Jim Lewis Fired from WDWCo

[Gregowa]

From all that I have read, I don't think the Disney powers that be had any choice in firing Lewis. If the snafu with Aulani is as serious as is being reported, firing Lewis is probably the 1st in a series of "good faith" measures to try to redeem the Aulani DVC holding with the state of Hawaii and the feds for any of those laws broken. That is no small task and Disney has a lot to be worried about in terms of sanctions and fines that could be imposed on them for JL's actions. As far as Lewis himself is concerned, it just goes to show that the bigger they are, the harder they fall - what goes around, comes around. One thing Disney seems to pride itself on is making the average consumer happy with their experience. DVC consumers have become less happy over the past few years and this seems to go right back to some of the decisions Lewis has made. With 400,000 members, DVC membership is a formidible marketing tool within itself. I think there has been a lot of people who have bought DVC resale at the recommendation of members. as well as members themselves who have added on resale. The policy change for DVC resales most likely is not having the desired effect intended. Most members only use their points for trips to Dis and not for Adventures, cruises, etc. because the value just isn't there. Buying direct from DVC or by resale is not a cheap purchase in the best of times much less in a stressed economy. Add the other general dissatisfaction over banking changes, loss of perks, cheap furniture, shoddy upkeep, poor housekeeping, or whatever other complaint, and people beome disillusioned and talk about it. Most people interested in buying DVC do some research prior to buying, and if they see members complaining and unhappy, that sends up red flags. It's not great publicity for DVC, particularly since it seems they want to keep building properties. Just saying ...IMHO. I'll get off my soapbox now!

 

[supersuperwendy]

How did banking used to work?

 

[PrincessYessenia]

As others have said, this is not necessarily a good thing. Be careful what you ask for, because you just might get it!

While DVC could always improve, it could also get much worse. Hopefully we will get an improvement, but you never know....I will reserve judgement on this one.

I agree. We were all excited at my job when our boss was fired and a new one came along. She was a million times worse than the last one! I'm just hoping this DVC issue won't end up the same way.

 

[arthur06]

Is it possible that the Aulani problem is bigger then being reported? Was the state of Hawaii dragging its feet, as it did not want any part of JL? Did Disney know this? Is this a move that Hawaii loves, and will get the ball rolling on Aulani again?

JL needed to learn in business that "Pigs get fat, Hogs get slaughtered!"

 

[jennypenny]

Could Hawaii not grant a timeshare license to disney at this point? Could Hawaii be threatening that? What would disney do? And are we (members) paying for that in some way? Or is it Disney's problem until they sell the DVC contracts?

 

[CarolAnnC]

No, I agree with everything you said in your original post, there is nothing wrong with asking for sources and some proof at all.

I feel that some posters crossed the line because rather than say something constructive they took the approach of mocking the OP, sadly it is something that seems to be coming more and more common on here, especially with some senior members.

There are certainly ways to address concerns with a post and I feel you done yours in a very respectful and courteous manor.

If anyone has concerns with ANY post here on the DIS, please use the Report A Post to a Moderator button to express your concerns and not do so on the boards.

Otherwise, the posts should stay to the topic at hand here. Thank you.

 

[Donna DeVil]

My original post is true - no Pinnochio here.

He was a ruthless selfish man that made everyone's life miserable. As a founding and 17+ year DVC cast member I got the call late afternoon. Ex DVCers were smiling and dancing on cars from Long Island to Chicagoland to DLR and those on the Cruise Ships.

It appears its tied to Aluani's screwup in selling when they shouldn't have - something I hear he knew all about. Couple that with internal investigations by Corp HR on Cast Member related issues and purposefully not allowing Members to book vacations on the Dream to minimize expenses out to DCL - he's a piece of work that had to go. I don't think I recall having to work with such a manipulative, ego-centric person in all my years there.

My sources are real and factual. Praise the lord change is in the air... Karma kinda stinks doesn't it?

I am very disturbed about this, especially since we tried to book a cruise next summer LAST WEEKEND & were given the favorite answer,"No availability for points usage, but if you would like to book with cash..." Major disappointment. It was supposed to be a huge celebration for the whole family: my parent's 50th anniversay, my 25th, our daughter's HS graduation.

I am a newbie here on disboards, but I have been a DVC member since 98. I was also a cast member long ago & far away back in 94.

Our satisfaction with DVC has been steadily declining in the last few years (maintenance, service, rules, etc.). Our vacation guide, Julie, abruptly left, too. I don't even know who our current guide is. I am not sure I care today.

 

[mjc2003]

I think it's a bit pie-in-the-sky to roll all these issues into one and say that he was fired unceremoniously b/c of all these "bean counting" decisions, like cheap furniture and shoddy renovations, and that Aulani was the final straw. I doubt frankly that the powers that be care so much about the furniture at BLT. I think this is an issue that can be worked out, and if JL was duly in charge of all facets of DVC then he would simply be prodded to change his perspective on the quality of furnishings going forward. I also doubt very much that anybody cared about "unhappy CM's", or "more pushy timeshare-like sales tactics". The bottom line is all that matters.

My point is, Lewis is being fired for a specific incident. This is not an accumulation of problems, b/c most of these perceived problems are not problems from the standpoint of DVC's bottom line. They are not losing money if a CM is disgruntled. And BLT is about to sell out and is selling for $150 pp, so the furnishings have not blinded peoples capacity for (over?) spending.

He is being fired for this issue with Aulani, which I suspect is going to cost somebody a lot of money. If this was an accumulation of incidents, they would "agree to part ways". He is being isolated, and fired as the fall guy, so they can go back to the state of HI and say "Look, we've eliminated the problem".
This is about his costing them big time bucks, not due to some slow deterioration of DVC owner sentiment over time. It's nice as owners to think that somebody listened and agreed that Jim Lewis was not interested in DVC owners best interests, but I suspect this is hardly the case. In other words, if this Aulani issue hadn't surfaced, Jim Lewis would not be on the outs.

Just my opinion.

 

[Mister Incredible]

Like many, my first response was, "wow, time to polish up the resume!"

I was then thinking about all the changes I would make, and then it hit me...can you imagine how hard this job must be? The first thing I thought of was you cannot please everyone. Something as simple as bringing back free valet parking would probably tick off a handful of people for one reason or the other. Then, every decision you make is questioned by your employees, your guests and then debated on hundreds of message boards. Not to mention how many people you impact on a day. Sure some of that is being a manager, but other items, not so much. Could you imagine if there was a message board at your work?

Who knows if between 2006 and 2007 he was directed to cut his budget by 10, 15 or even 25%. I'm not defending him, nor his decisions, just saying there are several times as a manager, I'm directed to do things that are against my better judgment. You would think with all the real estate lawyers and professionals who work for Disney THEY would have caught the problems in Hawaii. I guess there has to be one fall guy (or girl).

In a position like this you always have those members who believe they are elite and purchased DVC thinking they should be treated like kings and queens. I can't imagine dealing with people like that, and 99% of the time they are the most vocal.

Sure, I look for a few perks here and there. Also, there are several immediate changes I would make. However, I do hope the next person has a solid pulse on the employees, builds on the strengths of DVC and raises the bar with the weaknesses that have been created.

If by some miracle I was chosen, I would make sure the announcement wasn't made for months. In that time I would visit every kiosk to be "sold on DVC", stay in every resort, and interact with as many employees and guests as possible. All the time collecting data of the good, the bad and the ugly and make that my priority list.

Good luck to the person who fills this position!! All eyes (and ears) will be watching!![FONT=&quot][/FONT]

 

[supersuperwendy]

I'm still a relatively new member so I'm curious what kind of changes should we hope for with someone new in charge?

 

[tjkraz]

Is it possible that the Aulani problem is bigger then being reported? Was the state of Hawaii dragging its feet, as it did not want any part of JL? Did Disney know this? Is this a move that Hawaii loves, and will get the ball rolling on Aulani again?

JL needed to learn in business that "Pigs get fat, Hogs get slaughtered!"

Could Hawaii not grant a timeshare license to disney at this point? Could Hawaii be threatening that? What would disney do? And are we (members) paying for that in some way? Or is it Disney's problem until they sell the DVC contracts?

Unless the state of Hawaii wants to turn its back on 500 timeshare units and thousands of recurring visitors, I don't think there will be any long term impact. But, not knowing any specifics, it seems conceivable that millions of dollars worth of fines and restitution could be involved.

It won't be long before details are known. The only question is whether the Sentinel or Honolulu Star Advertiser will break the full story first.

My point is, Lewis is being fired for a specific incident. This is not an accumulation of problems, b/c most of these perceived problems are not problems from the standpoint of DVC's bottom line. They are not losing money if a CM is disgruntled. And BLT is about to sell out and is selling for $150 pp, so the furnishings have not blinded peoples capacity for (over?) spending.

He is being fired for this issue with Aulani, which I suspect is going to cost somebody a lot of money.

Agree. Although other aspects of his job performance probably didn't help.

If his performance had been exemplary in other regards, it might have been enough to allow him to ride out this situation. Might have been "reassigned" within TWDC or at least given the opportunity to resign.

But other negatives weighing against him probably made this an easy decision. Two things that particularly stand out in my mind are design missteps at BLT and the OKW extension (which JL publicly admitted could/should have been handled differently.) Sounds like there was a fair amount of discontent among staff internally, which doesn't help either.

I doubt point reallocations, valet parking or banking windows played any role in the decision. If this as serious as it appears, decision-makers didn't even need to reach the point of second-guessing every policy decision over the past 8 years.

 

[tjkraz]

I'm still a relatively new member so I'm curious what kind of changes should we hope for with someone new in charge?

Completely unknown.

Many policy decisions were warranted regardless of what individuals may think. It's a case of not being able to please all of the people, all of the time.

Communications have definitely been lacking so any improvement there would be welcome. DVC was not at fault for members losing free valet parking access, but resort guests should not have had to find out when they went to pick up their cars on the day the change was made.

I will gladly support the idea that Disney Cruise Line is several notches above DVC in most aspects of quality and customer service. If Karl Holz (long time DCL head who now oversees DVC) has the same standards for DVC, we will certainly see improvements in many areas.

 

[nunzia]

His replacement has been chosen, I am sure even before Jim was let go. No I don't know who it is, but was told the announcement will be made soon.My biggest complaint with Jim was that in the beginning he was very much for the membership and implemented some good improvements. Then it was like the glory of being head of DVC, went to his head and he thought himself above everyone. That he could do and say whatever and no one could check him on it and his agenda became self promotion over what was good for DVC.

I think the Aulani situation was just the final straw in a building dissatisfaction from many factors.

maybe at the Expo?

 

[tjkraz]

maybe at the Expo?

Just my gut feeling but I don't think Disney wants the stink of this reaching any part of the Expo if it can be avoided.

Unless the situation with Aulani sales is worked out in the next few days, we may not see any signs of Aulani or DVC at the Expo.

 

[TisBit]

Like many, my first response was, "wow, time to polish up the resume!"

I was then thinking about all the changes I would make, and then it hit me...can you imagine how hard this job must be? The first thing I thought of was you cannot please everyone. Something as simple as bringing back free valet parking would probably tick off a handful of people for one reason or the other. Then, every decision you make is questioned by your employees, your guests and then debated on hundreds of message boards. Not to mention how many people you impact on a day. Sure some of that is being a manager, but other items, not so much. Could you imagine if there was a message board at your work?

Who knows if between 2006 and 2007 he was directed to cut his budget by 10, 15 or even 25%. I'm not defending him, nor his decisions, just saying there are several times as a manager, I'm directed to do things that are against my better judgment. You would think with all the real estate lawyers and professionals who work for Disney THEY would have caught the problems in Hawaii. I guess there has to be one fall guy (or girl).

In a position like this you always have those members who believe they are elite and purchased DVC thinking they should be treated like kings and queens. I can't imagine dealing with people like that, and 99% of the time they are the most vocal.

Sure, I look for a few perks here and there. Also, there are several immediate changes I would make. However, I do hope the next person has a solid pulse on the employees, builds on the strengths of DVC and raises the bar with the weaknesses that have been created.

If by some miracle I was chosen, I would make sure the announcement wasn't made for months. In that time I would visit every kiosk to be "sold on DVC", stay in every resort, and interact with as many employees and guests as possible. All the time collecting data of the good, the bad and the ugly and make that my priority list.

Good luck to the person who fills this position!! All eyes (and ears) will be watching!![FONT=&quot][/FONT]

Very good post. You will never please anyone and any changes will be met with resistance. And if you don't change things, than they will complain that you aren't doing anything new.

As for everyone that is trying to figure out why JL was fired, you also have to remember it might have NOTHING to do with Hawaii, Member feedback or even HR issues. He might have had a serious conflict of interest with another timeshare company, he may have embezzled a million dollars, he could have had an affair with someone in the office. Point being, while so many here on the DIS hate him and thing he was the worst thing in the world.....WDW very well may have been forced to fire him for some offense that we will never know, but would have rather kept him around.

 

[nunzia]

To me, the jury is still out on Iger. He hasnt done anything earth shaking that I know of, good or bad in his tenure, IMO. But he is at the top, and its tough to rid someone at that position. Look at what it took to get Eisner out, and how long. People at the top of any business, organization, etc. always take the criticism, but its understood up front it will be that way. Lewis was his own demise, Eisner was his own worst enemy as he micro managed himself into a deep hole, and Iger will probably work himself into a hole of some making of his own. I agree with you that Iger is not like Eisner in his passion for Disney, at least not publicly.

Dont mean to steer this in a different direction, just comparing leadership roles to those of Lewis. IMO, parallels are that leadership goes to peoples heads.

So far I like Iger..sems to do OK and no huge blunders..I didn't agree with Cook leaving and so far under the new guy (Ross?) the jury is out.
I loved Eisner when he came in..Read Storming the Magic Kingdom..fascinating and you can thank Roy and that group for saving the entire company. At the end I was in the group formed by Roy to oust him. Sad, really..I think after Frank Wells died things changed quickly for the worse. Remember, Eisner was botching up things with Pixar..final straw for me. I'm thankful under Iger for the Pixar purchase and so far seems like decent leadership, starting with putting the Walt-esque Lassiter at the helm of so much.

 

[nunzia]

Just my gut feeling but I don't think Disney wants the stink of this reaching any part of the Expo if it can be avoided.

Unless the situation with Aulani sales is worked out in the next few days, we may not see any signs of Aulani or DVC at the Expo.

Very true..but Expo marketing materials already are advertising DVC and Aulani, so maybe it's worse to just leave it all out?

 

[TLSnell1981]

Now, if Iger were to leave? I'd say, things might start looking up... I wouldnt mind, if Stagg left too and Prince Charming gave the Carousel back to Cindy. Unfortunately, Mickey and Minnie would still be homeless.

Until then, I'm not convinced, Lewis leaving will improve anything.

 

[tjkraz]

If by some miracle I was chosen, I would make sure the announcement wasn't made for months. In that time I would visit every kiosk to be "sold on DVC", stay in every resort, and interact with as many employees and guests as possible. All the time collecting data of the good, the bad and the ugly and make that my priority list.

Disney doesn't have that luxury. News of this will certainly get out and, depending upon what is uncovered regarding Aulani, it could be very damaging. Current members would be calling for blood if months pass and there are no signs of a successor. From a PR standpoint, Disney needs a public face to reassure current and potential members that all is well.

Operationally, they need someone who can start getting his/her hands dirty immediately. There are decisions to be made and the incoming President (or VP or whatever title is given) can't be delegating those decisions to underlings.

The new head doesn't need to immediately appear in commercials or write articles for Disney Files, but he/she needs to serve as a visible sign of stability within DVC.

 

[TisBit]

Disney doesn't have that luxury. News of this will certainly get out and, depending upon what is uncovered regarding Aulani, it could be very damaging. Current members would be calling for blood if months pass and there are no signs of a successor. From a PR standpoint, Disney needs a public face to reassure current and potential members that all is well.

Operationally, they need someone who can start getting his/her hands dirty immediately. There are decisions to be made and the incoming President (or VP or whatever title is given) can't be delegating those decisions to underlings.

The new head doesn't need to immediately appear in commercials or write articles for Disney Files, but he/she needs to serve as a visible sign of stability within DVC.

I disagree, majority of the membership probably doesn't even know who Jim Lewis is and will not know he is gone until they put an article in Disney Files announcing his replacement. DVC does not need a head chief to keep trucking along. The biggest reason for a quick replacement is to sort out the mess in Aulani and reassure their investors and sort things out with the regulators.