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JustRewards™ introduces the power of technology to the Maintenance Fee Collection Process
by Hollie Costello
International Cruises & Excursions, Inc. (I.C.E.)
International Cruise & Excursions, Inc. (ICE), a leading provider of cruise programs and Internet marketing programs in the Vacation Ownership industry, has developed a new program to take the sting out of maintenance fees-JustRewards™.
The JustRewards program allows resort properties to offer $100 rebate certificates toward the purchase of cruise or select resort vacations, while providing the resort with a valuable lead generation and e-marketing service through the power of technology.
"It was not easy to turn the negative of a maintenance fee into a positive," says Marcia Rowley, Executive Vice President of Marketing and Product Development at ICE. "However, we knew that maintenance fees were often a deciding factor for would-be owners and a challenging topic for the resort sales staff. JustRewards provides owners the benefit of discounted vacations in exchange for the hard currency of a maintenance fee."
The JustRewards program utilizes the power of ICE's technology through the development of 'smart' certificates and an online certificate redemption center, www.MyJustRewards.com. These 'smart' certificates are serialized to allow resorts to track usage and to enable the online certificate redemption site to showcase only those cruise and resort vacations that provide a positive yield when booked.
The serial numbers allow ICE to refer only those cruise vacations that yield a particular margin when booked with a $100 discount. JustRewards does not increase the price of cruises to justify the $100 discount. Comparative studies to leading consumer web sites show that JustRewards provides a true discount-without penalizing the resort or ICE.
Resort vacations are booked similarly, with www.MyJustRewards.com showcasing those resort properties that yield the best margin. However, resorts interested in showing only their own or non-competing properties can work with ICE to create a branded online certificate redemption site for their branded JustRewards program which utilizes the serialization of the certificates to restrict the resort vacations that are showcased on their site.
In addition, JustRewards can also act as a database collection tool, can be utilized as a "Friends and Family" program or can be developed into a lead generation tool. Within the resort's owner community, the online certificate center uses JustRewards' 'smart certificates' to shape a comprehensive database of contact information for every vacation booked by its owners. Updated by the user, this information comes into the database clean and provides resorts with instant e-marketing opportunities by "opting-in" the user through the information collection.
As a "Friends and Family" program or as a lead generation tool, JustRewards builds resorts a comprehensive database of new, qualified leads by making its certificates fully transferable. This allows resort owners the ability to offer the $100 discounts and thousands of vacation options to their family and friends.
The advantages of JustRewards are numerous to both the owners and the resorts. Resorts are provided with instant sales tools that allow them to simplify the maintenance fee collection process and make sales a positive experience. In addition, they build a complete database of qualified leads by allowing their owners to transfer their $100 certificates to friends and family.
Owners benefit as well. From the easily understood benefit of $100 discounts on all-inclusive cruise or luxury resort vacations, there also is the benefit of transfer, which allows vacation owners to take along friends and family at $100 discounts.
Resorts can determine the ratio of certificates available to each owner, customizing the utilization of the JustRewards program to fit their onsite needs.
"Not only do resorts collect their fees in a timely manner, they also build a valuable database and encourage their owners to book additional vacations. Resorts become the travel portal for all their owners' vacation purchases," says Rowley. "It is a win-win situation for everyone."