Undercover boss

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

Well, I can say I was most impressed. His getup was so bad, but they didn't know who he was. I can see if he was not undercover and things weren't going well he could be a hardass, but it seemes he really wanted to see what was going on and improve it. I thought he was going to blow a gasket at the call center but instead of yelling he said she needed more training. He couldn't get over the fact that there weren't rooms available for people when they called in and wanted certain dates. Now he knows how we feel!! He wasn't happy when he was at Powhatan and the first thing he saw was a door that needed sprucing up. He sure wasn't a handy man, that's for sure. but he tried, bless his little ole heart. He is used to a live of luxury so this should be fun to see what happens.

I think the things he wants to do to make things a first class resort will be more expensive than he realizes and could end up with assesments but I was amazed at how he helped out the 4 people he came to work with. He really did change 4 lives.

I hope things improve for you owners and in turn it should help all the exchangers.

shaggy

The increased maintenance fees have funded some of it already. The Point @ Poipu
Got slammed with a giant assessment this year and a few years ago the entire club got one to move call centers back to the U.S. In the last 2 years we have seen vast improvement in customer service and resort quality. The last presentation we sat throgh took just over an hour and there were no high pressure tactics.

[dougp26364 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close dougp26364]

Funny thing is DRI is one of the developer controled resorts who won't give owners address or emails of other owners because they don't want to violate anyone's privacy rights.

And you know, that's not necessarily a bad thing. It's bad enough I get E-mail from PPC's let alone to get E-mail from a small group of angry owners. I value my privacy to a degree and don't particularly want my contact information given out to just anyone.

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

Having now watched it, I have to say that he's got hubris and a big ego. No doubt he impacted 4 people's lives for the better but he sure doesn't have a problem spending money.

I also now better understand how he visited this site a couple years ago and had no problem challenging those that doubted who he said he was.

[lawren2 Malibu Beach Barbie & A Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close lawren2]

Doesn't DRI contract out the call center to II? That poor girl has probably never been out of the state of Florida and he's going off because she doesn't know how to pronounce Lihue? I wonder if she is going to Point of Poipu before or after the renovations.

[retailman Member Find all posts View Profile Close retailman]

What a crock.

Timeshare sales meets Television.


His lips were moving.

[Glitter Brunello Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Glitter Brunello]

I couldn't stop watching, in a train-wreck kind of way. It was one giant infomercial for DRI (and Cloobeck - yuck!). And did we really need to see that bodybuilding picture?

eta: I got a follow-up email from DRI asking if I watched the show and asking me to take a survey. Have asked to be unsubscribed from the email list.

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

OK, anybody that didn't expect that to be an infomercial for Diamond is not paying attention to how the media and the corporate world work.

I did find it interesting though. Diamond/Cloobeck's strategy of buying distressed properties is clear, and a good one in the current economic situation. What the show made obvious is that there is a lot more to "fixing" up these bankrupt resorts than just the physical property and maintenance issues. He's got a lot of work ahead of him. That said, he seems quite capable of doing it.

I've got no problem with the mansion, beach house, Ferrari, private jet, etc. I would live that lifestyle if I had the dough. However, we really didn't need to see him in a bathing suit (or less) once, much less twice. The manicure, ex-special ops body guard on a panic button, and being too good for the standard hotel room made him look kinda deuchy in my opinion. I don't see why he felt it was necessary to expose that part of his life on national TV.

[shaggy Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close shaggy]

Me thinks he was trying to say by not staying in standard rooms he wants to make his resorts "above the average". What I got out of it ( and don't throw things at me) is that he wants to build a empire of above average resorts with exempliary (sp) service but I don't think he has any idea of how hard this is going to be. I think he got his eyes opened a little at the call center. I also think he is going to spend so much trying to match his expectations that he is going to go bankrupt or everyone is going to get hit with huge assessments.

He has no qualms about spending money.


I wish DRI only the best.

shaggy

[bigfrank Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close bigfrank]

We had it recorded and just watched it now. Both me and my wife enjoyed the show but that out fit had to go. I liked what he did for the people at the end of the show but IMO the counter girl with the sick mom could have gotten more. She has the Yes moto down and did great at the counter. She should IMO be a training MGR.

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

I missed it. I hope to catch it on a rerun.

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

We have watched and enjoyed Undercover Boss since the show first started. I was not at all impressed with last night's show. It was all about the CEO and his trophy wife, personal body guard, private jet, and lavish life style. His refusal to stay in a low budget motel was totally out of keeping with what the show is all about. The show is supposed to be about relating to the employees and understanding their concerns, etc. Obviously he is very much out of touch.

I don't mind his lavish lifestyle at all and would live like that myself if in the same situation. What I do object to is his making it such an important part of the show. He obviously is very arrogant with a huge ego.

Here is a link to comments on CBS about the show. It is all negative.

Diamond Resorts International: Stephen J. Cloobeck - Undercover Boss - CBS.com

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

I liked it

I liked the show. I knew it was television so of course I put some additional perspective on it.

Howvever, I think Mr. Cloobeck tried to convey that he has this business and he wants to try and do right by it. He also wanted to give the sense that he cares about people. I believe the gifts were to convey that message.

This is absolutely a public relations move. Heck, it highlights your organization. It could possibly bring more buyers and business to your organization, maybe even legitimitize a business since it is on television.

This could be great for us owners! Maybe more properties and more benefits to us owners could come from this.

I know on these boards many of us complain and complain and complain. I believe this is an opportunity for us to take advantage of those surveys on the show and let DRI and Mr. Cloobeck know what we legitimately feel.

I used the survey to provide some suggestions on how to improve DRI. Where we as the little guy could be helped. How we could better benefit from our ownership. One of my ideas to DRI on the survey was to provide like an orientation to learn how to use the membership where DRI could perhaps set up a webinar so new people can set up their first vacation using the Club. Many of us know that the reason people don't get the full value of their ownership is because they don't know how to use it.

A had a few other ideas like communication, focus groups, etc. However, my point is that we should take advantage of opportunities to express our concerns and perhaps some solutions instead of complaining all of the time.

I also own with Marriott and people are not happy because they have changed to points. Heck, Marriott has not even asked for people's deeds and they are complaining. Marriott's maintenance fees increase and are higher than DRI's.

So let's just send them suggestions about what we want and ways to achieve that and see what happens. I do know that there are people who enjoy their membership. If you don't make suggestions to help improve the situation. Let's be a source of a solution to the problems instead of being the problem.

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

I don't believe they ever addressed that you buy in to use the TS... for anyone watching that was unfamiliar with TS's. Or that maintenance fees pay for the services shown. The show will probably generate many sales ops from inquiry calls... the whole reason, right...

[smithiekid Member Find all posts View Profile Close smithiekid]

I bet they did not show the clip from a recent UK TV prog showing how people had complained about all the increase in fees and not being able to get free of the contract even when it was transfered to somebody else. This prog (can not remember what it was called) had a file of 60 owners who wanted out but could not because of this clause in the small print, the result when the prog contacted Diamond was that Diamond released them on the understanding that they did not then or ever contact the media about it, in effect putting a block on everything.
That would have been a better clip by all accounts lol

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

I liked the show. I think SC came across as as a man driven to make "his company" stand for top quality in its industry. I know we will continue to be asked to pay for it in maintenance fees, but I also believe we will see the result in the quality of the vacations offered.

As someone else said, I bet he can be a tough boss when he's not happy with things.

Another note. I got a good impression of the DRI staff shown on the show. This is very much consistent with good experiences I have had with staff in the resorts. He does have a big challenge in getting them all properly trained, equipped and compensated.

In an industry with few stars, I think he can be one.