I want to speak to Jim Lewis, so why can't I?

[lkenyon]

I am very frustrated that as members, we are not allowed to have direct contact with Jim Lewis. If we have issues every time we visit Disney, and member satisfaction does not follow up, then we sould be able to send correspondence directly to Jim Lewis.

I am struggling to understand the value of Disney, when each time we travel we keep hearing, "Oh that is for our cash paying customers not DVC members, you do not get that." Really? My dues make it possible for cash paying customers to stay at these DVC resorts so why should they receive better treatment? Over the years we have slipped from being valued members to numbers - in our opinion, DVC is treated as second class citizens, and our perks continue to decrease.

Being that I own 460 points, the yearly dues $2,400 alone that I pay would yield two weeks of accommodations anywhere. I am sure guests at these premium hotels are treated as valued customers.

As I am typing this, I have been on hold with DVC member services with a person who can hardly speak english for now 24 minutes.

 

[DVCconvert]

You can have. It's called writing a letter. No manager of anything can avalible via phone at any moment someone want to speak with them.

 

[dianeschlicht]

What specifically do you feel you aren't getting with DVC? When we purchased 14 years ago, we knew we were buying accommodations on a timeshare basis to stay in whatever size villa we could afford with the points we purchased. I don't see how paying members get better than that. They aren't allowed to book our 1,2, or 3 bedroom villas at 11 months out like we can. They also don't get the $100 off the AP perk that DVC has so generously given us. Granted, we don't get daily maid service, but very few timeshares do, and very few of us would want to pay the dues required for that either. Remember, WE own our resorts....Not Disney's CRO.

 

[chalee94]

*DVC has over 400,000 members - all of them having access to jim lewis' direct line seems a bit much...

*if you bought for the perks, you had no idea what you were doing. buying for the perks was a mistake, plain and simple.

*your dues do not make it possible for cash paying customers to stay in DVC villas - again, you don't seem to understand how this works.

*your dues would pay for a very nice $150 per night (plus tax) hotel room for 2 weeks. if you were dissatisfied with your hotel stay, you could easily choose a different resort the next trip. perhaps that is a better option for you? that way you could not be treated as a 2nd class citizen due to a long-term commitment... if you are that dissatisfied, just send a message by leaving.

 

[OKW Lover]

I am very frustrated that as members, we are not allowed to have direct contact with Jim Lewis. If we have issues every time we visit Disney, and member satisfaction does not follow up, then we sould be able to send correspondence directly to Jim Lewis.

I am struggling to understand the value of Disney, when each time we travel we keep hearing, "Oh that is for our cash paying customers not DVC members, you do not get that." Really? My dues make it possible for cash paying customers to stay at these DVC resorts so why should they receive better treatment? Over the years we have slipped from being valued members to numbers - in our opinion, DVC is treated as second class citizens, and our perks continue to decrease.

Being that I own 460 points, the yearly dues $2,400 alone that I pay would yield two weeks of accommodations anywhere. I am sure guests at these premium hotels are treated as valued customers.

As I am typing this, I have been on hold with DVC member services with a person who can hardly speak english for now 24 minutes.

Sorry, I'm not seeing what your issue is. Perhaps you don't understand what you bought?

First of all, you can indeed send correspondence directly to Jim Lewis. People do this all the time. Who told you that you couldn't?

Second, when were you told that something was just for cash customers? What was it you were asking for? If it was daily housekeeping then sorry, that was disclosed when you bought DVC. Or are you talking about "free" dining? That's not really free since those guests must pay full rack rate, not a discounted rate.

Perks change all the time. Some I was certainly sorry to see go, some were added that we do take advantage of. But overall, my purchase decision was based purely on the accommodations - perks are just gravy.

Your 460 points will get you two weeks at WDW - and will continue to do so to the end of your contract. If you think you aren't getting a good value - that's when its time to look at selling on the secondary market.

 

[rcchello]

An aside $2400 would not get you two weeks anywhere. It probably would not even get you two weeks at a moderate Disneyworld resort (unless they are running a sale) and may not even get you a whole week at one of the better resorts ($500+/night).

I do not even think it is possible to get a Disney hotel in Disneyland for 2 weeks for that price. You could stay at one of the neighbor hotels for that price.

 

[DVCconvert]

An aside $2400 would not get you two weeks anywhere. .....I do not even think it is possible to get a Disney hotel in Disneyland for 2 weeks for that price. You could stay at one of the neighbor hotels for that price.

I just looked on mousesavers and you can get a value season stay of 14 nights at Paradise Peir for about $2400....plus tax. And that's WITH a 25% off rack price.

 

[awilliams4]

I am very frustrated that as members, we are not allowed to have direct contact with Jim Lewis. If we have issues every time we visit Disney, and member satisfaction does not follow up, then we sould be able to send correspondence directly to Jim Lewis.

I am struggling to understand the value of Disney, when each time we travel we keep hearing, "Oh that is for our cash paying customers not DVC members, you do not get that." Really? My dues make it possible for cash paying customers to stay at these DVC resorts so why should they receive better treatment? Over the years we have slipped from being valued members to numbers - in our opinion, DVC is treated as second class citizens, and our perks continue to decrease.

Being that I own 460 points, the yearly dues $2,400 alone that I pay would yield two weeks of accommodations anywhere. I am sure guests at these premium hotels are treated as valued customers.

As I am typing this, I have been on hold with DVC member services with a person who can hardly speak english for now 24 minutes.

Oh wow. I own a Saturn. Cost more than $2,400. Do you feel I should be able to pick up the phone and talk to the CEO of General Motors if I have issues with my car?

Seems like there are a lot of posts out there where reality just isn't there.

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

I am struggling to understand the value of Disney, when each time we travel we keep hearing, "Oh that is for our cash paying customers not DVC members, you do not get that." Really? My dues make it possible for cash paying customers to stay at these DVC resorts so why should they receive better treatment? Over the years we have slipped from being valued members to numbers - in our opinion, DVC is treated as second class citizens, and our perks continue to decrease.

Hi lkenyon,

Please provide examples of things that are for "cash paying customers, not DVC members," and of DVC members treated as "second class citizens."

Off-season promotions, such as free dining or free gift cards, are ways to fill rooms at high nightly rates by offering discounts in the form of food or merchandise (rather than offering really cheap off-season nightly rates).

Daily housekeeping is paid out of the nightly room rates. For DVC members staying on points, daily housekeeping is an extra-cost option. If they provided daily housekeeping to every DVC member staying on points, our annual fees would have to go way up because the housekeeping budget at each DVC resort would go way up.

 

[JimMIA]

As I am typing this, I have been on hold with DVC member services with a person who can hardly speak english for now 24 minutes.

Were they okay earlier?

 

[Rob S.]

Were they okay earlier?

 

[disneynutz]

I am very frustrated that as members, we are not allowed to have direct contact with Jim Lewis. If we have issues every time we visit Disney, and member satisfaction does not follow up, then we sould be able to send correspondence directly to Jim Lewis.

I am struggling to understand the value of Disney, when each time we travel we keep hearing, "Oh that is for our cash paying customers not DVC members, you do not get that." Really? My dues make it possible for cash paying customers to stay at these DVC resorts so why should they receive better treatment? Over the years we have slipped from being valued members to numbers - in our opinion, DVC is treated as second class citizens, and our perks continue to decrease.

Being that I own 460 points, the yearly dues $2,400 alone that I pay would yield two weeks of accommodations anywhere. I am sure guests at these premium hotels are treated as valued customers.

As I am typing this, I have been on hold with DVC member services with a person who can hardly speak english for now 24 minutes.

All you can do is contact Member Satisfaction at: dvcmembersatisfactionteam@disneyvacationclub.com.

Truth be told, Disney is a business and unless you are buying from Disney, they don't have any interest in you. We are all romantic about our relationship with Disney, we watch their warm and fuzzy commercials and sales presentations and expect them to feel the same way about us, well they don't. We see WDW as a magical place, they see it as a job.

It's natural for a company to focus on keeping the customer happy who brings them repeat business, as a DVC Member, they already have your money, they want new money and selling new DVC contracts and cash Guests is where they make their income.

Who would you take better care of, the 28 million Guests that visit Disney every year and may come back next year, or the 250,000 DVC memberships that have no choice but to come back every year? Sure they make some money from members buying admission to the parks and eating on property, but DVC Members don't visit the parks every day and they cook in their villa.

I think that we are all learning the hard lessons of what the new Disney is becoming. DVD use to be different, now they have decided be like every other timeshare company because that is where the money is.

Bill

 

[Hibernians]

Why not write a letter to Bob Iger at Disney ?

 

[crisi]

Truth be told, Disney is a business and unless you are buying from Disney, they don't have any interest in you. We are all romantic about our relationship with Disney, we watch their warm and fuzzy commercials and sales presentations and expect them to feel the same way about us, well they don't. We see WDW as a magical place, they see it as a job.

And Jim Lewis' job is running a multimillion dollar business that employs 3,000 people and adding to the 400,000 members he currently has. I'd lay odds he works 10-12 hour days and spends most of that time in meetings with his staff and his bosses. Its the job of his staff to bring member concerns to him - in aggregate. Its the job of people who work for his staff - probably three levels down - to collect those concerns. Otherwise, Jim Lewis would have no time to consider putting a DVC at the Grand Floridian, or figure out how to boost sales, or make sure Aulani gets built on schedule.

 

[sean-1966]

Hmmm, I've never heard that, and I would probably would be a little ticked if I did. But, I think we need more info before you get any sympathy here. Actually now that I think about it I have gotten a little upset being told that certain character meets are for Disney Visa cardholders only. Being Canadian I can't get a Disney Visa.

 

[missy2217]

Oh wow. I own a Saturn. Cost more than $2,400. Do you feel I should be able to pick up the phone and talk to the CEO of General Motors if I have issues with my car?

Seems like there are a lot of posts out there where reality just isn't there.

Agreed, along those same line I am not happy with the price of gas can somone please put me through to OPEC and President Obama?

If people are so unhappy then sell your points.

 

[WDWLVR]

Twice I felt strongly enough about something relating to DVC to write a letter to Mr. Lewis. Both times I got a call back from someone in his office. No it wasn't him, but both times it was someone willing to discuss what I had written for a good half hour at each time. Did it change things, maybe - maybe not. I just know that they did respond and I felt they were sincere in wanting to hear my opinion.

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

Who would you take better care of, the 28 million Guests that visit Disney every year and may come back next year, or the 250,000 DVC memberships that have no choice but to come back every year?

Please help me understand. What is Disney doing that demonstrates that they take "better care" of guests who are not DVC members?

As a DVC member, I've never felt that I'm being treated as a second class guest.

I think that we are all learning the hard lessons of what the new Disney is becoming. DVD use to be different, now they have decided be like every other timeshare company because that is where the money is.

The one stupid, hostile thing that Disney Vacation Development has done lately has been to exclude new resale DVC point buyers form the Disney Collection, Adventurer Collection, and Concierge Collection. By creating the perception that DVC points purchased on the secondary market are less valuable than those bought from Disney, Disney is artificially lowering the resale price. That hurts any of us who may ever want to sell our points.

But beyond that boneheaded business decision, I don't see evidence that Disney is now "like every other timeshare company."

 

[yitbos96bb]

You can have. It's called writing a letter. No manager of anything can avalible via phone at any moment someone want to speak with them.

Call it the Steve Jobs effect. Since people can directly email Jobs, who does answer many of the emails (and not always very nicely), they expect it with all execs.

 

[DeeCee735]