The Vacation Ownership Advisor program started more than ten years ago with the idea of Total Customer Care. We wanted embody the mission of Marriott Vacation Club to be “to deliver unforgettable experiences that make vacation dreams come true” by being the single contact point for all vacation inquiries and truly be an advisor to our Owners and Members. While many parts of our business have changed in the intervening years, the value of Total Customer Care has not.
What is Total Customer Care? It is more than just completing the requested tasks in an efficient and pleasant manner, and it is even more than just getting your Owner or Member on vacation. It is progressing from a reactive role to a truly proactive and advisory one and helping your Owners get the most of their ownership. So how do you do this?
It is not enough to just be an expert on vacation ownership. While a good foundation, having the knowledge necessary to assist your Owners only helps if you proactively share that knowledge in a meaningful way. You have to be willing to both share what you know but also listen to what the Owner wants and ask clarifying questions when needed. Asking questions and responding to theirs in an interested, engaged manner shows the Owner or Member that you care and are interested in helping them, not just completing their reservation.
Most Owners or Members call us with a specific question or request. They are trying to plan a vacation, get clarification on options, or process a transaction such as trading or electing. While completing those tasks efficiently and correctly is one of our goals, to provide Total Customer Care, you should also be going over all aspects of their ownership and making sure that one phone call accomplishes everything they need – and maybe some things they haven't thought of.
Having an engaging, experience-based conversation is a crucial part of this process. If you haven't made a personal connection with the Owner or Member, they will not trust you enough to share their plans with you and let you provide that next level of service. Ours is a complicated, flexible product and most Owners really do need our assistance and advice to make their vacations all they can be. In addition to being great service, it also makes your job more enjoyable. We can learn as much from our Owners as they can from us and that give and take is what leads to Total Customer Care.
The next time you're talking to a customer, whether they be an Owner, Member, or guest, take the time to get to know them and see what else you can do to make their vacation more memorable and to get them most out of their relationship with us. You will be sure to make the experience better for them, and you just might learn something about vacations – and customer care – yourself.
