Does DVC listen to it’s members?

Does DVC listen to its members?

I’m very glad I’m a member of the Disney Vacation Club, and I’m generally a happy member satisfied with the program. I’ve enjoyed many wonderful vacations. However, I’ve had a few negative experiences that prompted me to reach out to DVC.

From my experience, I’ve always been thanked for providing my feedback and told that the issue or suggestion would be looked into (you know, the standard response any customer service group starts with), but then… nothing. It leaves me wondering if my issue or suggestion ever goes anywhere and whether it receives any serious consideration.

Yet, on the other hand, when DVC makes an announcement of a change, it invariably prefaces it by saying the change is “in response to member feedback”, and sometimes I’m scratching my head thinking, huh? Did members really ask for this?

I’m not talking about a problem during a stay such as a dirty room or what not, as Disney usually responds well to those types of issues if you bring them to their attention during your stay. I’m talking about issues or suggestions that can’t be handled by a line manager, but someone higher up the food chain. I never hear back from anyone, outside of a standard form letter thanking me for contacting them.

The same thing seems to occur at the annual DVC member meeting. A member brings up an issue or suggestion, and the majority of them seem to get a “thank you” response, but little action. I know, as I’ve been to every annual meeting from 2007 onward.

I just experienced this at last month’s annual DVC member meeting. Some of you may know that I was doing some research into the history of the Disney Vacation Club. At the annual meeting, I had the opportunity to speak with Ken Potrock, Senior Vice President and General Manager of DVC, about this. I asked Ken about obtaining some photographs from the early days of DVC, and he agreed to do so, saying he’d put me in touch with a particular individual.

Well, that individual never contacted me, nor did Ken.

All I got was this email from DVC:

“Thank you for your interest in DISNEY VACATION CLUB history. The WALT DISNEY COMPANY® unfortunately isn’t able to share photo assets or individually support the large number of research requests it receives. We thank you again for your interest in DISNEY VACATION CLUB history, and we look forward to welcoming you home again soon.”

So disappointing. It’s just like all the other email responses I get.

If you’ve contacted DVC, either over the phone or using [email protected] or [email protected], do you feel your issue or suggestion was actually listened to?

Do you think DVC listens to its members?

Join the discussion in our DVC Discussion Forum or leave a reply here on this blog post.