Originally Posted By trekkeruss <<We have only heard one side to that story in a rather opinionate post. Where the writer advising everyone to stay away from ALL Disney Theme Parks and not to buy stock. How credible is that?>> I am certain his opinions about Disney as a company were completely clouded by this one instance. The boating incident probably happened. Maybe not exactly as her wrote it, but I wouldn't dismiss it altogether. Regardless, once it happened, it sounds like he let it sour his entire vacation. He also let it impare his judgement, as shown by this article. That just goes to show how important good customer service is to begin with; it only takes one time to turn a customer away, and it can be difficult for a company to recover from such a mistake. I mean, think of all the times you have tried a new restaurant, had a bad experience, and have decided that you won't be going back. I read that here about Disney restaurants all the time. Resorts too. Disney's customer service ("show") is very good most of the time, but there have been more lapses as the company has grown larger. That's a problem (and an opportunity) that always needs to be addressed.
Originally Posted By Jim in Merced CA I agree with you trekkeruss. And, unlike in a restaurant or a hotel, where managers are on duty, one of the biggest issues at WDW is that many times, you can't conveniently get to a manager or person in charge to resolve a problem. If you're on a boat travelling to EPCOT from Downtown Disney, and 'the captain' treats you like crap, where do you go? Who do you talk to? How does a guest get 'satisfaction' from a customer service point of view? Does the guest get off the boat and go to EPCOT Guest Relations? By the time he gets there , he may just blow it off or the folks at EPCOT can't really help him. But the guest is still ticked off, and feels damaged by the experience of being chewed out and threatened by a Disney cast member. Heck, even in The Magic Kingdom, cast members would use City Hall as the 'Complaint Department' if a guest got upset -- even about minor things like a melted ice cream bar. It's crucial for to instill in their cast that 'Every Guest is a VIP' and that 'We Make Magic For Others' and all that other supposed 'junik' taught in Disney University Traditions class.
Originally Posted By ChiMike >>If you're on a boat travelling to EPCOT from Downtown Disney, and 'the captain' treats you like crap<< Which boat are you taking about and where can I board! -+ I kid, I get your point and really agree with it.
Originally Posted By dshyates This guy is obviously crazy. Especially his point that the older CMs seem to get it and the younger ones tend to have less of the disney work ethic. Nope, he's nuts, no one around here has EVER mentioned that. He is obviously a Disney detractor with an agenda. Yep. Everyone who says negitive things about Disney are simply making it up to make Disney look bad. I went there once and I had no problems. So short of certified documentation in triplicate I will stand unyielding in my stance that Disney is with out a doubt, Practically Perfect. (cover ears yelling La, La, La, La, ....)
Originally Posted By RoadTrip It would be really bad CM behavior anyway, but perhaps the Captain had dealt with one too many members of a Brazilian tour group that just PRETENDED not to know English.
Originally Posted By vbdad55 ^^^^^^^^^^ trick question, if there were no lines to cut in on, they wouldn't be pretending not to speak English then
Originally Posted By disneydad109 one of the cm's told me that WDW allows them to take a short break when ever the feel that they can't deal with one more vistor. This so they do not "blow up" like this cm may have.
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 I am amazed constantly at just how many great CMs WDW still has. Yes, I get more bad apples in O-Town than Anaheim or even, yes, Paris (where I didn't have a single bad front-line CM). But management is another story, even at the simple hotel front desk 'acting' manager level. Disney used to attract the best of the best. Now, anyone can work for them ... and it shows. They also have no desire to exceed guest expectations and if you ever tell them something's 'bad show' they will immediately dismiss you as someone who 'knows too much' because you know the Disney lingo ... That said, no matter whose behavior is off -- be it a boat captain or an exec -- I don't believe it should ever be accepted. That just encourages more of the same.
Originally Posted By TDLFAN >>one of the biggest issues at WDW is that many times, you can't conveniently get to a manager or person in charge to resolve a problem.<< Can you blame them?? Would you give face to an irate guest knowing how so-so the quality of the place has become and you didn't care one flying *** about it??
Originally Posted By Witches of Morva ORDDU: It's very interesting to read the various reactions to this man's story. There are some of you who accuse him of having a biased 'agenda', not realizing that you, yourselves, come across with having biased agendas. The only difference is that your biased agendas go in an opposite direction. The fact is, Disney World has both good and bad cast members. To deny that there are bad ones--just because YOU never had to deal with any of them--is very short sighted of you when you deny it. For some of you, Disney can do no wrong--regardless of how much evidence is presented. ORWEN: Also, with the Traditions classes being cut back so drastically several years ago, it's no wonder that new hires at Disney don't act as professional as cast members who had the opporunity to go through those classes back when they were taken more seriously by management. ORDDU: Frankly, a cast member can either make or break a guest's over all vacation experience at Walt Disney World, depending on their attitudes at the time.
Originally Posted By kennect Weirdest incidence I ever encountered was trying to get a WDW bus to take us to the Epcot park after closing....Long story, it involves the kennel and a car parked there...To make it short, at the hotel bus stop the driver refused to take us to Epcot saying the park was closed...The park had been closed for about five minutes at the time...We tried explaining two things...A dog needed walking and to pick up our car...Still a big "no" from the driver...We simply walked back into the hotel and complained at guest services and within minutes we were on our way to Epcot via a private car....While this is different than what is described above I simply couldn't let this little episode ruin my entire trip....I have though witnessed a cast member repeatedly ask someone to sit down on the backlot tour at the studio park...The park patron just simply didn't get it due to language...The cast member was just as nice as could be and yet it took some time to get the message across to the park visitor...He finally did get the idea and sat down for the rest of the trip...Sadly, he was just trying to get that best "Kodak" moment on film...I guess though TDL is right in his observations...When you get a socalled security guard asking you for a cigarette it must mean that the MK has gone down the drain....In a way I see it but overall my experiences have been rather pleaseant...
Originally Posted By SuperDry I had a problem with transport at WDW once. We were at the MK, and stayed until closing. I think it was at Christmastime and we were there for Mickey's special stay-late-at-the-MK-if-you-pay-extra deal. Anyway, we had driven and parked at Epcot that morning and taken the monorail to the MK, and just assumed that the monorail back to Epcot would be open at least for one final run after MK closed, but I guess not. Busses were also not running. We had to find someone at the TTC and explain the situation. They acted as if this situation had simply not occurred to anyone (there was one other group in the same situation) and in about 20 minutes, a van was summoned and took us to the Epcot parking lot.
Originally Posted By Kennesaw Tom Hi Witches just a few comments. <<There are some of you who accuse him of having a biased 'agenda', not realizing that you, yourselves, come across with having biased agendas.>> Yes, but I'm not telling people not to go to WDW or not to buy Disney stock. <<<The fact is, Disney World has both good and bad cast members. To deny that there are bad ones--just because YOU never had to deal with any of them--is very short sighted of you when you deny it.>>> Agreed. The difference is that of many of the companyies I have encountered Disney goes out of their way to "poll" guests to make sure that guests are having a "magical experience". You practically have to dodge Disney employees to get into a park. There are plenty of places to lodge a complaint in the Kingdom. As I have said before this writter definately had an agenda. Even if one CM acted out of line. How can anyone justify telling the masses not to visit a Disney park or purchase Disney stock. <<<For some of you, Disney can do no wrong--regardless of how much evidence is presented. >>> Come on now. I haven't had any Pixie Dust since Janaury. <<<Also, with the Traditions classes being cut back so drastically several years ago, it's no wonder that new hires at Disney don't act as professional as cast members who had the opporunity to go through those classes back when they were taken more seriously by management.>>> The writer provides no information of where or not the CM who was Captain of the boat was new or a seasoned employee. <<< Frankly, a cast member can either make or break a guest's over all vacation experience at Walt Disney World, depending on their attitudes at the time.>>> I agree. I think every CM deserves a raise.
Originally Posted By TDLFAN Not only a raise, but a medal for putting up with some of the trash they have to deal with day in and day out, and by that I mean clueless management.
Originally Posted By SuperDry <<< The difference is that of many of the companyies I have encountered Disney goes out of their way to "poll" guests to make sure that guests are having a "magical experience". You practically have to dodge Disney employees to get into a park. >>> Ah, but this can work *against* the guest experience as well. It's been reported and is backed up by observation that at least part of the purpose of these guest surveys is to measure how far they can cut budgets before people start screaming. For example, how much can Custodial be cut before guests comment about this on the way out of the park?
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 ^^I believe that's the sole purpose of said surveys. Every survey I have ever taken was skewed in such a way to justify every cutback, every decision Disney had either already made or was planning on.
Originally Posted By TDLFAN ..and I do. Then they bribe (sp?) you with free FPs or anything else to shut you up, and the complaint goes no further than Guest Relations. Today, while G-Fan and I sat patiently for an hour waiting to see "Share a Scream or Two" parade at the MK, 2 poll takes came by on separate ocasions and asked guests on either side of us several questions... NOT once, did they ask guests about how they rated the park in terms of cleanliness, value versus entertainment, food quality, CM attributes... etc etc etc AKA, the things that should be inportant. Instead.. personal questions about how much income they make, where are you from, what type of pass you bought etc etc etc were asked. Right there is why it's simple to see what Disney is interested in you for... MONEY! and certainly not about the quality they can offer you since they have this dilluted sense that they are all about "quality" because they are "disney".
Originally Posted By SuperDry <<< ..and I do. Then they bribe (sp?) you with free FPs or anything else to shut you up, and the complaint goes no further than Guest Relations. >>> And that's the problem with the guest surveys as being a "place to complain." They're not collecting individual complaints and acting upon them, but only measuring whether the level of dissatisfaction overall has risen above a set level. They already know that they're cutting back on maintenance and custodial - they don't need the survey-takers to tell them that.
Originally Posted By fkurucz ^^ I have had the same experience at DLR. They are just gathering demographics data.
