Why is complaining a bad thing? [Archive] - The DIS Discussion Forums

eliza61

07-02-2009, 09:29 PM

Elvistelth

07-02-2009, 09:33 PM

I thinks it's just common sense to complain, however there are many vocal apologists who are uncomfortable with this. Just ignore the criticism.

DebbieB

07-02-2009, 10:37 PM

rutgers1

07-02-2009, 10:44 PM

In this online world, I think complaints are useful, as I am 100% certain that they are brought to the attention of the right people. But, with that said, I think people need to be mindful of how they voice their complaints. There are people on this board who don't want to hear negative things about Disney (which they are entitled to feel that way), so you have to make sure that you are voicing your complaint in a way that won't offend anyone. For example, as an SSR owner, I really do not like when someone comes on strongly and says what a "horrible" time they had at the resort. Knowing that the use of such words might offend someone, "horrible" should be changed to "disappointing" or something like that.

rentayenta

07-03-2009, 12:38 AM

I am all about complaining as long as I am trying to also find a solution. Griping to gripe gets boring. :goodvibes

DVC Mike

07-03-2009, 05:44 AM

I am all about complaining as long as I am trying to also find a solution. Griping to gripe gets boring. :goodvibes

I agree.

Some threads are just people venting about something that upset them on their trip. I just understand that they are venting and it doesn't bother me at all. I mostly ignore it.

I'm worried about new and prospective members who see the posts where folks are venting and assume that this individual's problem is commonplace or impacts everyone.

JimMIA

07-03-2009, 06:31 AM

I don't think you can lump all complaint threads into one big pile and say they are either bad or good.

Every organization has imperfections, and this forum is a good place to air those because the DIS is read by Disney folks. We never know whether corrections of problems are partially due to postings her on the DIS, but I'm sure issues expressed here are at least noticed.

So, to me, legitimate complaints are fine. One good example is the recent glitch with the online dining reservation system not recognizing DVC confirmation numbers. That is a real problem, which has apparently now been corrected, and I suspect the complaints here probably lent some urgency to that correction.

Another good example is the recent change in point charges for 2010. The complaint thread here didn't cause any changes, but it certainly alerted a lot of prospective buyers and current members to the fact that points had changed. That is important for prospective buyers to know, because many guides either gloss over that possibility or just flat lie about it. I also hope -- partly as a result of the uproar here -- DVC will be more skillful in their implementation of major changes next time.

OTOH, the silly, childish rants do get tiresome. But we all have the option of not reading them. I can't tell you how many times I have moved the cursor over the title of a thread, learned that the "catastrophe" was totally trivial and did not even open the thread. Rant threads are not interesting to me, and I rarely open them.

nunzia

07-03-2009, 06:56 AM

...and don't forget the great switch away from mugs debacle of 2008....

BEASLYBOO

07-03-2009, 07:17 AM

I don't think you can lump all complaint threads into one big pile and say they are either bad or good.

Every organization has imperfections, and this forum is a good place to air those because the DIS is read by Disney folks. We never know whether corrections of problems are partially due to postings her on the DIS, but I'm sure issues expressed here are at least noticed.

So, to me, legitimate complaints are fine.

Another good example is the recent change in point charges for 2010. The complaint thread here didn't cause any changes, but it certainly alerted a lot of prospective buyers and current members to the fact that points had changed. That is important for prospective buyers to know,

But we all have the option of not reading them.

Eloquent and to the point, totally agree!

With that said, there are those individuals (and you know who your are) that simply won't/can't entertain the thought that just because Disney/DVC isn't living up to it's contractual promises people shouldn't voice their opinions/complaints. As many have pointed out, Disney/DVC do read these boards and maybe they do research legitimate complaints in order to resolve them. You can't fix something if you don't know it's broken! By the same token, you shouldn't kill the messenger when he reports it.

yitbos96bb

07-03-2009, 07:22 AM

I thought about this question from Wolfgangs post.

Why when we complain about poor service at Disney is it unacceptable?

If my room is dirty, why shouldn't I complain or post about it? If I've gone 3 times in the last 18 months and each time the room has been dusty, dirty and once still had previous guest garbage in the can, why should I let that "roll off my back"?
I was at the Grand Floridian last October for my anniversary, it took valet 30 mins to get my car. :mad: $500/night. I don't think so.

Why do we make excuses for the World. I hear responses like "your not paying for service, you're paying for location" bull!! I expect both.

I've always had/have a good time at the world and not about to sell my membership but IMO if I recieved crappy service, disney will recieve my complaints.

Complaining to Disney is absolutely right and should be done to improve service. Sadly, they don't seem to have the same standards they used to have. However, I agree.. Its about service and location... I'm not expecting or asking to be treated like this is the Four Seasons, but I do expect good service. I will complain to a manager if the service is bad. I do cut some slack depending on circumstances, but a dirty room you just checked into is UNACCEPTABLE period. I don't care what hotel you stay at, that isn't right.

As for your valet issue, if it wasn't busy, then 30 min is ridiculous. If it was busy, that's not all together terrible in my experiences. On busy nights all over the country, I have seen valet wait times like that.

I think some people are tired of hearing people complain, but when asked if they complained to Disney they say No. I know those people tend to tick me off royally as all they are doing is complain and moaning, while taking NO steps to try and resolve the issue and make it better for others in the future.

yitbos96bb

07-03-2009, 07:25 AM

There's nothing wrong about complaining about bad service or a bad room. It's the complaining about free dining, ADR's, CRO cash rooms, lack of last minute availability, perceived lack of DVC perks that is becoming annoying.

There are some legit complaints though on some of these fronts.... I mean, complaining that an ADR isn't available is annoying. But, for example, complaining that you can't even book an ADR due to a split stay or a linked reservation is legitimate. I can even accept the split stay, even if I think its dumb, but the linked reservation is just ridiculous. It truly is poor service on Disney's part and something easily fixed and should have been with their new system.

yitbos96bb

07-03-2009, 07:29 AM

Eloquent and to the point, totally agree!

With that said, there are those individuals (and you know who your are) that simply won't/can't entertain the thought that just because Disney/DVC isn't living up to it's contractual promises people shouldn't voice their opinions/complaints. As many have pointed out, Disney/DVC do read these boards and maybe they do research legitimate complaints in order to resolve them. You can't fix something if you don't know it's broken! By the same token, you shouldn't kill the messenger when he reports it.

True... but then we all know some of the people who think they aren't living up to the contract, either don't know the contract or are complaining anyway... the 2010 point changes, were definately within the contractual obligations... that being said, I agree with Jim that DVC handled that really poorly.

Deb & Bill

07-03-2009, 07:35 AM

Complaining on the DIS is useless. You need to complain to DVC or the resort manager. They can do something.

Complaining that you didn't get towel animals is whining. Complaining that your room wasn't cleaned, you notified management, nothing was done and what should you do to keep this from happening to others is useful.

When people come here and complain about the crumbs from their breakfast still on the floor, they come across as big fat whiners and lazy slobs. If they are letting other members know they had a problem and management took care of the problem, that's giving other people information on how to resolve a problem.

Complaining that you had a problem with housekeeping and you didn't call housekeeping about the problem is whining. It's a guest's responsibility to notify someone who might be able to resolve the problem when the problem occurs.

I get surveys from the hotels that I stay at for business all the time. One of the questions (and I get this from the Disney resorts as well) is did I have a problem. Did I notify anyone about my problem during my stay. If I say, no, I didn't notify anyone, it's my own fault and no one else's.

Brian Noble

07-03-2009, 07:53 AM

There is nothing wrong with voicing displeasure, or engaging in a constructive debate. After all, reasonable people can often disagree. But, there is a difference between constructive criticism and mindless whinging. The latter is tedious at best.

yitbos96bb

07-03-2009, 07:54 AM

BEASLYBOO

07-03-2009, 08:01 AM

Complaining on the DIS is useless. You need to complain to DVC or the resort manager. They can do something.

Complaining that you had a problem with housekeeping and you didn't call housekeeping about the problem is whining. It's a guest's responsibility to notify someone who might be able to resolve the problem when the problem occurs.
.

I agree and disagree! Yes, agreed, problems should be reported immediately to the manager/housekeeping etc. to get immediate resolution but I disagree that it's useless to report issues on the DIS. Some people need to be encouraged to speak up and hearing that what they've encountered isn't acceptable and shouldn't be ignored but actually reported can only serve to improve housekeeping etc. for all of us. Some people don't speak up which is just as detromental as those who are intolerant and complain about every little thing. Again, you can't fix something, if you don't know it's broken.

WolfpackFan

07-03-2009, 08:05 AM

Well since I started the other thread - I'll respond. I don't like complaints because here I am planning a great trip in 2 weeks and I read here about folks who just came back from a bad trip (in their eyes). It really puts a damper on my enthusiasm for my trip. Kind of like a wet blanket. Yes I can skip the threads but lately it just seems there have been more and more of them. Finally I know it has to really make the folks who just bought into DVC really question if they made the right decision. I just think people are too picky and too stressed out at times about some things. I just had a good friend of mine die two weeks ago. It really puts things into perspective and makes you really question about stressing out about the little things in life.

Plus I just don't understand the complaints. We've been going 2-3 times a year for the last few years and I've never run into any of the complaints folks mention. Maybe we're just lucky or we're easy to please or not very picky - I don't know. I don't ever remember getting a dirty room. Yes, there are some things occasionally broken - but I call the front desk and they come fix it. I would never complain here about such at thing. Bus service? Yes we have to wait some, but sometimes we don't wait long. It really evens out. Free dining doesn't bother me at all. If someone wants to pay full rack rate and get free dining that's there business and since we don't eat many TS meals doesn't bother me either. Finally we all know the importance of making 11 month reservations. It's all part of buying into DVC.

So if you want to complain, complain. I'll just skip the threads.

Tara

07-03-2009, 11:07 AM

I thought about this question from Wolfgangs post.

Why when we complain about poor service at Disney is it unacceptable?

If my room is dirty, why shouldn't I complain or post about it? If I've gone 3 times in the last 18 months and each time the room has been dusty, dirty and once still had previous guest garbage in the can, why should I let that "roll off my back"?
I was at the Grand Floridian last October for my anniversary, it took valet 30 mins to get my car. :mad: $500/night. I don't think so.

Why do we make excuses for the World. I hear responses like "your not paying for service, you're paying for location" bull!! I expect both.

I've always had/have a good time at the world and not about to sell my membership but IMO if I recieved crappy service, disney will recieve my complaints.

Certainly people should complain about poor service and unclean rooms. From a purely practical perspective, complaints are best directed toward management while the person with the complaint is still on site. I understand the need to let off a little steam, but too often I think people complain here but don't say a word while they're at Disney. (Some of course do both.) That means problems go unaddressed.

What I find tiresome are the complains about things that aren't going to change - free dining, special offers for cash rooms (like 4+3), etc. From where I sit, it seems like there have been a LOT of those types of complaints. Of course, we've been in the window for booking ADRs during free dining, so I suspect that the complaints will stop soon. Perhaps they'll make a short return *during* free dining when people report on how crowded the restaurants are.

Then there are the perk complaints - for the life of me, I don't understand why people buy into DVC knowing that there are a few perks but they are limited and LATER complain that Disney ought to do more. I try to skip most of them now because it's just the same thing over and over again.

jarestel

07-03-2009, 11:24 AM

Why is complaining a bad thing?

People on this board tend to be passionate about DVC/WDW and when something happens to take a bit of the shine away from the expectations and excitement of a trip to WDW, it's understandable. I think at one time or another many of us have "complained" about something though. Whether it's changes to DVC policies, or room issues, or whatever. When passionate people are disappointed, they vent. (and vent, and vent...)

So I don't think it's a bad thing. In every "complaint" thread, there are plenty of respondents who claim "In 1,499,332 trips I've never experienced this". New or prospective members always get a counter balance to the original issue. And it's really not a bad thing to let folks know that bad service, bad housekeeping, and bad maintenance does sometimes happen, even within DVC.

BEASLYBOO

07-03-2009, 11:48 AM

So I don't think it's a bad thing. In every "complaint" thread, there are plenty of respondents who claim "In 1,499,332 trips I've never experienced this". New or prospective members always get a counter balance to the original issue.

Excellent point!

Lost in Neverland

07-03-2009, 12:02 PM

I'm worried about new and prospective members who see the posts where folks are venting and assume that this individual's problem is commonplace or impacts everyone.

Mike, You are so right in this thought. We just bought into DVC a couple of months ago. After that we started seeing all the complaints about service or lack there of, dirty rooms as well as poorly maintained rooms. We really began to wonder if we had made the right decision about our purchase. But DH began to notice it was the same group that were posting most of the complaints which eased my mind greatly. I feel that if something is not right or in need of repair we as owners should let the powers that be know about it. If anyone ever goes into a hotel room, condo or any other vacation property that is rented 100% of the time there are going to be minor issues. These minor flaws we have to learn to live with or as owners start taking better care of our property. I just feel that when complaining we have to look at it as we do with our children---Learn to pick your battles.:confused3

jbrowna

07-03-2009, 01:53 PM

The one complaint that gets to me most is the one about free dining, and why isn't it available to DVC members? It is, of course, available for them just like for everyone else -- book a room for the required length of stay at rack rates, purchase the required admission media, and anyone can have "free dining!" :) Me, I'd rather have a DVC villa....

nickspace

07-03-2009, 02:10 PM

If you are serious about resolving complaints a well written letter carries great weight. I recently wrote a letter praising the great work of the character B'Lou Crabbe at HHI and Disney responded quickly.

So if you have a praise or an issue that needs to be resolved take the time and write a proper letter. A letter will get you much further than verbal communication hands down.

disneynutz

07-03-2009, 02:12 PM

I agree.

Some threads are just people venting about something that upset them on their trip. I just understand that they are venting and it doesn't bother me at all. I mostly ignore it.

I'm worried about new and prospective members who see the posts where folks are venting and assume that this individual's problem is commonplace or impacts everyone.

I'm worried that new and prospective members will read all of the "Disney can do no wrong" reports and the "DVC is my friend" reports and find out only after they buy that maybe they didn't get what they expected.

SoCalKDG

07-03-2009, 02:16 PM

Why when we complain about poor service at Disney is it unacceptable?

If my room is dirty, why shouldn't I complain or post about it? If I've gone 3 times in the last 18 months and each time the room has been dusty, dirty and once still had previous guest garbage in the can, why should I let that "roll off my back"?

When I hear someone complain that the last three times they went their room was dirty I think, wait, the last 10 times I went its been clean it makes me wonder what the level of expectation is. Is someone performing a white glove test on every counter and sees one spot of mold in the shower thus its dirty?

Based on probability it just doesn't seem possible for me to have 10 straight trips with a clean room and someone else to have three straight that are dirty. Its the degree of expectations that comes into play.

You hear people complain about seeing a cockroach, one lightbulb burned out, a bus taking 20 minutes, lines being 40 minutes long, a door not locking, you can't get ressies at 4 months except at SSR, etc. To me if this bothers you then you contact house keeping or maintainence and thats that, no need to comment here.

Sometimes it just seems that society in general can't be made happy.

Disney would have to double the house keeping staff, double the maintenance staff, have inspections weekly on every room checking every square inch of all their facilities to meet some peoples expectations. Guess what, if they do that our dues double. No thank you.

Now if you want to complain about the inferiority of SSR or OKW, then thats a legitimate complaint. J.K. :)

Sammie

07-03-2009, 02:26 PM

What some do not realize is that at Disney anything can change and yes complaining can make a difference.

The new changes to dining that will be phased in, are a direct result of complaints.

Many have complained that due to free dining and the dining plan their favorite restaurants have changed so much in quality and service that they no longer eat there.

As JimMIA said if you open a thread, you can usually read the OP and one or two comments and know whether you wish to continue.

I really do not think it is fair to attempt censorship about certain threads simply because one does not agree.

Just do not read them and move on.

And as someone so wisely said, isn't it ironic to complain about complaining.:thumbsup2

Definitely a case of pot/kettle/black.

I love going to Disney as much as anyone, and we are overall still pleased with DVC or I would sell it, but I have invested a good amount of money with them and do so every month and I will voice my displeasure in housekeeping issues and upkeep when I see them to be lacking. I will not stick my head in the sand, just because it is Disney.

eliza61

07-03-2009, 03:00 PM

Op, here.
Just wanted to let any new or prespective buyers know that every time my room has been dirty, I have notified management and they have taken care of the issues.

When I whine, I definitely do it where I can get resolution to the problem. So I am very happy with that aspect of customer service.

I'm just having issues because IMO, it is starting to be the norm rather than a coincidence and that concerns me. I don't want it to be a downward trend.

I also try and fill out customer satisfaction cards when I leave. As much as I love disney, I want them to be aware of quality issues before I get to the point of selling. I've already taken most of my dining issues offsite so I don't want to get to the money/value break point for my room.

WolfpackFan

07-03-2009, 03:14 PM

I'm just having issues because IMO, it is starting to be the norm rather than a coincidence and that concerns me. I don't want it to be a downward trend.

See that's the thing - it's not the norm for us. We were there in May at VWL. Prior to that it was December at VWL. Before that it was last June at HHI and before that it was AKV in March. And we will be at SSR two weeks from now and back at AKV this December. At none of those visits did we have any issues at all to speak of. Looking back at all those visits the main negative aspect we found was bad weather in May. But neither WDW nor DVC can be blamed for that. Our rooms were clean each time. In fact looking back over the last six years, I can't remember a single visit where we had a dirty room. Sure occasionally we had to wait on a bus or two, but no more than what they advertise (20 minutes). We had no problems getting our reservations and our waitlist even came through for Christmas. As far as the parks, we never had any issues. We never had a bad CM. In fact the only rude people we ever ran into were fellow visitors.

So either we're very, very easy to please or for some reason other people have issues we just never encounter.

DVC Mike

07-03-2009, 04:02 PM

I'm worried that new and prospective members will read all of the "Disney can do no wrong" reports and the "DVC is my friend" reports and find out only after they buy that maybe they didn't get what they expected.

It's a fact that Disney has developed quite a loyal fan base, and this is a result of providing great customer service, great experiences and a magical time. They aren't perfect, but I would still choose Disney over the average service provider.

No, people shouldn't buy into DVC with pixie dust covering their eyes, but they are still a highly rated timeshare that offers, IMO, a great vacation experience. I'm still a hapy and satisfied DVC member, and I still recommend the program when asked.

People read the complaint threads and assume every room is trashed, there are bugs in the food, bedbugs in the beds, disgruntled and angry castmembers, etc. Ridiculous! The bad experiences are few when compared to the vast majority of happy vacation experiences.

Deb & Bill

07-03-2009, 04:04 PM

See that's the thing - it's not the norm for us. We were there in May at VWL. Prior to that it was December at VWL. Before that it was last June at HHI and before that it was AKV in March. And we will be at SSR two weeks from now and back at AKV this December. At none of those visits did we have any issues at all to speak of. Looking back at all those visits the main negative aspect we found was bad weather in May. But neither WDW nor DVC can be blamed for that. Our rooms were clean each time. In fact looking back over the last six years, I can't remember a single visit where we had a dirty room. Sure occasionally we had to wait on a bus or two, but no more than what they advertise (20 minutes). We had no problems getting our reservations and our waitlist even came through for Christmas. As far as the parks, we never had any issues. We never had a bad CM. In fact the only rude people we ever ran into were fellow visitors.

So either we're very, very easy to please or for some reason other people have issues we just never encounter.

I totally agree with you on this. We stayed at both SSR and BCV last month and both were excellent - not dirty, everything worked, nothing missing. I find it so odd that some poor sap gets the "dirty" room each and every time and I haven't gotten one in the 12 years we've been going to WDW and staying in a DVC resort. I've stayed in all of them but HHI, AKV and BLT. We've found a few maintenance problems, but one call and they were fixed.

I don't do a white glove test at WDW because I don't do one at home. And if anyone ever did a white glove test at my house, well, that white glove would be dusty and gray. I have three cats, two dogs, a teen aged son and a husband and we don't spend our life cleaning. Life is too short.

La2kw

07-03-2009, 04:10 PM

I think complaining is useful, as long as members follow through and report problems to housekeeping while they are occurring. We have had some very dirty rooms the past few years, but DVC has always been very apologetic and has thoroughly cleaned them for us. Now, I would prefer if they were done that way the first time, but at least they made good on what I expect from a DVC room. If you just silently accept an unclean or run down room, you're not giving DVC the opportunity to fix the problem.

I also agree that posting complaints here on these boards can be helpful to members who may not realize that these problems occur. I love my DVC, but I want it to be as good as it can be, and I'm not willing to make excuses for them or settle for less.

I chuckle when I read members say that they have been going for the past couple years and haven't had any problems. Just wait! Once you get one of those poorly cleaned rooms, you'll remember it. We went for 14 years before having any issues. DVC has cut back and that is the issue for me.

There have been a few complaints about what I consider non-issues such as no availability at the last minute, etc. I just discount those since it appears that those posts are from members still learning about DVC. It doesn't bother me or upset me. I really don't understand why someone else's complaints would have an effect on someone's vacation planning.

Most importantly, DVC and Disney are not prefect. They are a company out to make money, not to make the world a better place. Absolutely nothing wrong with that, but if things aren't up to par, they need to know about it. After all, we are paying a lot of money for the right to use our DVC resorts and they should be well cleaned and well maintained. Many, many resort and timeshare companies manage to do just that every single day. Just because it's DVC doesn't mean they should get a pass.

La2kw

07-03-2009, 04:14 PM

dianeschlicht

07-03-2009, 04:18 PM

For 11 years I was very pleased with all of our DVC stays. This past year, both our trips have had cleaning issues in the units...one at OKW and one at AKV. I did contact the management and housekeeping at both locations when this happened. Both times someone came and "took care of it", but not really to my satisfaction. In other words, it was a shoddy job at fixing the issue.

As I said, this has not been an issue in the first 11 years, so I figure when something happens that frequently, something has changed in the past year. I did write a letter to DVC member satisfaction. I haven't heard back yet, but the letter I wrote was very positive in nature with the exception of pointing out my disappointment at the downturn in housekeeping standards our last two trips. Nothing terribly negative, but not really positive either. I feel this is the way the system is supposed to work. How do they know what people's expectations are if we don't tell them?

Oh, and this part will make Dean happy....I also told them I thought some of the older DVC units were ready for a complete hard makeover.

going/again

07-03-2009, 04:22 PM

Now if you want to complain about the inferiority of SSR or OKW, then thats a legitimate complaint. J.K. :)

inferior to what, thats just your opinion which you are entitled to, but we think ssr is superior exactly what we wanted

La2kw

07-03-2009, 04:25 PM

When I hear someone complain that the last three times they went their room was dirty I think, wait, the last 10 times I went its been clean it makes me wonder what the level of expectation is. Is someone performing a white glove test on every counter and sees one spot of mold in the shower thus its dirty?

How about open containers of food left in the fridge and cupboards, melted cheese hanging down the oven racks, greasy stove and counters, pubic hair in the shower, and crackers in the sofa bed? Dirty enough for you?

Based on probability it just doesn't seem possible for me to have 10 straight trips with a clean room and someone else to have three straight that are dirty. Its the degree of expectations that comes into play.

How about 14 years of clean rooms and then two or three years of dirty rooms? I have the same expectations I had when I purchased 16 years ago. A clean room free of someone else's leftover food, cooking grease, and pubic hair in the shower.

You hear people complain about seeing a cockroach, one lightbulb burned out, a bus taking 20 minutes, lines being 40 minutes long, a door not locking, you can't get ressies at 4 months except at SSR, etc. To me if this bothers you then you contact house keeping or maintainence and thats that, no need to comment here.

I agree some complaints are pointless, and that DVC needs to be notified when it is a problem. I also do think that it's helpful to see issues that other members have had and how they are corrected. We have always been satisfied with DVC's response to our concerns. I just wish it was taken care of before I arrived and had to complain.

Sometimes it just seems that society in general can't be made happy.

Now if you want to complain about the inferiority of SSR or OKW, then thats a legitimate complaint. J.K. :)

Certainly you mean the inferiority of BWV, right?;)

dianeschlicht

07-03-2009, 04:34 PM

Quote:
Originally Posted by SoCalKDG
Based on probability it just doesn't seem possible for me to have 10 straight trips with a clean room and someone else to have three straight that are dirty. Its the degree of expectations that comes into play.

How about 14 years of clean rooms and then two or three years of dirty rooms? I have the same expectations I had when I purchased 16 years ago. A clean room free of someone else's leftover food, cooking grease, and pubic hair in the shower.

See that's what I'm talking about too. We have seen a definite downturn in conditions this past year, and that is what made me write the letter. It's also what enticed me to speak to the manager last trip too.

Sammie

07-03-2009, 04:36 PM

Originally Posted by SoCalKDG
makes me wonder what the level of expectation is. Is someone performing a white glove test on every counter and sees one spot of mold in the shower thus its dirty

Nope, but I expect the frig to be free of blood and hair :scared1:

As others have said if some members have been lucky enough to never encounter a dirty room, they are lucky. We were lucky for years but lately we have experienced less than satisfactory rooms.

I expect it to be as clean as the Hampton Inn I spend the night in, on my drive to Orlando. I don't think that is unreasonable. I will say that the situation was dealt with and I moved on to enjoy my vacation, but seriously who cleans a room and does not notice, broken glass on the kitchen foor and hair and blood in the refrigerator, I though maybe I walked into a crime scene. :eek:

If one has not experienced less than desirable conditions of rooms and shares that experience, why is that any more valid than someone that has less than desireable experiences.

Are only the good ones valid??? :confused3

kid-at-heart

07-03-2009, 04:46 PM

Legit complaints are not "a bad thing". If people do not complain then nothing changes. People should praise when someone does a good job and should complain when standards are not up to par.

JimMIA

07-03-2009, 05:11 PM

People read the complaint threads and assume every room is trashed, there are bugs in the food, bedbugs in the beds, disgruntled and angry castmembers, etc. Ridiculous! The bad experiences are few when compared to the vast majority of happy vacation experiences.You forgot snakes. There are snakes at Disney World! :scared1:

But seriously, anyone who reads a couple of threads with complaints and assumes the whole place is a landfill really is beyond our help.

Sure, we have seen occasional (very occasional) shortcomings. "Pobody's Nerfect!" Some of those were important enough to report, and they were immediately resolved satisfactorily. But that doesn't mean that anyone should accept a dirty room or substandard service.

The complaints I think are more substantial, however, are those about the ongoing trend of "streamlining due to member input to enhance the DVC experience." Most of those are nothing but profit-gouging at owners' expense, and prospective owners need to know about those on a forum like this. The guides certainly won't tell them! If a prospective purchaser is scared off by the truth, so be it.

fishermouse

07-03-2009, 05:53 PM

First off I don't think this is the place to "complain" you should do that while at as soon as you notice the problem. You should do it in a calm adult fashion, not go screaming down to the front desk, and you have a right to expect results. What you should do on the boards is inform us of your experience and how it was handled, not just jump on the boards and trash the resort. Guess a lot of us have become skeptic due to the posts that trash the same resort over and over and tell of how wonderful thier favorite resort is. On the other hand I think most DVC'rs want to know if there is a trend of poor service or dirty rooms etc. I've learned to just ignor the post that start of with "I'm selling my points" or such and such a resort is a dump. I for one like the information just not all the drama that some posts contain. JMHO

BEASLYBOO

07-03-2009, 06:53 PM

For 11 years I was very pleased with all of our DVC stays. This past year, both our trips have had cleaning issues in the units...

Both times someone came and "took care of it", but not really to my satisfaction. In other words, it was a shoddy job at fixing the issue.

You are 100% correct, I love DVC and since 2000, after racking up many stays, whatever minor issues I might have had, were always resolved pleasantly & expeditiously, either by me or mousekeeping, till now. Also when you say "to your satisfaction" I anticipate just like me, your expectations were within reason.

The next morning I did go to manager and explained what happened and the lack of action and she apologized and said and I quote, "The next time you come, call me personally, and I will ensure that you get VIP cleaning." My response was, I don't really want special treatment, I would prefer to come, never having to worry that my accomodations are clean. In my mind that's not addressing the issue. I also filled out my survey and wrote a letter adn still have no response. Will I sell my DVC because of it, absolutely not but I do want the mousekeeping issues to be addressed and not ignored.

I don't expect perfection, but I do expect clean, and as another poster stated, unless it's happened to you, in front of your guests, you can't possibly understand. I also take some offense to those that openly ridicule the people who have had issues by assuming that they are either hard to please, picky or have nothing else to worry about.

If ensuring that my 12 year old son sleeps in a clean bed makes me hard to please, then so be it.

Dean

07-03-2009, 07:13 PM

I don't have any problems with complaints in general but I also don't have any problems labeling such complaints are reasonable or unreasonable, and that's where the rub is it seems. Someone complains, someone doesn't think it's a reasonable complaint and the OP and a few others gets their feelings hurt. Examples would include complaining over DVC members not getting free dining or when rooms are available for cash but not points. Both reasonable to discuss but not reasonable to complain about, IMO. Two other examples would be the change to reserving a week at a time and the reallocation. Both very important to discuss but there was a lot of emotion and not much substance from a complaining standpoint. My last example would be when someone says something negative about a given resort and to some, it's like they insulted their sister.

wulfekamp

07-03-2009, 10:34 PM

What are we a bunch of four year olds. New members need to know Disney isn't perfect and not their friend. Give me a break. We are big boys and girls here. We don't need a mommy. Perfect is a nice goal but doesn't come along very offen. Is my house perfect NO. Is my job perfect NO. Is Disney perfect NO. Most people get that. Do you really think new members or perspective members are that gullible. Do I think all the negative post hurt YES.

nunzia

07-04-2009, 07:18 AM

...and if you have a problem, not only should you take care of it on site, but take pictures. If I happen to run into problems I will certainly document it.
Even paying ridiculous nightly rates at GCV I have had issues..once my room wasn't cleaned for 2 days and for some reason I just thought 'oh well' and didn't report it. My pet peeve at GCV is the tubs seem to not hold water..that's happened more than once..it just drains away. So..I will fill the tub when I get there and if it drains I'll report it. So..I've learned a couple things from the complaints, maybe more awareness and the need to report items so management can actually know there is a problem.

Deb & Bill

07-04-2009, 09:43 AM

StreamMaster

07-04-2009, 09:52 AM

business 101

You can complain to whoever you wish, if you keep going back nothing will be done about your complaint.
As long as the cash flows, there is no problem.

TisBit

07-04-2009, 09:58 AM

I agree with a lot of posts, but I also think that there is just a lot of whining about silly stuff. Although, this is true of any message board, hence why you have people intentionally try to stir things up.

For me, I will complain to someone that can take action, I don't see why people come onto message boards to complain that it took 30 minutes to get their car from valet and it ruined their trip. Jeez, if your trip is ruined that easily, I don't think you will ever be satisfied....LOL

CarolMN

07-04-2009, 10:04 AM

inferior to what, thats just your opinion which you are entitled to, but we think ssr is superior exactly what we wantedI think you may have misinterptreted SoCalKDG's post. The J.K. at the end of it means "Just Kidding". :)

I think SoCalKDG is just making fun of all the threads about SSR. Someone posts they don't like it for some reason or another and then lots of other posters get all upset.

CMOORE185

07-04-2009, 11:22 AM

I agree with the posters that think quality of housekeeping has gone down over the past couple of years. I have noticed this too. I think this is a issue worth complaining about. I can take broken things, but when it comes to cleanliness I will not compromise. I hate going on vacation and the first thing I have to do is call housekeeping.

SoCalKDG

07-04-2009, 12:35 PM

inferior to what, thats just your opinion which you are entitled to, but we think ssr is superior exactly what we wantedI was just kidding, by the way, thats why I put the J.K. and the happy face. :goodvibes

nunzia

07-05-2009, 07:09 AM

They've opened GCV already?? I didn't know that.

No..I'm sorry..I was referring to the regular hotel rooms there and typed in GCV instead of DGC..all the abbreviations can trip you up! Isn't the GCV really the VGC anyway? :)

Disney Doll

07-05-2009, 02:03 PM

Complaining is never a bad thing as along as you complain to the right person at the time the complaint is happening and have realistic expectations of how your complaint should be rectified.

Complaining on the DIS about how your room at OKW last week was filthy and needed renovation but you never called anyone about it , oh, and by the way, because one room out of the 1000+ in the resort was in poor condition then the entire resort is a dump, is not complaining. It's whining.

Complaining to the manager of housekeeping that the room had several deficiencies which needed to be taken care of (and were) and also suggesting that the room should be taken out of service after you check out for a good "going over" beause it really does not exemplify what we think Disney's idea of a DVC property is, is constructive. how do I know this? Because that's what DH & I did the one time we got a room that we felt was in poor condition. We called Housekeeping/Maintenance with a list of what we wanted fixed for our stay. We also recommended that someone "in charge" in the Housekeeping/Maintenance department might want to take a look at the unit, since it seemed to be "maintenance deferred". Amazingly enough, all our issues were repaired in 1 day and we got a call about a week later from a lovely woman who identified herself as a manager in Housekeeping/Maintenence thanking us for letting them know that this was shabby, because they did, in fact, take it out of the rotation and it was currently being redone.

Could she have been lying? Of course she could have. I will never have any way of proving it. But it would seem to me that taking the time to call me specifically (when I hadn't requested any kind of follow up call...I just made a suggestion) to lie about renovating the room, would have been overkill on her part.

I see myself as an owner. So I do consider it part of my "job" to report issues. I own my house and address maintenance issues, so why wouldn't I address them on the vacation property I own????? I can't worry about why Housekeeping didn't notice or why it got broken in the first place. My credo "I see a problem, I report it".