"What's in the J.D. Power Study that RV Industry Leaders Want to Hide?"

Dear Don:

Your editorial "What's in the J.D. Power Study that RV Industry Leaders Want to Hide?" in the August issue of RV News is inaccurate and misleading to your readers.

As president of RVIA and a member of the Go RVing Committee on Excellence, I assure you and your readers that no attempt is being made to shroud the RV Consumer Satisfaction research in a "cloak of secrecy." On the contrary, we are putting the research into the hands of industry members who can utilize the data to enhance the RV experience. To that end, members of RVIA, RVDA and ARVC can receive a copy of the industry overview report by signing a confidentiality agreement and paying $250 to cover publishing costs. These three associations have also received copies of the industry overview report to give them guidance in developing programs to impact consumer satisfaction. The study's participating manufacturers are being provided a company-specific report and the industry overview report. Finally, J.D. Power's Linda Schulz has appeared and will continue to appear at industry events to detail key research findings. Considering this, I don't see how you could reach the conclusion that Go RVing is attempting to conceal this research.

It is true that the full research report will not be released to the media; however, that is the case with any type of proprietary or syndicated research conducted by J.D. Power and Associates for any industry or client. They simply do not allow their research to be reviewed and interpreted by the media.

I also take issue with the fact that you portray RVIA as the key decision-maker in what is a Go RVing matter. Yes, RVIA does provide the staffing for the day-to-day operation of Go RVing projects; however, the Go RVing Coalition and Committee on Excellence decisions are made in meetings open to industry members by a diverse group of representatives from every segment of our industry.

Perhaps you would have a better understanding of the Go RVing RV Consumer Satisfaction Research conducted by J.D. Power and Associates if you had elected to spend the time to attend any of the planning meetings held over the course of the past two years. This study is the culmination of much planning and careful consideration by volunteers who have the industry's best interest at heart. It doesn't deserve to be slighted by your misguided and misinformed comments.

David J. Humphreys
President
RVIA
Reston, Virginia

Dear Don:

We take great exception to the editorial in the August issue of RV News entitled "What's in the J.D. Powers (sic) Study that RV Industry Leaders Want to Hide?" As a long time supporter of the Go RVing Coalition, you know that all our meetings are held in an open forum, and all our decisions are made at these meetings, with an open-arms invitation for all to attend and participate. It is that very spirit of inclusion and openness that has been the core of our industry's unity. Your suggestion that the "survey has been shrouded in a cloak of secrecy" could not be further from the truth and does a great disservice to the process and the many Committee on Excellence volunteer members and staff that have worked so diligently and thoughtfully on this important project for the past two years.

When the Go RVing Coalition and its Committee on Excellence embarked on conducting an RV consumer satisfaction study, it was with one goal in mind: to improve the RV ownership and camping experience. We partnered with J.D. Power and Associates -- the recognized world leader in consumer satisfaction research -- to accomplish this goal. Based on our Committee's discussions with J.D. Power on what we wanted to achieve with this research, it was their recommendation to conduct a proprietary study that would identify the drivers of RV satisfaction across all segments of the industry. By conducting a proprietary study, the results would be used only internally, not disclosed publicly, by the representative associations and their respective members. Everyone would focus on the issues within their immediate control as we jointly strive to provide a world class experience for our end users. Conducted in this manner, there would be no risk that the very process of improving our products or services could ever be used to harm the study participants and industry groups promoting positive change.

The planning, development and implementation of the RV Consumer Satisfaction Research, including the ramifications of conducting it as proprietary research, was discussed at open door meetings with all industry members and media welcomed to attend. Specific to research findings, J.D. Power and Associates Partner Linda Schulz has detailed the results at RVIA's 1999 Annual Meeting and 1999 Committee Week. She will also conduct a presentation at RVDA's Convention and Expo and present a seminar at RVIA's National RV Trade Show. The study's participating manufacturers have received a company-specific and industry overview report. Each of the national RV trade association -- RVIA, RVDA and ARVC -- have received copies of the industry overview report.

Members of those associations can also receive a copy of the industry overview report for $250 by signing a confidentiality agreement with J.D. Power and Associates. The purpose of the confidentiality agreement is to ensure that the results are used only internally and not disclosed publicly by those requesting the report -- which was the whole point of conducting a proprietary study.

As a member of RVIA, RV News can obtain a copy of the report under the same terms and conditions as any other member. The fact that you are a publisher does not change your rights regarding the use of the study. Further, it is wrong and misleading for you to make it appear that the study is being covered up and not available to the industry.

The bottom line is that the Committee on Excellence has succeeded in its mission: conducting a landmark study on RV owner satisfaction that arms the industry with valuable information as we strive to enhance the RV experience. Our industry is far better served by having these important findings interpreted and acted upon internally by those on the frontline -- the national trade associations, RV manufacturers, suppliers, dealers and campground operators -- than by having information filtered publicly by any members or by those in the media, making it potentially available to people outside the industry who might misinterpret what it is: a baseline for action by an industry determined to do its best.

Tom Faludy
Chairman
Go RVing Coalition

Jim Sheldon
Chairman
Go RVing Committee on Excellence

Dear Don:

RVDA had a chance to review the letter to you from Go RVing Coalition Chairman Tom Faludy and Committee on Excellence Chairman Jim Sheldon regarding the August 1999 editorial in RV News. I don't need to repeat the points they made. RVDA dealer leaders are at the table when Coalition and its Committee on Excellence make any major policy decision -- including the decision to conduct the J.D. Power & Associates RV consumer satisfaction proprietary study.

The RVDA Education Foundation is putting the results of the J.D. Power research to work right now. We are using the J.D. Power data to compile an analysis of the dealer operations that have the biggest impact on consumer satisfaction. Through this analysis, the Foundation will be able to develop more education programs that will help dealership employees exceed customers' expectations.

Anyone interested in hearing more about the J.D. Power research can attend the RVDA Annual Meeting on Sept. 29 in Las Vegas held in conjunction with RV Dealers International Convention/Expo. Using results from the study, Linda Schulz from J.D. Power & Associates will outline what areas of the sales and service process are the key "drivers" of customer satisfaction. I hope you'll have a chance to attend her presentation.

Tom Stinnett
Tom Stinnett RV Center
RVDA Market Expansion Committee Chairman

Dear Editor:

I really enjoyed your editorial entitled "Do We Have A Language Problem in the RV Industry?" in the July 1999 RV News. It certainly addressed what I feel is a major challenge to our industry in reaching today's market.

Several years ago one of my good friends and an RV park owner stated that he was not interested in attending the national association's (then known as NCOA - National Campground Owners Association) convention, because he didn't own a campground; he owned an RV park.

I tried to address this problem in my book, Designing RV Parks and Resorts for the 21st Century, and have been consistently frustrated by the various terminology used by the industry and media in trying to describe what we were actually doing in the RVs.

Let me commend you for having the courage to address the issue. Hopefully somewhere along the line this fragmented industry will come to terms with the issue. Whether we will ever get it all sorted out or not, I'm not sure, but we can hope.

John Imler
Imler Consulting & Publishing
Sacramento, Calfiornia