Bit dissapointed with attitude at preview centre.

[DbleTheFun]

So we were at WDW last week staying off site, since we purchased on resale market after already booking off site for this holiday through our Interval Time share. We are still waiting on closing, so we are not "Officially Owners", but we are chomping at the bit to start using our 500 points!!!

When at Magic Kingdom, we stopped to chat with a DVC employee who was great, we told them our situation and asked if there was somewhere we could see the models and get a sense for the DVC upfront and in person even though we purchased re-sale. He said "OF COURSE!!! We are not like other "timeshares" we want you to be excited, and we are here to help you do that! He offered to book us a tour with a guide the next day, so that we could see all that DVC has to offer... we told him we didnt want to waste a guides time seeing that they are commission, and would be annoyed having to tour someone around that had JUST bought 500 points on the resale market and he wasnt going to see a red cent of that. He again said, NO PROBLEM... we are here for you... that is just the Disney way.

So we showed up the next morning, and were told at reception that although they had our names in their system and it showed that we were indeed recent purchasees of 2 contracts (adding up to 500 points) at SSR, that we werent really owners yet and that they were "Stuck between a rock and a hard place" since we really didnt "belong there" (Actual words)... he made me feel terrible. Then the "Head Guide" Came out and said basically that because we bought resale, and that we hadnt even closed yet, that they werent in the position to waste a guides time. I said, that we told the individual the day before that we just wanted to see what our $50,000 had bought us... and to get excited for our next DVC trip on site, and that we were being completely above board (We could have walked in pretending we were interested in buying direct, and then just walked out at the end)... and that the employee the day before had said it was not only fine, but encouraged to do that... but he just looked at me and smirked saying "Well, like I said... we are busy and I dont have a guide to walk you through everything if you arent even going to consider purchasing today". Now I was totally annoyed. He said that he would "do us a favor" and have a sales assistant walk us over to look at the rooms, but that was all he was willing to do for us. So in the end, we walked over to the rooms with a sweet woman that worked as a receptionist, and she showed us around.

Needless to say, I was a bit disheartened by the attitude. I get that they are a commission sales team, and that there would have been no sale at the end of it, but I guess I just felt like I was being disrespected just cause I bought on resale.

OH well... we loved the rooms themselves, and hopefully we can call ourselves owners soon... then maybe we will be greeted with smiles instead of smirks.

 

[TenThousandVolts]

The guy at MK probably should have told you the times for the models open house (I think it is like 5-7pm each day). That would have cleared up a lot of confusion. You could have seen the rooms, strolled the grounds, grabbed a bite to eat or whatever- on your own pace. I think the open houses are supposed to be for owners but I don't think they really check. Sorry the guy at SSR was so snarky- I am sure resales are a thorn in his side, as he tries to make a living- but he certainly shouldn't have taken that out on you. I don't think you are likely to encounter that attitude again- I am glad you got to see the rooms. Enjoy your membership.

Quick question- did the guy at MK actually book an appt. for you? Did he arrange transportation for you? He may have a quota for appts and set it up that way to make his quota. Therefore putting you and the salesperson in a bad position. Ratherhan doing that he should have given you the info you needed to check out your resort on your own.

 

[CarolAnnC]

The folks at the kiosks in the parks are basically there to book appointments for prospective customers. If you identified yourselves as owners, he should have at that point told you about the open houses for members. I am wondering if maybe he misunderstood and thought you had purchased somewhere else perhaps?

We wanted to tour the BWV models after having purchased OKW. We stopped into the office there and they had an "assistant" take us through the models. That was before they started open houses for members.

Since you already have an assigned DVC Guide (salesperson) they would not want to set you up with another Guide for any type of showing or walk through. We found the assistant was just fine when we toured and were just happy to view the new models. In fact, you could have asked for your Guide just to touch base with him and introduce yourselves if you wanted to. The Guide will assist you with any future DVC purchases down the road.

I don't think they were treating you differently because you bought resale, I think it was probably a series of misunderstandings.

Welcome Home and I hope you enjoy your DVC in the years to come!

 

[TheRustyScupper]

. . . The folks at the kiosks in the parks are basically there to book appointments for prospective customers . . .

1) Plus, the kiosk people are paid a commission on each person they send.
2) The last I knew, it was about $10 per visit.
3) Sorry for the unkind people.
4) Some timeshare salespeople ("Guides") don't talk unless there is a potential sale.
5) Wrong, very wrong.

 

[Buckeye Fan]

I absolutely think that is terribly wrong and I would e-mail a sup just letting them know the treatment you received. IMHO, not a smart move on the sales centers part for the following reasons:

1) 500 points or 25 points, you are a potential future customer. Shame on them!!!
2) Your contract, though doubtful, could still fall through for some reason. Not that you wouldn't go through re-sale again, but if you had been treated well, with incentives, you may have considered purchasing direct to avoid the resale headaches.
3) You are an indirect sales person for them. As a Dis owner, had you hooked up with a great guide, you could be a reference that turns into a sale.

Bottom line, you're still part of the Disney family and should have been treated with respect. I may not be a sales person for a reason, but I would never treat someone poorly just because I couldn't benefit from them. What's wrong with people????

From our family to yours (and we bought through resale, too!!!), WELCOME HOME!!!

 

[DVC Mater]

I just closed on my first contract last Tuesday, and I am "not in the system" yet, so since you "were in the system" I am assuming you closed already, are in the system, but don't have any points to the account yet. If your in the system, I am guessing they assigned you a guide already. That guide could have not been there that day. If they did take you on a tour with a different guide, and it resulted in a potential add-on sale, it would be a commision conflict.....just a guess. Either way they shouldn't have been "snarky" (that's my new fav word btw) because every owner (or almost owner) will no doubt have add-onitis in the future.

 

[Maistre Gracey]

I would be VERY disappointed if I were you, and I would let upper management know. In my oppinion, the first DVC person at the kiosk had it right--> That is NOT the Disney way.
In addition, the guides are NOT on a commision pay scale. Sales do matter to a sales person, but pay is not dependant on sales. They do this so there isn't undo pressure to buy like many other sales presentations.

Aside from all that.. You are indeed a potential future add-on customer.

There is no question that if this happened to me, I would write Jim Lewis with your exact opening post.

Just one member's opinion..

MG

 

[Claire L]

We strolled up to the DVC at SSR when staying there in October and were shown around the model rooms with another couple who had also already purchased and just wanted to see the rooms. It was no problem at all for the staff to accommodate us, we didn't even know about the open house times! Shame to hear you weren't so well treated.

Claire

 

[Dean]

I am sorry it happened this way for you. It wasn't simply a misunderstanding but likely was a case of different agenda's and different attitudes. They likely should not have signed you up for the tour but given they did, they should have been gracious and just "grin and bear it" as they say. Once you're in the system DVC generally has someone call and go over things with you to make sure you understand it. You could easily tour the models but you can go and look around all the resort and usually get into a room or two to see what they're like.

I'm sorry it worked this way for you but given you own a non DVC timeshare you likely have experienced far worse. I will say that DVC is the only timeshare I know of where there is no difference in any way whether you bought resale or retail when it comes to using, other perks, renting, resales and interacting with them.

 

[Tine731]

OMG! I would have been livid.

We had a very different experience then you did. My mother just bought a OKW resale. She wanted to know more about DVC and get excited about her 1st "official" DVC stay. She called and let them know upfront that she would like to take a tour....just like you did. Her experience was very different. She received the best of the Disney magic.

 

[DonnaL]

I agree with Maistre Gracey on this one.......I definitely think upper management DVC needs to become aware. There is currently another thread going on (a poll actually) regarding our current thoughts and satisfaction level with DVC. This is one of those "little" things that would NOT have happened several years ago and it's exactly the type of situation upper management needs to know about and correct. I can't help but feel DVC has grown so much over the past few years and along with that growth I'm sure came some "not so Disney" CM's who contribute to a situation such as this. Those CM's will continue to do this type of thing unless consumers (in this case DVC members) make management aware of the "little" things which do indeed contribute to the overall Disney experience.

 

[1andrea]

Where are the models located?

 

[WolfpackFan]

Where are the models located?

Saratoga Springs.

 

[DbleTheFun]

Thanks for the offer... But since we are already home from Florida, by our next visit, we will already be DVC members and will have been assigned a guide. So I guess I just have to put this bad experience behind us!

I will write a letter to the higher ups regarding my experience, because I agree that it was something they should be aware of... regardless of who was right/wrong (Guides vs. Sales People at Park)... there should be protocols where they can still treat us newbies (or soon to be newbies) with some dignity!

Thanks again everyone for reaffirming that I was NOT insane for feeling so jilted!

 

[Darkside]

Nothing excuses poor service in any business and $50,000 is a lot of money to me.We bought directly from Disney, in fact, it was our first guide that told us about this board before we bought. We actually waited a year before we bought, because I thought the incentives were better for us than buying a resale. I was wondering why you did not buy directly from Disney, basically you paid $100 a point?

 

[DbleTheFun]

Nothing excuses poor service in any business and $50,000 is a lot of money to me.We bought directly from Disney, in fact, it was our first guide that told us about this board before we bought. We actually waited a year before we bought, because I thought the incentives were better for us than buying a resale. I was wondering why you did not buy directly from Disney, basically you paid $100 a point?

$50,000 being what the value was in Disney's eyes... plus I took into account annual dues. We actually only paid $81 a point... and receieved 227 banked points from 2007, so this deal was better than the incentives that were out there right now direct through DVC.

 

[sjdisneywedding]

hmm, not

IMO you are either memebers or not members

and both deserved to be shown around

 

[drakethib]

Just Wondering.

Did you get the Head Guides name that was a jerk to you?

Our initial contract was through resale and have done a couple of addons direct with DVC and have been treated great each time we have called are visited with our assigned guide (Joan Lane).


There is no reason they should have acted as such IMHO.

 

[bumbershoot]

"Some timeshare salespeople ("Guides") don't talk unless there is a potential sale."


It's so sad that some salespeople feel that way. While at Disneyland in September (we were there when GC villas? were announced) we set up a meeting with the DVC people. We were very clear from the beginning that buying right then and there was impossible, but that we wanted to hear about it from them for the future. Our guide was beyond lovely with us, said repeatedly that he knew we would come back...if not that day or next year, someday, and that he planned to be there for years to come and would be just as glad to help us become members in 5 years as he would have been that day.

What a bummer there are guides out there with a different attitude.

 

[disney junky]

In addition, the guides are NOT on a commision pay scale. Sales do matter to a sales person, but pay is not dependant on sales. They do this so there isn't undo pressure to buy like many other sales presentations.


MG

Guides do work on commission. They have a base salary but they also are commissioned and have quotas that they must meet.