LETTER FROM CHAIRMAN

September 2013

Last week, I met an old friend of mine who has spent many years in customer satisfaction studies. And as we shot the breeze over Bollywood and politics, the discussion drifted to timeshare and how quality-of-service was critical in strengthening customer relationships.

What I have summarized here are insights that emerged from our discussion. Useful feedback that is illustrative of what we can review and put into practice - with the objective of getting closer to our customers.

Please read carefully – you’ll find this useful

• Timeshare, more than any other hospitality vertical, needs a better yardstick on customer satisfaction – simply because the dynamics are different. A timeshare customer has a long term relationship with his home resort - as a result, his service expectations could vary over the years. What could start off as being “very happy” initially, could turn into “not so happy” over the years – the ups and downs are part of the relationship curve.
• When a customer stays at a hotel, his relationship virtually ceases the moment his bills are paid. Whatever the shortcomings the customer experiences during his stay are soon forgotten. But with timeshare, even the most teeny-weeny of discomforts are carried forward to the next holiday. Waiters and room service attendants are constantly reminded of service levels on the last visit to the resort.
• The timeshare customer also tends to discuss service issues far more openly – probably thinks he has an audience in the timeshare industry. There is also a constant comparison in terms of food, facilities and other services - which makes it all the more critical for us to be careful and watchful.
• It’s very important to obtain feedback from customers going beyond the obligatory feedback form. You have to interact with them and talk to them to get a first hand feel of satisfaction levels at various touch points. And you need a committed team handling this responsibility – not just people going through the motions in a tick-the-box manner.
• Another thing I would recommend is getting customer support people of one resort to spend a couple of days at another resort – we might need to work this out in terms of cost sharing. Could be some kind of exchange program where you can study and observe best practices and initiatives within the AIRDA resort community.
• The mantra, as I see it, is to keep your eyes open and ears tuned in, to the smallest whispers of customer anxiety. Today’s customer can generate negative buzz, both offline and online - and negative buzz online spreads like wildfire. We need to respond quickly to comments made by disgruntled customers before the situation can get out of hand.
  

What I have shared with you is not consumer gyan, but valuable insights from an experienced professional. Like I said, hospitality is one industry where customers choose to be extra sensitive and want their reactions to be seen and heard.

Remember that famous grouse, “Waiter, there’s a fly in my soup!”

B. S. Rathor
Chairman, AIRDA