My only complaint about DVC

[buck4568]

First, let me say that I love the heck out of being a DVC owner. We have had great trips to Disney World, Vero Beach, and more than eight cruises of various lengths with the latest being a Med cruise.

But, I will never understand why, when I want to add on points, unless we are meeting a guide in person, that I can't get the level of service that we have come to expect from Disney when calling to add on points. In my own life, I am involved with sales. If I don't make sales I do not get paid. I pride myself on returning phone calls, even if it is to say that I got your call and will call you back as soon as I finish up with my current task.

Our relationship with our original DVC Guide, who is still a Guide, has gone from the "warm fuzzies" with our first purchase back in 1998 to now when we go to Disney for a visit we do not even get the old phone message from our guide welcoming us back. It is truly pathetic!

Is it because years ago we added on points through a purchase from the sponser of this page? I doubt that. Is it because DVC has under staffed the sales force? Could be! And if that is the case I am available in a heart beat to join your team!

But I want to spend over $10,000 here!! Hello!!!

I will try again tomorrow and hopefully find someone that will take my money!

Thanks for letting me vent!

 

[PamOKW]

I don't get it either. Right now, I don't even have an assigned guide --- I'm "DVC Family". Way back when they started selling BCV I was on the fence about doing an add-on. If someone had returned my phone call I probably would have. But after weeks went by and I got a half-hearted "gee I guess we should return this call" response, I had totally lost interest. It is a flaw in the sales force at DVC...would have thought by now they had learned that lesson.

And I'm with you......if they need more guides I could be available!

 

[mjy]

But I want to spend over $10,000 here!! Hello!!!

I will try again tomorrow and hopefully find someone that will take my money!

Let me be the first to volunteer to take your money!

Seriously, I have heard this from several people now.

I think that the sales staff have been forced to keep too many pans in the fire and they just do not have the time to be as available as in the past. I hope that DVC wakes up and realizes this soon. They do not need this kind of image.

 

[ScottakaMickey]

My experience has been the same. Only one call back from our guide for the initial contract two plus weeks ago. My paperwork is wrong and the guide is holding it up. I finally got a call today from someone and all he said was that he would call me tomorrow???? What kind of call is that?? Yea its an attempt. He says he is a Sales Mgr. Tomorrow will be interesting!!

On the subject of working there I would be willing to bet they aren't paid that well as is typical for Disney. IMHO

 

[DiznEeyore]

... now when we go to Disney for a visit we do not even get the old phone message from our guide welcoming us back.

You used to get a message from your guide welcoming you back?!?! We NEVER got anything like that!

In fact, we were planning to buy at BWV many years ago, and had been in close contact with a guide. We made an appointment to tour the model on our trip. We had no car, but got ourselves to the BW office on time. Not only wasn't she there, but they called/paged her several times and she never responded. We waited almost an hour, then finally asked someone if we could just please see the model! Another guide was finally called in, and he acted like we were something stuck to his shoe (because of course, he wouldn't be earning any commission from us).

When we left, we were absolutely disenchanted with DVC. We cancelled our pending purchase and didn't buy in until several years later with a new guide.

BTW, when we got back to our room that night, there was a message from the original guide on our phone offering to send the DVC van for us the next day so we could have a tour. Ah, no thanks -- we'd wasted enough precious vacation time on that already!

 

[Cruelladeville]

Well, gosh, people, I will be glad to share my guide with you! His name is Ron Brumbaugh, a senior guide, and he has sent us a card or called us whenever something new goes up for sale. We have stopped in to say hi when we are in Florida, and I have even had some phone calls from him when he notices that I said something about him on this Board. He is a sweetie and has been a great guide for us! Give him a try if your own guide isn't treating you right--but you have to go thru management to get reassigned to him. DVC doesn't let you just change guides on your own.

 

[Chuck S]

For guides that have been there for many years, imagine how many new people are on their client list since you purchased. Can you imagine where it used to be a few hundred folks per guide to keep up with, and give a phone greeting, now it is thousands. If guides were to check daily to see if their assiged members had a reservation, then call to leave hundreds of voice mails, when would they have time to sell new memberships?

 

[JPC]

For guides that have been there for many years, imagine how many new people are on their client list since you purchased. Can you imagine where it used to be a few hundred folks per guide to keep up with, and give a phone greeting, now it is thousands. If guides were to check daily to see if their assiged members had a reservation, then call to leave hundreds of voice mails, when would they have time to sell new memberships?

Go with Gib McCain. Never will you "lose that lov'in feeling".

 

[disneynutz]

Like all sales jobs the sure thing gets the attention. First time buyers in person are a Guides dream. The buyers are caught up in the moment. They usually don't know very much about DVC. They must buy 160 points minimum and new members, I suspect, count more towards their sales quotas. We have talked to a lot of new owners who really don't understand what they have purchased. How many posts have we seen where a new owner asks a question like, "who do I call to make a reservation" or how many points do I need?

A existing owner is more work. Small point add ons don't make much money. The problem with DIS members is that we usually know more about the DVC and we know it sooner than the Guides do.

 

[bobbiwoz]

We have never ever had any complaints regarding our guide, Michelle. We have called her from VB, VWL, Ohio, and New Jersey, either to add on or to inquire about adding on, and sometimes we've played phone tag, but she always gets back to us in a timely fashion. Our add ons have been in the 25 - 100 point range, and most have been 25.

Bobbi

 

[DebbieB]

I bought in 1999 over the phone (a friend's guide Bruce Ladd) and never got a "welcome home" call when staying DVC. The original guide left and was replaced by Susie Farnsworth. She called me once at home when there were additional BW points available. I'm not looking to add-on so I never expected any calls, nor do I really want them.

 

[DVC Grammy]

To the OP:

We must have the same guide! We joined DVC around the same time as you did, plus we've done two add-ons through Disney and yet we have actually had to "chase" our guide to get him to take our money. With the second add-on, we couldn't catch him even though we were in WDW for 10 days and we were told he was, too. We would up doing the paperwork with a "pinch-hitter" guide instead! And with our last AKV add-on, we waited and waited until he finally decided to call and accept our money, and he wasn't even pleasant about it.
During our almost 10 years of ownership, our contact with him consists of one face-to-face meeting (the initial purchase) and one phone call (the AKV add-on).

Thank goodness his attitude isn't typical of Disney CMs!

 

[bridger71]

I don't think the fact that DVC membership has grown so much is a valid excuse for the lack of customer service everyone complains about after purchasing. There is no excuse for letting the level of attention you receive drop once you paid into the system. This is particularly true in the case of DVC where folks are literally spending thousands of dollars and then considering spending even MORE thousands of dollars. If, in fact, the guides are overwhelmed then it makes good business sence to hire more staff. That doesn't take an MBA to figure out.

Personally we didn't have any problems when joining earlier this year but we only received a "welcome home" call from our guide on our first DVC trip after joining.

DVC Management, if and when you read this thread I hope you realize there is a bigger problem here than you may think.

 

[ScottakaMickey]

The problem with DIS members is that we usually know more about the DVC and we know it sooner than the Guides do.

This is so true. When we were getting ready to buy, I saw a post on the DIS about AKV Feb 07 UY being available for a limited time only. I had called our guide two days prior and left him a VM indicating we were ready to pull the trigger, he did call back at the same time I was calling him to find out why he hadn't called and the Feb 07 UY. When we spoke he didn't have any idea about the Feb UY, but when queried he did dig a bit and found it.

To me it has been disappointing in this regard and it may be the luck of the draw to get a good guide or a not so good guide.

I agree it should change, but don't see any motivation for Disney to make the change as people keeping joining, people keep adding on, etc.

 

[wildernessDad]

My guide, David Miller, seems on top of things. He usually gets back with me in a timely manner considering that he has a lot of others wanting his time. I have been very happy with him. There are times when he is away due to time off and other duties, but when he gets back, he's on the phone fairly quickly.

 

[squirrlygirl]

When we first contacted DVC, we were told up front we needed to sign a paper (or go to a certain website) to give permission for the guides to call us back. If we didn't sign it, we were told we could call THEM, but they couldn't return our call if we got voicemail. I don't know if it's because we're on the do not call registry, or if that's for everyone, but....might that be part of the problem?

 

[Mr. Disney 652]

Our guide, Steven Fisher, has always been great. He always welcomes us home with a voice mail and then for our 5-yr anniversary, he sent flowers and a DVC mug with Goofy. That's how you earn and keep business!

 

[MdmMim]

I contact my guide when I am adding on, and she promptly returns my calls.
Other that that, I do not expect to hear from her. She is a sales person, and once the sale is complete, I see no reason for her to contact me. When I buy a car, once that sale is complete--that's it. I don't hear from the car dealer. IMHO, it's the same situation.

 

[caracarn]

While we've never received a "Welcome Home" message I have never felt like our guide Randy Kreuger was anything less than professional and responsive since we have joined DVC in 2001. Calls are returned promptly and even when I call back a dozen times with trivial questions while I make up my mind on an add-on or something he is always polite and helpful. I think just like with any organization they have all kinds of employees. They are unfortunately not all excited about what they do and therefore not always happy. For those of you with kids, has every teacher they have ever had been a bubbling ball of joy and superb educators? I would guess not, but they come with differing motivations. Sadly so do DVC guides.

 

[buck4568]

Our guide, Steven Fisher, has always been great. He always welcomes us home with a voice mail and then for our 5-yr anniversary, he sent flowers and a DVC mug with Goofy. "That's how you earn and keep businesss!

That is Sales 101! Most people, unless your buying a million dollar house, forget the sales persons name within the first 90 days. Referrals from past clients are essential to grow a business or customer base.

Like I said, I am in sales. Do I personally contact every past client on a regular basis. No, next to immpossible of course. But I do have a contact management system and with a good contact management system these days most of it is all automatic once you put in the name and address.

Anyway, with the growth, especially at DVC, comes growing pains. And they are not or choose not to stay ahead of the curve. Their expansion plans do not seem to include ramping up the sales force. They are doing a good job with Member Services I think and that is great. But, part of that service shoiuld be helping us with add on's etc.

I would like to see it set up so that all you have to do if you are already a member and want to add points is to be able to call member services, tell them what you want, give them a deposit and get the paper work started. Just like making a reservation. Not that difficult to do would'nt you think? The info gets forwarded to the QA department that draws up the paper work and off you go!