I have had several discussions this Wyndham lately. Since I had two issues, unrelated, that ended up created two cases. One case I got a survey and call back on. I had a lengthy conversation with them. Some about my issue they called about, some about just how VCs take calls, and trying to get a supervisor and then Owner Care in order to get a resolution I think I am owed. Some discussions were about their somewhat new edict to NOT be overly helpful to owners, but to follow explicitly all the rules of wyndham, as they will be audits by wyndham and they will be called to task if VC do not follow the rules. So if this is now the case I expect we will be having to go to owner care a lot more if we have issues.
Now honestly I have had NO issues with owner care, if you explain clearly, state your case, and explain what you want and why, I have always found them to usually be most accommodating and very timely. The only time there were delays was last september when all the problems came up with Pooling points and points showing as regular to us, but somehow getting un-associated with contracts(because of transaction activity) and were no longer eligible to be pooled. Owner care was slammed during that timeframe and that has been the only time they were not responsive on the day the call to owner care is made.
Now perhaps my experience with owner care is straight forward only because I track ALL my transactions and points inventory by each pool with Wyndham. Everyday I have transactions I go back the next day and screen capture the point status window and ensure the balance is what I expect. Since I have screen shots corresponding to everyday I have transactions it is pretty easy to get owner care to see what I am taking about and to agree with me and fix the problem. So perhaps my interactions with owner care are NOT typical. But with facts in hand owner care takes can be easy to deal with.
I have suggested to them that perhaps they need to have a bit of flexibility on their part with their treatment of owners. Everyone gets a pass or two, on specific items, under specific circumstances, it is noted on the owners account and why it was overridden. My example was the typo on the guest certificate. It should NOT having to take an 60 min or longer call, to have to finally get through everyone to then get to Owner Care to override Wyndham Systems from taking out an additional GC for each typo change, especially IF the account has done a GC exception had NOT been done that in the last 12 months.
I have suggested to Wyndham to they need to consider HOW they distinguish regular USE and thus allow for a little leeway in owner care, and how that is different from ABUSE. So what is USE vs ABUSE. Now USE is I call to correct an honest typo, I rarely make typos, but I made a honest mistake that I am trying to correct. Now ABUSE is more like I call and say I have a typo on first name but really I am changing the name completely, tomorrow I call again and say I have a typo but I am replacing the last name completely, as a way to change the GC with having to use another GC. In each case I am saying it is only a typo.
If there is NO tracking of exceptions by account, then there is NO way to tell the difference or monitor the trend by Wyndham. So what happens now is everyone is stuck in the strict Wyndham crackdown of All of the rules, and the attitude of live with it. Which in my opinion is an over reaction to no knowing what their VCs are doing or why. Especially if they suspected that some VCs were being nice and accommodating and perhaps even some VCs that perhaps were working in league with some mega renters, which indeed I do believe they did suspect. I do not know one way or another if this was ever proven to be true however.
If there is dated notes attached to the account when EXCEPTIONS are done, Wyndham can clearly see why the exception was made, who made it/approved it, and the date. They can then identify if there are trends by owners. Now here is the what wyndham can then control, what level of exceptions are allowed before the lockdown takes effect.
There always needs to be a balance of allowing overrides, but with controls. You need approval by supervisor (or Ower Care for some overrides) and exceptions are tracked, but it doesn't mean it should place undo burden on the owner in terms of time and frustration to fix.
I guess Wyndham is taking the Insurance industry model of Claims processing. Just deny every other claim, some people will call and fight it until they fix it, but others will try and give up or will just pay it because it is TOO much time and effort to fix. Thus it is MORE money in the pocket.
So I guess we will see, is Wyndham going to be the $$ is the only care, or is there some degree of Owner service still left inside Wyndham. There can be a bit of a balance, it doesn't have to be all about one or the other.