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New Wyndham Website: feedback on pros/cons for formal submission to Wyndham

Eric B

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My perspective on the mobile v. desktop issue is that I will likely rely heavily on using my desktop. This is because I have multiple means of getting reservations at some places (e.g., Wyndham and WorldMark accounts that are "priced" differently, as well as the various exchange systems). Because I have as many TS as I've got, I track my planning and usage of the weeks and points in order to avoid paying more for a vacation than I would otherwise need to and to avoid forgetting to use something I've already paid for. At this point, I don't believe I can do that on a smart phone and I don't anticipate anyone building an app that would help.
 

Cyrus24

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We have a specific ask from the VP we're working with at Wyndham on these improvements
Why did the VP's not ask regular users what they thought of the new website BEFORE they rolled it out? It seems they should have since this rollout so grossly missed the mark in regard to the Calendar and for those who use Laptops for browsing and booking. I've attempted to use my phone an equal amount with the laptop since this thing was dropped in our laps. It's not better than before, the laptop is still easier to use. Wyndham really needs to understand the demographics of it's customers. Older people like laptops when relaxing in the recliner and smartphones when on the go. Laptops are much easier to type on, much easier to see and require less movement (wrist, elbow, shoulder) to use. There should be some ADA accommodations made.

Appreciate the stats. Wyndham should have done this correctly and not rolled out a flawed and buggy hot mess without a lot more testing. I am glad to know that they listened to our complaints.
 

Richelle

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Why did the VP's not ask regular users what they thought of the new website BEFORE they rolled it out? It seems they should have since this rollout so grossly missed the mark in regard to the Calendar and for those who use Laptops for browsing and booking. I've attempted to use my phone an equal amount with the laptop since this thing was dropped in our laps. It's not better than before, the laptop is still easier to use. Wyndham really needs to understand the demographics of it's customers. Older people like laptops when relaxing in the recliner and smartphones when on the go. Laptops are much easier to type on, much easier to see and require less movement (wrist, elbow, shoulder) to use. There should be some ADA accommodations made.

Appreciate the stats. Wyndham should have done this correctly and not rolled out a flawed and buggy hot mess without a lot more testing. I am glad to know that they listened to our complaints.
They did actually get user input. They choose owners who tested the site and gave their thoughts. I missed the calendar deal because I was taking the steps the researcher asked me to take. She asked me to do a booking. Since there is more availability because people are canceling, I was able to book the week I was testing. Had it come back with no availability, I would have had a reason to look for the calendar. If this were normal circumstances, the missing calendar would have been caught. I mentioned that I should have had more time to poke around. It would have given me more opportunities to find the bugs I may have missed the first go around. It would be nice to do it without a researcher looking over your shoulder and directing on what to do. I understand why they do it that way, but we should have time to play with it without interference.

Yes, there are many who use desktops and laptops, but more and more people are using their mobile devices. They have to go with the trend. Not to say they ignore the desktop webpage, but their goal was to make it more mobile friendly because as time passes, more and more people will be using their mobile devices. I personally don’t have any issues booking on the mobile site.
 

comicbookman

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They did actually get user input. They choose owners who tested the site and gave their thoughts. I missed the calendar deal because I was taking the steps the researcher asked me to take. She asked me to do a booking. Since there is more availability because people are canceling, I was able to book the week I was testing. Had it come back with no availability, I would have had a reason to look for the calendar. If this were normal circumstances, the missing calendar would have been caught. I mentioned that I should have had more time to poke around. It would have given me more opportunities to find the bugs I may have missed the first go around. It would be nice to do it without a researcher looking over your shoulder and directing on what to do. I understand why they do it that way, but we should have time to play with it without interference.

Yes, there are many who use desktops and laptops, but more and more people are using their mobile devices. They have to go with the trend. Not to say they ignore the desktop webpage, but their goal was to make it more mobile friendly because as time passes, more and more people will be using their mobile devices. I personally don’t have any issues booking on the mobile site.
so what you are saying is they didn't ask users to check out the new website in advance, they had users run through a series of researcher determined steps or procedures. Mainly a waste of time to be able to say to their bosses, "hey users like what we like"
 

HitchHiker71

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My perspective on the mobile v. desktop issue is that I will likely rely heavily on using my desktop. This is because I have multiple means of getting reservations at some places (e.g., Wyndham and WorldMark accounts that are "priced" differently, as well as the various exchange systems). Because I have as many TS as I've got, I track my planning and usage of the weeks and points in order to avoid paying more for a vacation than I would otherwise need to and to avoid forgetting to use something I've already paid for. At this point, I don't believe I can do that on a smart phone and I don't anticipate anyone building an app that would help.

That makes perfect sense because it sounds like you are effectively a timeshare "power user" and have other processes that are desktop dependent that you rely on to manage your timeshare ownerships. Interesting that you mention an actual app - I know they are also evaluating the feasibility of an actual mobile app and what functionalities for an app would be useful for owners? Feedback is requested.
 

Eric B

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My thoughts on desirable features for a mobile app:
1. Reservation functionality similar to the web site (once it truly works)
a. Simple way to find resorts. The old one had a list you could choose from; currently you have to search for the name and that doesn't really work all that well. For example, it's about impossible to find the actual page for the Limetree Beach Resort; when you search it gives you a few hundred other options that aren't the resort.
b. Easy way to do everything that would be a transaction (reserve a stay, add a guest, RCI, PDF, etc.).
2. Useful information for the individual resorts, i.e., mapping with gps interface to get to parking, pools, etc. Information on restaurants at the resort for ones that have them (menus, hours, reservations, room service orders if they do those, etc.).
3. Transportation assistance to get to resort, e.g., mapping again, info on local area mass transit so I don't have to ask google if I just want to get a bus from the airport.
4. Check in/out functionality - could be limited to VIPs if desired as long as it includes VIPG (i.e., me)

That's just a preliminary list, of course. Vidanta has one that is fairly decent for some of their resorts, but the needs there are somewhat different than at Wyndham since it's not a points system and the resorts are larger and more complex. It might be worth a separate thread to collect others' thoughts.
 

HitchHiker71

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so what you are saying is they didn't ask users to check out the new website in advance, they had users run through a series of researcher determined steps or procedures. Mainly a waste of time to be able to say to their bosses, "hey users like what we like"

@Richelle became involved late in the process and was only included in the final testing phase - not the earlier test phases. There were 12 focus groups for functional testing during the design phases. Remember, MVP was used, and anyone actually understands what that means, isn't in any way surprised by how this website rollout is being managed. The good news is with agile scrum and two week sprints - we can expect relatively constant fixes and enhancements to the user experience moving forward.
 
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Eric B

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@Richelle became involved late in the process and was only included in the final testing phase - not the earlier test phases. There were 12 focus groups for functional testing during the design phases. Remember, MVP was used, and anyone actually understands what that means, isn't in any way surprised by how this website rollout is being managed. The good news is with agile scrum and two week sprints - we can expect relatively constant changes to the user experience moving forward.

... relatively constant changes or improvements?
 

HitchHiker71

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My thoughts on desirable features for a mobile app:
1. Reservation functionality similar to the web site (once it truly works)
a. Simple way to find resorts. The old one had a list you could choose from; currently you have to search for the name and that doesn't really work all that well. For example, it's about impossible to find the actual page for the Limetree Beach Resort; when you search it gives you a few hundred other options that aren't the resort.
b. Easy way to do everything that would be a transaction (reserve a stay, add a guest, RCI, PDF, etc.).
2. Useful information for the individual resorts, i.e., mapping with gps interface to get to parking, pools, etc. Information on restaurants at the resort for ones that have them (menus, hours, reservations, room service orders if they do those, etc.).
3. Transportation assistance to get to resort, e.g., mapping again, info on local area mass transit so I don't have to ask google if I just want to get a bus from the airport.
4. Check in/out functionality - could be limited to VIPs if desired as long as it includes VIPG (i.e., me)

That's just a preliminary list, of course. Vidanta has one that is fairly decent for some of their resorts, but the needs there are somewhat different than at Wyndham since it's not a points system and the resorts are larger and more complex. It might be worth a separate thread to collect others' thoughts.

Got it and thanks for the prompt feedback. I will start a separate feature list to capture features and enhancements for a mobile app. :cool:
 

HitchHiker71

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Rolltydr

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They did actually get user input. They choose owners who tested the site and gave their thoughts. I missed the calendar deal because I was taking the steps the researcher asked me to take. She asked me to do a booking. Since there is more availability because people are canceling, I was able to book the week I was testing. Had it come back with no availability, I would have had a reason to look for the calendar. If this were normal circumstances, the missing calendar would have been caught. I mentioned that I should have had more time to poke around. It would have given me more opportunities to find the bugs I may have missed the first go around. It would be nice to do it without a researcher looking over your shoulder and directing on what to do. I understand why they do it that way, but we should have time to play with it without interference.

Yes, there are many who use desktops and laptops, but more and more people are using their mobile devices. They have to go with the trend. Not to say they ignore the desktop webpage, but their goal was to make it more mobile friendly because as time passes, more and more people will be using their mobile devices. I personally don’t have any issues booking on the mobile site.
I’m 65 and I almost always use my iPad to access the site. Actually, I use it for almost everything and have ever since I bought my first one about 10 years ago. I also have a Macbook and an iPhone. I will occasionally use my laptop if I happen to be at my desk but that isn’t normally the case. I’m almost always in the recliner or in the sunroom and I always have my iPad with me. Personally, I would have preferred they build a mobile app for the mobile devices and used the full website for the laptop only because I don’t like using the browser on the iPhone. The upgrade did improve that greatly but I will still use my iPad most of the time because it is my device of choice.

I’m glad they have improved the performance on all the devices and I appreciate Hitchhiker and Richelle for representing the TUG community. Sure, there are some bugs to work out as there always are. However, I see a lot of improvements already and it sounds like they are going to be quick to react to feedback and fix problems. That was never the case with Voyager.
 

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@Richelle became involved late in the process and was only included in the final testing phase - not the earlier test phases. There were 12 focus groups for functional testing during the design phases. Remember, MVP was used, and anyone actually understands what that means, isn't in any way surprised by how this website rollout is being managed. The good news is with agile scrum and two week sprints - we can expect relatively constant fixes and enhancements to the user experience moving forward.
I am not picking on Richelle in any way. Clearly the focus groups were not made up of Tug users. Saying that because they used MVP we should not be surprised, is just making excuses for shoddy work. If a contractor working for my utility put out a piece of software for us to use in this state, they would never work for us again. Your agile scrum excuse covers the calendar and a few missing features, but not things like the point deposit not working. The level of dysfunction is inexcusable. I hope they have offered you a large contract for all the work you are doing correcting their mistakes and shear laziness. At the very least a contribution to TUG is on order.
 

Cyrus24

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but their goal was to make it more mobile friendly because as time passes, more and more people will be using their mobile devices.
They have a LOT of work to do to get me to move, permanently, away from the laptop. A LOT of work. Regarding the testing, they really did not let you 'test' it. I guess they lied about that when they said it was tested. As you noted, it really was not tested. Appreciate that tidbit of information.
 

Richelle

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so what you are saying is they didn't ask users to check out the new website in advance, they had users run through a series of researcher determined steps or procedures. Mainly a waste of time to be able to say to their bosses, "hey users like what we like"

It's not uncommon for companies to focus on certain areas during their product testing. Someone else involved in that study may have tested a different area. One hour is not a lot of time to poke around the website, but many people don't want to dedicate more than an hour, so they have to make the most of it. They use various tools to determine where people go, what features they use, what device they are using, etc. So in order to get the most bang for your hour, they have to focus on the most used areas. So in order to test what they wanted me to test, they directed me.
 

Richelle

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They have a LOT of work to do to get me to move, permanently, away from the laptop. A LOT of work. Regarding the testing, they really did not let you 'test' it. I guess they lied about that when they said it was tested. As you noted, it really was not tested. Appreciate that tidbit of information.

They will likely never go away from laptops or desktops. They are putting more focus on mobile devices, but they are not trying to do away with laptops.
 

Richelle

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Read CHAOS.

I'm guessing you don't work in change management? If you did, you would know what true chaos looked like when it comes to website rollouts. Anyone who has worked in change management or auditing has dealt with at least one department or company that they deemed the wild west. That means they fly by the seat of their pants, make changes whenever, let developers have access to prod, and do little if any testing on their own. This is not it. From your perspective, it may seem that way because you cannot see beyond the issues you are having. You see it as chaos because you've had issues, and other people here and on the Facebook groups screamed they have issues. It's easy to think that it's a mess. Who you don't hear from are the people who like the site or at a minimum, don't have any issues with it. Partly because the people who are angry will attack others who disagree with them. I see that mostly on Facebook. The other reason is people don't feel the need to sing praises because someone did their job. They did what is expected of them. People are more likely to complain, then compliment, and some people just hate change, even if it's for the better. They will hate the change no matter what. Love it or hate it, the issues they have dealt with are a cakewalk compared to the Voyager roll out.
 

Richelle

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I am not picking on Richelle in any way. Clearly the focus groups were not made up of Tug users. Saying that because they used MVP we should not be surprised, is just making excuses for shoddy work. If a contractor working for my utility put out a piece of software for us to use in this state, they would never work for us again. Your agile scrum excuse covers the calendar and a few missing features, but not things like the point deposit not working. The level of dysfunction is inexcusable. I hope they have offered you a large contract for all the work you are doing correcting their mistakes and shear laziness. At the very least a contribution to TUG is on order.

The value in MVP is that you don't waste resources or your program fee money developing features no one wants or uses. Obviously they missed the mark on the Calendar, and there may be a reason they left out the floor plans initially. I am not sure what takes to load thousands of floor plans into the system on top of everything else that had to get moved over. The contractor may have given you the option but would have done what you would have wanted, provided you'd be willing to pay for it. Many companies do MVP because it saves money and reduces the junk that gets moved to the new system.

Edit: I found the comment you made about getting an error when you tried to deposit points. How many do you know of, have gotten "An error has occurred" (or something of that nature)?
 
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Cyrus24

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I'm guessing you don't work in change management? If you did, you would know what true chaos looked like when it comes to website rollouts. Anyone who has worked in change management or auditing has dealt with at least one department or company that they deemed the wild west. That means they fly by the seat of their pants, make changes whenever, let developers have access to prod, and do little if any testing on their own. This is not it. From your perspective, it may seem that way because you cannot see beyond the issues you are having. You see it as chaos because you've had issues, and other people here and on the Facebook groups screamed they have issues. It's easy to think that it's a mess. Who you don't hear from are the people who like the site or at a minimum, don't have any issues with it. Partly because the people who are angry will attack others who disagree with them. I see that mostly on Facebook. The other reason is people don't feel the need to sing praises because someone did their job. They did what is expected of them. People are more likely to complain, then compliment, and some people just hate change, even if it's for the better. They will hate the change no matter what. Love it or hate it, the issues they have dealt with are a cakewalk compared to the Voyager roll out.
I think it's because I DID work in IT back during my working days. I also worked in Supply Chain Management and in other levels of management . You DO NOT roll out stuff that is only half baked, that does not address the full range of users/customers. Refer to the list created by Hitchhiker71. Regression items, Bugs. It's pathetic. I also read the facebook posts, I don't see people telling those that are happy that they are wrong. But I do see people telling the ones who feel betrayed by the developers that they are the ones that are wrong, not Wyndham. I hear it here, as well. The standard response is that it's a better mobile experience and that the laptop people need to get on the Mobile band wagon. Give me a Mobile program with gives me what I need, I'm all in. I use many more apps on my phone than I do use the corresponding webpage on my laptop. I can handle the mobile experience, but, to repeatedly defend Wyndham while talking down down the laptop experience and laptop user is wrong.

I very much respect and appreciate your help on many many many matters. But, I do not hate my smartphone, hate change, or hate the people who like the new system. It's about the fact that Wyndham delivered a crappy 'upgrade'. And, again, I refer to the list of regressions and bugs put together by hitchhiker71. Many versus few pros, several of which were clearly debatable.

I'm patiently waiting on the next set of releases. I bet they can't deliver as promised. If they do, I'll recognize the Wyndham VP's for getting it right, per their promise.
 

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UPDATED LIST FOR ONGOING TRACKING

The original list expired for editing so quoting it here and starting a new round of updates:

PROS
  1. It’s mobile device friendly - particularly for touch devices.
  2. The calendar is much easier to navigate for picking dates on touch devices - no more clicking arrows 10-12 times to book a year out.
  3. Search results come back MUCH faster - HUGE WIN
  4. Including other nearby resorts that are also available by default - gives more resort options when searching
  5. Checkbox for date flexibility that adds +/-3 days
  6. Seeing points values while searching across multiple resorts more easily and more quickly
  7. Owner Dashboard - has just about everything users should see at their fingertips

CONS:

IDTYPEDETAILPRIORITY
1RegressionLoss of the availability calendar for specific resort reservations, including the E, S, and P designations for the booking type for each day.CRITICAL
2RegressionLoss of all browse functions (vs search functions) - many users like to browse the list of resorts before having to enter search criteria - currently the website appears to require search criteria to facilitate browse functions. Add browse functions back to allow for resort browsing without required search criteria.HIGH
3RegressionNo floorplans (that I can find at least)HIGH
4RegressionNo way to exit current booking engine on mobile device - there’s a “continue” blue bar option but no “cancel” option and the browser back button appears to offer an exit option but then when trying to book again you get the “multiple transactions” error.CRITICAL
5RegressionCannot add points protection to an existing reservation (at least not that I can find).HIGH
6RegressionAccess to Maintenance Fee documents seems to have been removedMEDIUM - workaround available
7RegressionProvide the list of resorts in the search drop down box for browsing (as opposed to searching) - users want to be able to browse the data on resorts without having to perform date based availability searches.HIGH
8RegressionIf a specific resort doesn’t have availability when searching - please list the resort as unavailable for the date range(s) in scope.HIGH
9RegressionPoints calculator function is missingMEDIUM
10RegressionAdd the option to restrict an initial search by unit size/type similar to the capability that existed in the prior version of the web site. The 'Filter & Sort' function offers this option but not until the initial search is already executed. Extra clicks waste time when searching.MEDIUM
11RegressionKeyword searches in the Availability search boxes for resorts seem to have to include either "Wyndham" or "Club Wyndham" prefacing the resort name, such as "Wyndham Bonnet" to retrieve Bonnet Creek as a search hit. This behavior doesn't occur in the website search boxes in comparison - the availability search boxes should behave exactly as the website search boxes do specific to searching for resorts. Adjust the keyword files for all resorts to not have to include preface words like "Wyndham" or "Club Wyndham" so that "Bonnet" will immediately pull up "Bonnet Creek" as a search hit for example.HIGH
12RegressionAdd back the consolidated points history view that displays all points history on a single webpage - along with the supporting points breakdowns for each past reservation (to enable users to see which points from which buckets/use years were used for each reservation)MEDIUM
13RegressionLost option to book a 14 night reservation. 13 is the new maximum allowed right now - both desktop and mobileMEDIUM
14RegressionLost option to book a 7 night reservation at 13 months out - 6 days is the new maximum allowed right now - both desktop and mobileMEDIUM
15RegressionListing of booked resorts should display the person registered for check-in (whether owner or guest) for the the reservation as it did previouslyMEDIUM
16RegressionLost the ability for the map function to pan out to view all resorts at a national/international level. Currently the map only works at a state or multi-state regional level. Expand the map to allow resort display to national/international levels.MEDIUM
1BugAudit all URL links on the website to identify and remediate links that aren’t loading correctly (404 errors) - quite a few website links for points charts for example - don't function properly when launching into a new web browser tabHIGH
2BugCertain key functions - like the calendar view when searching for availability - are not sizing correctly on smartphones and tablets. Users report having to pinch the calendar to get the website to size properly within the current window.MEDIUM
3BugSmartphone calendar search only scrolls up to 11 months into the future (April 2021) - not 13 months. Desktop browsers appear to work fine though.HIGH
4BugWhen searching resorts that have multiple buildings, if a single room is available - the building is not listed, however if multiple rooms are available - each room lists the building. A single search hit should also list the building.HIGH
1EnhancementAdd a checkbox for flexible duration when performing availability searches.HIGH
2EnhancementAdd the ability to search by regional or national options - northeast, southeast, southwest, Midwest, northwest, east/west, USA should all be options - especially given the search indexing issues seem to finally have been resolved - it would be nice to choose a date range and then see everything available in that rangeHIGH
3EnhancementAdd a “Exclude nearby resorts” checkbox for those who are only interested in seeing resort specific availability. This checkbox could then be used to show the availability calendar addressed in item one in this list.HIGH
4EnhancementAdd a points breakdown by two colors on the current points availability bar - points eligible for deposit vs points ineligible for deposit displayed via two different colors - along with supporting numerical values - to easily know how many current use year points must be used this year vs the points that are eligible for use year deposit.MEDIUM
5EnhancementAdd a "Search by Points" checkbox that will allow users to perform searches by input points allotment - if the user only has 230k points available - search and display only items that fall within the points allotment value specifiedMEDIUM
6EnhancementAdd a “next available” checkbox when searching a specific resort - this checkbox would iterate through each next available set of dates at that particular resortMEDIUM
7EnhancementAdd a “remember me” checkbox for sign-in credentials and save login credentials for future loginsHIGH
8EnhancementList a points breakdown in the owner points webpage for the current use year by points eligible for standard vs advance (ARP) bookings.MEDIUM
9EnhancementUpdate availability searches to only include Worldmark resorts if there is actually availability at that resort based upon actual search criteria.MEDIUM
10EnhancementAdd the same touch-based calendar scroll capability for all touch devices - not just smartphones. The search calendar function on smartphones utilizes a touch based scroll function - not arrows to move between the months - however tablets - which are also touch based - still require the arrows to move between the months - allow ALL touch-based devices to utilize the calendar scroll function - not just smartphones.MEDIUM
11EnhancementAdd a "Saved Searches" function - store and display the last five searches for the user in the drop down box when clicking into the Search boxes (whether the website search boxes or the availability search boxes). Consider adding a "Saved Searches" area to the Owner dashboard to manage these items.MEDIUM
12EnhancementFor VIP room upgrades - add a feature that allows for a selection of a category upgrade, room size upgrade, or both. For example, if an owner books a one bedroom deluxe - and chooses category upgrade only - if a one bedroom presidential is available - they can choose or receive that upgrade. Or if an owner chooses a one bedroom deluxe lower unit (in a tower), and chooses category upgrade only - if a one bedroom deluxe higher unit (in a tower) is available - they can choose or receive that upgrade.MEDIUM
1Mobile AppReservation functionality similar to the web site (once it truly works)
a. Simple way to find resorts. The old one had a list you could choose from; currently you have to search for the name and that doesn't really work all that well. For example, it's about impossible to find the actual page for the Limetree Beach Resort; when you search it gives you a few hundred other options that aren't the resort.
b. Easy way to do everything that would be a transaction (reserve a stay, add a guest, RCI, PDF, etc.).
TBD
2Mobile AppUseful information for the individual resorts, i.e., mapping with gps interface to get to parking, pools, etc. Information on restaurants at the resort for ones that have them (menus, hours, reservations, room service orders if they do those, etc.).TBD
3Mobile AppTransportation assistance to get to resort, e.g., mapping again, info on local area mass transit so I don't have to ask google if I just want to get a bus from the airport.TBD
4Mobile AppCheck in/out functionality - could be limited to VIPs if desired as long as it includes VIPG (i.e., me)TBD
 
Last edited:

HitchHiker71

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I just validated it. On the desktop and iPad. Can't check on iPhone because of the bug already on your list where you can't scroll down to the 13th month on mobile.

Items 13 and 14 on the regression list reflect these reported issues.
 

Cyrus24

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Very nice piece of work!!! Can't wait to see items be marked as complete.
 

harveyhaddixfan

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At least they’re on 2 week sprints. My company switched from waterfall for development work a few years ago to Agile and we do 3 week sprints with a production release every other sprint. Hopefully they can address the bugs and additional enhancements quickly. Completely switching the backend had to be a major undertaking.
 

Richelle

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I think it's because I DID work in IT back during my working days. I also worked in Supply Chain Management and in other levels of management . You DO NOT roll out stuff that is only half baked, that does not address the full range of users/customers. Refer to the list created by Hitchhiker71. Regression items, Bugs. It's pathetic. I also read the facebook posts, I don't see people telling those that are happy that they are wrong. But I do see people telling the ones who feel betrayed by the developers that they are the ones that are wrong, not Wyndham. I hear it here, as well. The standard response is that it's a better mobile experience and that the laptop people need to get on the Mobile band wagon. Give me a Mobile program with gives me what I need, I'm all in. I use many more apps on my phone than I do use the corresponding webpage on my laptop. I can handle the mobile experience, but, to repeatedly defend Wyndham while talking down down the laptop experience and laptop user is wrong.

I very much respect and appreciate your help on many many many matters. But, I do not hate my smartphone, hate change, or hate the people who like the new system. It's about the fact that Wyndham delivered a crappy 'upgrade'. And, again, I refer to the list of regressions and bugs put together by hitchhiker71. Many versus few pros, several of which were clearly debatable.

I'm patiently waiting on the next set of releases. I bet they can't deliver as promised. If they do, I'll recognize the Wyndham VP's for getting it right, per their promise.

I am not trying to justify the 4 bugs and 16 regressions. I am not saying they should not be addressed. All of them should be addressed, and promptly. I'm saying no website rollout is perfect. Unless you're behind the scenes when a new website is launched, you don't have a full view of the things that can and do go wrong. I have been behind the scenes. Something ALWAYS goes wrong. Mostly, it's on the end-users side, but not all of it. Sometimes things test well in the test environment but for some reason, they don't work after go live. I know what a website rollout looks like with good change management and bad change management. The fact that this isn't Voyager all over again should tell you they have learned from past mistakes.

@HitchHiker71 and I do this so that owners can have a voice that goes directly to the people who need to hear it. It helps that we have change management backgrounds and are very active in the owner community. It's frustrating when your only options are a feedback form or a ticket that you have no way of knowing if someone looked at, let alone made it to the right people. We worked hard to get to the right people. Hitchhiker71 and I have both talked with multiple executives and feel they are on the right track. You'll have to trust us on that for now. Give it a month or so, and see if you still feel the same. We will continue to hear your complaints, but I only ask that they be constructive complaints. Calling it Chaos and horrible doesn't help. Explaining why you don't like it and providing as much detail as you can, does help. It will make a difference if we work together. Everything in Hitchhiker71's list is 100% valid. We will likely end up with more, but for now, this is a good start.

An unrelated note, I have met and spoke to the sales VP. I can't say that I'm a fan. Would not recommend.
 

HitchHiker71

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I think it's because I DID work in IT back during my working days. I also worked in Supply Chain Management and in other levels of management . You DO NOT roll out stuff that is only half baked, that does not address the full range of users/customers. Refer to the list created by Hitchhiker71. Regression items, Bugs. It's pathetic. I also read the facebook posts, I don't see people telling those that are happy that they are wrong. But I do see people telling the ones who feel betrayed by the developers that they are the ones that are wrong, not Wyndham. I hear it here, as well. The standard response is that it's a better mobile experience and that the laptop people need to get on the Mobile band wagon. Give me a Mobile program with gives me what I need, I'm all in. I use many more apps on my phone than I do use the corresponding webpage on my laptop. I can handle the mobile experience, but, to repeatedly defend Wyndham while talking down down the laptop experience and laptop user is wrong.

I very much respect and appreciate your help on many many many matters. But, I do not hate my smartphone, hate change, or hate the people who like the new system. It's about the fact that Wyndham delivered a crappy 'upgrade'. And, again, I refer to the list of regressions and bugs put together by hitchhiker71. Many versus few pros, several of which were clearly debatable.

I'm patiently waiting on the next set of releases. I bet they can't deliver as promised. If they do, I'll recognize the Wyndham VP's for getting it right, per their promise.

We're working on getting what we need. Wyndham is failing forward here, so there's no going back, of that much I'm certain.

Just to comment, I don't believe I ever "talked down" the laptop experience. I simply said it's a matter of priorities as to what comes first. Something has to come first. In a cloud first mobile first world - that's touch devices. It's not either/or, it's both/and - just a question of focus and priority. Microsoft does this every single day. They implement net new features in their cloud SaaS solutions first, and then weeks or months later, or sometimes not at all these days, they release those same features in their packaged software versions. The trend is toward mobile - so develop with the trend, not against the trend - simple choice really.

I've also gone to great pains not to get involved in debating the finer points of modern software development methodologies as I don't see the point especially here on TUG. I'm trying very hard to maintain focus on what matters the most to all of us - that our website works well for us owners - and to help Wyndham however possible to focus on the right priorities and to provide meaningful and substantive feedback as part of this thread. Please help us to continue to do exactly that. We have had very encouraging interactions with key Wyndham stakeholders this week - with more planned ahead. Our efforts appear to be getting real traction - so let's stay positive and keep focused on delivering good data, and let's get what we want to the best extent possible. It may not all happen as quickly as we would like (June for example), but even if it takes a bit longer - if we get a better outcome than before - we're all coming out ahead.

I've also started a Mobile App features section as of today - as we had a request today from Wyndham to start capturing - if a mobile app were to be released - what would we want it to be able to do that the website cannot do? I added Eric B's ideas already to start - let's build from there. I know I will be giving it some real thought over the next several days.

For those of you still experiencing problems with the website - please keep the website feedback coming - I'm also on the other website thread and am taking feedback from there and adding it to the list here when appropriate. Many thanks for everything everyone here on TUG is doing to help. I hope our efforts are rewarded in the weeks and months ahead of us. :)
 
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