange system, I believe that you would actually have people seeking out resorts with high trading power, including resale properties. Leave it to the resorts' staff to preach the benefits of their particular project / location, but arm the consumer with knowledge and you can easily shave half an hour off each presentation.

While we're at it, a comprehensive tutorial about points-based systems would be really worthwhile as well. I can't tell you how many times I've received calls from people who bought at XYZ Resort and want to rescind because they don't have a clue what they purchased. You simply can't delve into the points system properly in the context of a presentation, and I just don't get why companies (perhaps the exchange companies or even the Associations?) don't invest in arming consumers with that info.

Lisa Ann Schreier, The Timeshare Crusader said...

I agree with you completely and I know that my questions and solutions are not easy, that's why I pose them.

You bring up some great points (no pun intented) and I wonder who is reading and listening to this. The first company who truly enbraces consumer education in timeshare stands to win and win big.