The Timeshare Beat: Jerry Sikes; With Regard to Mom

"Mothers are the most instinctive philosophers."
- Harriet Beecher Stowe-

My father often has been referenced in past With Regards but very few references have been made to my mother. I guess that was because I always considered pop my mentor and role model. Mom was, well, mom. She loved, fed and nurtured me from birth through my teens and wasn’t into corporal punishment when I went array. If she felt it necessary, she would refer that duty to pop, however she was never without her own devices to indicate that adjustments in my style or pattern were necessary.

I would assume that you like myself, had specific chores to do and, occasionally, conflicts would come up. Temptations like ball games, war-play, swimming holes and hoops were often mine. Once, when I was about 8 or 9 and was busy doing my mom-chores, a group of friends stopped by the house on the way to the river. "Ah' mom, come on, I will finish the yard tomorrow. I promise." After much begging, pleading and dragging my feet, mom would sometimes yield with a condition attached. Mom kept a super size bottle of castor oil in her home remedy box and she bargained the river for a large tablespoon of this substance. I don't know how many of you are familiar with castor oil, however it was a cure-all that had to be the most difficult liquid to swallow ever conceived by man.

Now mom had the upper hand in this bargain because at that age I was unaware that one of the better uses of castor oil was as a laxative. I closed my eyes, held my nose, gladly swallowed that bitter dose and began the 1 & 1/2 mile trip to the river with my pals. Needless to say, about half way to the river, a long way from our outhouse, the effects of this bargain began to present themselves. The resulting activity at both my ends encouraged my pals to increase their pace and leave me to my own devices. The trip back to the house, interrupted by frequent bodily functions, provided me with the time necessary to understand that mom's bargains were, indeed, no bargains at all.

Back in those days mom and pop taught us kids to not talk back, to respect your elders, and that a man's word or a handshake had to mean something. That whatever you sow you will reap, nobody owed you a living, if it was worth doing it was worth doing right, a little soap and water never killed anybody, don't talk with your mouth full or eat with your fingers, and many others. There was never any question of what was right or wrong. Maybe on issues of black and white, one could argue shades of gray because you see …

Part of the learning process involved things like testing the waters, taking a mile when an inch was given, a tendency to sass and to blame, doing enough to just get by, stubbornness, insolence and sometime selective hearing. Some would say that I just had to learn the lessons the hard way including a trip or two out back with pop or another dose of mom's castor oil. We learned firsthand that things like greed, deceit, shortcuts, lying and cheating, ultimately had payoffs which were unpleasant.

All of these just added up to lessons about respect, honesty, manners, fortitude, effort, attitude, values and ethics. There were rules, regulations, restrictions, codes, customs, edicts and commandments. One knew that if you got caught stepping over the line or in violation of any of these you would eventually pay the piper. Because these concepts were always applied equally and with loving intent, the outcome was something one might identify as integrity.

I have come to the conclusion that the Timeshare and/or Vacation Ownership industry has by and large given up on the concept that profitable and effective business can be conducted with some semblance of integrity. When personal integrity is absent, one of the symptoms is the belief that all others are without integrity and operate on the same level of deviousness.

One of the most basic codes or concepts that I grew up with was one which started with "Do unto others ..." In our industry that "Do unto others" code or concept has taken on another whole new meaning or interpretation and testifies to the state of our integrity. Little wonder that the perception of the overwhelming majority of people not directly associated with our industry (by occupation or through ownership in one form of another) is far below that which we desire. We wring our hands and procrastinate over this issue and have for more than 1/2 of our industry's existence.

What, you want an example? Ok! How about this ad in a national publication. It’s just one of over a dozen such ads.

“Offer can’t be used with any other offer. This advertisement is being used for the purpose of soliciting sales of a vacation ownership plan. Villas of have been qualified for sales in the state of and is not available for sale in those states where registration requirements have not been fulfilled. This announcement is not an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy to residents of any other state in which registration has not been completed including, but not limited to California, Florida, Nevada, New Jersey, and New York. A 90 minute tour is required, if married both spouses must tour.”

Yes, I am aware that the firm which placed it is in compliance with the law, however it is a sham and everyone knows it, including the state regulator who required it. Let's break it down...

[a] The second full sentence of the above clearly indicated the purpose of the ad is the solicitation of a vacation ownership plan.

[b] All the rest is bull... including the ‘tour’ requirement.

[c] Who are we kidding about the ‘tour’ or that both spouses must ‘tour’? The ‘tour’ would take less than 1/4 of an hour in most instances and nothing about it is really so visually amazing that one spouse could not tell the other. All the rest is a vacation ownership plan sales pitch.

[d] 99.9% of those who respond to this ad fully understand that it is an offer for discount accommodations and a bet by the marketing people that the sales plan of vacation ownership plans is stronger than the will of 10+% of those who actually take advantage of the discount the ad offers.

More?

Many of us proudly display the ARDA Code of Ethics on the wall of our sales reception and/or warm up room. This clearly states to all who read it that

"All development activities and all other activities of the firm with customers, clients or business or community partners shall be conducted with honesty and fair business dealings; professionalism; integrity; and dignity.”

Do any of the following display the ARDA Code of Ethics on their walls? How do they respond when asked questions concerning …….

Southwind Sales & Marketing, Inc. - reserve money?
Aqua Sun - Special privileges for Board of Directors re: maintenance fees and taxes - strong-arm techniques dealing with the retaining of management contracts?
RPM Management / Sunterra Corporation v. Lake Buena Vista Condominium Association and its Board of Directors?
Bluegreen Corporation - sexual harassment, gender discrimination, and discrimination based on disability?
Sunterra Corporation- reserve money - severance pay - vacation pay – commissions?
Tempus Resorts International - non-compete agreement - unpaid commissions?
Westgate Resorts - required political donations?

Additionally the ARDA Ethics Code contains the following…..

"Consumers must not be referred to as "winners", told that they have "won" an item, or be informed that the item is an "award", "prize", "gift", or is "free" (or any similar terms) unless all terms, conditions, and obligations upon which the offer or item is contingent, are clearly and conspicuously set forth so as to leave no reasonable probability that the terms of the offer might be misunderstood."

How many others are making offers like the following?

Ramada Plaza Resorts - "Only $1,600 for a free vacation-- an exotic cruise and free lodging, etc." “We are thrilled to advise you and your family have been identified and confirmed to take part in a prestigious nationwide marketing study and promotion. This research will be used to improve the quality and service of our properties and in return you will be handsomely rewarded.”?

Ever watch the TV Guide Channel?

Century 21 - “List your Timeshare or Vacation Property for sale or rent." "Cash at closing plus $1,000 in free cruise travel."

My Questions would be: “Just how much “Cash” at closing? “Just when will “closing” occur?

Final thought

If I was not aware of the consequences such as mom's castor oil or trips to the shed with my Pop, I may have attempted to get away with more stuff when I was still living at home. Without those lessons, I may have walked the edge on several issues after I was out on my own. Who knows when I could have stepped over the edge and ended up in jail hooked on drugs or, worse, hurt someone? The truth is that family values led to whatever integrity I demonstrate to the world daily. In this day and age some of those hard lessons could easily be viewed as child abuse.

It could be that one of the major reasons that 4 out of 5 in the general public still are negative or neutral about our industry is that there are no real consequences to stepping over the line? It is obvious that we do a poor job of self-policing and that we generally find some way around most of the regulations. Is it not time that we cleaned up our act and blackballed those individuals or firms who violate our Code with immunity, or is ARDA just another ‘Good Old Boy’ society protecting its own interest and that of some of its members?