Is Member Services not answering general calls today?

[Anal Annie]

I had some things I wanted to take care of today with Member Services - Tried to call MS but it appears like they're only taking calls if you're booking the Member Cruise?! Really? Nobody else can get help with anything? WTH?

 

[Akck]

They’ll take calls if you’re reservation is within 5 days. Tomorrow, they’ll take all calls. I believe it’s been posted on the site that today was cruise only due to the expected volume of calls.

 

[Narcoossee11]

Been like this every year.
Just like if it was a holiday today. Call tomorrow

 

[Chuck S]

As Narcoossee11 said, this has become the standard the last couple of years to have a dedicated day just for booking a member cruise. If your need is urgent, of if this is the only free time you have, perhaps someone can help you via the Chat function on the DVC Site...if that is operating today...I don't know.

 

[mrsswat]

They should have a separate line for things like this so us “regular folk” can get through for our vacation issues that can’t get resolved online today. Have a reservation trying to modify that’s not letting me do online. Am just hoping there’s still a availability tomorrow!

 

[Narcoossee11]

Keep in mind there is only ONE phone tree/trunk. MS tried that about 10years ago..... it did not work because the 'reg' calls could not get into the system.

 

[Madame]

So only blue card members and pre 2011 grandfathered members can book… we ALL pay for MS… and they tied up all the CMs for the day… sounds legit

 

[Chuck S]

So only blue card members and pre 2011 grandfathered members can book… we ALL pay for MS… and they tied up all the CMs for the day… sounds legit

They are only booking cruises. White card members are being treated the same way as blue card members that don't want to book a cruise. The lines are open for cruisers only. Now, I like cruising, but honestly, I don't foresee me ever using points for a cruise or goiong on a Disney cruise when there are much cheaper options (though granted not Disney) out of Galveston. Since the Member Services lines only restrict ALL callers 2 to 3 times per year for special events, which I haven't participated in anyway, I'm not going to complain. Not every blue card member wants to go on a cruise, and thus can't call on that day, either. It isn't a white card vs Blue Card issue.

 

[Sandisw]

So only blue card members and pre 2011 grandfathered members can book… we ALL pay for MS… and they tied up all the CMs for the day… sounds legit

While we do pay to fund MS, it’s a set fee and we do not have any say in how they set ups hours and days to be open to support the membership.

So, yes, they are allowed to have a day which is devoted to just DVC member cruise, or special events.

Plus, DVCMC has other sources of income outside of dues, like breakage fees, OTU points, etc.

Owners can certainly share their feelings about it, as we are customer, and I think there should be an easier process for those wanting it, so they don’t spend hours trying

 

[Madame]

While we do pay to fund MS, it’s a set fee and we do not have any say in how they set ups hours and days to be open to support the membership.

So, yes, they are allowed to have a day which is devoted to just DVC member cruise, or special events.

Plus, DVCMC has other sources of income outside of dues, like breakage fees, OTU points, etc.

Owners can certainly share their feelings about it, as we are customer, and I think there should be an easier process for those wanting it, so they don’t spend hours trying

We all pay to have access to MS. Sorry that doesn’t wash for me.

 

[Madame]

They are only booking cruises. White card members are being treated the same way as blue card members that don't want to book a cruise. The lines are open for cruisers only. Now, I like cruising, but honestly, I don't foresee me ever using points for a cruise or goiong on a Disney cruise when there are much cheaper options (though granted not Disney) out of Galveston. Since the Member Services lines only restrict ALL callers 2 to 3 times per year for special events, which I haven't participated in anyway, I'm not going to complain. Not every blue card member wants to go on a cruise, and thus can't call on that day, either. It isn't a white card vs Blue Card issue.

And white card members who pay the same for DVCMC to provide administrative services & want to access a CM while CMs are being paid to be there? Nope. Just like all the other shady mixing of DVD and DVCMC, it doesn’t wash for me.

It doesn’t matter that blue card members don’t want to book the member cruise. They have CMs performing duties, paid by members, to which white card members have zero access and no benefit whatsoever.

 

[Chuck S]

And white card members who pay the same for DVCMC to provide administrative services & want to access a CM while CMs are being paid to be there? Nope. Just like all the other shady mixing of DVD and DVCMC, it doesn’t wash for me.

It doesn’t matter that blue card members don’t want to book the member cruise. They have CMs performing duties, paid by members, to which white card members have zero access and no benefit whatsoever.

Again, in this instance, white card members are being treated exactly the same as blue card members. If blue card members aren't bookiung a cruise, they have zero access as well. If you want a separate phone line for cruisers, with seperate CMs manning that line dues would increase for everyone, as the cost of MS is divided by the entire membership.

 

[Sandisw]

We all pay to have access to MS. Sorry that doesn’t wash for me.

Of course, we pay them to provide us a service but they still get to decide how to offer us that service,

And that includes closing a few times a year to handle special events. No different than any other time they closed for something,

Frustrating, yes, but its why we have no ability to force them to hire more people, etc. to make it better.

We can only share our disappointment in how they are doing but perfectly within the rules.

They could decide tomorrow to close at 5 pm every day and we’d have to be okay with it.

But again, dues are not the only source of income for DVMCM so white card or blue card, doesn’t matter.

 

[Madame]

Again, in this instance, white card members are being treated exactly the same as blue card members. If blue card members aren't bookiung a cruise, they have zero access as well.

You’re missing my point. Is DVD paying the CMs for yesterday’s work? If not, white card members are helping to foot the bill for am activity from which they are excluded.

DVD wants to have its cake and eat it too. They’re the ones who implemented this white/blue business. Now they want to continue to manage in obscurity. They’re the ones who opened themselves to scrutiny.

 

[Madame]

Of course, we pay them to provide us a service but they still get to decide how to offer us that service,

And that includes closing a few times a year to handle special events. No different than any other time they close for something,

Frustrating, yes, but its why we have no ability to force them to hire more people, etc. to make it better.

We can only share our disappointment in how they are doing but perfectly within the rules.

So yesterday white card members (DVD made that distinction by the way) paid for CMs to provide a service to which they had zero access, had effectively been banned… and that’s fine?

 

[Chuck S]

You’re missing my point. Is DVD paying the CMs for yesterday’s work? If not, white card members are helping to foot the bill for am activity from which they are excluded.

You’re missing my point. Is DVD paying the CMs for yesterday’s work? If not, white card members are helping to foot the bill for am activity from which they are excluded.

DVD wants to have its cake and eat it too. They’re the ones who implemented this white/blue business. Now they want to continue to manage in obscurity. They’re the ones who opened themselves to scrutiny.

And again. the exact same could be said about the blue card members not cruising, my dues are paying for MS for that day that I had no access to the service. White card vs Blue doesn't apply here.

 

[Madame]

You’re missing my point. Is DVD paying the CMs for yesterday’s work? If not, white card members are helping to foot the bill for am activity from which they are excluded.


And again. the exact same could be said about the blue card members not cruising, my dues are paying for MS for that day that I had no access to the service. Whire card vs Blue doesn;t apply here.

I’m sorry you see it that way. It does apply. Blue cards had the possibility to book. You DID have access. You CHOSE not to partake.

Yesterday’s service was a promotional effort. If DVD paid the CMs for the day, then that’s fine, but I’m willing to bet they didn’t. They don’t have the best track record for details.

 

[Sandisw]

So yesterday white card members (DVD made that distinction by the way) paid for CMs to provide a service to which they had zero access, had effectively been banned… and that’s fine?

As owners, we pay DVMCM a set fee…12% to manage the program. That is it.

They get to decide how to set that up, the hours, the number of CMs, etc, to handle general business,

So, yes, they can have CMs work on special events if they want to because we pay them a fee regardless and they don’t have to explain how they use it,

But, as I said, things like breakage, OTU point fees, also are part of their operations budget so technically, that is not money coming from owners dues,

As I said, they could decide they will no longer provide service nightly until 9 pm, and they get paid the same amount.

Basically, as long as they provide us with support to use our membership, they have done what we paid them to do and if that means a few times a year, they do specialty work, it is allowed

Put another way, if they decided to cut staffing in half for general business, and use CMs to handle other things on a regular basis, they could.

We can still complain about the level of service if we don’t like what they are doing…but that is different than whether or not closing down to handle a special event for certain members is within the agreement we have with them…they alone decide hours of operation for general business,

Yesterday, was not open for general business.

 

[Madame]

As owners, we pay DVMCM a set fee…12% to manage the program. That is it.

They get to decide how to set that up, the hours, the number of CMs, etc, to handle general business,

So, yes, they can have CMs work on special events if they want to because we pay them a fee regardless and they don’t have to explain how they use it,

But, as I said, things like breakage, OTU point fees, also are part of their operations budget so technically, that is not money coming from owners dues,

As I said, they could decide they will no longer provide service nightly until 9 pm, and they get paid the same,

Closing early for ALL members is in no way comparable to excluding SOME members from an opportunity and using those same members’ funds to provide booking services for the rest. We aren’t going to change each others’ minds so I’ll leave it at that.

 

[tjkraz]

Closing early for ALL members is in no way comparable to excluding SOME members from an opportunity and using those same members’ funds to provide booking services for the rest. We aren’t going to change each others’ minds so I’ll leave it at that.

The bottom line is DVC isn’t required to justify how it spends the 12% management fee. Owners are contractually required to pay it, regardless of what services are provided or how much those services cost.