Bluegreen Vacation Club Annual Meeting - Sept 23,2008

[BocaBum99 Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close BocaBum99]

Hello everyone,

I'll be attending the Bluegreen Vacation Club Annual meeting in 2 weeks. What I'd like to do is prepare some feedback from Bluegreen Owners about the Club to share with Bluegreen. Please post your input to this message thread and I'll summarize it for the meeting.

Here is what I'd like to get from you:

1) The Good. What do you like most about the Club? What differentiates Bluegreen and what should they keep doing?

2) The Bad. What would you like to see changed in the Club?

3) The Ugly. What really needs to change fast about the Club?

I think they would appreciate your feedback.

Jim

[BocaBum99 Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close BocaBum99]

Agenda for the Meeting

AGENDA
- Call to Order
- Confirm Proper Notice
- Confirm Presence of Quorum
- Approval of Minutes from Last Meeting (2004)
- Election of one Class A Director – 3-year term expiring 2011

New Business:
- Review and discuss additions of BVC Component Sites
- Discuss the inventory utilization policy
- Discuss the elimination of the 5 month reservation rule
- Any other items properly brought before the Association/Board for consideration

Informational Items:
- Sales Tax Audit Results
- Discuss the modifications to the Preferred Program (Premier)

Financial Business:
- Discussion of annual Operating (Club Dues) Budget
- Discussion of annual Trust Fund (Common Assessment) Budgets

Adjournment

[swirg53 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close swirg53]

Since I already replied to this same request on the Yahoo forum, I will not repeat them here, but I would like to ask you to post a summary of the resulting answers from others on both forums! That would be really neat to see!

So far, the greatest request seems to be internet access in the units.............I wonder why that would be since we are already computer geeks in these groups!

Susan

[jericap Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close jericap]

Hello everyone,

I'll be attending the Bluegreen Vacation Club Annual meeting in 2 weeks. What I'd like to do is prepare some feedback from Bluegreen Owners about the Club to share with Bluegreen. Please post your input to this message thread and I'll summarize it for the meeting.

Here is what I'd like to get from you:

1) The Good. What do you like most about the Club? What differentiates Bluegreen and what should they keep doing?

2) The Bad. What would you like to see changed in the Club?

3) The Ugly. What really needs to change fast about the Club?

I think they would appreciate your feedback.

Jim

1. Bonus time
2. I would like to see an online history and availability of resorts
3. Nothing...

[Hobbitess Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Hobbitess]

We just signed up with the Sampler and have yet to make use of it, but for what it's worth...

1) The Good. What do you like most about the Club? What differentiates Bluegreen and what should they keep doing?

The points system and the ability to reserve only a few days rather than needing to take a whole week. The Sampler is a good deal as well.

2) The Bad. What would you like to see changed in the Club?

Not really bad, but it'd be nice to have more resorts in the midwest or North East - Vermont or New Hampshire or Maine...

So far, the greatest request seems to be internet access in the units.............

Did you see the "Why You Need a Vacation" article in the 2nd 2008 issue of Colorful Places? It said:

And please, no PDAs, laptops or cell phones. These devices, which have allowed the work week to spill over into evenings and weekends must not be part of your vacation. Part of the problem rather than the solution, anything that connects you back to the site of your stress is not invited on vacation with you. The idea is to get away—far away—and to stay away just as long as you can.

Combine that with some of the comments I've heard on some aspects of registration system, and I begin to think they're philosophically opposed.

[vintner Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close vintner]

Well that last one (no PDAs, laptops or cell phones quoted piece) doesn't work for me. I still trade stock while on vacation, may be checking for local restaurants, use mapquest for directions to the next scrapbooking store, etc. Online usage is not something that gets left at home.

I guess my two cents would be to not sell to Diamond. I like BG and while they do need more resort access in some parts of the country, I am afraid I am going to loose a lot if they change.

[swirg53 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close swirg53]

No PDAs, etc:

PDA: goes with me wherever I go; they wouldn't want me to be without it.
Cell Phone: goes with me wherever I go; how else could we price shop between Lowe's and Home Depot? Go to separate shows at Branson and only have one car? (We don't do either.)
LapTop: for cryin' in the mud................do they know how many e-mails we would have from these groups, if we didn't stay up with it?

Seriously, though, most of us in these groups have an addiction to timesharing (Put any word before or after that, with or without the "ing", such as: buying resale timeshares, getting the most weeks we can get out of our points/UDI, renting timeshares, going on a timeshare vacation, planning timeshare vacations) and most of us also have an addiction to the computer in some fashion or another; mine is e-mail. If I couldn't do e-mail while on vacation, it would be no vacation for me.

It's just like cooking: I don't get to cook much at home; we go out to eat alot (way too much for our budget)......by the time we are all home from work, we don't feel like cooking (and I do fail to plan)...........yet I enjoy cooking and baking so while we are on vacation, I whip up some great meals and baked goods. And I love it! And isn't that part of what vacation is? Doing what you enjoy and otherwise don't have time for and making memories? And isn't the full kitchen part of what is so great about having a condo timeshare unit?

I understand where the BG writer was coming from on that one, but they are also not being realistic.

Sorry................this is a segue from the thread title.

Susan

[sdjcherring Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close sdjcherring]

New to Bluegreen and have only been to a few of the Myrtle Beach resorts, but here is my input.

1. Cleanliness, upkeep, of the resorts.

2. a)would like to be able to book vacations online ( not just bonus time) i heard you used to be able to do this a few years ago.
b) Internet access in rooms

3. nothing

[VA_Traveller Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close VA_Traveller]

1. I would like to see the web site have the ability to list availability for rental and bonus time in a calendar format. The CSR's are just using some type of computer software and relaying it to us. Putting a web connector and front end on that functionality would enable users to bypass the phone call and "do you have this week here, how about that week there". This would save $$ for BG and allow me to plan my vacation all by myself. BG could encourage this use by giving an incentive for online booking, a small point savings, or a couple bucks off the bonus time reservation.
2. Wireless connectivity in rooms
3. Gas grills.
4. A company's responsibility is to its shareholders first, but I like BG cause its small AND good. I don't want to be one of millions.
5. More deals like Select Connections. I like that more than the Diamond option.
6. Yurts!! Love 'em. Build more of them!!
7. Points for tickets to local attractions?

[BWD6 Member Find all posts View Profile Close BWD6]

Wow, you all have made some great suggestions!

Jim,

Thank you for representing all of us at the meeting.

I will reiterate a few suggestions and add a few.

Good:

1. Bonus Time is great.
2.I love the flexibility of booking as few a 2 nights.
3.I like the selection of resorts. I like the older resorts since they take fewer points, yet I enjoy the newer resorts due to higher quality and more amenitites.
4. I believe they do a good job between maintaining/updating resorts and keeping maintenance fees reasonable.

5. I love the new Preferred Program.

Keep:
1. I know this will be unpopular with this group but unlike most of you, I don't mind having no internet in the rooms. My laptop has a built in wireless card. If I can get a Verizon signal, I have internet. Any Bluegreen resort I have visited, I have been able to get internet access. If you have a smartphone with internet, you can easily use this option as well. I think before they invest in getting internet/wireless available at there resorts, they should do a survey to see the percentage of people who really want it. Should they spend a significant amount of money (that ultimately comes out of our pockets) for a small percentage of people that want internet access? I am not sure.

2. I like the reservation line open until 8 pm and open on Saturday.

Improve:

1. They desperately need online reservations. At least make it so we can see the reservations that we have currently on the books. It would also be nice to know what points are used to make each individual reservations, eg. saved points, borrowed, etc.

2. Do a better job of educating the Customer Service Reps. Some of them are exceptional and some of them are awful. It would be a great benefit if one of the preferred benefits was a CSR assigned to your account that you could work with exclusively if desired.

3. As many have mentioned, more resorts. It would be great to have a resort in Kentucky or southern Indiana, Chicago, as well as something out west in Colorado for skiing.

Good Luck Jim

[btcctomtb Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close btcctomtb]

A little off topic but this meeting also involves the election of the Club Director. Is the qualifications of the candidates being discussed anywhere? Up until this years meeting and the possible DRI merge/buyout I never bothered with the vote. Now I am thinking that maybe it should matter a little bit more to me this year and I should research a little more. Before I thought dont fix it if it isn't broke.

On a side note, a resort in Kentucky or Southern Indiana? I could not possibly imagine there being enough people to travel to these areas for a full week. Near Cincinnati or Chicago would be a great asset to the club.

[VA_Traveller Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close VA_Traveller]

On a side note, a resort in Kentucky or Southern Indiana? I could not possibly imagine there being enough people to travel to these areas for a full week. Near Cincinnati or Chicago would be a great asset to the club.

VA beach would be nice too...Always thought NYC would be a great place for one...

[khdem Member Find all posts View Profile Close khdem]

Bluegreen Vacation Club Annual Meeting

More clubs with Bluegreen ownership in the western states...Santa Fe. NM, California, Wyoming, Utah...

Kay

[Aashlee Member Find all posts View Profile Close Aashlee]

The Good:
1) Staff at Resorts -- Everyone has always been very, very friendly. It really starts off the vacation on a great note.
2) The Resorts Themselves -- I have enjoyed every one at which I've stayed. Nice mix of amenities. We always feel at home.
3) SelectConnections -- I love this. I used it to book two suites in Hawaii when we took my parents. Waikiki Marina Resort at the Ilikai accommodations were comparable to Bluegreen properties, and the staff was just as friendly.
4) I am just as happy to leave Internet access back at the main lodge at each resort instead of in each room, just as long as there is a place to set up with a wireless connection if you have to do any work or research.

The Could-Be-Improved:
1) Better cell phone signals -- especially at CMV if you're in the townhomes. Although we like to "get away from it all," we do need that connection to friends and family back home, especially when they need to contact you in case of emergencies.
2) On-line view of availabilities -- I am just as happy to make my reservation with a live agent. However, before doing so, it would be nice to be able to take a look at what's available before calling so you can just book it. This would eliminate the back-and-forth between you, the reservation agent, and any guests you're bringing along.
3) I'm in the Twin Cities. I would like more resorts in the Midwest within driving distance. CMV and Odyssey Dells is 5 hours away; the next closest is 12 hours away (Branson). Anything in northern Wisconsin/Minnesota or along the Mississippi River in Minnesota, Iowa, or Illinois might work well for the Twin Cities/Chicago crowd. These may not be priority destinations, but I can wish ...

The Ugly:
1) The billing for maintenance and other fees. The printout you get in the mail doesn't break down the fees so you know where your money is going, and when. My husband always ends up calling the BG accounting department to figure it out. One time he and the accounting department were on the phone for about 40 minutes while they sorted it out. Everything was fine, but the invoice my husband got was inconsistent with the data the accounting person had, even though the end amounts were the same.

[schmidly Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close schmidly]

Thanks for taking our input!!

What is great about the club is the quality of the BG owned resorts - the decor/quality/ammenities are all superior for the price of ownership. They are doing a fantastic job! We just went to the new Las Vegas resort and it was really done well!!!!!

My biggest complaint is the change in reservation time - anyone can make a reservation 11 months in advance now which means if there is a high demand resort or a resort you want to get into at a high demand season, you have to really be a silver or gold member in order to be first in line for the reservation. AND it also means pre-paying for next years points most of the time in order to use the points to book that far in advance. I preferred the old method FAR better.

It would be nice if they could back off on the sales pressure, but I also understand that is how they stay in business.

Thanks!