First stay using DVC Overall Great but one mishap.

[bumbershoot]

What kind of bothers me is why should we have to go to the front desk to get any satisfaction? Sometimes that just isn't practical. What are people supposed to do if there's one adult and children)? What if you just got out of the shower and are dripping wet? Maybe you just encountered a plumbing issue. People think it's acceptable that we supposedly can call the front desk, but it's not really the front desk so our message isn't carried? A couple years ago, I was on a solo trip and woke up one morning with severe intestinal rebellion (use your imagination). I called the front desk several times with no response. Finally, I just opened the door and screamed and cried (real juvenile response, I know). Being told "you have to go to the front desk" wouldn't be a good response for me. And yet, is everyone OK with this?

It's the same for ALL the WDW resorts. This isn't a DVC thing, that the Front Desk button doesn't get answered by people at the resort. It's a Disney thing.

If you have a maintenance problem, call maintenance. Housekeeping problem, call housekeeping.



I would have had a problem with those webs, as that shows quite a bit of time of Housekeeping ignoring them, so I probably would have made sure to get Housekeeping management informed of the problem. And if my aunt, who used to be a hotel housekeeper herself and knows VERY well what a hard and rotten job it is, was staying with us, she probably would have marched down to wherever Housekeeping keeps themselves and gotten ALL of them involved. (she would not have appreciated those webs...the job is hard, but you are, actually, supposed to DO IT if you're a housekeeper)

Owners cleaning their rooms because Mousekeeping doesn't do a proper job doesn't make sense to me just like me swapping of furnace filters or re-chalking the bathtub doesn't make sense either. If I wanted to do those things I could stay home, put on my Disney music, spray my Disney scents, and take the time to look at all of the Disney stuff that decorates our house including our Walt/Mickey statue.

Bill

I agree.

Just like I made sure everyone who needed to know, knew when our dryer didn't work at the 1 bedroom at Boardwalk (washing/drying clothes was the ONLY reason we had booked that room intead of a Studio, so I could wash/dry all night while we slept during our midnight to checkout stay there). I mean, that's not something I could fix myself, but I let EVERYONE know. Including writing to DVC after our stay. If they don't know, they don't know. Perhaps they are waiting for 100 complaints about the same issue before they do something about it...I am absolutely willing to be part of that 100 complaints. I don't want to have to clean something that I didn't make dirty.

 

[DPCummerbund]

I've often wondered - are these issues worse at Saratoga Springs and OKW than they are at the DVC resorts that are shared with a Deluxe property?

I know the DVC rooms can be reserved by cash-paying guests, so I've often thought that Disney pays more attention to those rooms. Has this proven to be true, or is it just wishful thinking on my part?

 

[rlovew]

I can say this about cobwebs living in Florida- spiders tend to make them unbelievably fast and it is impossible to get rid of all the spiders around. It is very possible that the web was not there when housekeeping cleaned but was by the time you actually received and got to your room. Not that it excuses the peoples papers being there but I can understand the webs.

 

[WebmasterDoc]

Quote:

That is why the phone has Maintenance and Housekeeping buttons on them. They do go right to the resort.

As for the cobwebs, minor issue, OP, chill out a bit. Grab the broom in the villa or the vacuum and take care of the problem yourself. They used to call the DVC resorts "Home Away From Home". That's why...

Deb, the Front Desk button goes to a call center who acts like the Front Desk, they may or may not transfer you to the real Front Desk.

The marketing slogan "Home Away From Home" wasn't meant to be taken literally. If it was, people staying in a DVC unit would be personalizing them even more than they do now.

Owners cleaning their rooms because Mousekeeping doesn't do a proper job doesn't make sense to me just like me swapping of furnace filters or re-chalking the bathtub doesn't make sense either. If I wanted to do those things I could stay home, put on my Disney music, spray my Disney scents, and take the time to look at all of the Disney stuff that decorates our house including our Walt/Mickey statue.

Bill

The Maintenance and Housekeeping buttons on the phone do NOT go to a call center. They connect with those departments at the resort and will usually get a fast response from either. Deb was not saysing anything about calling the Front Desk.

"Home Away From Home" absolutely had a literal meaning and was the reason for the limited housekeeping service along with having kitchens and washer/dryers in the units.

Certainly, the villas should be cleaned, but I think Deb's point was that some issues can easily be taken care of by a guest in a minimal amount of time (less time than waiting for a manager to arrive). However, there is also nothing wrong with holding the resort's feet to the fire and demanding that the villa be properly cleaned and maintained.

Our experience has been that they do respond quickly to requests made to Housekeeping and/or Maintenance. If they fail to do so, a personal chat with the manager on duty has always gotten results.

 

[crisi]

I can say this about cobwebs living in Florida- spiders tend to make them unbelievably fast and it is impossible to get rid of all the spiders around. It is very possible that the web was not there when housekeeping cleaned but was by the time you actually received and got to your room. Not that it excuses the peoples papers being there but I can understand the webs.

That's the thing about mold in showers in Florida as well. I have to keep on top of my Minnesota shower, and its harder in Florida.

As to what is their incentive not to - human nature. Many people are not interested in doing their jobs to perfection, and many managers aren't interested in continually nagging their staff - it means turnover, which means more work. It also, as I was explaining to my boss who just fired someone that I suspect is going to whistleblow, creates risk.

("No, they wouldn't do that" - "Why not, they are bitter, and we are in violation of law - they just got scapegoated for it and are well aware we are scapegoating them and kicking the can down the road with no intention of fixing the problem.")

With disgruntled housekeepers, its theft.

 

[dianeschlicht]

Quote:




The Maintenance and Housekeeping buttons on the phone do NOT go to a call center. They connect with those departments at the resort and will usually get a fast response from either. Deb was not saysing anything about calling the Front Desk.

"Home Away From Home" absolutely had a literal meaning and was the reason for the limited housekeeping service along with having kitchens and washer/dryers in the units.

Certainly, the villas should be cleaned, but I think Deb's point was that some issues can easily be taken care of by a guest in a minimal amount of time (less time than waiting for a manager to arrive). However, there is also nothing wrong with holding the resort's feet to the fire and demanding that the villa be properly cleaned and maintained.

Our experience has been that they do respond quickly to requests made to Housekeeping and/or Maintenance. If they fail to do so, a personal chat with the manager on duty has always gotten results.

Well put, Rob, but sometimes it's just easier and quicker to do it yourself so you KNOW it's done right.

I do think housekeeping issues have gotten to be prevalent the past few years at OKW. We had 13 years of no issues, but the past two years that has not been the case.

This trip, my socks got absolutely black from walking around on the living room floor. I took the steam cleaner out of the closet to find it did indeed have a new pad on it, so I cleaned the floors. It took maybe 5 minutes to do them all with the steam cleaner, and by the black on the pad, I suspect they had not been done in quite some time!

I want to specifically say what I did about that. I left a "tip" envelope for the housekeeper when we left. Inside was my "tip". Basically it said that the steam cleaner in the closet was a wonderful tool that works marvelously, and perhaps the housekeepers should try using it as well. I sure wish I could have been there when she opened her "tip"!

 

[Deb & Bill]

Well put, Rob, but sometimes it's just easier and quicker to do it yourself so you KNOW it's done right.

I do think housekeeping issues have gotten to be prevalent the past few years at OKW. We had 13 years of no issues, but the past two years that has not been the case.

This trip, my socks got absolutely black from walking around on the living room floor. I took the steam cleaner out of the closet to find it did indeed have a new pad on it, so I cleaned the floors. It took maybe 5 minutes to do them all with the steam cleaner, and by the black on the pad, I suspect they had not been done in quite some time!

I want to specifically say what I did about that. I left a "tip" envelope for the housekeeper when we left. Inside was my "tip". Basically it said that the steam cleaner in the closet was a wonderful tool that works marvelously, and perhaps the housekeepers should try using it as well. I sure wish I could have been there when she opened her "tip"!

You are on their naughty list for sure now, Diane.

 

[WheresPerry]

As for the cobwebs, minor issue, OP, chill out a bit. Grab the broom in the villa or the vacuum and take care of the problem yourself. They used to call the DVC resorts "Home Away From Home". That's why...

I understand the cobwebs weren't a major issue. But they left papers and birthday buttons in the room. And what people have said about leaving the sheets out and not cleaning the rooms. How do I know the sheets were even changed. I expect to come to a room and it to be clean. I can clean up after myself. But I shouldn't have to clean up after other people. I do enough of that at the firehouse.

 

[Donna M]

I hope you checked carefully for clean sheets and towels.

Many, many, many years ago, back when the only places to stay on property were the Poly and Contemporary, my family was given a key to a room at the Contemporary. I was about to run into the room when my dad and I noticed feet sticking out from the end of the bed. (a little more than just paper and buttons!) Years later when we were reminicing about the guy that I thought was sleeping in the room, my dad filled me in on what was actually going on.

 

[GladysP]

My husband and I have just become DVC members through a recent Disney cruise. We are so very excited. We can't wait to begin what we know already are going to be great vacations. I decided to get my feet wet by looking on the Disboards and reading some discussions of what anyone loves about or is concerned about their DVC. I came across this thread and it really struck a chord with me.

My family and I have been going to Orlando now to the same rental home for our yearly family reunion for about 4 years now. We love this home as there are 5 families currently involved and this home is so beautiful and wonderfully spacious that it's perfect. The first year that we arrived, it was spotless and beautifully decorated and we all knew that it was a keeper. However, I am sad to say that last year will be our final time to have stayed there.

And, the whole issue revolved around the cleanliness of the home. We've found everything from broken porch lights, broken electronics, missing remote, dirty pool and pool area, to dead bugs in the bathrooms and dirty floors. I am of the mind that I could just quickly clean up or I could pop over to the store and get some new batteries for the remote etc. Mind you I am a clean freak but I loved the house so much and I just wanted to make everyone happy.

My family unfortunately is of the mind set that we are all paying good money to step into a home that is sparkling clean and in good repair. They feel that none of us should have to arrive for a vacation and have to clean what should be already have been done... sigh I have always contacted the owner in each instance and he is genuinely apologetic but he lives in another state and I think maybe his cleaning services may not be all that they are telling him that they are. So, while I am sad that we will no longer be staying in this home, I do understand how my family feels. It's a tough situation for sure but what can you do?