Global Connections New Concierge Program

by Marge Lennon
Owner
Lennon Communications Group

Reward programs are the most popular and successful methods to encourage customer patronage and loyalty. Timeshare companies have offered a variety of VIP programs for those who purchase thousands of dollars in vacation ownership plans. So what is a travel club company to do to entice the savvy vacation consumer to choose their highest membership level? Create a distinctive elite membership to complement their unique vacation product.

Global Discovery Vacations (GDV) is the travel club product of Global Connections, Inc. Similar to timeshare’s points-based programs, this travel club offers Star Credits. Required for some features and optional for upgrades and transfers, Star Credits offer members flexibility to plan their ideal vacation. And with several initial Star Credit levels to choose from, members can pick the right program to fit their lifestyle and budget. In September, 2006, Global Connections designed an exclusive program for the Six Star membership—the highest level in the GDV travel club.

Explains Global President Tom Lyons, “We monitor trends in the vacation industry to ensure we continue to evolve our travel club to meet the changing needs of our consumer. Together with my staff, we created Global Discovery Elite, a concierge program for top echelon members. In a short period of time, we’ve seen a significant increase in sales and upgrades to the highest membership level. The response is so positive we know this was just the right program to add to our travel club.”
The new Global Discovery Elite is a concierge program that provides inviting upgrade opportunities to existing members, resulting in the enjoyment of exclusive products and services. And for those just learning about the benefits of travel club membership, it’s a value added enhancement.

“The member enjoys a wider booking window and highly specialized services,” says Global Marketing Vice President Melanie Gring. “While there may be a handful of similar programs, they do not have the depth and choices of Global Discovery Elite. Plus, you don’t have to be traveling to use the concierge service. Our new elite membership level was launched to our distributors last fall and continues to meet with high acceptance at all of our 18 sales centers.”

Global Discovery Elite hasn’t just benefited members it’s also a welcome addition to the program for Global Connections’ sales distributors.

Terry Diegel of Global Vacation Network located in St. Louis Park, MN has been a GDV distributor since 1992. He says the program directly impacts his business. “It is unique for a travel club to be so service oriented that they have far surpassed the expectations of their distributors and their customers. With the addition of the Elite Program, we have increased our average sale at no additional cost and greatly enhanced the travel club product by escalating the level of customer services.”

As a value added enhancement to the Six Star membership, members pay no additional cost to use the Global Discovery Elite Concierge program for the first year. With one phone call, members can buy event tickets, receive restaurant referrals, tee time reservations, and floral and gift services, from home or a resort destination anywhere in the world.

Additional be nefits include emergency travel services such as flight rebooking, passport and travel document replacement, baggage tracking, emergency cash transfer, embassy or consulate referral, and rental vehicle returns. There is also an impressive list of worldwide travel assistance services and medical assistance.

Perhaps more enticing is the 13-month advance reservation request, putting the Elite member in the front of the line for the first-come, first-served policy when reserving condominiums. Considering Global Discovery Vacations’ members used over 22,000 weeks in almost 700 resorts located from the Midwest to the Caribbean in 2006 alone, this extra 30 days can make a difference.

Headquartered in Overland Park, Kansas, the 20-year old travel club has a membership base of more than 100,000. And Global Connections provides the total fulfillment of each member’s request.

To meet the volume of vacation requests, the company manages condominiums across the United States, plus owns resorts in Florida, Colorado, California and Tennessee, and condominium units in Hawaii, Wisconsin, Nevada, Texas, Colorado and Florida with property management divisions to oversee them. Partner alliances with well-known timeshare companies along with leased properties provide on-demand locations around the world.

Designed to offer members comprehensive solutions for travel and savings, the GDV travel club comes complete with a buying service offering members unprecedented savings opportunities on merchandise from appliances and electronics to jewelry and designer handbags. Plus, as a fully licensed travel company, Global Connections created a cruise exchange program, plus offers tours, group-themed cruises and much more.

Passionate about their partnerships, Global is a fully licensed and bonded travel company in good standing with ARDA, ASTA, CARE, CLIA, IATA and VRMA.

To learn more information about Global Connections and its travel club, call Melanie Gring of Global Connections at (561) 417-7559.