Posted by Perspective Magazine

from Steve Luba
The internet is impacting the industry in a number of ways, both good (new promotional opportunities) and bad (more complaints). What do you think?

from stevetassler…
The bottom line is that the internet is impacting how every industry conducts business in some way. When it comes to Timeshare, as an industry we have been slower to adapt and adjust than any other I can think of, okay perhaps manufacturers of buggy whips haven’t caught on yet either.

The main reason that the resale companies have been so successful so quickly is that they jumped at the chance to do business online in an industry that is easily a decade behind the curve when it comes to interactive marketing. The industry is starting to come around and will catch up very quickly once we decide to make the necessary investments in financial and human resources.

As far as complaints, the power of the internet is largely in its transparency. Embracing this direct communication opportunity with both satisfied and and dissatisfied customers is a critical step to improving the reputation of the industry as a whole. When TripAdvisor started to gain popularity we had several hotel clients that chose to ignore it. They suffered as the clients who JOINED the conversation thrived.

At the end of the day, the answer is this : The internet is not going anywhere so embrace it and use it to your advantage, even if it means stepping out of your comfort zone a little bit.