Is Madge OK?

[TUGBrian]

I have still had no contact with RCI...or Madge directly...in regards to this matter.

One would assume if they were discontinuing what they have done for many years, they would have said something about it at least privately.

This has not been the case.

I have to assume something else is going on, vs thinking they just packed up and left without saying a word.

 

[roadsister]

I viewed Madge's participation on this forum just as anyone elses who posted here....that she could end her posting when she wanted....I am sorry to see her go.....just as I was sorry to see II stop participating....they both brought another aspect to the forum in the form of everyday general knowledge.

Could be RCI is downsizing
Could be they are restructuring jobs and that was eliminated/combined with another.
Could be she retired
Could be she just got tired of it all
Could be she quit

Lots of reasons.

Bye Madge, and thank you

 

[Jya-Ning]

For whatever reason, if Madge does no longer participate in the forum, I would like to thank her for all the answers in those years, and wish her luck.

Jya-Ning

 

[pedro47]

I'm with Perry. When I first got into timesharing, I posted a few questions on Ask RCI and it helped me. I appreciated it. thanks Madge. I appreciated your contribution to TUG.

Any help from an expert inside a corporation is better then no advice/help at all.

Thanks Madge for your service to this website.

 

[Dani]

I haven’t used RCI Weeks for years but I do use RCI Points (and love it).
Somehow I keep ending up defending RCI and I seem to be doing it again.

RCI graciously allowed a spokesperson to participate in fielding questions here for quite a while. I don’t think that I ever asked her a question but would take the time to read her replies once in a while; thanks Madge.

I can’t apologize for anyone here but I did appreciate RCI’s efforts and I, for one, don’t consider her a “corporate mouthpiece” – thanks for your input; I, speaking for just myself, appreciated it.

P.S.
That goes for ANY developer or any organization connected with timeshares - if you send a spokesperson here to field questions some of us will appreciate it.

I agree with you. Whatever you think of RCI, at least they chose to participate in this forum on TUG. Having both RCI and II participate here was a great feather in TUG's cap and one that TUG can be proud of. It's amazing what an on-line community can achieve. Both representatives, Madge and Craig were always gracious. Thanks to both.

 

[Sydney]

If Madge or her department is reading this, I'd also like to extend my thanks for her participation here.

RCI did honestly try to resolve issues I had even though their attempts were not all that successful. It was good to know that some cared about members.

 

[Courts]

I have asked a couple questions of Madge and did appreciate her answers.

I do not think I could have done her job. After all, most of us really wanted to know the "secrets" of how RCI operates.

Most everybody here benefited from her knowledge, and on occasion there were a few "hot heads" but that is life I guess.


.

 

[Kona Lovers]

I, too, received pertinent information from Madge, and it was a prompt response I didn't have to wait long for. Best to you, Madge.

Marty

 

[EJC]

I very much appreciated Madge's presence on the TUG RCI forum. She graciously clarified issues ranging from 1-in-4 rules to one-plus-one weeks. If she didn't KNOW an answer, she'd go the extra mile to find the answer. Thank you, Madge, for all of your efforts. Hopefully RCI will see fit in the not too distant future to have either you or someone else represent RCI on TUG.

 

[Dottie]

Just in case Madge or RCI are watching, I would like to state that I very much appreciated Madge's helpfulness and knowledge. She was a terrific asset to TUG and most of us will sorely miss her but wish her well.

Dottie

 

[Keitht]

I have still had no contact with RCI...or Madge directly...in regards to this matter.

One would assume if they were discontinuing what they have done for many years, they would have said something about it at least privately.

This has not been the case.

I have to assume something else is going on, vs thinking they just packed up and left without saying a word.

But how long can you leave the membership here up in the air about the participation of RCI in 'Ask RCI'? People continue to post questions in the forum in the hope / expectation of a reply.
Doesn't there come a point where a forum specifically for asking questions of a company, when the company doesn't respond, becomes a liability and embarrassment?

 

[PerryM]

Hear hear...dis or miss?

But how long can you leave the membership here up in the air about the participation of RCI in 'Ask RCI'? People continue to post questions in the forum in the hope / expectation of a reply.
Doesn't there come a point where a forum specifically for asking questions of a company, when the company doesn't respond, becomes a liability and embarrassment?

Although I like the RCI spokesperson concept, how long does it take to realize an insult?

So RCI, is this a dis or a miss? (I'm going to guess a dis myself; and assume the words "Payback" are rolling around the heads at RCI)

That's perfectly ok with me.

 

[Bill4728]

Brain ( tug improvements) said he would let us all know by this Friday to give RCI time to explain.

 

[roadsister]

I wish II would have someone participate here again along with RCI....both were great for allowing someone from their companies to do so.....guess it's just a thing of the past.
I wouldn't consider it a dis or an insult....I didn't when II stopped either....those companies have their own priorities for which they pay people's salaries for job tasks.

We will miss RCI just like we miss II's participation here. Both provided valuable information to many

 

[bnoble]

If I were RCI, I'd've abandoned TUG too. 3/4 of the ask RCI traffic was nothing more than brow-beating, and despite RCI's participation, you couldn't swing a dead cat around here without hitting someone who would tell you to abandon RCI and go to the independents.

Then again, I learned more about how RCI actually works from that forum than anywhere else. So, I'm glad they stuck it out as long as they did.

 

[JLB]

That is the risk of participating in Internet forums, for companies or for any of us, that someone will decide to make you their personal punching bag, likely something they would not do in person.

I have encouraged some companies whom I thought folks took cheap shots at to post some factual information on their behalf. None have yet. They are smart. I doubt that any businesses have suffered because they did not post on TUG.

I have found that most times when you try to further explain yourself on the Internet, those who like to take pot shots just make it worse.

If I were RCI, I'd've abandoned TUG too. 3/4 of the ask RCI traffic was nothing more than brow-beating, and despite RCI's participation, you couldn't swing a dead cat around here without hitting someone who would tell you to abandon RCI and go to the independents.

Then again, I learned more about how RCI actually works from that forum than anywhere else. So, I'm glad they stuck it out as long as they did.

 

[JLB]

I can see both sides of this fence.

What would be nice is forums that explain how the exchange companies really work, not how the exchange companies say they work.

Much of the company line, whether it is RCI-speak or II-speak, is a disservice to their customers, especially the newer ones, but I also understand why they cannot be forthright.

After 20 years of timesharing, being actively involved in it almost every day, it is frustrating to have someone who was just hired off an ad and who's knowledge came from a training class pretend to give you advice. But that's the way it is.

The ice is getting thin, so I will be edging back toward shore.

What we may miss, if it is the case, is that having TUG or Madge in the Subject Line expedited inquiries to Feedback@RCI.

 

[TUGBrian]

Well as stated earlier...I was hoping to have some information to give you by the end of the week.

Sadly...I have no new information to give you.

all of my emails privately to Madge and feedback@rci.com have gone unanswered, I sent yet another one this afternoon in a last ditch attempt to at least get some sort of final answer...but nothing. (even put TUG in the subject line..ha)

We will have to assume that RCI has decided to discontinue their particpation on the TUGBBS "Ask RCI" forum (although madge has logged in quite a few times since her last post...latest time just a few days ago). We will rename the forum to something appropriate as there is far too much good information in there to remove or attempt to migrate into other forums topic by topic.

Have not yet decided on the name, open to suggestions!

I really would have hoped that someone would have at least sent us an email letting us know that they were ceasing to participate...vs just disappearing for good and leaving it up in the air.

I will post an announcement in the Ask RCI forum as well to inform people posting there that may not read this note.

 

[Aldo]

I understand that RCI is feeling the pressure from the class action lawsuit, and that thousands of emails outlining similar complaints have been received by the attorneys in the case, which has allowed them to overcome the lack of discovery.

Largely, this mass of evidence has been accumulated via the efforts of those on TUG and other timeshare related websites.

So, the ripoff artists at RCI have decided to take their ball and go home. Good riddance. Madge was nothing but a mouthpiece and a shrill for the RCI baloney anyway. Not like she ever gave a straight answer.

I'd like to give her the benefit of the doubt and say that maybe Madge got tired of telling RCI lies to thousands of people every week, and no one wanted to replace her. But I doubt it; obviously all Madge ever did was repeat the official RCI line of baloney; anyone could do that.

So, boo hoo hoo for RCI.

Stop raiding the Spacebank, and we can all be friends again.:rofl:

 

[Aldo]

If I were RCI, I'd've abandoned TUG too. 3/4 of the ask RCI traffic was nothing more than brow-beating, and despite RCI's participation, you couldn't swing a dead cat around here without hitting someone who would tell you to abandon RCI and go to the independents.

Then again, I learned more about how RCI actually works from that forum than anywhere else. So, I'm glad they stuck it out as long as they did.

If RCI dealt fair and square with their members in the first place, that never would've gotten that bad.

Check out the DAE board. Nothing but nice things and constructive comments. Why? DAE plays it fair and square with their members, that's why.

 

[Lee B]

Have not yet decided on the name, open to suggestions!

It could be Ask About RCI, where TUGgers try to answer the same kinds of questions that Madge would answer. It may take a moderator who filters out the nasty questions and permits only answers that really attempt to give the company direction, rather than assuming the worst of them.

After RCI sees answers to questions that miss the mark, maybe they will see fit to return an ambassador.

 

[Carolinian]

It could be Ask About RCI, where TUGgers try to answer the same kinds of questions that Madge would answer. It may take a moderator who filters out the nasty questions and permits only answers that really attempt to give the company direction, rather than assuming the worst of them.

After RCI sees answers to questions that miss the mark, maybe they will see fit to return an ambassador.

Ah! ''Timeshare correctness'', something akin to ''political correctness''; something that has nothing at all to do with being factual or not, but only of having what some view as the ''correct'' attitude or opinion.

 

[Aldo]

It could be Ask About RCI, where TUGgers try to answer the same kinds of questions that Madge would answer. It may take a moderator who filters out the nasty questions and permits only answers that really attempt to give the company direction, rather than assuming the worst of them.

After RCI sees answers to questions that miss the mark, maybe they will see fit to return an ambassador.

That wouldn't work.

Saying things like:

"Stop raiding the Spacebank," and "Stop raising your fees 10% a year," and "Stop giving salesperson pitch information that says you can trade for anyplace, anytime," and other such criminal, greedy, or systematically deceptive practices ARE real attempts to give the company direction, and are reflections of REALITY, rather than assumptions of the worst.

And questions like this get to the heart of the problems people have with RCI...they are criminal, greedy, and deceptive...but they wouldn't be allowed under your nicey-nice scheme.

 

[Aldo]

The face of the matter is that Cendant has always been real sensitive about internet message boards.

Remember when the YAHOO board got shut down completely for many months?

Consider the LONG long list of class actions Cendant in involved in. Wyndham, Fairfield, Century 21, and of course RCI. And consider that these internet boards are the main way now that these classes develop and share information.


Consider as well how that messages posted to internet boards can be and have been subpoenaed and entered into evidence.


Now, suppose you were RCI, and engaged in a systematic and continued campaign to deceive timeshare owners with regards to your raiding of the Spacebank. Would you want to leave evidence of such a systematic deception campaign around on the internet for everyone to see and enter as evidence with regards to your practices?

 

[Laurie]

I'm sorry to see Madge disappear... I'm sure she was a real person who did have a desire to give the best possible customer service at heart, within the confines of what RCI would allow, in terms of information. She knew more about RCI than most guides you'll ever get on the phone, always handled questions professionally, and researched those she didn't know, and came back to respond - again, within the confines of what she was allowed. I did appreciate this, and I did learn some things about RCI from her posts over the years, as did most of us who combed thru the posts. Thank you Madge!

I'm pretty sure, based on my observations of her, that it wouldn't have been her choice to disappear in this fashion, without a word.

IMO, this underscores my observations of RCI as well - that excellent and consistent customer service is not only not a priority, it's not very high up their list at all, and may not even be on their list - and you just have to wonder why RCI doesn't get it that good customer would help rather than hurt their bottom line. If they didn't want to keep paying salary to someone to participate on this board, why not at least be courteous to their members and end it professionally??

I'm also betting that RCI's crystal ball predicts that as their company policies become continually less and less defensible, Madge would be having to field more and more hostility here, which RCI management doesn't want to pay for. Specifically, I'm referring to rentals of prime time exchange deposited inventory into Weeks, since what many here have suspected and complained about is becoming just too apparent for anyone to really fall for their company line. Just go search on Extra Vacations for prime summer dates, anywhere in the world.

I'm repeating what some others have said, but wanted to thank Madge for doing as much as she could here. Madge, I hope you get promoted into upper management there, where you can have some really major influence on company policy as it relates to customer service! I believe that RCI and shareholders would benefit from that - at the bottom line.