Motorcade Premium Membership

Topic: Motorcade Premium Membership (Read 5946 times) previous topic - next topic

Re: Motorcade Premium Membership

Reply #150 – January 05, 2015, 06:21:21 pm

Quote from: Chuck Pearson – January 05, 2015, 05:45:20 pm

Look at it this way, what if they had just said "OK everyone, cough up another twenty five bucks whether you use the services or not." There are members who don't use the call in tech service, why should they be penalized to finance the ones who do? I suspect there would have been a measure of outrage over this also.

That is what they should have done Chuck, and AGAIN I say look at the posts that have come in "has anyone bitched over an increase--NO, that is what we are saying "increase the fee for everyone" and have done over and over again, but it still has not sunk in to some.
I am one who has not called in by phone for Tech service but I would not be troubled with an increase!!
JohnH

Re: Motorcade Premium Membership

Reply #151 – January 05, 2015, 06:24:29 pm

Quote from: Michelle – January 05, 2015, 05:32:43 pm

The forum never has and our intent is that it never will be used for commercial gain. There is not and will not be commercial sponsorship, endorsement, or affiliation.

The intent is and always has been that the forum is owned by the members since they (you) are the ones sharing your knowledge and helping each other.

However, I believe it would be entirely appropriate for Foretravel to have one (or more) of their employees monitor this forum and provide information directly from the factory. In my opinion that would not violate any spirit or principle of this forum, and would eliminate the need for James to provide so much one-on-one support.

At least that's my opinion . . . .

Re: Motorcade Premium Membership

Reply #152 – January 05, 2015, 06:29:47 pm

Quote from: D.J. Osborn – January 05, 2015, 06:24:29 pm

However, I believe it would be entirely appropriate for Foretravel to have one (or more) of their employees monitor this forum and provide information directly from the factory.

I was simply trying to squash any potential discussion of any company using the forum to generate "a huge income source"....

Sharing knowledge and information is always most welcome and encouraged.

Re: Motorcade Premium Membership

Reply #153 – January 05, 2015, 06:41:37 pm

We have been owners and members for almost 2 years. To date I have not received notification from the MC that this Plus + provision has been implemented. The MC certainly has my email address and telephone #. I also have not received the new MC magazine. Come to think of it I do not recall getting a single copy. It would be nice to receive said notification from FOT and/or the MC.

It is unfortunate to me that I have heard about this through this FoFum from a member or two and not from the Company. and more importantly the Company has left it up to us to debate our thoughts without expressing "their" reasons/justifications for this augmentation of an exxisting program.

I guess their ineffective communication (my perception) regarding this new program is what concerns me.

I will probably send in the 25 bucks but it would be nice to receive some sort of Invoice, request, statement with an explanation of benefits so I would know what I was purchasing.

Just my thoughts.

Is FOT a Commercial member of this forum? Could they not make a presence here as opposed to having the information funelled through a member and have him defend the Company"s position. Michelle - could you enlighten me?

Re: Motorcade Premium Membership

Reply #154 – January 05, 2015, 06:56:28 pm

Quote from: Carol & Scott – January 05, 2015, 06:41:37 pm

Is FOT a Commercial member of this forum? Could they not make a presence here as opposed to having the information funelled through a member and have him defend the Company"s position. Michelle - could you enlighten me?

Foretravel most certainly is a Commercial member of Foreforums. In the past, they have posted on the forum and have offered useful information in response to questions.

Steve and I don't know why they chose to funnel this and other Motorcade Club and corporate information through John S rather than communicate directly with the forum.

Re: Motorcade Premium Membership

Reply #155 – January 05, 2015, 07:11:10 pm

Wow, is it just me, or is anyone else finding this thread a bit tiresome?

FT made a decision, and as always, we can vote with our wallet. Don't think I am going to go out and trade for a Newell based on the extra $25 a year, which i will choose to contribute, and many others will not. This move does not alienate me, but it obviously has others. Most corporate decisions have benefactors and detractors. If you feel strongly enough, I guess a letter to FT would be more appropriate (and might produce reconsideration on their part if it was compelling).

I am used to paying for premium service, and think a subscription price makes sense as a way of rationing and allocating a scarce and valuable resource. (I have previously used the airline example as rationing based on price and level of service)

I love Steve, Michelle and this Forum. I have great respect for FT and the business challenges they face in a VERY difficult and cyclical industry,

Thanks again to all who contribute.

Re: Motorcade Premium Membership

Reply #156 – January 05, 2015, 07:40:00 pm

Quote from: Tim Fiedler – January 05, 2015, 07:11:10 pm

Wow, is it just me, or is anyone else finding this thread a bit tiresome?

Ah, the voice of reason. Kill it for the good of all.

Re: Motorcade Premium Membership

Reply #157 – January 05, 2015, 08:02:35 pm

I asked Michelle about 5 days ago to do just that (by way of email) and the reason she gave me to leave it open was valid, so this has been mentioned before as I was getting fed up with trying to get it over to people to read the posts before replying
FWIW
JohnH

Re: Motorcade Premium Membership

Reply #158 – January 05, 2015, 09:08:03 pm

I think the thread keeps going on for a couple reasons, one is we keep posting in it

People are passionate about their coaches and the company behind it. The other is since Foretravel has done a rather dubious job in communicating the changes, the reasons behind them, and the overall timing of the rollout (post annual renewals), what we have is a PR snafu that they get to deal with, welcome to 2015.

I offer my executive summary from reading the 7 pages.
-----
Foretravel rolled out changes that affect your benefits in the MC club. There are now membership levels available to you and your benefits will vary based on which you choose. Although there are several changes, the ones that will be of most interest to the membership are:

o Removal of the 10% remodel discount. This is similar to the Paint and Body area where there is also no 10% discount. This is simply a business decision done in the best interest of the long term well being of the company.
o The entry level package no longer offers direct phone support with tech support, email support is still available. Phone support is available in the premium package for a small price increase.
o The premium package offers service appointment priority above any other customers. It also offers additional after hour support on a case by case basis.

General Feedback Summary
- Members do not find the increase unreasonable and many will likely "upgrade"
- Are "levels" worth the administrative cost and hassle vs a simple across the board increase?
- Moving from a "loyalty" based system to a "membership" based system in the service department may alienate some members.
- How the upgrades will be sustained should a large percentage choose premium level, service, phone access (current situation).
- If they don't upgrade will they be "pushed" to look elsewhere or "pushed" to premium as there will be no available service slots in a reasonable timeframe.
- Members do want to support the things that are in Foretravel's best long term interest, they may just disagree on what that is

I believe those are the salient points raised from the 7 pages. We don't have any other information, so don't ya'll go ask'n.

Re: Motorcade Premium Membership

Reply #159 – January 06, 2015, 09:22:38 am

Thank you for the summary Steve. My original intent in posting the link to Facebook in Foreforums was twofold. 1. to let everyone know that there is a FB page for the Motorcade Club. 2. since I had not been directly communicated the new changes from the MC Club, I thought it a good idea to let everyone here know...just in case.

Re: Motorcade Premium Membership

Reply #160 – January 06, 2015, 09:22:56 am

One more item to add to Steve's summary:

Considering the areas in which Foretravel excels, they fall short in PR and all forms of communication.

Re: Motorcade Premium Membership

Reply #161 – January 06, 2015, 09:38:50 am

I believe that all this discussion about cost of membership is probably more meaningful to those OLD members who remember the days of $35, and what seems like a different attitude on the part of the company and club. I no longer belong as I had to sell the FT but after 15 years of membership I have seen a whole range of changes. Hope that things improve in the future for FT, the MC and all of us.

Happy New Year again.
Gary B

Re: Motorcade Premium Membership

Reply #162 – January 06, 2015, 07:51:48 pm

Quote from: Tom Lang – January 06, 2015, 09:22:56 am

One more item to add to Steve's summary:

Considering the areas in which Foretravel excels, they fall short in PR and all forms of communication.

Well said and true. When it comes down to it, my appreciation of Foretravel is not wrapped up in the social aspects of ownership but the recognition of masterful design and execution of a fine, durable piece of machinery. By extension I have a huge amount of respect for the company that produced it. This is the meat, communication, web presence, online support issues are secondary considerations. Granted, Foretravel could possibly benefit from enhanced promotion via social media etc., indeed for many consumers this is a primary consideration in purchase, especially for the first time owners. The second time buyers, though, are the ones who buy Foretravels and I suspect for them, the fact that premium level physical support for their coach is readily available, and the well known and earned great reputation for quality is the overriding concern.

Re: Motorcade Premium Membership

Reply #163 – January 06, 2015, 07:57:46 pm

Quote from: Chuck Pearson – January 06, 2015, 07:51:48 pm

The second time buyers, though, are the ones who buy Foretravels and I suspect for them, the fact that premium level physical support for their coach is readily available, and the well known and earned great reputation for quality is the overriding concern.

There are many first-time buyers who could--and would--purchase Foretravels if they simply knew about them and fully understood the quality that's in them. Unfortunately, with Foretravel's lack of quality marketing and a really good Web presence, I don't think many first-time buyers know about them.

Re: Motorcade Premium Membership

Reply #164 – January 06, 2015, 10:55:31 pm

Considering the fact that I was (operative word here: WAS) a Motorcade member and am still a Foretravel owner, I have never received any communication from either organization in the last three years. Kind of makes me think of what owners of defunct brands feel like, now that they own "orphans"

I wonder how much it would cost FOT to maintain contact with owners of their coaches? What kind of return on the investment of time and resources?
When I was in the Machine Tool Company as Chief Applications Engineer I used to call each contact at the companies that bought our machine once a week after receipt of the machine-each week for two months. After that, twice a month for two months. After that, once a month for a year, and so on. Each time I asked for feedback, degree of satisfaction with their machine, anything we could do for them. I got a lot of repeat business due to customer satisfaction and my keeping in contact with them.

Bet FOT is missing out on their customer contacts and opportunities

Re: Motorcade Premium Membership

Reply #165 – January 07, 2015, 07:01:16 am

Tim and Chuck, right on! Atlas Shrugged, got a chuckle out of that one!
The rest of you, come on man, can't you feel the love? It's just $25 bucks, and they are just trying to help. Do you really think this has any effect on profit... $25,000? This is about justifying techs getting tied up on a 1993, 1994, 1989 GV for a $200 part.

Yes, improvements could be made (communications in my opinion) but if you've been to FT then you know there aren't many employees just sitting around, they're working.

Put a smile on your face, get away from the petty stuff and have fun. See you on the road, Mark, MC 17243

P.S. If you don't like it, start a motorcoach company yourself and see how you make out.

Re: Motorcade Premium Membership

Reply #166 – January 07, 2015, 08:36:08 am

OK here I go again. Appears maybe the new establishment does not wish to keep giving free info to coach owners when their coaches were built by the previous owners. What they miss is the fact; Look in the service bays and paint shop and they will see that these are the coaches which are their best customers. I agree: its all about keeping in touch with their customers and that is "ALL Foretravel owners". The internet is the best tool for that as Barry has shown by his work on manuals etc. Foretravel has always had a difficult time listening to their customers and seem to build the most expensive, largest, and most complicated motorhome. What happen to keep it simple? Where are the medium priced shorter coaches? Quality can be had, but you have to be a team player including the customer. Its not the $25.00. Its the idea which seems to have a difficult time making sense when you have to pay for a priority position for service. Appears that just being a motorcade member is just not good enough anymore, but I suspect that this new level will be soon forgotten. Who monitors if you are on the "upper teir" or not when you call. Are they going to say; Oh, you have to wait as you are not a priority member. Lets hope not. This is the end of the topic for me.

Re: Motorcade Premium Membership

Reply #167 – January 07, 2015, 09:50:43 am

I am not trying to stir up trouble I'm just trying to make an observation one which I'm involved in.

Unfortunately I think age and mind-set has a lot to do with communication communication. my dad still thinks that he should receive a confirmation if he sent a text to make sure that you got it. He thinks the Internet is a place.

It would be a paradigm shift to go from the flip phone to a smartphone. And that's were they are. All other manufacturers embracing technology and using smartphones and they still use paper, microfisc and flip phones

here's a question the way I kept up on my competition was I look to see what they were doing. I doubt Foretravel has looked at another website for another manufacturer? If they have, their head is in the sand. Even the one thats selling the realm has a wonderful website. They have a great motorhome great values, but they're behind times.

Re: Motorcade Premium Membership

Reply #168 – January 07, 2015, 10:13:41 am

Bigger more expensive new RVs are more profitable per unit. But producing smaller, less expensive unit, gives more units to work on in the future and service.

Websites and marketing don't matter as much if only selling 20-50 coaches at 1mil a pop.

Re: Motorcade Premium Membership

Reply #169 – January 07, 2015, 10:22:48 am

Quote from: krush – January 07, 2015, 10:13:41 am

Websites and marketing don't matter as much if only selling 20-50 coaches at 1mil a pop.

I completely disagree. The prospective buyers with that kind of money are quite likely to be Web savvy. It's important to properly explain and market one's product to them--especially if a single sale will sell a product with a price of about $1 million! How can one be impressed with the quality of a very expensive product if the manufacturer cannot even produce a quality Website?

Re: Motorcade Premium Membership

Reply #170 – January 07, 2015, 10:49:15 am

Well, being in the business, I guess I'd like to know what a "Quality Website" is.

I, for one, would not consider a website that's mostly glitzy photos a quality website.

But a website that answers just about any question a Prospect might ask, plus a few photos, just might turn more Prospects into Customers.

Now that would take a LOT of work, but it might pay off handsomely.

Its easy enuf to find web designers who'll deliver a beautiful website.

But not all website designers understand how to market on the web, or how to create a website that does it.

Serh Godin once said something like this: A website exists for one purpose: To gain a Prospect's permission to market them. Which Seth called "Permission Marketing" now called "Inbound Marketing"

Check out Seth's book by the same name: "Permission Marketing"

best, paul

Re: Motorcade Premium Membership

Reply #171 – January 07, 2015, 11:34:44 am

Quote from: Paul Smith – January 07, 2015, 10:49:15 am

I, for one, would not consider a website that's mostly glitzy photos a quality website.

But a website that answers just about any question a Prospect might ask, plus a few photos, just might turn more Prospects into Customers.

You have pretty much described what I would consider to be a "Quality Website." I would add that in the case of a motorhome manufacturer's Website, I would like to see details of their construction techniques, and what sets them apart for their competition.

Since I'm an engineer, I have limited appreciation for the "pretty" (except, of course, for my wife!) but I have a great appreciation for the technical details.

Re: Motorcade Premium Membership

Reply #172 – January 07, 2015, 12:49:33 pm

Quote from: Paul Smith – January 07, 2015, 10:49:15 am

Serh Godin once said something like this: A website exists for one purpose: To gain a Prospect's permission to market them. Which Seth called "Permission Marketing" now called "Inbound Marketing"

Check out Seth's book by the same name: "Permission Marketing"

While Seth may have written a great book, his book was written back in 1999. That to me seems a bit dated in today's fast paced world. Times have surely changed, especially the internet, from fifteen years ago.
Bob

Re: Motorcade Premium Membership

Reply #173 – January 07, 2015, 02:23:19 pm

Please look at the Foretravel website.
The website contains a description of the current models available. With a listing of all equipment.
There is a pdf file of 2014 models with complete descriptions with specifications and all weights and measures.
There is a section that describes (and shows pictures) of major items such as roof structure, custom chassis, wood work, slides, fiberglass construction, etc.
There are complete descriptions and photos of all new models for sale.
There is a history of Foretravel.
What else should there be? What is missing?

Re: Motorcade Premium Membership

Reply #174 – January 07, 2015, 02:58:27 pm

Quote from: ltg – January 07, 2015, 02:23:19 pm

Please look at the Foretravel website.
The website contains a description of the current models available. With a listing of all equipment.
There is a pdf file of 2014 models with complete descriptions with specifications and all weights and measures.
There is a section that describes (and shows pictures) of major items such as roof structure, custom chassis, wood work, slides, fiberglass construction, etc.
There are complete descriptions and photos of all new models for sale.
There is a history of Foretravel.
What else should there be? What is missing?

I have reviewed the Foretravel Website many times. It contains a lot of information, but it's far from "user friendly."

A few key things lacking include any compelling reason to purchase a Foretravel (from an engineering standpoint) when compared to the competition. I firmly believe the Foretravel engineering design is superior to virtually all others, but there is no comprehensive information package on the Website. If I hadn't already been familiar with the Foretravel design throughout the years, I couldn't really learn about it from the Website.

Review Entegra's Website, for example, to see how a lower-cost manufacturer has constructed their Website. Also consider how Newell has done their Website. I believe Foretravel should be considered in the same category as Newell, but does Foretravel's Website reflect that? Of these three Websites, which ones offer a compelling story of why one should consider their products, as well as how their products are supported?

In addition, there should be a really good way to find parts online and a link to that parts database on their Website. This would save them money in personnel costs (answering the phone) and likely increase parts sales in the long run.

I could go on, but I believe I've provided a reasonable sampling of what's lacking.

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