When it comes to the timeshare industry, hypothetical situations are commonplace. From the purchase itself, to upgrade opportunities and finding a way out, the possibilities can be endless. It’s hard to know what’s true, let alone define guarantees. For the most part, vacation owners have beared the brunt of the product. But lately, COVID-19 has shown us tenured jobs within the industry aren’t guaranteed either. So this begs the question, could timeshare employees be victims too?
If you’ve been victimized by vacation ownership, then the firing of people that lied to you may bring you joy. But the development of these individuals should cause us all to pause. Not every casualty should be automatically considered an unethical participant. Most timeshare employees more than likely entered the workplace as an innocent applicant looking to earn a steady paycheck.
As a professional company ourselves, we have to assume the intent of all timeshare employees isn’t to scam consumers. At the same time, many thrive at the expense of vacation owners. Whether they’re slowly trained on deceit or greed is their guiding light from day one, hard closed deception pays well. As long as the business model is geared towards sales, we can’t expect this to improve.
How Do Timeshares Deceive Employees?
The idea of making a lot of money appeals to any job applicant. Especially if they’re underqualified. When the culture is motivated by money and is convinced that management believes in them, then it increases the company’s chances of getting timeshare employees to go above and beyond for additional pay. In other words, the way timeshares recruit is very similar to the potential owners they target.
Getting people to believe they’ll be able to receive something that they can’t obtain elsewhere is extremely riveting. Because of this, onboard training is nearly identical to a timeshare sales presentation. For most timeshare operations, the idea is to get new hires to buy in and go all in to make a good first impression. Sadly, many get sucked into the performance based environment without much thought.
The experience of appeasing and pleasing management in exchange for rewards can be blinding. After speaking to numerous former timeshare employees, we’ve been told the culture is very competitive and absolutely contagious. Sales teams know how to make people feel a part of something. But once misconduct enters the equation, it can evolve into somewhat of a “safe place” – altering the mindsets of many.
The success that many timeshare employees experience causes some to start drinking the kool-aid. They begin shadowing the top salesmen and hang out with an egotistical crowd that accepts them. While some can’t take the guilt of the aggressive sale, others welcome the influx of change. But in the end, many find the dog-eat-dog industry to be an untrustworthy place and their quality of life diminishes.
The Motives of Timeshare Employees.
Since we’ve spent a lot of time detailing the deceptive nature of the industry already, it’s important that we look at the impact it has as a whole. Truth be told, far too many timeshare employees leave the incentivized culture without much skill. Like most sales organizations, they aren’t exactly interested in employee development. As a result, those that exit the workplace often enter into similar operations.
Instead of changing careers, they tend to find ways to make a quick buck with their sharp tongue. While some leave the industry due to moral concerns, the fast-money-reward of an aggressive sale leads many to further misconduct. In this day-in-age, where online and phone scams are at an all-time high, this is not encouraging. Only a few former timeshare employees have whistle blown about their experience. So let’s take a look at why this might be.
Unethical Timeshare Employees Can Be Blinded.
Like we mentioned before, those thriving in the timeshare industry are heavily incentivised. The more they sell, the more recognition they receive. But this doesn’t just occur within the workplace. An increase in abundance often causes the simple minded to feed on the desire of a lavish lifestyle. Like most people, this is rarely filling. When you’re earning at another’s expense, you’re constantly looking to fill that void.
When a timeshare operation shuts down or unethical activity costs a greedy timeshare employee their job, the lifestyle they’ve built can no longer be supported. When sales is the only strength, there are limited ways to keep up with monthly expenses. Similar to the way a timeshare vacation can engulf an owner, this type of lifestyle is difficult for many to escape. Sustaining it becomes a big problem as returning to an honest living rarely sounds as good.
What Happens to Former Timeshare Employees?
Without being too hypothetical, it’s safe to say many former timeshare employees leave the workplace and go on to make careers out of scamming consumers. Like we’ve mentioned in previous articles, a good number are now employed in the timeshare exit industry. The marketplace is full of hungry sales people looking to persuade anyone to hand over a few thousands dollars for nothing in return. Sounds eerily familiar doesn’t it?
At the same time, exposing and prosecuting everyone for their involvement isn’t the only solution. The timeshare industry shows us this as well. No matter how many lawsuits are filed or laws put into place, they always seem to find a detour. The best way to make an impact is to get people to understand the consequences of their actions, see that there are better ways to make good money, and hope they change course. Selling your soul for a career in the timeshare industry can’t be ideal for most.
At the end of the day, the general public needs to see timeshare travel for what it is. The same types of manipulation is used throughout. Nearly everything promoted and presented sounds great, but is rarely fruitful. Before taking a job at a timeshare company or buying a weekly interval, people have to consider what it could cost them– and it can’t just be monetary. When they find out the literal worth and actual liabilities of the decision, then they can determine what’s truly in it for them.
Will More Timeshare Employees Speak Up?
We believe it’s extremely important to share this type of information about the industry. While it’s difficult to pin down any specific problem regarding timeshare travel, those taking advantage of timeshare owners are key. At some point, sales reps pitching false promises or purposely omitting pertinent information have to realize what they’re doing is wrong. The problem is, there aren’t many options for them. If more whistleblowers would come forward, many may see they’ve actually been victimized themselves.
The promoted culture within most timeshare workplaces is not acceptable. Far too many people are taken advantage of and taught the wrong way so the operation can profit. At VOC, we’re not only committed to helping owners find viable solutions, but improving the travel industry as a whole. If you’re struggling with ownership or even interested in a career change, we’d love a chance to help.
