LETTER FROM CHAIRMAN

I was watching a clip on YouTube the other day on re-inventing your business and my mind switched back and forth to our own stock in trade, which is timeshare and vacation ownership.
 
Since the timeshare industry was battling recession over the last few years, the process of re-invention was survival strategy and not just to grow the industry. It may not have happened overnight, it may not have happened in a planned or phased manner, but things have certainly moved from square one to square six, on a ten point scale.

What is personally reassuring from my point of view is the new orientation of the economic downturn. Because things are looking up, markets are stabilizing and timeshare as a product is now gaining more and more acceptance. This actually might be a good time to introspect and re-tool.

Maybe, we as a group should do a meaningful, result-oriented exercise – I won’t use the word “survey”, because it limits what I’m trying to say.  I’m talking about meaningful ways of obtaining information from customers who are happy and stay with us. Later, we could address a wider circle of prospects to invite into the fold. But whatever we do, I think we should approach the task with an inquiring mind and a desire to know more about our customers and prospects.

Having said that, let me recap on the good things that have happened in terms of customer orientation – especially among our network of members within AIRDA. I’m now looking at a window that probably goes back 10 years or so.

• I can see a better product – a product that has evolved
• I can see sporting facilities for the new age holiday seeker
• I can see investments in recreation for the whole family
• I can see better support facilities in terms of F&B and other essentials
• I can see a concern for the customer, though we need to know more about this from the customers themselves
  

B. S. Rathor
Chairman, AIRDA