TABLE OF CONTENTS After studying this chapter you should be able to:
critically discuss the value of relationship marketing in timeshare resorts.
evaluate sales and contact generation techniques.
critically analyze the link between selling tactics and customer loyalty.
identify and evaluate long-range techniques for maintaining customer loyalty.
Those who are buying timeshare weeks are typically entering into a long-term relationship with resort operators, either directly or indirectly. Some owners are buying into a particular location and the familiarity of place that the permanence of the site represents to the "home from home" customers discussed in Chapter 4. In other cases, the relationship with the resort into which they have bought is less permanent because they are swappers. In even these cases, however, the relationship between the resort operator and the customer needs to be worked. The base resort is losing revenue from onsite purchases when customers go elsewhere. In addition, existing customers are a more low-cost source of additional sales. Resorts that receive large numbers of visitors or swappers from other resorts have a vested interest in enticing them back. Developing a successful and valued relationship with customers is important for resort operators, regardless of the way the customers use the resort.
Timeshare operators need to adopt approaches to customers that are founded on the principles of relationship marketing. Such an approach starts with the generation of prospective customers through all the stages of the presentation, the closing deal, and previsit contacts, and throughout each and every visit. All contacts...
