Guest Column By:
Francis Taylor, CEO Dial An Exchange (DAE)
‘Working together to achieve results’ was the very first tag line we ever used when DAE first began doing business back in 1997 – and it is still the cornerstone of our business today.
As an industry leading provider of worldwide vacation exchanges, DAE has grown in reputation and customer size over the last 18 years because of our customer-focused philosophy, our willingness to work with key industry partners to reengage vacation owners worldwide. We’ve worked with Resort Developers, Management Companies, Home Owner Associations, magazine publishers, marketing companies and associations to help us create and deliver a new way of doing business in the timeshare space and to create more options for owners to leverage as they continue to enjoy the fruits of vacation ownership.
Whether to increase sales or to add new value to the vacation ownership proposition, we constantly strive to develop unique products and services that can be used in this changing market. We can’t do this if we are not in tune with what today’s consumer is truly after. What is the current vacation owner looking to get out of his timeshare today? How can we help educate those members on new and evolving owner benefits, new ways to vacation, new options for exchange, new destination opportunities?
Both DAE and the NTOA have worked for years to help bring an education to owners that they may not otherwise get. We share a common ground with the NTOA; we are both completely consumer oriented and are both driven by increasing overall consumer satisfaction with the industry as a whole.
Stamping out unfair and misleading practices in all parts of the vacation ownership industry is paramount, as is better protection for consumers by sales companies. Constant education to the consumer as to what to avoid or more importantly who they can depend on for solid, ethical and truly consumer oriented services is critical. We are confident that the NTOA is helping owners by offering a neutral “home base” where they can get some help, some information and a personal approach to service.
One of DAE’s goals over the next 12 months will be to work in conjunction with the NTOA and other industry partners to create an ‘Owner Education Series’ of roadshows and information sessions around North America, starting in the USA, to improve owner awareness and engagement with their vacation ownership. It will encompass seminars, workshops, webinars and more.
It is these sorts of initiatives that will deliver a more positive future for timeshare – highlighting the need for industry and owners associations to work more closely together, more often, to benefit consumers
