A new way to save money on dues?

[LIFERBABE]

What about electronic reservation confirmations?

Has this been discussed before? I for one like to plan at 11 months so I make my ressie and receive a confirmation from DVC. Then I may change at 7 months, add days, shorten etc. more confirmations from DVC. I feel bad getting all that useless paper and postage. This has to be a substantial cost on the administrative side.

My TA (Cititravel) uses viewtrip.com when I book airline ressies and I think it's great. They give me a conf. # and I can go online view my ressie or print it out if I want. Maybe this could be an option for those that want it. What are the pros and cons of DVC going to a similar confirmation system?

Talk amongst yourselves LOL

 

[Chuck S]

Actually, when I use email to make ressies, I do get an email (hand typed, not specifically generated) that contains the conf# and basic details.

If MSs computer happens to have our email on file, maybe we could request an email instead of a regular mailed copy even when we call. It seems that that would be a fairly easy change to make to the computer program...but, it depends on the company they purchased the program from.

 

[JimC]

Most of my travel is confirmed electronically. It is vastly superior to regular mail.

 

[kweaver]

I'm surprised that they have not already done this. Then again, I'm not sure why I'm surprised. Technology doesn't seem to be high on DVC's priority list.

Of course, they have been very busy selling and building over the past few years...and if everything is selling well...and we aren't really complaining (hey...I'm getting my ressies and confirmations...and most of the MS CMs are very pleasant to talk to)...I guess they can take their time.

Once they get a handle on the technological possiblities...I think we will see great things from DVC.

 

[DrTomorrow]

Originally posted by LIFERBABE
What about electronic reservation confirmations?

Has this been discussed before? I for one like to plan at 11 months so I make my ressie and receive a confirmation from DVC. Then I may change at 7 months, add days, shorten etc. more confirmations from DVC. I feel bad getting all that useless paper and postage. This has to be a substantial cost on the administrative side.

My TA (Cititravel) uses viewtrip.com when I book airline ressies and I think it's great. They give me a conf. # and I can go online view my ressie or print it out if I want. Maybe this could be an option for those that want it. What are the pros and cons of DVC going to a similar confirmation system?

Talk amongst yourselves LOL

Yeah! Great idea, for those of you who have email. . If they start doing this, I'm going to feel ROYALLY screwed!

Ooops, sorry, wrong thread....

Seriously, this sounds like a great idea. We've only made 3 reservations since buying into SSR, yet we've made at least one change to each one. I'm not comfortable getting NO confirmation, but email would be fine. And it should save money - maybe not millions, but more than we think.

LIFERBABE - send MS that suggestion....

 

[LIFERBABE]

Yeah! Great idea, for those of you who have email. . If they start doing this, I'm going to feel ROYALLY screwed!

Don't go there! LOL

I was just thinking that they have downsized the Vacation Planner due to costs, but they still mail out all these confirmations. I would rather have the full size planner instead of 90% of it being on the website, and get my confirmations electronically. But that is not the point, the point is that I would think this would be an easy change for DVC fairly painless for its members and could save money.
Some may see it as a decrease in service but I see the downgrade of the planner as a bigger decrease in service.

Doc, I may just do that! I'll give the poll another day or two, and hear some dissenting arguments before writing to DVC.

 

[tjkraz]

Take this for what it's worth, but I choose to think that DVC finally has a long term plan to get itself into the 21st Century from a technological standpoint. It sounds like everything from the reservation system (I don't think I even want to see one of those activity statements folks have mentioned) right up to the web site have hardly been touched in DVC's history.

If DVC is going to accomplish the goal of facilitating on-line reservations, it sounds like they need to start with an overhaul (or total rewrite) of their entire operating platform. If this is the case, I think we'll see a lot of enhancements in the coming months (years?)

It's certainly not a small project, which is why there will be a lot of "baby steps." But Jim Lewis has already had a profound impact on DVC in just 12-14 months. I find it hard to believe that future enhancements would omit the technological aspect altogether.

Now I'm off to sleep soundly in my little fantasy world...

Incidentally, whenever I call to add / change a request on an existing reservation, I always tell the CM that there is no need to send a printed confirmation. As long as it's in the computer, that's good enough for me.

 

[CarolMN]

Originally posted by tjkraz
...(snip)......Incidentally, whenever I call to add / change a request on an existing reservation, I always tell the CM that there is no need to send a printed confirmation. As long as it's in the computer, that's good enough for me.

It's not good enough for me!

I hardly ever call once I've completed my reservation (at 11 months). I am PARANOID that somehow it will get cancelled or modified incorrectly. (My theory is that the less times someone looks at it, the less likely it is I'll hve a problem).

I would love an electronic confirmation system. In addition to saving money, it would go a long way to set my personal paranoia to rest. If by chance, my reservation did get altered, I'd know about it right away and could call to get it fixed.

Are they other paranoid members out there?

Best wishes -

 

[DrTomorrow]

As much as I usually defer to the wisdom of tjkraz, this time I'm with the tinfoil hat crowd - I need some kind of proof that what the CM told me that s/he did, actually happened. And this isn't total paranoia - when I booked our first DVC stay, the only request I had was NS; I told CM NS, CM read it back to me - NS. Yet when we got the conf, nowhere did it say NS. Called back - it was NOT on the reservation.

When I make my own on-line purchase, I want a confirmation that I didn't do something stoopid; I certainly want one when someone else controls the transaction.

 

[crisi]

Originally posted by DrTomorrow
Yeah! Great idea, for those of you who have email. . If they start doing this, I'm going to feel ROYALLY screwed!

....
LIFERBABE - send MS that suggestion....

I think its a great idea, as long as they will send you a printed confirmation if you ask. I know for those of us internet saavy folks, the idea of not having email is funny. But there are still a lot of folks (my mother) who don't have email.

Actually, in the interest of keeping costs down, I wouldn't mind "opting out" of all mailings - Vacation Magic, the planner, etc included, and getting these as web sites with links mailed when they come out. Members who want the paper copies could "opt in"

 

[LIFERBABE]

from the 7 that currnetly voted no. Just trying to gain more perspective.

I understand everyone does not have email and agree that the system should be "opt in" to receive an email confirmation. If you don't opt in then you would receive the paper copy.

Talk about Royally Screwed! Try showing up at your resort without a confirmation and they can't find your name in the computer!

 

[DVCcollector]

I would not like electronic confirmations. I tend to not print off stuff I recieve in my e mail and in the event of a crash or virus that requires a fresh install you are SOL if you haven't to may variables on things that can happen to your pc to make it a really viable option for my liking.

 

[Forever a Princess]

Yes,

I would like to have e-mail notification. Too much paper on my desk already.

 

[jmminarik]

I'd prefer to do all of the ressies and get a confirmation e-mail after, but I'd still prefer a snail mail confirmation to be sent regardless...and until I hang a flat panel iMac in the library, printed reports/letters/etc are much better.

-Joe