Jon Summerton
Vice President
Twiddy & Company
In every issue of the Vacation Rental Connection, we spotlight one of our industry partners for innovation in business strategy, community involvement or other best practices in their field. Recently, we spoke with Jon Summerton, Vice President of Twiddy & Company about business in a down economy and how travel insurance can help.
- Company name: Twiddy & Company, Realtors
- How many years have you been in business? 31; founded in 1978
- What type of property do you manage? Over 800 privately-owned single family beach vacation rental homes on the Outer Banks of North Carolina (Duck, Corolla & Carova Beach).
- What has been your biggest business challenge in 2009? "Battling the sluggish economy has been a major challenge. We've increased or added many marketing, promotion and pricing initiatives with varying degrees of success, but are pleased with the overall results so far. Consumers are seeking to economize wherever they can. They are waiting later before booking and everyone wants 'a deal'. Negotiating with consumers on the one hand, and homeowners on the other, can be a challenging process."
- What is unique about your properties? Our inventory consists of high-end beach homes 2-18 bedrooms, mostly oceanfront or one lot off the ocean, which rent by the week. No condos. Our rental homes are located in areas with very few commercial properties on the beach, so our beaches are seldom crowded. In fact, we have over 100 homes which are accessible only by a ride up the beach in a four-wheel-drive vehicle.
- What does your customer loyalty program entail? Special marketing to repeat renters.
- What do you like best about working in the property management field? It's very rewarding to help families build memories. They love to share with us their stories, photos and videos of family vacations, reunions, special events or just a needed break from the workaday world. They often arrive stressed out, but they always leave relaxed and happy. Life's a beach!
- Where is your favorite place to vacation? Other beaches!
- What techniques have you found to be helpful in building your travel insurance business? Continuous training of staff is important so they can provide accurate information presented in an enticing manner; Travel Guard's training and promotional materials have been very helpful and much appreciated. Travel Guard's staff, especially Barb Worzalla, has been very attentive to our business needs, communicating with us frequently.
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