Originally Posted By piratebrittany This weekend I had what was definitely my worst night of work so far. I was working at the Pacific Wharf Cafe and I served a guest who wasn't sure what to feed her child. She asked if some sort of sandwhich was in the kids power pack meal (which I now know there is not) and being unfamiliar with the menu since I normally work at Cocina Cucamonga I turned to a fellow CM for help. He informed me that a turkey wrap came in the kids meal. I told the guest it was included and she paid for the meal and went on her merry way. In the middle of helping a guest about 5 minutes later she walked back in and threw the meal on the counter, interrupting the guest I was helping. She demanded that I give her the turkey wrap that was missing from her meal. I politely asked her to wait while I finished helping my current guest and she rolled her eyes in response. As soon as I was finished with my guest I turned to help her. She was yelling at me that I had informed her incorrectly and that the menu "CLEARLY DOES NOT SAY ANY KIND OF WRAP OR SANDWHICH COMES WITH THE POWER PACK" and that I had better give her a refund. I turned to the CM who had helped me before and he told me that there definitely was not a wrap in the meal. Frustrated and very nervous I offered to do a void and refund her money. She wanted to keep the meal along with her refund and we are required to keep the meal. She then got even more upset and asked to see a toddler meal so she could order one of those. When I showed her the portion size she became more upset at me and yelled at me for charging "SO MUCH MONEY FOR SO LITTLE FOOD". The entire restaurant was at a stand still staring at us. I was so shocked and embarassed and nervous. She walked out of the Cafe yelling that she would never buy something so stupid. I began to tear up because it had been my first real bad experience with a guest. I signed off and told the cashier next to me that I needed a minute. I went to our break spot and began to cry. I wasn't even sure why I was crying. I was just so overwhelmed and shocked and I felt stupid. Cast member after cast member came up to me and told me I wasn't at fault and that it happens to everyone and they just made me laugh and relax a bit. 10 minutes later I went back to finish out my evening and I had nothing but sweet guests. Once everyone had been cleared out of the park and we began closing procedures for the restaurant I got lost in my head. I thought over the event again and again and I made myself feel bad again. After we closed for the night and I counted out my drawer I clocked out. As I walked to the time clock I realized just how empty DCA was. I decided to take the long route back out of the park and walked from Paradise Pier to Hollywood Studios Backlot.the whole nights events had disappeared. All of the lights seemed hazy and dream like because of the slight fog, the atmosphere music had been muted to where all that could be heard was the running water of the water falls off of the peaks of Grizzly River Run and there was not another person in sight. I was completely alone in this magical land. I walked slowly from land to land, taking in small details I never noticed before, enjoying the sound of my own footsteps. It was the most relaxing and serene moment of my life. It all sounds very corny but it truly was one of the most magical things I have ever experienced. I stood outside of the candy shop in Sunshine Plaza for a minute, watching the only other CM I had seen this whole time restocking lollipops. He was dancing a little and smiling, like he was Willy Wonka displaying his precious creations. At that moment I thought to myself "This is what Shiva and I were talking about earlier. This is the magic. This is what I work here for." I always thought of DCA as a fun place that's not as good or as magical as DL, but tonight it was the most amazing place I had ever been. Of course, momma HAUNTS and Mr PB helped a great deal in cheering me up as well.
Originally Posted By SleepingBeauty82 First of all, I was there with a friend tonight and I'm kicking myself for not going over to DCA to see if you were working! We stayed over in DL and were only there from about 7:30-10:00. Anyway, it's awesome that you were able to take a crappy night and pull what was most important out of it to focus on: that you love the place you work and it's magical no matter what kind of poo you may occasionally encounter. Tonight was really crowded in the parks and I noticed a lot of people in bad moods and that lady must have been a combination of tired and grumpy and a witch to begin with. I am so glad you ended up having a great night and again, so happy you got the opportunity to work at such a magical place.
Originally Posted By Bob Paris I really sympathize with you for what happened(and, if kharma is true, I hope that woman is struck down with some kind of illness that involves sores where she cannot reach to scratch them)but your story reads as a little bit confusing. She was told there WAS a turkey wrap but then when she got it there wasn't one....but the sign said there wasn't one anyway but she wanted one and there wasn't one. It's a little bit confusing. And yeah, I have had the customers from hell before and it's part of the reason I will NEVER work in customer service EVER again. They suck the soul out of you and they don't care one little bit. I am the world's BEST customer these days because I KNOW what it's like to be other peoples' punching bag. A CS person has to do something REALLY bad to piss me off before I go above them and complain.
Originally Posted By danyoung PB, I'm sorry you had a bad experience, although it was interesting reading about how you dealt with it and the subsequent magic you found in DCA. The only thing I can say to maybe help you is that you need to grow a thicker skin if you want to continue to deal with customers. There will always be those who feel they are entitled, who are always right and you are always wrong, who feel that their situation is much more important than anyone else around them. You have to find a way to simply smile, apologize for their troubles, figure out a way to help them, and then move on. It's really not easy to do - in fact, I'm not sure if I'd be very good at it. But then, I'm not one to go off and cry - I would probably have yelled at the lady to get out of my face (and there goes my job at Disney!). Good luck to you, and keep doing the good job we all know you're doing!!!
Originally Posted By piratebrittany I definitely do need to grow thicker skin if I hope to be successful there. But it was my first bad experience there and I was like WHOA! Is this my fault? What should I do? Where is my lead? Help! Haha. I now know the proper procedures for refunds, so that's a big help. I was totally wigging about it being my first crowded night and I didn't even have a runner. So I let a whole bunch of factors get to me instead of taking a deep breath and relaxing. But now that I've had this happen I already have thicker skin. It was a bit overwhelming but I feel that now I'm prepared to handle any situation as my lead and manager were both VERY helpful when it came to answering my various questions. Plus they gave me a copy of the menu so on the rare occassions that I do work Cafe I'll have no doubt about any of the items.
Originally Posted By crazycroc Next time someone is yelling at you, imagine them naked. Or as a small child, unable to adequately communicate there needs. But, if that doesn't work...back to the naked.
Originally Posted By Hans Reinhardt I absolutely detest people who are uneccessarily rude and obnoxious to people working in the service sector. There was simply no reason for that lady (and I use the term loosly) to be so abusive to you. Despite her outburst I think it says a lot about the kind of person you are by your admirable ability to find beauty in your workplace. I too think that DCA is quite something. How lucky you are to be working in such fantastic surroundings! "I definitely do need to grow thicker skin if I hope to be successful there." Yes, you will. In fact, you'll need it in life for a variety of reasons and situations. Let this be a lesson, but don't let these incedents turn you into a bitter and callous person.
Originally Posted By Hans Reinhardt "Next time someone is yelling at you, imagine them naked." I have a friend who works at Nordstrom who is one of the top sales people at his store and has been recognized numerous times for his excellence. His solution to dealing with rude people: he envisions himself choking the customer as he calmly listens and responds courteously to their rants. He said it works every time.
Originally Posted By piratebrittany Those are both wonderful ideas, although I fear I'd probably burst into laughter causing the guest to become more and more upset. haha. I'm fine now. I think I was just scared because I had never gone through that before. No more tears. Now that I know the proper procedures and I have my naked/strangling goggles to keep me company I think I'll be just fine.
Originally Posted By disneylandfan8 Ah, life lessons... ... and thicker skin is one of them. Sounds like you did what anyone else would in the situation. Being unfamiliar, you asked for help from a fellow CM and I am so sorry they gave you the wrong information (their fault, not yours). When the angry guest interrupted you, you did the right thing by politely asking them to let you finish with your current guest. Her response was witnessed by many, I'm sure, and didn't make her look good! Another life lesson: when someone is yelling at you, do not interrupt them. Let them get it all out. You can nod or acknowledge you are listening, but don't say a word until they have it out of their system. Interrupting them to state your case only makes them angrier. Once they have finished, then take a deep breath and try to solve the problem. It took my YEARS to finally let go of trying to stop them and tell them your side before they had finished. Just remember, she was the one with the problem and her response was looked upon as being extremely rude and demeaning. When I'm in line somewhere, I hate seeing this happen and have been known to tell the person how rude they are. I know, my bad! But, the magic at the end of the night... priceless! Being in the park(s) at the end of the evening all by myself is on my Bucket List. Just close your eyes and take in all the magic you can, dear PB ♥
Originally Posted By Hista98 why did the other cm say the meal had a wrap when it didn't?? sorry you had a bad, day, I've been there!!
Originally Posted By Dabob2 Great story, PB. All I can say is that you're the kind of CM I always hope I run into. Remember this saying too: "Someone who is nice to his friends but not nice to waiters is not a nice person." I know you're not a waitress, but I'm sure you understand the saying. It wasn't your fault, yet it will make you a better CM anyway. Win-win!
Originally Posted By Mitten I have eaten at Pacific Wharf numerous times (Love the Shrimp Louie!). The line grows quickly and have seen alot of guests get short with Cast Members. I have also emailed Disneyland to acknowledge all the Cast Members working there and how they work hard to quickly get guests served. I don't mind waiting a lengthy time because I know the food is worth the wait. Thanks for everything you do! As others has stated, you did the right thing. I have worked and will most likely continue to work Customer Service as I like to help people. My current customer service work is behind a telephone and it is totally different from what you do with the service being face to face. But letting the guest complete their dispute is best. If you interrupt the guest they will think you don't care, yada, yada. Just a side comment.. Why doesn't Disney have a full staff at Pacific Wharf at all times? I was there on my Birthday in September and there was only 3 registers open with a line out the door and 6 registers open at the new Asian place with no lines. I know its hard to predict what the guests will eat but Pacific Wharf Cafe is always busy. The cast members do an awesome job in keeping the line moving. All I could say is Thank You!
Originally Posted By amazedncal2 What a magical way to have your evening end I think you did a great job dealing with an "out of the blue and in your face" situation. Hugs!
Originally Posted By Nobody Sorry you had that experience, but as others have said, bad guests will happen, and now you'll appreciate the good ones even more. And I know how you felt about the empty park. Back in the dark ages, my family was invited to go see a film at Disneyland. Back then, CMs got to see screenings in the Fantasyland Theater. It must have been on a week night, and when the film was over, the park was closed. I remember how peaceful (and almost eeriy) it was walking through the castle and down Main Street. The only sound noticeable were the chaser lights around the signs.
Originally Posted By zekeayala awesome story. got a little teary! =') this is the magic that most people dont get.
Originally Posted By lesmisfan don't worry brittany. any cast member can tell you the same type of stories from all sorts of different departments. I have one but won't post it but feel free to email me or message me and ill tell you it. You can't please some guests no matter what you do, its like they are determined to have a bad time and find fault for everything and everyone except themselves. Don't let it get the best of you.
Originally Posted By Dalia3001 Sorry about your tough experience. But thank you so much for sharing your story about walking through a magical, misty DCA! I might be a bit emotional today, but your words honestly brought tears to my eyes. Thank you for sharing your experience with all of us, and I hope that the majority of your days are filled with more of that magic and fewer unpleasant people. : )
Originally Posted By Moedad I like the choking thing. PB, that was a wonderful description of DCA after hours. I'm very fortunate to live close enough to DLR that I can head over in the last hour before closing and wander around as whichever park I'm in empties out. I get a little taste of what the CMs get to experience by the time they finally have to remind me that it's time to leave.
