Are All Of Their Salespeople This Bad?

[wesdaniel]

I used by EOY week at Royal Floridian (Spinnaker) last week and agreed to attend an "Owners Update." First time I've ever done it (I bought resale for $1 about 3 years ago).

So, the sales man was just ANGRY right out of the bat. While my sister and I were sitting in his "office" laughing about the ridiculous "hot breakfast" (a chafing dish of pancakes, 3 boxes of donuts and a couple of half used tubs of cream cheese - for what, I'm not sure), I glanced down at my watch. He walked in as I did and said, "Am I keeping you from something?" I replied that they were running about 20 minutes late for our appointment and I just wanted to move things along.

He was completely unprepared (told me that he saw that I had been an owner there for a "very long time," to which I replied 3 years and he said, "to us, that's a long time"), he was rude and he was loud. Oh, and, on top of all that, he was wearing the most horrendous fake Rolex I've ever seen in my life.

Does anybody like this actually make any sales? It seems to me that, even in sleazy sales, the objective would be to start by establishing a rapport with your customer and then to apply pressure. Are they all this bad? Are they trained to be confrontational out of the box for some reason?

 

[rickandcindy23]

Don't know about Spinnaker, but I have experienced angry salesmen from the first moment we started. One guy was angry at his girlfriend and told his personal life story. I could have screamed, I was so sick of the guy. That was 1997 at Vistana. Todd was the guy's name. Hated the entire experience and couldn't wait to leave.

Another was so sweet as pie, it was also annoying. I could see the begging in his eyes, "Buy something today, so I can go home..."

 

[T_R_Oglodyte]

I believe there is a huge amount of turnover in the sales staff at a resort, with many people leaving after a short time when it becomes clear they don't have the requisite skills or aptitudes. Guys like the one you got are among the ones who don't stick around.

The ones who do stick around are very effective and professional sales people - and they make a lot of money because they sell a lot of product. And they don't sell product by insulting people and being unprofessional.

 

[jlr10]

We did the 'owner update' at Hanalei Bay a few years ago. When the salesperson found out we were owners he refused to talk to us anymore. He said we could just sit there for 90 minutes or sign that we wanted to leave but he wasn't there to provide updates on the resort only to sell timeshares. Very obnoxious.

 

[wesdaniel]

We did the 'owner update' at Hanalei Bay a few years ago. When the salesperson found out we were owners he refused to talk to us anymore. He said we could just sit there for 90 minutes or sign that we wanted to leave but he wasn't there to provide updates on the resort only to sell timeshares. Very obnoxious.

Yeah, the other thing was that he told us early that he wasn't there to sell us anything, that he was there to provide information to us as owners. I told him that I really didn't have any questions, so he said, "Don't you want to know about the $750,000 in special assessments that the board approved this year?" So, I replied, "Yeah, I didn't hear about that, tell me about it." To which, he replied, "I'm not allowed to discuss it."

The whole thing was just really surreal. Not even sure what to say about it.

 

[pjrose]

Yeah, the other thing was that he told us early that he wasn't there to sell us anything, that he was there to provide information to us as owners. I told him that I really didn't have any questions, so he said, "Don't you want to know about the $750,000 in special assessments that the board approved this year?" So, I replied, "Yeah, I didn't hear about that, tell me about it." To which, he replied, "I'm not allowed to discuss it."

The whole thing was just really surreal. Not even sure what to say about it.

That is crazy!

And no, we have never run into anyone that bad.
At our home resorts, The Royals, we NEVER NEVER have a problem. Sometimes when we exchange and go to an "update" or presentation at a different resort chain, they are kind of pushy, but still not that bad.

 

[1950bing]

Who is the person that gets credit for trashing the timeshare business by telling salespersons to tell any lie, make any promise to get a sale?
Just think what a good business it could have been. Maybe sales wouldn't be in the toilet if they were only honest. I purchased in '82 and still have a bitter taste in my mouth. I finally sold it. The concept is good, the presentation stinks.
I know all salesman are not the same but the business has had a black cloud over it since it began.