What's Growin' On

VOLUME I I , ISSUE 2 JUNE 15, 2012

A Newsletter designed for Today’s Vacation Planning Counselors

INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

The Numbers 2 Tell The Story

Quality Buzz 3

Circle of Excellence 4

Resort Update 6

Owners R Us 8

What’s Growin’ On 10 with At Home

Spotlight On 13

At Home Agents 17

Patriotic Employer 19

Upward Bound 21

Caught on Camera! 22

What’s Growin’ On is a quarterly newsletter for the employees of the Wyndham Vacation Ownership Contact Centers. Please submit your comments, suggestions or content ideas to your supervisor/leader.

Executive Sponsor:Shelly Griessel

Editors:Karimé Alvarado, Christine Oliver

Contributors:Karimé Alvarado, Christine Oliver, Scott Cowan, Linda Ertle, Rick McKenna, Laura Burrows, Chris Churchwell, Lolita Eggers, Joshua St. Louis, Shaloom Turnbull-Lang, Kelly Vissers

Design:Ranae Ledebuhr, Visit Orlando

Cheetah’s CornerVery warm greetings to all of you!

As summer has officially begun, our owners are also terribly excited about being in touch with us on a more regular basis! Call volumes on the WorldMark cues are intense although not more than what we had anticipated receiving. However, it seems that the calls have increased in length. Remember effective and

efficient call handling during this time is always much appreciated by both the owners and your leadership!

Our Annual Owners Meeting for CLUB WYNDHAM® took place in May and it was nothing short of an amazing event. The theme was “Food and Wine Festival” and our owners simply loved it. The meeting was extremely well attended by first time attendees (57 percent) and the vast majority of the owners with whom we interacted were raving fans of the Club. Once again, a hearty thank you to all the folks that made this event happen — Sandy and her team set the bar high for what we will have to exceed in 2013!!

Lastly, a special word of thanks to all of the agents and their leadership for the significant strides made moving the needle on Quality metrics in the past two months. We are starting to get real traction — owners and internal clients are telling us that the service is at an all time high. We know that the Quality program has come a long way in its evolution — whilst controversial and tough at times — you have all persevered and it is paying off.

Let’s keep the great momentum and pace moving in to the third quarter of 2012 and continue driving towards an environment of great service and culture!

I am glad to be here.

Shelly

Circle of Excellence Update!THE 2012 FIRST QUaRTER CIRClE OF ExCEllENCE

TOp CONTENDERS aRE IN!

Check out the awards on page 5.

The Numbers Tell The Story

By Kelly Vissers

VOLUME I I , ISSUE 2 PAGE 2

Information taken from Wyndham Worldwide First Quarter 2012 Earnings Report (April 25, 2012).

On April 25, 2012, Wyndham Worldwide announced a strong finish for the First Quarter with $1 billion in revenues. The revenue included contributions from the three divisions within Wyndham Worldwide: Lodging/Hotel Group, Wyndham Vacation Ownership, and Vacation Exchange and Rental. Lodging/Hotel group’s revenue share was $185 million, or 18 percent; Vacation Exchange and Rental’s revenue share was $361 million, or 34 percent; and Wyndham Vacation Ownership’s revenue share, which includes the Owner Services Contact Center, was $501 million, or 48 percent. The Contact Center contributed $10.5 million in revenue.

The First Quarter EBITDA for Wyndham Worldwide totaled $226 million, which included a $21 million loss for transactions between segments and other corporate transactions. Lodging’s EBITDA was $49 million. Vacation Exchange and Rental’s EBITDA was $95 million, and Wyndham Vacation Ownership’s EBITDA was $103 million. The Owner Services Contact Center EBITDA contribution for the Fourth Quarter was $4.3 million, which is 2 percent total of Wyndham Worldwide and 4.3 percent of Wyndham Vacation Ownership.

Vacation Ownership

$501M

lodging$185M

Vacation Exchange and Rental

$361M

Vacation Ownership

$103M

lodging$49M

Vacation Exchange and Rental

$95M

The Wyndham Financial Nation

Revenue

EBIT

Wyndham Worldwide stock has increased 60 percent to $50.15 on June 13, 2012 from $31.50 on June 10, 2011

In an effort to continuously push the customer service envelope and provide unparalleled service to our valued owner base, Owner Services has adopted the Brand Standards document. The Brand Standard sets the bar for service at our contact centers and acts as a guide that helps us understand what our calls should sound like. The document outlines activities and behaviors we can practice to ensure the delivery of exceptional customer service. Regardless of location or department, we’ve all had discussions about the Brand Standards document and the expectations it outlines.

What does it all mean? It means that Wyndham Vacation Ownership (WVO) is committed to providing our Owners with the best experience possible each time they come in contact with us, and that is what upholds our Brand as the leading hospitality company in the world. If we can create a Brand Standard that upholds our Brand in the hospitality industry, we can do this at an individual level as well. How do you present yourself to your co-workers, supervisor, family or friends? What kind of experience do you want them to have when they interact with you? What is your Brand Standard?

Our Brand Standards include three concepts. They are Concept 1: “Connection and Communication.” This concept lists activities that describe how the call sounds. Did you smile when you answered the call so that your tone and inflection carry through to the owner? Did you present options in a positive way and highlight the best parts of their ownership? Were you engaged in what the owner was saying, and did you use paraphrasing to make sure that you understood the owner’s request? Did you share in their excitement about booking a reservation? All of these behaviors are typically present in the way we interact with friends, co-workers and family. What activities would be displayed in your personal Brand Standard for your co-workers? Your family? How does your interaction with them sound?

Concept 2: Discovering the true needs of your caller and providing appropriate education based on these needs. Did we find out why they chose a particular location? What do they like to do when they get away from home? Who do they normally travel with? How do they

travel to the location? When are they available to vacation? By following the who, what, when, where, why and how formula, we can discover the deeper travel needs of our owners and then make great recommendations and solutions to them. Options like CLUB WYNDHAM® Travel or RCI® help demonstrate the added value in their ownership. For Owner Care, these kinds of questions can help you dig deeper into the roots of your callers’ concerns and allow you to provide the best resolutions for them in the most efficient manner. These are also the same kinds of questions you’d ask if you heard that your friend or co-worker was going on vacation. They allow you to appear interested and engaged in the owner’s plans, like a good friend.

Concept 3: Vacation planning for reservations and issue resolution. Here we get to show what we really learned about our owners by making specific vacation offers or offering resolutions specific to their concern or issue. This is the “giving advice” part of the call or conversation with your friend.

In your role at the contact center, what is the Brand you wish to exude? What kinds of activities and behaviors would be on your Brand Standard document to help you learn, grow and consistently provide the experiences you want your co-workers and friends to have? By looking within ourselves and the experience we provide to those around us, we can better understand how we can improve our calls and the connections we make with our owners.

Quality BuzzWhat’s YOUR Brand Standard?

By Joshua St. Louis


Brand Standards• Best Experience Possible with

Each Contact• Connection and Communication• Discover the True Needs• Vacation Planning and Positive

Issue Resolution

— AT-A-GLANCE —

With their eyes on the ball and a relentless drive for exceptional performance, these associates are now in the running to join the prestigious club of Circle of Excellence winners! Circle of Excellence is an amazing achievement here at Wyndham and illustrates the dedication we all have to providing excellent service to our owners.

In the words of our Vice president, Shelly Griessel, on the Circle of Excellence:

Carrying out the principles of our Count On Me! philosophy is the driving force behind everything that we do on behalf of our more than 830,000 owner families worldwide. It is a mission that we set out to achieve every day. In large part due to your exceptional focus on delivering great service and getting our owners on vacation, Wyndham Vacation Ownership remains at the top of our industry ... we intend to stay there!

We remain laser focused on delivering a world-class experience for our valued owners. Our Circle of Excellence recognition program recognizes those individuals that truly embody the Count On Me! spirit and are passionate about our core value, “improving the lives of our customers.”

YOU too can be in the running to receive this coveted award. There is still time! All it takes is 3 steps:

1. Make sure you come to work – on time!

2. Do the best job you can!

3. Stay away from Corrective Action!

Keeping a laser focus on these three things will help get you in the race to win great prizes and receive recognition as a Circle of Excellence winner!

Circle of Excellence Update!By Shaloom Turnbull-Lang

THE 2012 FIRST QUaRTER CIRClE OF ExCEllENCE TOp CONTENDERS aRE IN!

and The Top Q1 Contenders are ...

29.3%

28.1%

28.4%

31.6%

28.7%

28.3%

28.4%

42.3%

298%

100.0%

100.0%

42.8%/$704.46


Club Certification is gradually becoming a more integral part of the Learning and Development Strategy for all owner-facing associates. For this reason, Club Management, in conjunction with Learning and Development, is continuously improving the pro-gram’s content and management process. Some of the enhancements that we will provide include a more detailed understanding of how the certification will be administered, more clarity on expectations and accountability, and more information on what can be expected in the near future. Associates and supervisors will complete the certification process online in a self-paced course. There will be four to five Club Rules program courses offered on MyLearning during each calendar year. For the convenience of the counselors, we plan to announce the training on Wyndham News Network and include instructions that link to MyLearning, which will include both the learning module and correlating knowledge check. All associates may take the assessment as many times as needed to achieve the required

85 percent or higher to become Club Rules certified.

Classes will be offered year-round on MyLearning. Associates will complete each module on a revolving 12-month cycle in order to become annually re-certified and stay up-to-date on any additions to the program. While associates should be able to complete the program requirements in 30 days, we are adding an additional 30 days to accommodate vacation requests and other business priorities that may arise. Associates who choose not to complete the certification module and knowledge check will be ineligible to receive their earned incentive. The main goal of the Club Certification program is to improve the owner experience by empowering our contact center agents with the knowledge and tools they need to be successful in every situation. We hope this additional information and clarity will better prepare everyone to complete the certifications and move us one step closer to achieving this goal.


Circle of Excellence 2012 Awards

New for 2012

Club Elite Weekend Cruise for Two

•TopTwoCLUBWYNDHAM® Plus Reservations Agents

•TopTwoWorldMarkby Wyndham Reservations Agents

•TopCLUBWYNDHAM® Plus Travel Agent

•Chooseyourshiftforayear

•CommemorativePlaque

•Dinnerforyouandaguest, with Senior Leaders

•Connections article

•Photoopportunity

•Amex:$1,000

•100,000Wyndham Rewards Points

•$1,000vouchertospendon airline tickets

•Setofsuperiorluggage-$500 value

Awards

Club CertificationBy Chris Churchwell

Bluebeard Beach ClubBeginning August 11 through mid-December 2012, five of the buildings at Bluebeard’s Beach club will be undergoing renova-tions including new furniture, bedding and fixtures. During this time the resort will be fully operational and amenities at the resort will not be affected.

Wyndham at Waikiki Beach Walk®

Beginning in August and con-tinuing through December 2012, Waikiki Beach Walk will be renovating the units with new granite counter tops, paint and carpet. Resort amenities will not be affected; however, guests may experience some noise during the daytime hours.

Wyndham Cypress palmsWyndham Cypress Palms will be renovating 66 guests units beginning in September and lasting through December 2012. Additionally, some air condition-

ing units will be replaced. The resort will remain open and accommodations are not expected to be affected. Units adjacent to the renovations can expect some construction noise during daytime hours.

Wyndham Royal Sea CliffThe South Pool will be closed from June 4 to June 22 so that the interior of the pool can be re-plastered. This will only have minimal impact, as the North Pool will remain fully operational. Additionally, Wyndham Royal Sea Cliff will be renovating 40 units beginning in early August 2012 and continuing through October 2012. Guests in units adjacent to the con-struction may experience some construction noise during the daytime hours.

Wyndham Skyline TowerWyndham Skyline Tower will be repainting the exterior of the building beginning in September

and continuing through October 2012. Guests will experience minimal disruption.

Wyndham la Belle MaisonBeginning in July and continuing through September 2012, Wyndham La Belle Maison will be renovating the second floor guest areas, as well as some Presidential units.

Wyndham Sea GardensThe renovations to the Water- falls North and South units at Wyndham Sea Gardens are expected to commence in August 2012 and continue through early November. During this time, guests may experience a reduction of available inventory and some parking spaces will be used for staging. Additionally, the resort will be performing a concrete restoration project to the Key West building from June 1 to June 30; the Key West pool will be temporarily closed for the duration of the project.

Wyndham Resort ReportBluebeard Beach Club Wyndham Cypress Palms Wyndham Sea Gardens


By Karimé Alvarado

Wyndham SedonaStarting October 2012 through December 2012, Wyndham Sedona will be renovating all units.

Wyndham Riverside SuitesBeginning in August 2012 through September 2012, Wyndham Riverside Suites will be renovating the third floor of the resort. During this time, guests may experience some construction noise and the wait time for elevators may increase. Resort amenities will not be affected.

Wyndham DurangoWyndham Durango will be replacing the air conditioning system throughout the resort beginning on May 29 and continuing through June 15, 2012. During this time the resort will be without air conditioning. Temporary air conditioning units will be placed at the end of all hallways to provide some cool air in the resort. All units have ceiling fans.

Wyndham Durango

Wyndham Sedona And not the juggling six balls, yodeling the National Anthem, and doing back flips kind of talent. The offices, halls and cubes here are filled with individuals who bring diverse backgrounds, expertise and skills to the company. And now, with Specialties on Tap, leaders will be able to recognize these key talents of our associates and identify possible opportunities for growth and leadership based on those skills.

So how will the new talent planning tool work? Associates will complete a profile that includes their knowledge, skills and abilities. Leaders will then be able to review these profiles as they are looking to fill roles and develop Wyndham’s future leaders.

The talent planning tool is a valuable resource for everyone. As an associate, your talents and interests will be highlighted and used to place you at the forefront of leadership and growth opportunities. Leaders will also benefit from the tool, as they will be able to locate some of Wyndham Vacation Owner’s top talent and directly match available opportunities with corresponding passions, interests and skills. Are you ready to showcase your talents and be presented with opportunities based on your true passions? If so, be on the lookout for more information about the Hospitality division’s new talent planning tool!

Wyndham’s Got Talent!!


The Talent Planning Tool highlights your talents and interests for advancement.

By Christine Oliver

Our owners have been receiving some excellent service lately, and they want everyone to know! Here’s what some of our owners are saying about the recent service they have received and the counselors who assisted them:

THIS OWNER WaNTS EVERYONE TO KNOW …Owner Pete Siegle wants everyone at Wyndham to know how much he and his wife appreciate Alerice Duncanson’s assistance. Mr. Siegle writes that he has “been trying for years to right a wrong and [Alerice] handled it with grace and efficiency. We will never forget our experience of working with you and you make us proud to be a part of Wyndham and the Elysian Beach Resort.”

HaTS OFF TO JENNIFER MaSON …Owner Edward Laskowski writes: “Jennifer has to be the most amazing employee at Wyndham. If you could only have a few more just like her! She was caring and forthright and never tired in her endeavors for us. Because of her we are happy owners again!”

a HEaRTY THaNK-YOU, RITa CURTIS! “One final time we want to say a hearty THANK U!! Just can’t say enough about how effective you were in resolving our dilemma. If I wasn’t already happily married I would beg you to marry me, but I don’t think my lovely wife would go for it! Thank you from the bottom of our hearts and God bless you and your family.” — Owners, Harley and Dee Shaull

Owners R Us By Lolita Eggers

More quotes from our Owners:

“KJ did her job efficiently and was very reassuring while able to correct the problem created by another agent. GREAT JOB!” — Rafal Minkewicz

“Katie was thoughtful, took her time and was realistic about my options. She wasn’t in a hurry to ‘get it over with’ and was thought-ful of my needs.” — Lenea England

“Annette was very kind and never rushed. She answered all my questions and I enjoyed talking with her.” — William Duffey

“Dannette was diligent, polite and very helpful. She was able to suggest an alternate date which worked perfectly for us!” — Carolyne Cole-Ridge

“In the past your agents have told me I do not have Interval International (II), while I insisted I did. No one seemed able to assist me until Sara Coker answered my call. She researched my 2001 contract to find my II affiliation. I am very happy she was able to overcome this hurdle for me. SHE ROCKS!” — Sharon Carpenter


I am very happy she was able to overcome this hurdle for me.

Imagine you have a boat that has a small hole on the side of it. The hole sits above the water level and can easily be repaired. But perhaps because it is minor and above the water level, you decide not to worry about the hole – it’s only a little hole and it’s not causing you any immediate problems. It seems wasteful and unnecessary to repair it.

However, when the conditions either on or around your boat change – for example, you load the boat with extra weight or a storm with high waves starts up – all of a sudden that little hole that seemed so innocent can become a major point of failure.

If you’re not careful your entire ship could sink.

Now clearly, no sane captain will tolerate any holes on a boat that he is running. The story’s goal is to encourage you to think about how a small problem may not seem to be worth the energy needed to change our behavior and repair it. However, that same small problem can eventually lead to a major problem that has the ability to destroy our business performance. So we have to tune ourselves into those small problems, or holes, as well as the risks that they present to our business. More importantly, we have to be aware of the signs that suggest a hole may occur in the future; in the boat example above this could be looking for signs of stress on the hull. By tuning in to these signs, we can address the conditions that lead to points of failure.

As we look back at our AHT performance over the past several months, we can see some warning signs of problems that may dramatically impact our ability to deliver great service and solid business results. Through the focus of us all, AHT performance improved in the month of March. While there is still a long way to go in 2012, this improvement demonstrates our ability to solve serious

issues that surface in our operation by focusing on what each of us can individually control and change.

When faced with a serious problem, it’s important to explore each issue that could potentially be the cause and how it contributes to the operational results we see every day. One method for doing this is called the “Breakthrough” approach. In this approach, you look beyond our current business boundaries and understand what’s really at work, then decide where we want to go. In other words, we discover the gaps in knowledge, skills and behaviors that need to be synchronized for our improvement and growth.

Recently, we conducted feedback sessions with supervisors across all sites. These sessions were used to identify best practices that have helped contribute to efficiencies in AHT performance. Feedback was captured in the following areas:

• Changes in Counselor Behavior

• Changes in Counselor Materials

• Changes in Counselor Methods/Procedures

• Changes in Environment

• Changes in Policies

By using a team-based approach, we were able to explore various categories of causes and encourage creativity through a brainstorming process. In addition, the sessions brought out a more thorough exploration of the issues causing increases in AHT performance. The key findings from these sessions will be summarized and shared with all sites in the coming weeks. Be on the lookout for this information so you can evaluate your approach to call efficiency, identify ways to improve your performance and learn to recognize those potential holes!

Average Handle Time (AHT) Improvements – Recent Approach to Identify Best Practices


If you’re not careful your entire ship could sink.

By Scott Cowan

The At Home Initiative has been growing and changing over the past several months. We have some great projects planned and in development that will continue to enhance the At Home program. Some of the key changes include:

• Strategic physical asset planning To ensure the best pricing and most efficient lead time when transitioning employees to an At Home environment,

we have formalized the procurement of purchasing the Thin Clients.

• Revised recruiting process Since the transition of business-to-business ISPs, we have changed the recruiting process to include

an Internet speed test, call center simulation voice recording and virtual interviews.

Moving forward, we plan to update the At Home Agents (AHA) recruiting profile to include skills and behaviors that have been identified in successful AHAs.

• Port re-assignment process To resolve intermittent port failures, we have designed a new re-assignment

process to change an AHA’s port. We still occasionally have issues with port failures; however, this new process has reduced the down time from over 30 minutes to less than 5 minutes (when reported immediately).

• Inventory management system The inventory for At Home devices and peripherals can

be quite overwhelming. We have enhanced the system to include all items used by employees, as well as items we keep in our three locations for emergencies.

• Developing an issue tracker to better identify trends to determine root causes of concerns

John McCarthy, one of our Business Application Specialists, has been working to design an issue tracker to better identify trends and determine root causes of concerns. We are hoping to integrate the RPM project time/system down time process into this tracker to help with the reduction of average handle time (AHT) while reporting issues.

• Installation of three local switches We have ordered and are installing three new local switches to maximize

telephony plans; two are located in Springfield, MO and one is in Orlando, FL.

• Testing Thin Client firmware and new technology Our IT Partners have been releasing new firmware to correct the issues

we’ve been experiencing, and the most recent version has been successful in addressing most of our concerns. They have also been testing a new Thin Client technology and we initiated AHA testing in mid-May. We trust this new technology will mitigate the remaining concerns we are currently experiencing and will enable Wyndham to maximize its AHA performance.

What’s Growin’ On with At Home?


By Linda Ertle


Do you want to enhance your writing skills? Have you ever received an email that was so clear and concise that you found yourself wishing you could create more compelling emails? If so, you are in

luck!

MyLearning offers several online courses that are designed to help you communicate more successfully. This article focuses on courses that are all about developing your communication skills.

Essentials of Electronic CommunicationIt’s inevitable – at some point throughout your day, you are going to have to email someone. And no matter how distracting emails can be, they are necessary for successful business operations. Moreover, communicating via email can actually be advantageous when the message is concise, timely and relevant. “Essentials of Electronic Communication” teaches the basic features and potential of using email. Anybody can benefit from taking this course that will help develop your understanding of effective electronic communication.

Writing With IntentionAs a professional, we occasionally have to use written communication to correspond with others. Whether it’s a brief email response, a business letter or a presentation, effective writing is one of the keys to successful communication. However, writing can seem like a difficult task if the only thing you like to write is

an occasional grocery list. “Writing With Intention” focuses on the writing process, which begins even before you begin typing or writing. The course includes lessons on how to write with purpose, how to modify your writing for different target audiences, and how to deliver your content in a way that supports the type of message. Whether you are a master writer or future master writer, anyone can benefit from taking the “Writing With Intention” course.

Working with Email Messages in Microsoft® Office Outlook® 2007Once you’ve learned how to plan and develop effective communications, this course will teach you how to send those email messages more efficiently. Outlook can often be a complicated tool to use; “Working with Email Messages in Microsoft® Office Outlook® 2007” is an online course that guides you through its applications and features with ease and comfort.

Log into MyLearning (via WebConnect home page) and take advantage of this opportunity to enhance your writing abilities, develop and refine your current skills, and increase your knowledge of Microsoft Outlook!

MyLearning• Enhancing the AHA

Community To enhance the AHA experience,

we have developed plans to create a virtual community for the At Home team. This community will include fun ways to communicate information, chat with virtual ‘cube neighbors,’ and more.

phase 1: Utilize current AHA SharePoint site for team engagement and discussion/blog.

phase 2: Create an interactive ‘virtual call center,’ complete with AHA ‘avatars.’

• Process improvement

to reduce aHT To assist in the reduction of

AHT to meet the set goal, the AHAs now have the ability to use the “Single Step” transfer option. This option will make the cold transfer process, when applicable, much faster than the “Conference” option.

• Goal to grow to more than 250 at Home employees by December 31, 2012

Wyndham Vacation Ownership has developed an initiative to increase the number of At Home employees to more than 250 by the end of this year. To accomplish this goal, we are aggressively looking at each position to determine if they would be successful in an At Home environment.

What’s Growin’ On with At Home? continued ...

By Christine Oliver


Subject to change

Owner Services Learning & Development – June Version 3

2012 Agent Continuous Development Training

Calendar*

JUNE

Course Club

CWP

minutes

WbW

minutes Learner Media

Business Acumen All 30‐60 30‐60 All Associates Self Paced

Conversation Skills Make‐up All 30‐60 30‐60 All Associates Self Paced

JULY

Course Club

CWP

minutes

WbW


Discovery and Offering Options

Make‐up

All 30‐60 30‐60 All Associates Self Paced

Travel Incentive Presentation All 30 30 CLUB WYNDHAM®

Travel

Team Meeting

Sales Training for WorldMark by

Wyndham Travel

TVL 0 240 WorldMark by

Wyndham Travel

Class

AUGUST

Course Club

CWP

minutes

WbW


Connecting with your Caller

Make‐up

All 30‐60 30‐60 All Associates Self Paced

Resort Knowledge All 30‐60 30‐60 All Associates Self Paced / Team

Meeting

*classes and dates are subject to change.

Learning and Development2012 Agent Continuous Development Training Calendar*

*classes and dates are subject to change

Greg has been with Wyndham since January 17, 2011. After completing his new-hire training, Greg quickly became a top performer on his team, especially excelling in WEST and VPCs scores. Greg first learned of his eligibility for Circle of Excellence in the summer of 2011. “Michael Day actually came and told

me,” he recalled. “That was kind of cool.”

Greg’s performance soon afforded him the opportunity to apply for a Job Enrichment (JE) with Learning and Development. Greg interviewed and was selected for a position as a lead coach for new-hire teams. In this position, he assisted with three CLUB WYNDHAM® Plus classes in Springfield from September until December of 2011. “It was a really rewarding experience,” Greg said. “I had a great time, and I really learned a lot from the new agents. It’s been great to see them come into their own as vacation planners.”

Upon completion of his JE, Greg rejoined his fellow agents on the phones and quickly reclaimed his spot as the top performing agent, with a Service Level (combined Quality/West) of 80.5 percent. When asked what he attributes to his success, Greg responded, “Honestly, I don’t really think about it. There’s nothing specific that drives me—I don’t come in thinking, ‘How can I stay on top today?’ I just come in and think, ‘I’m here to do my job, work hard and do my best.’ I want to leave work every day and know I accomplished those goals, and did my best for the owners.” Greg’s positive attitude and driving commitment to being the best have helped elevate him to a 2011 Circle of Excellence winner and our First Quarter Top Performer for 2012.

Outside of excelling at Wyndham Vacation Ownership, Greg is happily married. He and his wife, Chenille, have two children — three-year-old Ethan and two-year-old Gabriela. The family is currently looking forward to a trip to Bonnet Creek later this month. “We can’t wait!” Greg said. Every night my children sleep with their new Mickey and Minnie toys, anticipating the day that we drive to Disney… excuse me, Disney World, as my son would correct me.”

Spotlight On—Greg GaumerBy Laura Burrows

Spotlight On—EMIlY RAMOS

By Rick McKenna

Emily Ramos began her career with Wyndham in November 2007 as a Vacation Planning Counselor. After quickly excelling as a Counselor, Emily was selected to be a part of the At Home Agent Pilot Program in 2008.

As a participant in this program, Emily was one of four counselors chosen from her site to work at home in order to test the At Home environment. Shortly after the program ended, Emily accepted an enrichment with the PSS team. Following several months of successful work with Program Support Services (PSS), Emily was given the opportunity to join the Quality Assurance Team. Emily then spent two years working between the Quality team and PSS. She was nominated and accepted into the Leadership Bench program in May 2011. In September 2011, Emily partnered with Learning & Development as a Lead Coach for the very first outbound class. In her most recent endeavor, Emily assisted our At Home Operations team on a Supervisor Enrichment position. While Emily’s time at Wyndham has been full of diverse experiences, she is looking forward to more exciting opportunities as they come!

Honestly, ... I just come in and think, ‘I’m here to do my job, work

hard and do my best.’


Rachel Pomfret, an agent from our Springfield, MO location, has had an exciting and memorable 2012 – and it’s only halfway through the year! From being selected to take part in the Leadership Bench to taking a remarkable vacation to London, Rachel has enjoyed some enlightening experiences as a Counselor. In an exclusive interview, Rachel details her experiences on the Leadership Bench and as a happy tourist in London.

Q: How were you chosen to take part in the leadership Bench? Rachel: I was nominated by a supervisor and then interviewed by Shelly Griessel, Jamie Hildebrand and Joan Riemer, who selected the members of the 2012 Leadership Bench.

Q: When and where was it held, and how long did it last? Rachel: The candidates for Leadership Bench were flown to Orlando, FL from February 27 to March 2, 2012 and met in the Orlando office.

Q: Who were some of the other participants? Rachel: Jeree Campbell, Dale Lima, Whitney Schrage, Amy Collins, Eryn Hair, Zachary Roberts, Jay Landolt and myself. There were other candidates from the Orlando, FL and Redmond, WA offices that were chosen to participate; a total of 25 participants.

Q: What topics were discussed? Rachel: During our time in Orlando, there were discussions over the WVR and WbW club, Sales and Marketing, Financial department, Quality, Resort Management and Resorts. At the end of the week, our teams presented what we had learned throughout the week. We also met with author Janine Moon about her book, “Career Ownership.”

Q: Were there any fun activities planned, and if so, did you enjoy them? Rachel: The first night we had a nice dinner at the restaurant on site at Bonnet Creek. It was really elegant and had wonderful food. The last night we were there, they took us to dinner at Copper Canyon Grille at Pointe Orlando. After dinner we went to WonderWorks, where they had laser tag, a ropes course and other arcade games.

Q: Tell me about your experience in winning the trip to london. Rachel: There was a drawing held in the November 2011 Town Hall. Certain requirements had to be met to qualify for the trip. All of the supervisors and leadership gathered around my desk when they announced that I won. Shelly Griessel made the announcement and I was surprised because I never win anything. When asked where I wanted to go, my first response was London.

Q: What sort of activities did you do? Rachel: We did a lot of things in London. We took the “tube” (their subway) everywhere and walked a lot every day. We walked so much that I wore a hole in the heels of nine socks. We visited many sites. Parliament; Big Ben; Westminster Abbey; Buckingham Palace; Speakers corner; Hyde Park; Kensington Gardens; the London Eye; The

Agent Q & ARachel Pomfret, Springfield Call Center


Travis and Rachel Pomfret

Tower of London; Stonehenge; Roman Baths and Piccadilly Circus. We also went to two local pubs and had authentic fish and chips.

Q: Tell me about your experience in london.Rachel: London was amazing! There were a lot of people and schools on Spring Break. When we wanted to use the Internet, we went to a McDonalds that was down the street. The location of our hotel was great, in a rich neighborhood and a fabulous location. Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens were beautiful. In every direction you looked, you would just see the green park and trees. The locals there were friendly and would give good recommendations. The art galleries had a lot of different types of artwork and some were very well-known. We were able to see paintings by Picasso, Monet, Manet, and other well-known artists.

We went to the Tower of London and saw the Crown Jewels. They were beautiful and so decadent; one of the scepters had a diamond that was 530 carats (That is not a typo!) The Cathedrals were beautiful and the details were ornate. St. Paul’s Cathedral was damaged by a few wars but is still standing. The food there was amazing, and with the countryside being so close, everything was fresh. I could go on for pages about what I loved in London. Travis (my husband) and I love architecture, art, food and a little history – this experience provided all of that.

Q: Would you like to visit there again? Rachel: Yes, maybe even live there!

Q: Is there anything else you would like to add? Rachel: Going to London has been a dream of my husband, Travis, and I for 6 years. We were blessed to be able to go for our 3rd anniversary. I feel privileged to be able to work for a company that will send me to London and have interest in my experience. If anyone can be a part of the Leadership Bench or go to London, I would highly recommend it. They are both wonderful opportunities that can open doors to a new worldview.

Buckingham Palace


Travis and Rachel Pomfret

Owner Services lovingly remembers Carl Holtz, a beloved member of the Wyndham family that associates describe as “a man of great character,” “an amazing spirit,” and “a friend to many.”

Carl passed away on Friday, May 18, 2012, after being ill earlier that week.

While Carl had only worked with Wyndham for about seven months, his sense of humor and caring spirit left an unforgettable and lasting impression on everyone he met. As an At Home Vacation Planner, Carl’s co-workers say he made a difference in the lives of the families he touched.

As a way to offer support to Carl’s family, as well as show our appreciation for Carl’s gentle spirit and hard work, Owner Services conducted a raffle to help with the cost of burial expenses. We are truly a family here at Wyndham and are happy that we could come together to help Carl’s family during their time of sorrow.

It’s always sad to lose someone who is an amazing person and truly one-of-a-kind. However, as time passes, it becomes a joy to think about the good times shared and even laugh out loud at some of the memories you will always cherish. And Carl definitely left his co-workers with memories that will evoke a smile!

Carl Holtz, you will be missed!

As we remember Carl’s legacy and the impact he had here at Wyndham, also remember that the Employee Assistance Program is available at 1-800-881-9524 if you need to reach out to them.

In MemoryCarl Holtz

YOU WILL TRULY BE MISSED …


By Christine Oliver

I have worked for Wyndham for over 3 years in Springfield, Missouri: first as a Sales Supervisor in the call center and now in Owner Services as a Vacation Planning Counselor (VPC). I recently moved away from Springfield and had the opportunity to be part of the At Home Program. My situation to become an At Home Agent (AHA) was not because of want but of need, and the entire leadership team was amazing in making that happen for me. As I write this, I am looking out my window with the sun shining and an amazing cool breeze coming in the windows …WOW…

tough day on the job! Although I really miss my contact center family, I am truly thankful to Wyndham for the diversity they have and for the opportunity to work from home and balance my family life even more!

Kimberly Fultz

I have worked with WorldMark since January 2011 and recently, I was fortunate enough to become an At Home Agent in Peoria, Illinois. This has been such a great opportunity for both me and my family. It enabled my husband to take on a new job that he wanted, and even better, I get to keep

the job that I absolutely love! How great is it to get up and go to work without the commute from home to work and back again each day! I still feel connected to the Wyndham/WorldMark family every day as I am able to communicate via email, office communicator or phone. What a great experience this is!

Kimberly Simmons

I’ve really enjoyed working from home with Wyndham. It’s given me the opportunity to work from a completely different state and continue to have a great job. I love what I do, and I’m so happy that I was able to keep doing what I love even after a big move. It was such a smooth transition from working close to a call center to now working from my new home eight hours away; I was very surprised! Wyndham does the things I need to make me feel like I’m still a part of the team, and I really appreciate that because that was really important for me. This company has worked

with me so much over the past year that I’ve been working here. I couldn’t have asked for a better company to work for!! WYNDHAM ROCKS!!!!

Keighlyn Murphy

The Wonderful World of Working From Home


I’ve been with Wyndham since October 2010. I am an AHA agent who currently lives and works outside of the base coverage area. I live in Mayflower, AR and I am currently the only agent to work from Arkansas.

Where is Mayflower? I’m glad you asked. I am geographically situated between Conway and Little Rock. I am about 195 miles from the nearest call center (Springfield, MO), so you can see that working this far away has a few challenges. I am not close enough to drive in if I have a system issue or get together at the site for reunions (I mean training sessions). I have learned to be rather self-sufficient and rely on my communication skills to get me through the minor hardships.

The benefits of this relocation have far outweighed any hardships. By being able to move this far away, my wife has been able to be close to her family and I can be home when my kids get in from school – all while being able to continue providing for my family and working for a wonderful company like Wyndham.

Matthew Moss


The most obvious benefit is I get to work from home! However, there are many reasons that make up why this makes my job so awesome. We were able to move to Moses Lake, WA. We vacationed in Moses Lake for many years and now we get to live here. It’s such a great environment for our teenage kids; not to mention its way cheaper to live here. Also, “rush hour traffic” is when there are more than five cars at an intersection at any one given time!

I save money every month not having to buy “work” clothes, and I get to wear a muumuu whenever I want! And with the ever-increasing price of fuel, I can only imagine how much I save. Additionally, I save on food expenses by not having to plan a meal for work or purchase something while at work. As you can see, the savings add up!

Some of the less obvious benefits ... It’s quieter at home and easier for me to hear the owners and much easier for them to hear me. I don’t ever have to fight with anyone over the temperature in the room. I get to choose my background music. I can take a stroll on my lunch break by the lake. It’s “Greener.” And ... I spend way more quality time with my family.

Tanya Safrans

Moses Lake

Patriotic EmployerWyndham Receives the Patriotic Employer Award

By Christine Oliver

When Amy Collins returned from completing 45 weeks of training in the U.S. Army Reserves, her job in Springfield, MO was waiting for her – complete with benefits, Military Leave pay and even a surprise Welcome Home party! Wyndham Vacation Ownership’s (WVO) active support of Amy’s decision to serve the nation sparked her to nominate her employer for the Patriotic Employer Award.

The Patriotic Employer Award program, sponsored by the Office of the Secretary of Defense, Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve, aims to reward employers who go “over and above” what the law requires them to do regarding members of the National Guard and Reserve. The employers who are recognized actively support the National Guard and Reserve force. A few examples of these supportive acts may include: maintaining contact with Guard and Reserve employees while they are on annual training or mobilized; sponsoring a company Guard and Reserve recognition day; providing pay during military leave; and more.

To receive consideration for her employer to win the award, Amy had to write a nomination letter that explained why WVO should receive recognition. In a sincere and detailed nomination letter, Amy described how Wyndham has truly supported her during her training and transition back into the civilian work force.

Amy wrote:

Wyndham was extremely flexible with my leave when my return date changed several times due to additional training and certification added to the program I was attending. When I did finally return home, all it took was a phone call to schedule my return date. When I arrived, I was greeted with a ‘Welcome Home party’! My benefits were still in place and I even received my military leave pay immediately after selecting my return date. This was extremely helpful in my transition back into the civilian world. I also received personalized training to relearn the operating systems.

Following Amy’s nomination, on May 3, 2012, Wyndham Vacation Ownership was presented with the Patriotic Employer Award from the Office of the Secretary of Defense, Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve.

Receiving the Patriotic Employer Award is a true honor for WVO. By providing moral and job support for active members of the Guard and Reserve, WVO is able to help employees like Amy confidently serve our nation while knowing that they have a secure job waiting for them back at home. It also illustrates Wyndham’s commitment to retaining a talented and diverse workforce. WVO understands the knowledge, skills and talent that members of the Guard and Reserve can bring to the table.

Since Amy’s nomination letter, WVO has hired several more Reserve and Guard Soldiers and is also working on a support system for soldiers and their families.

While Amy was the first person to leave for service, she believes Wyndham did a great job accommodating her on what has been an unfamiliar journey for both her and the company. Amy deploys to Japan in August and when she returns, we’ll be right here to welcome her back.


OrlandoAlex Thermenos (JE) Lead CoachFabio Souza Operations Supervisor Alicia Burns Operations SupervisorNina Barrington Owner Services SupervisorLinda Ertle AHA Telephony ManagerMario Urquia Instructional DesignerMatt Hamby Performance AnalystKevin Gravesandy Performance AnalystKimberly Sartin (JE) Quality Assurance SpecialistJennifer Anzures (JE) Quality Assurance SpecialistBailey Watson (JE) Quality Assurance SpecialistNancy Criscuolo Accountant Lisa White Trainer Kelly Vissers Financial AnalystNydia Seraaj Contact Center RepresentativeJanina Albiles Manager, Owner Services L&DKara Gilson (JE) Hospitality Content Specialist

RedmondCandice Herigstad AHA Contact Center ManagerJenni Harrell Contact Center Manager – Site LeaderFranny Robinson Lead CoachGreg Marcantonio Sales Representative Savannah Lacy (JE) At Home Supervisor CWP Raina Ratchinson (JE) Quality Assurance Felicia Keaton WbW At Home Supervisor Sarah Harper Contact Center RepresentativeJoel Alfaro Contact Center Representative Helen Barbosa Contact Center Representative Melinda Stevenson Sales RepresentativeAshley Boston At Home Agent (WbW)

SpringfieldPeter Packard Operations Manager (WbW)Casey Fellows Senior Director, Contact CenterJeree Campbel Supervisor, Contact Center

Upward BoundEmployees on the Move


Caught on CameraAt Home — Pimp My Desk


Best of Both Winner

Best of Both Winner

Most Creative

Most Informative

Caught on CameraBring Your Kids to Work Day


Brittny lopez

Dan Benapfl playing with kids

Shannon Breidenbaugh and her son

Redmond, WA

Nya Bangout and her son

Caught on CameraWish Day – Orlando


Community Food and Outreach Center

Telitra Burtin and Dan Cullen at

Community Food and Outreach Center

Camp Boggy Creek

Harbor House

Camp Boggy Creek

Caught on CameraWish Day – Springfield


lost and Found

Habitat for Humanity

United Way The Salvation Army

Ozarks Food

Harvest

Boys & Girls Club

Caught on CameraWynlympics – Orlando


Opening Ceremonies

with Shelly Griessel

At Home Team during the Resort Knowledge Game

Sue Henderson and Mario Urquia at Registration

lindsay Kruzlic and Renai Hawkins

Conversation Skills Class

Debbie Hervey-Hurston and

Michele Bailey

Conversation Skills Class

Elisa Foreman and Caroline Cutuli

Learning and Development Team

Caught on CameraWynlympics – Redmond


Dennis ScrivenHospitality Now Class

Caught on CameraWynlympics – Springfield


Casey Fellows

rallying the teams!

(Left to Right) Nigel Reed, Peter Packard,

Jeree’ Campbell, Casey Fellows, Peter Sporich and

Amy Collins leading our exercise session!

Peter Packard

What's Growin' On

Documents

ol ume ii

brand standards

quality assurance

average handle

patriotic

wyndham sea

excellence

vacation planning