Sep 29, 2006
The Truth About Sundance Vacations
Hello!
Welcome to the Sundance Vacations corporate blog! Now that the blog is up and running, I sit-rubbing my palms together in anticipation…why? I am very eager to write about the company I know and love.
Blog Goal
Joining me in this blogging endeavor is my friend, Tina Dowd. Tina and her husband, John, are the founders of Sundance Vacations. Tina and I are “blogging virgins” but that won’t stop us from jumping in with two feet! In addition to writing for the corporate blog, we are organizing a client blog where three to four travelers will be featured each month. The purpose of the corporate blog is to reveal the truth about Sundance and to hopefully enlighten those of you who have questions or concerns about the company. Our goal is to post new content weekly. There are many things we want to address. At this time, we feel it’s most important for you, our clients, that we address the many misleading rumors about Sundance Vacations floating on the Internet.
So, who am I?
Please indulge me while I qualify myself as someone who can speak honestly and knowledgably about the company. My name is Kathy O’Mara; I am the Communications Director for Sundance Vacations, and have worked here in several different capacities for almost eleven years. I began as a marketer, and after time was promoted to mid-level management. As the company and our client base grew, I was offered and accepted the position of New Client Services Manager; there I stayed for eight and a half years. I left the company last September to work in the hotel industry; it was fun, but for me, not satisfying. I made the decision to leave my position, and called John to let him know I was entering the job market, “You better move fast,” I joked, “Or some other incredibly fortunate company will scoop me up!” The timing was perfect all involved, and viola! Here I am, the new Communications Director. It feels like I’ve come home and am back where I belong, working for Sundance and its clients.
Work History/BBB Award
It’s been my pleasure over the years, to work side by side with people who truly care about providing their clients with the best possible product. Sundance Vacations holds high ethical standards for their employees. “Try to see things from the client’s point of view,” and, always approach each situation with clients, “in the interest of customer service,” are attitudes all employees are taught to embrace. When I was the New Client Services manager, it was my responsibility to make sure we took whatever steps were necessary to ensure clients were satisfied (and usually pleasantly surprised) by the way we resolved their concerns. Because of its high standards, I chose to nominate Sundance Vacations for the 2005 Northeastern and Central Pennsylvania Better Business Torch Award. The competition was tough, but our values and principles won the award for Sundance Vacations.
Why Listen to Me?
I’ve worked here a long time and know how much thought, time and effort the owners and the employees put into this company. I can’t help but take it personally when the business I know to be honest and ethical is wrongly attacked. But, why should you listen to me instead of an anonymous posting? Because, I am telling you the truth of whom I am, someone with genuine first hand knowledge of Sundance Vacations.
Disgruntled employees, competitors, litigious public, and of course, actual clients
Damaging posts come from a variety of sources: disgruntled employees, competitors, litigious public, and of course, actual clients. Because it’s difficult to know which posts are fabricated and which are factual, we are creating the corporate blog to reveal the truth about Sundance Vacations. We are 100% committed to the satisfaction of our clients. Any person who truly needs assistance is encouraged to call customer service at 1-800-264-3802, or you may e-mail me at komara@vacmail.com.
What to Look for in the Coming Weeks
We look forward to showing you the Sundance you don’t know, and within the next few weeks, we’ll be adding to the blog. We’ll talk about the differences between our product and a traditional timeshare product. We’ll dedicate a week to discussing the fee structure. We’ll reveal future expansion plans for Sundance Vacations. Talk about exciting sponsorships. Share information about important community involvement and charitable endeavors and unveil new resort properties as we acquire them.
Of course we’ll talk about all of the popular destinations where Sundance Vacations (with the assistance of Travel Advantage Network) excels, like: Orlando, Myrtle Beach, the Poconos, Colorado, Hawaii, South Florida, Mexico, the Caribbean, the Wisconsin Dells, Williamsburg and so on. We will reveal our favorite restaurants, our favorite activities, some tried and true tips and some major blunders.
Please Share
If you’d like to share on the corporate blog, please send me your comments. Posts with inappropriate language will not be published, and posts not related to the subject being discussed will not be posted. If you have ideas for discussion topics, bring them on. We welcome criticism and praise (not necessarily in that order!). If you are interested in writing for our client blog (don’t get scared it just means sharing your personal vacation experiences with other Sundance travelers) please email me at komara@vacmail.com or call me at 800-220-9400 x 130.
Happy Blogging!
Kathy O’Mara
Ms. Omara,
I am looking forward to hearing from you about Sundance Vacations. I have been called a few times and have been to your website looking around. I do travel and I’m interested in what you have to offer but I’m a little confused about what your company does. I’ll be watching and reading this blog and maybe next time someone calls me I’ll say yes.
Well, I guess that’s it. I’m awaiting your next post.
-T. Berger
Question: Is there is any easy way to book a destination wedding using my vacation weeks? I am lost and I have no way to coordinate these wedding plans. When my fiance and I first signed up, we asked about wedding and we were told that someone would help us plan however we are not getting anywhere. Please help!
Stephanie,
I am the manager of TAN’s Total Vacation Services. I am unable to respond to your specific vacation request because I do not have enough information to look up your account. Therefore, let me suggest that you contact TVS at 800-223-0088 ext.3 to discuss your wedding destination. We have helped clients booked multiple units for special occassions depending on the specific requirements.
Hey Sundance Vacations,
I am an employee for Sundance Vacations, and all that I can say about the company is that Sundance Vacations is the best company that I have ever worked for. They not only treat their employees with the fullest amount of respect, but they treat all of thier clients with the same respect.
Sundance Vacations not only treats their employees and clients right, they also have great vacation packages available, and are so generous with their promotions just to spread the word of the name Sundance
Vacations.
Honestly, for those of you who are not employees, but maybe future employees, you will really regret it if you dont give Sundance Vacations a chance, when they call your home, only to give you a nice Vacation Package just for some time to show you what we got.
THIS IS THE BEST JOB IN THE WORLD THAT I HAVE HAD I A LONG TIME, AND BELIEVE ME THAT i HAVE HAD A LOT OF JOBS OVER THE YEARS….BUT THE BEST THING THAT I LIKE ABOUT THE SHAMOKIN OFFICE OF SUNDANCE VACATIONS IS THAT EVERYONE IS SO MUCH FUN THERE AND NOT TO MENTION MY MANAGER. . . BECKY’S AWSOME, YOU SHOULD BE THERE YOURSELF IF YOU HAVEN’T BEEN THERE,…EVERYONE INTERACTS WITH EACH OTHER AND ARE SO FRIENDLY AND POLITE IN THIS OFFICE…JUST BEFORE WORK IT IS SO UP LIFTING AND INSPIRING JUST BEFORE THE JOB STARTS AND IT MAKES YOU WANT TO JUST GO ON THE PHONES AND GET THAT FIRST PERSON WHO IS AT HOME AND TALK TO THEM WITH ALL OF THE ENTHUSIASM AND EXCITEMENT THAT YOU ARE JUST DYING TO LET OUT AT THE TIME….THE TRICK IS THAT YOU HAVE TO KEEP THAT SAME ATTITUDE ALL DAY LONG, AND THE CLIENTS HAVE TO SEE THAT YOU DO LOVE YOUR JOB,….AND ACTUALLY EVERYONE HERE MUST LOVE THIS JOB BECAUSE WE ALL ARE STILL HERE AND WE DO COME IN EVERY DAY, EXCEPT FOR THOSE RARE TIMES WHEN SOMETHING COMES UP…NOT TO MENTION THE FACT THAT EVEN THOUGH WE ARE NOT IN THE DRAWING FOR THE CASH GIVEAWAY, OR THE BRAND NEW CAR GIVEAWAY, WE DO—BELIEVE IT OR NOT—HAVE OUR OWN CONTESTS THAT WE ARE ENTERED INTO…IN FACT i THINK THAT WE ACTUALLY GET THE BETTER PART OF THE PACKAGE BECAUSE WE GET TO LAUGH AND PLAY AND LOOK AT WORK AS IF EVERY DAY WAS THE FIRST DAY, THAT WE STARTED!!!! SO HERE’S TO THE NEXT BLOG…WISHING ALL OF THE REST OF THE TEAM AND ALL OF THOSE PEOPLE WHO HAVE NOT HAD THE CHANE TO SIGN UP, THE CHANCE TO HAVE AS MUCH FUN AS WE ARE ALL HAVING HERE AT SUNDANCE VACATIONS !!!!
I have worked for Sundance vacations 6 yrs now and have gone on vacation every year. The excess inventory is awsome. Where else are you going to get a great condo in great places for $188.00 a week (total). Believe me I know, I also own a time share in Florida for 1 week a year, the maintenents fees alone are $1000.00. Sundance Vacations offers great vacationing at great prices. KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!!!!!!!
I was traveling somewhere from the Philadelphia airport one day. And I was on the shuttle from the parking lot to the airport. I noticed a woman sitting across from me with a big red bag. It had big yellow letters on it that spelled out T.A.N.
Knowing that Travel Advantage Network helps Sundance Vacations assist clients in booking reservations, I figured the woman probably purchased through the Sundance Vacations office in King of Prussia. Out of curiosity I was going to ask her where she was going. But as she just sat quietly, with a big smile on her face, I decided not to ask. It didn’t matter where she was going at all…. the only thing that mattered was that she extremely happy!!!
Just went through some training at the shamokin office, and I can tell you, you can never learn enough things to help you along the way to becoming a better employee!!!
it was awesome, and now I feel inspired to try to do some challenging things and try to become an asset.
I am very excited about this whole blog thing. I have been blogging for a few months now and I still get excited about it. I love to hear what people have to say and I love to make my comments on them. Another benefit is the chance to win an Ipod(which I already have won and use quite often). i think was such a great idea and the person who came up with it should get an award!!!
Working at Sundance Vacations makes me feel like I am truly helping clients change thier lives, when you talk to couples and families that have NEVER taken a vacation, or have a dream destination as simple as las Vegas or even and extravagant as Hawaii and you can truly show them a way to make that dream a reality……it truly makes you feel good, when a new client hugs you on the way out the door with that black folder with thoughts in thier heads of not will I ever go on vacation, but WHERE do I go first, you can’t help but smile and feel blessed that you had the chance to make someone’s dream into a reality!!!!!!