A Trading Power Suggestion

Hi Madge:

We have been told over the years that RCI monitors our comments and tries to respond to them. I have an idea regarding Trading Power.

It seems like the Trading Power Guru, the tech team responsible for the formula, dwells on the deposited resort. It is all about whether that deposit meets RCI's criteria and what recent guests have had to say about that resort.

How a human factor, a factor for customer loyalty? How about factoring in how long the depositor has been an RCI customer, perhaps how many exchanges they have made?

How about giving RCI customers an incentive to hang in there, that as they do they will be rewarded?

I know and you know there are ways that can be done, that notes can be placed in accounts and Guides can be allowed some leeway.

Other companies reward loyalty. Why not RCI?

JLB,

Arguments could be made both ways: Make sure new members get a great vacation under their belts as quickly as possible.

Trading Power is applied to all deposits in the same way. The Trading Power of the deposited week is one element to consider, as is the Trading Power needed to confirm a particular resort. The latter changes continuously; whereas, the former is fixed at the time of deposit.

The human factor is also there. If a member has taken our advice and done everything right but is still just not finding success, it is our goal to work with them on a more personal level. That might be via e-mail with the Communications Team, or a supervisor by telephone.

Ultimately, we want every member to be successful. We do not benefit when our members are not satisfied with their experiences in our program.

Oh well.

Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

Madge, I actually think this would be a great idea for RCI to consider, somehow, like frequent flyer miles. Airlines who want to attract first-time flyers to create future customer loyalty, do this with incentive programs so that there are real perks to long-term loyalty. (I'm not talking about credit card sign-ups, but actual flyer miles.)

How 'bout something like a 100-club, where members with every 100+ relation numbers would qualify for a free exchange or something (not surplus inventory, but regular inventory)? Or real bonus week awards (again, not surplus inventory, but regular inventory)?

These days when more folks online are learning about and trying out more various exchange company options - or internal exchange options - it could be something that makes more folks want to rack up more RCI transactions rather than going elsewhere. Would RCI ever consider anything like this, which would be a measurable benefit?

Laurie,

I'm not aware of our offering a promotion quite like this one before. However, we're open to suggestion! I will get this in the hands of folks who could make it happen. If there is feedback offered in return, I will follow up with it here!

Just curious, does it make a difference who makes a suggestion, or is just because someone else thought my idea, that of rewarding loyal customers, sounds like a good way to do business? &

Be careful now. My deposit last week was #98, and I have a couple more I could toss your way.

JLB said:

Just curious, does it make a difference who makes a suggestion, or is just because someone else thought my idea, that of rewarding loyal customers, sounds like a good way to do business? &

Click to expand...

Jim,

I interpreted your suggestion to mean that we should reward customer loyalty specifically by tweaking Trading Power. That is what I was responding to. Laurie suggested a different approach, one I couldn't remember our having taken in recent years.

I guess I suggested rewarding loyalty through improved trading power cuz I never was much for freebies, already having enough calendars and toasters.

And yes, the jist of my suggestion was to reward those who have hung in there by giving them preferential treatment over a person making their first exchange. I see absolutely nothing wrong with that. Successful businesses have rewarded their better customers since the beginning of business.

We had a business for many years and those buying for the first time from us never felt slighted, while our regular customers kept coming back because we always gave them a letter extra for their money.

But, I understand your position, wanting to please the new customer by making their first experience memorable.

I don't see that the two positions need to be mutually exclusive.

We have to remember RCI acts as an exchange. Giving like for like has to to be it's objective, regardless of the number of deposits. Anything else will discourage prime deposits. RCI could give a discount on the membership fees and exchange fees for volumn users. Anything else would be a diservice to its depositor/exchangers.

See Post #3.

I would also probably respond to incentives to make deposits. (Entries in a contest I'll never win don't count in my mind.) Most of my resorts are dual-affiliated and each year I must decide who gets the weeks. II usually comes out with offers of Accomodation Certificates every Spring.

Many of the resorts I exchange into show up as available in both RCI and II. II's exchange fees are slightly cheaper, as is their annual membership fee.

I like RCI best of the two, but would possibly be more exclusive to them if it was to my advantage.

Sheila

Sheila,

This is excellent feedback, provided at a very good time. Thanks so much for your usual brand of gentle candor!

Am I missing something?

Was I not gentle? Was I not candorous?

As a Weeks member, the product or service that is important to me and mine, and, frankly, the only reason we have been members of RCI for almost 20 years, is exchanges.

Period.

That is why my suggestion related to them.

I think the common people probably understand what I am trying to say.

Jim,

My initial response to your suggestion was based on what I understood to be that we should adjust Trading Power for members with longer tenure in our program. The idea of incentives and rewards is great -- we just aren't likely to change the way we calculate Trading Power in order to reward individual members.

Your input here is invaluable, in large part because you have so many experiences to draw from. I meant no slight or disrespect.

Opie ain't mad at nobody.

Well, nobody in this thread.