Motorcade Premium Membership

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Motorcade Premium Membership

December 30, 2014, 03:27:25 pm

http://www.facebook.com/groups/122246917818519/866905680019302/?notif_t=group_activity

Re: Motorcade Premium Membership

Reply #1 – December 30, 2014, 04:38:16 pm

We do not do facebook so cannot look at what you are saying Peter.
JohnH

Re: Motorcade Premium Membership

Reply #2 – December 30, 2014, 04:45:46 pm

Here it is :

SUPPLEMENT YOUR MOTORCADE CLUB MEMBERSHIP WITH THE
NEW "CLUB PLUS" OPTION

In an effort to enhance your membership and provide you with greater service, we are giving you an option of supplementing your regular Motorcade Club Membership by subscribing to 'Club Plus' for an additional $25 per year.

In addition to receiving the standard Club membership benefits of:
• Access to Club events & exclusive travel opportunities accompanied by experienced tour directors and a service tech
• 10% discount on Parts & Service (some exclusion, i.e. paint-fiberglass-remod)
• 2-day complimentary campground privileges
• Motorcader magazine and membership Directory
• Access to 'member's only' section of our website

You will receive Exclusive Club Plus improved service benefits:
• Technical questions answered directly by our technical team. (Non-Plus members can submit questions via the internet with a response as soon as possible)
• Exclusive Plus member access to our afterhours emergency call service.
• Special standby service appointments based on space available each week.
o Booked in advance with full description of work to be done
o Foretravel Service will make a good faith effort to get you in within 72 hours
o Service is prepared to work evenings and Saturdays to accommodate you
o Afterhours work will be performed at the normal shop rate

To enroll for Club Plus, cut out & return the form below with your $25 check or call the Club office.

Re: Motorcade Premium Membership

Reply #3 – December 30, 2014, 04:50:45 pm

I know this might not be popular but I think it is a great idea that FT is trying to help the club members who are supporting FT. This is what we needed to do a while ago.

Re: Motorcade Premium Membership

Reply #4 – December 30, 2014, 04:57:01 pm

Funny, Tys just called Beverly yesterday to renew our Motorcade membership. Listening to this side of the conversation, I don't believe that Beverly said anything about the premium membership option... I will have to ask Tys when she gets back later.
Don

Re: Motorcade Premium Membership

Reply #5 – December 30, 2014, 04:59:33 pm

I called and paid yesterday and record no offer.

Rich

Re: Motorcade Premium Membership

Reply #6 – December 30, 2014, 05:09:20 pm

We renewed recently as well with no mention of this new classification ...

That said for some reason, ATM, it sounds kind of petty to me $:-\$ On our last visit it took almost 3weeks to get back in to "finish" what they had started (read broke). I don't think $25 bucks would fix that, and I spend more than that on donuts for the shop anyway. Just my .02

Re: Motorcade Premium Membership

Reply #7 – December 30, 2014, 05:18:09 pm

Actually, I think petty is a good word for this... I could understand if they felt they needed to raise the membership price by $25 for everybody and then as a way to make it more palatable, added a few more perks. But this two tier hierarchal thing bugs me.

Quote from: Steve – December 30, 2014, 05:09:20 pm

We renewed recently as well with no mention of this new classification ...

That said for some reason, ATM, it sounds kind of petty to me $:-\$ On our last visit it took almost 3weeks to get back in to "finish" what they had started (read broke). I don't think $25 bucks would fix that, and I spend more than that on donuts for the shop anyway. Just my .02

Re: Motorcade Premium Membership

Reply #8 – December 30, 2014, 05:29:37 pm

Well, I think that it was an outcome of the Grandvention. One of the big issues was service lead times and club support as well. The membership has been going down and not as many new people see a reason to join. So, they can give a value for your membership and you get a benefit from it too. They had gone to messages and email for tech questions anyway so this is going back to how it was.

Re: Motorcade Premium Membership

Reply #9 – December 30, 2014, 05:55:32 pm

At the recent Ladies Driving School, the men had a "Tech" briefing. I don't recall who the speaker was - someone else who attended may remember his name. Anyway, the speaker went into some ideas they were tossing around the corporate table - ideas about how to improve customer relations. He mentioned that they were considering limiting direct phone access to James Triana. The idea was that only Motorcade Club members would be able to reach him by phone - the rest of the owners would have to rely on email. This would "reward" the Foretravel owners who chose to support the Club (and, by extension, the company). It sounds like "they" decided simply being a "regular" Club member was not good enough...now you will have to be a "Club Plus" member to talk to James.

Re: Motorcade Premium Membership

Reply #10 – December 30, 2014, 06:04:39 pm

I agree, this may not sit well with many of us long time members, charging extra for the phone support that has always been free, even for non motorcade members.

Re: Motorcade Premium Membership

Reply #11 – December 30, 2014, 06:07:52 pm

Quote from: Peter & Beth – December 30, 2014, 04:45:46 pm

• 10% discount on Parts & Service (some exclusion, i.e. paint-fiberglass-remod)

Am I reading that right? Does this mean work in the remod shop will no longer qualify for 10% discount? That could make a BIG difference in the bottom line on some of those big remodel jobs!

Re: Motorcade Premium Membership

Reply #12 – December 30, 2014, 06:47:55 pm

Well, since FT is selling so few coaches a year now, there is no stream of new members. When the new ownership took over there was 1800 members of the MC. Now we are around 800-900 members who pay dues. So, FT realizes that they have to give a reason for people to join. I have read on here why join as it only gives me a 10% discount on marked up parts. So now it seems members will get s few more perks and yes it seems as a stealth increase in dues but they are providing an increase in benefit for it too. I think it is a good idea but then again I think the Motorcade Club is a good idea and it allows us as owners the ability to talk to management. I see this as an answer to the concerns that were raised by the members at the the GV this fall. I am surprised it happened so quickly though and that could be both good and bad if you think about it.

Re: Motorcade Premium Membership

Reply #13 – December 30, 2014, 07:03:30 pm

Re: Motorcade Premium Membership

Reply #14 – December 30, 2014, 07:39:10 pm

I probably broke even this year on the 10% MC discount, maybe even if it went from $80 to $105. I guess time will tell if the Plus members feel like they are getting more. I agree with Don, the two tier thing is troubling. It will separate owners not bring them together.

Foretravel needs to make a serious effort to bring all of the faithful into the tent not just those who will pay more. How many emails did you get from Foretravel this year? More than zero? Did you get a holiday wishes card or email? Did you get news on service or parts specials? The only thing I got from Foretravel was a bill for the MC dues and copies of invoices for stuff I ordered by phone. And the MC magazines, too but I paid for them.

I get two or three emails from Motorhomes of TX every month, a few emails about service and parts specials and a nice holiday email from them too. And I have never had any service done there or bought any parts either.

Communication, especially two way communication is the best way advance everyone's interests, improve products and service and keep those who want to be happy, happy.

Just my opinion, Roger

Re: Motorcade Premium Membership

Reply #15 – December 30, 2014, 07:42:04 pm

Roger, you are right about emails and communications from FT being lacking. They have not figured out how do do it and their site is very hard to navigate still.

Re: Motorcade Premium Membership

Reply #16 – December 30, 2014, 08:03:57 pm

I agree with Roger in that I got nothing but a magazine and no holiday greeting and paid the required sum, but got a nice greeting from MOT as if I was a regular client and I have never been on their premise. Boy at this rate we are going to be really "Dinged" by Steve and Michelle for their efforts and help thru this Forum. Maybe WE should charge FT for the refferals this Forum has sent their way by way of clients buying a coach because of all you guys with the help you give and support for future Foretravel owners.
Just my opinion which is not worth much, but if you pay another $25 a year I will let you talk to me!!
JohnH

Re: Motorcade Primium Membership

Reply #17 – December 30, 2014, 08:33:28 pm

All I can say is "Cut it out, Foretravel". I have seen this in other companies where they take away things and then charge extra to get them back. Leaves a bad taste. We were going to re-join this coming year as we are looking at going full-time, not so sure now. I just don't get their thinking. Are the current owners from down there? When I was there I was struck by the southern attitude to hospitality and service. Seems that it's becoming about make a buck now by whatever means.

Keith

Re: Motorcade Premium Membership

Reply #18 – December 30, 2014, 09:37:50 pm

I can certainly understand the desire/need to increase membership, the numbers say so. I'm just not sure this was the best, nor even a well thought out one, to obtain that goal. (if this change has anything to do with that objective).

There are now actually fewer perks for the "base" level, and if there was faltering perceived value in that already, what does that say for it now?

Of course you can choose a "premium" level in which you get closer to what existed, although there are a couple of nebulously defined items, as maybe they are still flushing things out. Some of the "moved" items are the least cost to FT with the most perceived value to the members, ie talk to a human. I'm not ready to see the entire thing as a victory for all fore-kind.

Time will tell if a bifurcated, two tier, motorcade club is a good call vs simply saying "it costs more to keep the club going, but here are some added values to make a nominal cost increase more attractive". Perhaps they worried that doing that would alienate some members, or concerned they would cause more issues with overall increased customer/member expectations in service.

Many of the new perks are around the service end of things. In an effort to possibly shorten the parking lot wait or length of a service visit, time to get an appointment, and perhaps improve satisfaction, you have to pay a bit more. Not sure how that will play out to improve the overall situation of recent times TBH. Just an honest concern, not a dig.

I also don't think the only way you can support Foretravel is by being a "premium" motorcade member, its just one of the ways, and probably the least expensive one

Re: Motorcade Premium Membership

Reply #19 – December 30, 2014, 10:52:43 pm

Yup...I have rocks in my head. I would have paid the $100 membership if it had increased to that amount for all members. And, I would have appreciated the increased benefits of the "premium" membership. But then again, we can afford it.

Re: Motorcade Premium Membership

Reply #20 – December 30, 2014, 10:56:57 pm

Steve,you are right that time will tell on this. I agree that it would have been better to st raise them across the board and put out the benefits but I know there are people who will balk at 100 bucks even though driving to Nac costs more then that in fuel from most places. The club has always been an arms length away from corporate but they are still the same body. Now it is cheeck and jowl and time will see. I think that the realm is the make or break product and I will be watching that closely.

Re: Motorcade Premium Membership

Reply #21 – December 31, 2014, 12:15:34 am

I applaud Foretravel for making James diana available to all owners, and supporting coaches back into the 80's. Dane Miller is obviously looking to see FT make money and perhaps actually see a return on his investment. Thankfully we have the factory and James Triana and the rest of the crew. Yup, they could do things better and maybe fix a few things, but my glass house doesn't allow me to throw rocks....

Let's see, on an airline, I used to get free checked bags, food, and I all the seats have extra room. Now all that has changed. It is called "unbundeling". Lots of companies have done similar as there profit centers either shrink or change over time.

Even at todays prices, $25 or $50 for the service is a few gallons of diesel - might take me 100 miles. And it is at my option, if I don't see value, I can choose to not pay the delta. The fact that they FT is in business and still work very hard to support and provide parts for 1990 era coaches is amazing (and probably not profitable) for them. We are lucky to have great coaches, a great factory, MOT, Xtreme, Steve/Michelle/Brett, Bernd, Insight Ernie, our Aquahot gurus, making our RV cost remarkably low in comparison to many other brands or especially bus conversion.

I want the factory to make money and be around. I am sure there are folks who call the factory for advice (expecting it for free)_ and then buy the parts prescribed off of ebay. If you buy a 15 year old used FT and never spend any money with FT for parts or service, what level of support is deserved? If you do spend money at FT, the premium membership is probably economically a good decision.

I am sure I will get flamed here, but I see how hard the folks at FT work to keep the brand alive and have a profitable business, and feel that they have ever right to charge for their service in whatever way makes sense for them. If it doesn't make ensue for any of us, we can always choose SOB.

Re: Motorcade Premium Membership

Reply #22 – December 31, 2014, 12:25:39 am

I am not too keen on the two level membership, just a price increase seemed better. But I hope this helps. explain why I am glad to pay a bit more for membership if it is now needed (I assume FOT and Motorcade are the same)......

I had a FT owner near me and Jackie at a park with a problem, he knew of me, asked for help. I tried, could not seem to fix it, called Mike Rodgers and left a message. About 10:30 pm Mike called, said that I was number 23 on his list of calls that day. Unfortunately I bothered him for no reason because I had finally figured out the answer to help the FT owner but I had not cancelled the call in to Mike.

I think that kind of service is worth more than the $80 a year, and in that case the money goes not to MOT but to FOT. And yet if that is needed so I could still call James, it is worth it to me. Mike and James are real assets to me and I have called them at time when I needed serious help to keep on keeping on.

Just my view, I appreciate the others. Mike

Re: Motorcade Premium Membership

Reply #23 – December 31, 2014, 12:37:29 am

Well said. MOT and Mike are amazing! In the end, most software companies charge "subscription" fees to support their software no matter if you use them or not. Why not a motorhome?

Re: Motorcade Premium Membership

Reply #24 – December 31, 2014, 01:56:49 am

I've always been skeptical of "clubs". I certainly want to see Foretravel thrive as a manufacturer and I value the resource the people there are..
When I call the parts department there I know the relay I could get at Amazon for $30.00 will be $46.00 at FOT. I still buy from FOT. I don't have to join a club at the Toyota dealer to buy parts or get service... Maybe I'm missing the point but when did being a cash money paying customer become a privilege?
No disrespect intended....

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