New Personal Best...

[jlm77]

Was invited to a HGVC promo package trip to New York City. We took the trip this past weekend and had a great time. Of course, as part of the promo, you are required to go to the presentation. We were in and out in 26 minutes. Agent said they are required to keep us for 1 hour, but since there was nothing they could do for me they gave us our gifts and sent us on our way.

 

[Helios]

Was invited to a HGVC promo package trip to New York City. We took the trip this past weekend and had a great time. Of course, as part of the promo, you are required to go to the presentation. We were in and out in 26 minutes. Agent said they are required to keep us for 1 hour, but since there was nothing they could do for me they gave us our gifts and sent us on our way.

Amazing, congrats. What did you say so they would let you go that quick?

 

[CalGalTraveler]

Was invited to a HGVC promo package trip to New York City. We took the trip this past weekend and had a great time. Of course, as part of the promo, you are required to go to the presentation. We were in and out in 26 minutes. Agent said they are required to keep us for 1 hour, but since there was nothing they could do for me they gave us our gifts and sent us on our way.

That is awesome. We recently went on a Vegas presentation. Front desk person said they were busy with Thanksgiving so would be 60 min most likely less. Once we hit 60 min. we asked if we could go and it took another hour with delays of going to the back office, VIP presentation and presenting offers. (The offer was worse than one we received 8 months ago.) We even stood up to signal that we wanted to leave.

The sales rep claimed he was the most experienced in the office but "I don't want to pressure you." Yeah, um right.

 

[jlm77]

I had just closed on a resale about a month ago. Of course I had this booked before the resale had closed. So I told them I just made a purchase. I got the speech that it would not quality for elite, which I said I understood.

She told me to enjoy the view and the free snacks they provide. She said she would check the inventory and come back with an offer about trading in our first package, which she never did. They then dismissed us and gave us our gifts.

 

[Tamaradarann]

We Beat 26 minutes

Was invited to a HGVC promo package trip to New York City. We took the trip this past weekend and had a great time. Of course, as part of the promo, you are required to go to the presentation. We were in and out in 26 minutes. Agent said they are required to keep us for 1 hour, but since there was nothing they could do for me they gave us our gifts and sent us on our way.

We have been to many HGVC presentations to receive gifts without buying and usually have to spend the 60 or 90 minutes that they require to hear their various sales pitches. A few years ago we went to one of the "Owners Updates" that they have at a HGVC Resort that we booked with points in order to receive $200 in Resort Dollars as a gift. The salesman was someone who we had before at that resort. When he saw us he brought us into his office, didn't sit down, handed us an envelope with our gift, and said he new we were resale owners and he wasn't going to waste time on us. He was going golfing.

I don't know how long it took but that was the quickest presentation we ever had. It probably was about 5 minutes max.

 

[T-Dot-Traveller]

How 'bout this - from a different era and biz.

When I was a kid -the parish I lived in had a priest we called "mumbles".
He could easily do a Sunday Mass in under a half hour - and I think his "record"
may have been 22 minutes ( short sermon )

He was a golfer too - and as I recall his masses were well attended

------
Good TS sales stories .

 

[brp]

We've done like 45 minutes and that seemed fast. This is damned impressive

Cheers.

 

[raygo123]

Having lived in the city, the parking lot was hardly big enough to fit all the cars in like sardines. Row by row, bumper to bumper. The masses started on the hour so all the cars had to be out before the next mass. So mass was finished well before 45 minutes. By the Communion, the church was half empty, as well as about the first 4 rows of the lot. First in first out, and they got the good seats in the back of the church. A win win lol.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

 

[cds62]

Got you beat!!

My wife and I did the update at Elara in Vegas. We were in and out in 10 minutes. The sales rep looked at our information and saw that we have owned since 1994 and have not done any upgrades and said they had a lot of guests and he knew we wouldn't buy. We got the promised gift and were out the door. Easiest and quickest one we have ever done.

 

[Tamaradarann]

Attending Updates and Sales Representatives Reactions

My wife and I did the update at Elara in Vegas. We were in and out in 10 minutes. The sales rep looked at our information and saw that we have owned since 1994 and have not done any upgrades and said they had a lot of guests and he knew we wouldn't buy. We got the promised gift and were out the door. Easiest and quickest one we have ever done.

I will not challenge you on whether you update was quicker than the one we attended where the sales representative didn't even sit down but just gave us the gift.

However, what I am surprised at was that your sales Rep didn't even try to interest you in a upgrade or purchasing more points or something. Our Sales Representative had us a couple of years before and remembered us so he knew that he wasted his time with his spiel once and wasn't going to try again. WE have been to many presentations where they know we bought resale but they still tried to sell us since they didn't know us.

 

[PassionForTravel]

It just astounds me that people who bought on the resale market even get invited to the presentation with a bribe. I don't see how they could be converting that many people to make the expense of the bribe worthwhile. Every time I'm invited I'm shocked that they aren't filtering on that I bought resale.

Ian

 

[Helios]

It just astounds me that people who bought on the resale market even get invited to the presentation with a bribe. I don't see how they could be converting that many people to make the expense of the bribe worthwhile. Every time I'm invited I'm shocked that they aren't filtering on that I bought resale.

Ian

I think they don't screen people. The people inviting get a commission for making the appointment, not for making an appointment for a person who is a likely buyer.

Also, once they have you at the sales pitch, they get to their magic. You can't see their magic if you are not at the show. For resale owners, they pitch the Elite path by selling more and taking what you own.

That's just my take.

 

[PassionForTravel]

That's my point. Why don't they screen. I would think their conversion rate would be much lower for people who have bought resale than those who haven't. They are paying extra commission to people doing the signing up and more in bribes to us.

Maybe I'm wrong and they get a higher conversion rate than I think. Although I suspect not given the OP experience and my last one at Starwood. He knew I was resale, asked if we had any questions, told us what he could offer and sent us on our way. We were out in about 20 minutes (would have been less if I hadn't asked questions about Nanea). Seems like a very inefficient process.

Ian

 

[Tamaradarann]

The Rules are vague, but they have Stopped Inviting US

It just astounds me that people who bought on the resale market even get invited to the presentation with a bribe. I don't see how they could be converting that many people to make the expense of the bribe worthwhile. Every time I'm invited I'm shocked that they aren't filtering on that I bought resale.

Ian

Over the years we have been told that we can't be invited. A few years ago we were told that since we got 5 gifts from HGVC that we couldn't go to a presentation and get a gift. So we declined anyone who tried to give us an invitation with the reason that we had 5 gifts already.

A few years later we stayed in the Rainbow Tower of the HHV for a couple of nights before one of our timeshare reservations. We were told that we could get a gift so we went to a presentation and received a gift.

Since then we were told that since we are resale owners we can't go to presentations any longer and receive gifts. I don't know if that is just because we are resale owners or because we have now received 6 gifts and are resale owners.

Last year one of the people off property in Honolulu tried to sell us on a HGVC timeshare presentation. We told her that we couldn't get a gift because we were resale owners. She didn't believe us so she tried to book the presentation and was told that we were right. We can't receive anymore gifts. That is at least true right now …….but

 

[CalGalTraveler]

Over the years we have been told that we can't be invited. A few years ago we were told that since we got 5 gifts from HGVC that we couldn't go to a presentation and get a gift. So we declined anyone who tried to give us an invitation with the reason that we had 5 gifts already.

Since then we were told that since we are resale owners we can't go to presentations any longer and receive gifts. I don't know if that is just because we are resale owners or because we have now received 6 gifts and are resale owners.

Last year one of the people off property in Honolulu tried to sell us on a HGVC timeshare presentation. We told her that we couldn't get a gift because we were resale owners. She didn't believe us so she tried to book the presentation and was told that we were right. We can't receive anymore gifts. That is at least true right now …….but

So the options to this are:

1) If you can be strong go to the presentations when the gift is worth your time - get out as quickly as possible (consider the gift as a token ROI on what was overpaid in retail.)

2) Get 5 gifts or buy resale so they leave you alone - now that's an interesting idea...

 

[frank808]

We cannot got a presentation at hhv and be gifted. We were told that because we were resale huyers we did not qualify. I wonder if this is different at other hgvc properties?

 

[Carlsbadguy]

I am not even sure if they always know you are a resale buyer. I went to one presentation where the only info they had was the original sale date and original sales price.

 

[TheCryptkeeper]

I've gone to a couple of these owner's updates at W. 57th Street, the most recent one last week. The sales person immediately noted that I purchased both my timeshares resale and asked what I wanted to know. I was out of there in less than five minutes and without the gift promised. But that's okay, because I won't go to another update.

Updates are nothing more than useless sales tactics. Any information I might possibly garner from them, I could obtain more quickly and accurately here on TUG and elsewhere on the web.

Honestly, Hilton Corporation and I each have more valuable uses for our time. I guess we're wise to each other.

 

[Tamaradarann]

There are sharp salespeople and less sharp salespeople

I am not even sure if they always know you are a resale buyer. I went to one presentation where the only info they had was the original sale date and original sales price.

Over the last 6 years at all the presentations we have gone to at an HGVC resort they have known that we are resales owners. Even though they know we are resale owners they still try to sell us or at least get us to upgrade what we own to get a Higher Elite Status. In the past we did see some salespeople just look at the original sales price and date and disregard the resale stuff; I don't know if they knew we bought resale or were just ignoring it. For Timeshare Sales People RESALE is the worst curse word that you can say.

 

[PassionForTravel]

Sounds like maybe they are starting to get smarter and filtering out resale. That's great news to me, they will stop bothering me. We haven't stayed using our points since last April and I don't remember if they asked me then. I know that we would have refused since we were only at HHV for 3 nights.

I've also noticed that a couple of times when checking in at Worldmark we haven't been invited maybe WYN is getting smarter to.

Ian

 

[dominidude]

Was invited to a HGVC promo package trip to New York City. We took the trip this past weekend and had a great time. Of course, as part of the promo, you are required to go to the presentation. We were in and out in 26 minutes. Agent said they are required to keep us for 1 hour, but since there was nothing they could do for me they gave us our gifts and sent us on our way.

What was the promo package, and how did you get an invite?

 

[jlm77]

HGVC calls from time to time. They offered 3 days/2 nights in NYC or I believe Vegas was the other choice. NYC is within driving distance, so we took that option. Cost was $349 (tax included), so essentially $150 per night, at one of several hilton properties. (unfortunately, the hotel is assigned based on availability and I didn't have a choice.) They booked us at the Doubletree on Lexington Ave. The presentation was at they Hilton on Ave of the Americas. Our gifts included $150 in gift certificates good at a number of restaurants in the area.. We also got a $200 Hilton voucher, which is like a rebate that has to be used with a stay within 6 months.