Another rude castmember thread

People that work for Disney are there because they chose to apply for the job. To the best of my knowledge, Disney Corporation does not impose a draft. :rotfl2:

That being said, they are human beings. Not everyone is going to have a great day every day. People have lives outside of work, and whether or not anyone deems it acceptable, our personal lives do leak into our work day.

Everyone has their breaking point. Our family was there back in May, and we spent two days at SWW, and the Sunday of Memorial Day Weekend at MK. It was VERY crowded. I didn't come across ONE rude CM the entire week. I DID however witness many rude guests. I also witnessed CM's handling those guests in a very professional manner.

I'm not saying that rude guests entitle CM's to be rude in return, but I know that some people can be downright mean when they don't get their way.

I will be the first to admit that I am not the most patient person, but I always make sure I am nice and polite to anyone in any type of service position, because I've BEEN that person. I know first hand how hard it is to keep your cool or check your tongue when dealing with rude people. I also know that because my personal life is not going well on a particular day that while I might not have been my normal self, letting it show through as the dominant part of my personality was not acceptable.

It's a give and take.

I believe that what we see in Disney is a microcosm of the way the rest of the world is in general.

In my opinion... The world needs a drink! Everyone should just RELAX!!!
 
I have an odd and sarcastic sense of humor.

There have been times a CM has made a comment to me that I have laughed at then I immediately thought to myself that someone could have very easily taken that the wrong way and not gotten the humor.

And lord knows that on the DIS, people can't usually make any kind of a humorous post without many taking it as 'rude'.

Heck, on the DIS I have seen on the parade threads people say "I can't wait until someone tries to push in front of me."

Many people here are looking for reasons to be offended.

I've been on the Dis for 13 years, up until the last few months I don't EVER remember reading the word "rude" here. Lately I can't read 6 posts without seeing that word.

If you are looking for rude, you're gonna find it.
 
Many people here are looking for reasons to be offended.

I've been on the Dis for 13 years, up until the last few months I don't EVER remember reading the word "rude" here. Lately I can't read 6 posts without seeing that word.

If you are looking for rude, you're gonna find it.

Agreed.
 
There is never an excuse to be rude to any customer/guest/employee at work, especially if they aren't being rude to you. You don't take your personal problems to work. PERIOD. Leave them at the door. If you need to step away for a moment, then do it.

Now if people are breaking rules such as cutting lines or causing a scene, then by all means do what you need to do to handle the situation, but in a calm way, and if you can't handle it, get help.

Just because Disney CM's are underpaid, tired, hot, etc. does not give them the right to ever be rude to anyone. They took the job knowing the pay, the conditions and the expectations. If they are not happy, they need to leave and find another job that doesn't care about their bad attitudes.

:hippie:
 


There is never an excuse to be rude to any customer/guest/employee at work, especially if they aren't being rude to you. You don't take your personal problems to work. PERIOD. Leave them at the door. If you need to step away for a moment, then do it.

Now if people are breaking rules such as cutting lines or causing a scene, then by all means do what you need to do to handle the situation, but in a calm way, and if you can't handle it, get help.

Just because Disney CM's are underpaid, tired, hot, etc. does not give them the right to ever be rude to anyone. They took the job knowing the pay, the conditions and the expectations. If they are not happy, they need to leave and find another job that doesn't care about their bad attitudes.

:hippie:

Your understanding of how Disney works is clearly flawed. there is no opportunity to "step away for a moment." From the second you walk onstage until the second you're backstage you're required to be perky happy and welcoming. You cannot just ask for a moment away. You cannot just go into a stockroom or go into the kitchen. Most cast members can't afford to leave work early, they can't afford to call-in because of personal issues.

Many of them are young and immature and still learning how to work in a professional environment. And sometimes that means leaving it at home isn't an option.

As far as getting help, help isn't always available. Disney runs with a bare minimum of overhead, staffing is always tight. Frequently there is only one cast member at a location that has a radio device, excepting the manager and coordinator. And that one radio is the only way of reaching security. So when there are problems in lines or out front of attractions the cast member there must call back to their ride control who then makes the call for security or for a manager. So naturally in the 10 minutes that it takes for a response the cast member has gone from calmly handling a situation to trying to handle a situation that is out of control. And now they're trying to prevent it from escalating even further so they're getting louder, more forceful, more "rude."

As far as finding another job goes. It isn't easy in Orlando. Orlando is a large city with an economy built only around the service industry. Orlando has a large population of individuals who are not highly educated. Orlando doesn't have a lot of jobs that offer health insurance, benefits, steady hours or full time work. Disney does offer this. Nobody's leaving Disney unless they have to. Leaving a job because you're not happy is a luxury most people can't afford.

Now regarding why cast members come across as "rude."

Disney is a magical place. Disney is a place where you come to have fun and relax with your family. It's a place where you make memories.

It's also a dangerous and potentially deadly place. A place where the only thing between you and a serious injury is a 20-year-old kid being paid $7.50 per hour. A 20-year-old kid who for six months is seeing more people in a day than their hometown has living in it. This 20 year old is now required to control 100's of people by themselves. They have to make sure nobody is sitting in the street as a parade goes by, since if somebody's legs are too far out or a kid goes running a dancer can trip, the dancer trips and falls into the elderly couple enjoying the parade, somebody breaks a hip or hits their head. Or the dancer trips and the floats don't stop and now the dancer is crushed.

They have to make sure people aren't putting their kids on trashcans, because what happens when that trash can is bumped into, or the parent looks away and the child's balance is lost and they take a nosedive into the pavement. Or because now another family 10 ft. away sees a kid on the trash can, so they stand their kid up on a railing that's not rated for more than decoration.

This 20-year-old kid knows this, and they also know that unless they get you to stop what you're doing everybody else around will start doing the same thing. It's the kid versus a hundred. And if he shows an inch of leniency everybody will take a mile. Putting themselves and others in danger.

Disney isn't magical about safety. Disney takes safety very seriously. Just because you might not realize it's a safety concern doesn't mean it isn't. So cast members are very touchy about safety concerns, and will enforce them. And often they are quick and brusk about it, seemingly "rude." But only because if they're not, people won't listen. And when people don't listen at Disney they do get hurt.
 
I had an interesting encounter at the Concierge Desk at POR around 1:00 pm last Sunday.

There were three cast members waiting on people.

The guy to my left was requesting a reservation for HDDR; the cast member asked if he was making reservations for his next trip and he said he wanted them for 6 pm that night! She very politely told him that reservations for those kinds of shows need to be made well in advance, and she would be more than happy to help him find other dining reservations for that night if he needed them. He basically screamed at her that he couldn't believe they couldn't make reservations whenever they wanted. Again, the CM very politely tried to help him, but he kept at it. He finally flipped her off and left.

The guy to my right was screaming at the top of his lungs about the horrible bus service. He said he had waited two hours for a bus to AK. I thought that couldn't be possible. He was angry because he decided to rent a car - and the Car Care Center said they needed 24 hour notice - which is the policy of Alamo. They had only been in town for 16 hours and had no idea they would going to need a car. He screamed an obscenity, that I will never repeat, basically about how such and such could do a better job of getting buses around. My suspicion was that he got impatient after a bit and kept coming inside to see where the buses were and it probably came along at that time (he claimed that had been his fourth trip inside to complain....).

A group of kids were standing behind me, apparently wanting to do a pin trade. Two of the smaller kids got on either side of me with their chins on the counter and kept bumping into me..... I finally told them the CM was handling personal information regarding my account and they would have to go back and stand in line where it says "wait here for next available CM." They proceeded to tell their parents I was very rude to them and the parents chided me for not letting them in line. When I explained what I was doing there, they shrugged their shoulders and walked away, telling the kids they would go somewhere else to pin trade where there weren't such rude people......

And what was I doing there. I discovered at my first trip to the park that morning, that my card (somewhere) was switched with another guest and I had been using my pin number on their card all over the place. Which means they had my card and could possibly use their pin. I was there for a very legitimate reason.......who knew what the other person was doing with my card? Turned out I was able to make three transactions on her card and she only made the one on my card, so all was well. And the CM could not have been nicer and she even called out the manager to fill out a report regarding the RFID issue on both my card and the other person's card. They filled out a report and gave me a copy of it, so I could also write Disney a letter regarding the issue.

So there I was with a legitimate issue, having no issues whatsoever with their service to rectify the problem and the other two people were getting way out of hand - they were downright rude to the CM's.

So it is correct that sometimes people dish it out more than necessary..... and how those people deal with it day in and day out is unbelievable. My hats off to the CM's at Disney.
 
i have an odd and sarcastic sense of humor.

There have been times a cm has made a comment to me that i have laughed at then i immediately thought to myself that someone could have very easily taken that the wrong way and not gotten the humor.

And lord knows that on the dis, people can't usually make any kind of a humorous post without many taking it as 'rude'.

Heck, on the dis i have seen on the parade threads people say "i can't wait until someone tries to push in front of me."

many people here are looking for reasons to be offended.

i've been on the dis for 13 years, up until the last few months i don't ever remember reading the word "rude" here. Lately i can't read 6 posts without seeing that word.


if you are looking for rude, you're gonna find it.



I totally agree bob!

AKK
 


Your understanding of how Disney works is clearly flawed. there is no opportunity to "step away for a moment." From the second you walk onstage until the second you're backstage you're required to be perky happy and welcoming. You cannot just ask for a moment away. You cannot just go into a stockroom or go into the kitchen. Most cast members can't afford to leave work early, they can't afford to call-in because of personal issues.

Many of them are young and immature and still learning how to work in a professional environment. And sometimes that means leaving it at home isn't an option.

As far as getting help, help isn't always available. Disney runs with a bare minimum of overhead, staffing is always tight. Frequently there is only one cast member at a location that has a radio device, excepting the manager and coordinator. And that one radio is the only way of reaching security. So when there are problems in lines or out front of attractions the cast member there must call back to their ride control who then makes the call for security or for a manager. So naturally in the 10 minutes that it takes for a response the cast member has gone from calmly handling a situation to trying to handle a situation that is out of control. And now they're trying to prevent it from escalating even further so they're getting louder, more forceful, more "rude."

As far as finding another job goes. It isn't easy in Orlando. Orlando is a large city with an economy built only around the service industry. Orlando has a large population of individuals who are not highly educated. Orlando doesn't have a lot of jobs that offer health insurance, benefits, steady hours or full time work. Disney does offer this. Nobody's leaving Disney unless they have to. Leaving a job because you're not happy is a luxury most people can't afford.

Now regarding why cast members come across as "rude."

Disney is a magical place. Disney is a place where you come to have fun and relax with your family. It's a place where you make memories.

It's also a dangerous and potentially deadly place. A place where the only thing between you and a serious injury is a 20-year-old kid being paid $7.50 per hour. A 20-year-old kid who for six months is seeing more people in a day than their hometown has living in it. This 20 year old is now required to control 100's of people by themselves. They have to make sure nobody is sitting in the street as a parade goes by, since if somebody's legs are too far out or a kid goes running a dancer can trip, the dancer trips and falls into the elderly couple enjoying the parade, somebody breaks a hip or hits their head. Or the dancer trips and the floats don't stop and now the dancer is crushed.

They have to make sure people aren't putting their kids on trashcans, because what happens when that trash can is bumped into, or the parent looks away and the child's balance is lost and they take a nosedive into the pavement. Or because now another family 10 ft. away sees a kid on the trash can, so they stand their kid up on a railing that's not rated for more than decoration.

This 20-year-old kid knows this, and they also know that unless they get you to stop what you're doing everybody else around will start doing the same thing. It's the kid versus a hundred. And if he shows an inch of leniency everybody will take a mile. Putting themselves and others in danger.

Disney isn't magical about safety. Disney takes safety very seriously. Just because you might not realize it's a safety concern doesn't mean it isn't. So cast members are very touchy about safety concerns, and will enforce them. And often they are quick and brusk about it, seemingly "rude." But only because if they're not, people won't listen. And when people don't listen at Disney they do get hurt.
I think your understanding of how Disney works is a bit flawed as well. While it's not as simple as Flamingomo states it, it's not nearly as dire as your description either. It's actually somewhere in the middle.

:earsboy:
 
There is never an excuse to be rude to any customer/guest/employee at work, especially if they aren't being rude to you. You don't take your personal problems to work. PERIOD. Leave them at the door. If you need to step away for a moment, then do it.

Now if people are breaking rules such as cutting lines or causing a scene, then by all means do what you need to do to handle the situation, but in a calm way, and if you can't handle it, get help.

Just because Disney CM's are underpaid, tired, hot, etc. does not give them the right to ever be rude to anyone. They took the job knowing the pay, the conditions and the expectations. If they are not happy, they need to leave and find another job that doesn't care about their bad attitudes.

:hippie:

In the 30 something years of trips to WDW and DK, we have never had or seen a rude CM.

I have seen many rude, and threating guests to CM's. I have seen CM keeping there kool over and above the call of duty!

I disagree that the customer is always right, I have seen guests way over the line!


Frankly I have become very leery of the *rude CM* posts. While I am sure some are real and a honest statement of the facts, I also truly believe many was at best just someone looking for attention on the board and at the worse............flat out lies!

AKK
 
The guy to my right was screaming at the top of his lungs about the horrible bus service. He said he had waited two hours for a bus to AK. I thought that couldn't be possible.
I just want to comment on the bolded part. I believe it to be true because it has happened to me over at POFQ. We had a 8:05AM reservation at Tusker House and knowing how unpredictable the buses to AK are, we got to the bus stop at 6:20. A little overkill maybe but better safe than sorry right? We saw many MK buses, a lot of EPCOT buses, even some DHS buses and a couple of buses to the water park but not ONE bus to AK. The drivers called for an AK bus more than once but the bus came at exactly 7:48. I remember it very well because I was terribly upset I was gonna miss my reservation, which was the one I was most looking forward to. We got to AK at 8:10AM after the bus did the circuit at POR, ran full speed ahead and they let us in at TH. I did go to POFQ guest services when we got back and explained the whole ordeal and they were extremely sorry for our trouble but had I missed my ADR I would have been truly MAD.

Do I agree with his reaction of screaming and blaming the CM? NO. But don't say it's not possible to wait a long time for a AK bus because it is.
 
I just want to comment on the bolded part. I believe it to be true because it has happened to me over at POFQ. We had a 8:05AM reservation at Tusker House and knowing how unpredictable the buses to AK are, we got to the bus stop at 6:20. A little overkill maybe but better safe than sorry right?

Actually Disney recommends you budget 90 minutes to get to an ADR. So you were timing it just right. It never fails that when you want to get somewhere really important, the buses are at their worst, right?

We never ever use the buses to get to early ADRs anymore. Too much waiting around, and too easy for things to go horribly wrong. We now book taxis for all our breakfast ADRs. I would suggest that next time you keep and extra $20 in your pocket for an emergency taxi ride. It can be a life-saver.
 
I had an interesting encounter at the Concierge Desk at POR around 1:00 pm last Sunday.

There were three cast members waiting on people.

The guy to my left was requesting a reservation for HDDR; the cast member asked if he was making reservations for his next trip and he said he wanted them for 6 pm that night! She very politely told him that reservations for those kinds of shows need to be made well in advance, and she would be more than happy to help him find other dining reservations for that night if he needed them. He basically screamed at her that he couldn't believe they couldn't make reservations whenever they wanted. Again, the CM very politely tried to help him, but he kept at it. He finally flipped her off and left.

The guy to my right was screaming at the top of his lungs about the horrible bus service. He said he had waited two hours for a bus to AK. I thought that couldn't be possible. He was angry because he decided to rent a car - and the Car Care Center said they needed 24 hour notice - which is the policy of Alamo. They had only been in town for 16 hours and had no idea they would going to need a car. He screamed an obscenity, that I will never repeat, basically about how such and such could do a better job of getting buses around. My suspicion was that he got impatient after a bit and kept coming inside to see where the buses were and it probably came along at that time (he claimed that had been his fourth trip inside to complain....).

A group of kids were standing behind me, apparently wanting to do a pin trade. Two of the smaller kids got on either side of me with their chins on the counter and kept bumping into me..... I finally told them the CM was handling personal information regarding my account and they would have to go back and stand in line where it says "wait here for next available CM." They proceeded to tell their parents I was very rude to them and the parents chided me for not letting them in line. When I explained what I was doing there, they shrugged their shoulders and walked away, telling the kids they would go somewhere else to pin trade where there weren't such rude people......

And what was I doing there. I discovered at my first trip to the park that morning, that my card (somewhere) was switched with another guest and I had been using my pin number on their card all over the place. Which means they had my card and could possibly use their pin. I was there for a very legitimate reason.......who knew what the other person was doing with my card? Turned out I was able to make three transactions on her card and she only made the one on my card, so all was well. And the CM could not have been nicer and she even called out the manager to fill out a report regarding the RFID issue on both my card and the other person's card. They filled out a report and gave me a copy of it, so I could also write Disney a letter regarding the issue.

So there I was with a legitimate issue, having no issues whatsoever with their service to rectify the problem and the other two people were getting way out of hand - they were downright rude to the CM's.

So it is correct that sometimes people dish it out more than necessary..... and how those people deal with it day in and day out is unbelievable. My hats off to the CM's at Disney.

Wow, I don't know how you didn't lose it on those parents. I hate parents that don't pay attention to what their kids are doing and then act like the person who tries to instill a little courtesy is totally in the wrong. I feel pissed off on your behalf just hearing that story!
 
Actually Disney recommends you budget 90 minutes to get to an ADR. So you were timing it just right. It never fails that when you want to get somewhere really important, the buses are at their worst, right?

We never ever use the buses to get to early ADRs anymore. Too much waiting around, and too easy for things to go horribly wrong. We now book taxis for all our breakfast ADRs. I would suggest that next time you keep and extra $20 in your pocket for an emergency taxi ride. It can be a life-saver.
Learned it the hard way and since we plan to go to TH on our next visit (plus a few off-days resorts breakfast ADRs), I'm already budgeting taxi money into my savings. Never again I want to experience the frustration and anxiety of that day. :furious:
 
I think your understanding of how Disney works is a bit flawed as well. While it's not as simple as Flamingomo states it, it's not nearly as dire as your description either. It's actually somewhere in the middle.

:earsboy:

No kidding! A big old lecture that made Disney out to be the company store running the coal mines.
 
I just want to comment on the bolded part. I believe it to be true because it has happened to me over at POFQ. We had a 8:05AM reservation at Tusker House and knowing how unpredictable the buses to AK are, we got to the bus stop at 6:20. A little overkill maybe but better safe than sorry right? We saw many MK buses, a lot of EPCOT buses, even some DHS buses and a couple of buses to the water park but not ONE bus to AK. The drivers called for an AK bus more than once but the bus came at exactly 7:48. I remember it very well because I was terribly upset I was gonna miss my reservation, which was the one I was most looking forward to. We got to AK at 8:10AM after the bus did the circuit at POR, ran full speed ahead and they let us in at TH. I did go to POFQ guest services when we got back and explained the whole ordeal and they were extremely sorry for our trouble but had I missed my ADR I would have been truly MAD.

Do I agree with his reaction of screaming and blaming the CM? NO. But don't say it's not possible to wait a long time for a AK bus because it is.

We waited for over two hours for a bus that worked to load my moms chair during the slow season. They kept yelling the poor kid at the bus stop that one was on its way. Over and over. We could hear it. It was hard not to be crabby with him when we were so irritated with the situation. I don't think we were. But we aren't there for a once in a lifetime trip during peak season either.
 
So you have NEVER had a bad day EVER at work in your life?


Sorry but I don't think what you get paid entitles you to be rude to anyone. They are in the customer service business. That means keeping the customer happy and having a bad day once you get home.
 
Everybody has bad days. How you deal with them affects how people view you and your workplace and potentially your benefit to the company.
 
I've been to WDW 12 times in my life and DL once and I'm pleased, lucky to say I've had nothing but positive interactions with CM's
 
Everybody's so quick to blame the individual cast members, or a lack of training, or a bad day. But consider this, what if they're simply doing what they're told to do.

Each year more and more cast members are college program kids. They're given very explicit instructions, they're told this is the way it is. If you don't do it this way you're gone. That's a pretty big incentive to ignore your generic Disney training and do what your direct manager says.

When it comes to the turnstiles right now they're basically relearning how to control access to the parks. Managers are watching like hawks, guest relations is overwhelmed and the individual cast members are being told that they have to follow procedures to the letter. And sometimes they might be a little short or "rude" to guests who simply aren't listening to what they're saying.

Other cast members have never been told that they have leeway in enforcing non-safety rules. 30 to 60 days after a cast member is brought in they're given an additional class about how they can go above and beyond. That's when they're told they're empowered to fix problems without needing a manager, and when they learn they have a lot of leeway.

Beyond that cast members are being told to move guests faster and faster. If guests aren't moving then they're complaining. And if they're complaining it looks bad for managers. So the managers in turn start breathing down cast members' necks. And what do you do when your boss if breathing down your neck, you do what they say, even if it means being rude.

And remember cast members see thousands and thousands of guests a day, how many times have they heard the same stupid joke? Eventually they're going to comment on it to a coworker, hopefully out of earshot, it's not meant to be mean, it's merely the frustrated gripe of a person stuck doing the same repetitive task hour after hour day after day with no real feeling of satisfaction.

From experience, I know many of the CPs tend to have more leniency than some of the full-time CMs. I have noticed that a lot of CPs carry a lot of energy and enthusiasm that more jaded CMs don't. This isn't to say it's true to all. I've seen it the other way around, too. But for the most part, that is what I've observed.

The training is definitely split into different sections. The general orientation is pretty detailed and outright when it comes to creating the magic though. I don't believe it's terribly rigorous in that it teaches rules over preserving the magic, it's actually quite the opposite. HOWEVER, with that said, I completely agree with your statement about how area managers can instruct different priorities than the general training. It can become confusing and frustrating to be told to keep the magic and then get told to stick by the guidelines EXACTLY (which aren't the most magical things in the world). When it comes down to it, your area manager has more control over your fate than anyone else. I was sort of nodding to that idea in my previous post - most of the crabby CMs are not because of guests...it's because they are dealing with some other behind the scenes problem (more times than not), and any guest issue could be the straw that breaks the camel's back. I had a coordinator who never smiled and berated CMs for doing something special for a guest (he actually ended up pulling a couple FPs out of a guest's hand after a CM had so kindly given them away). Textbook example of the situation described in the post I have quoted.

I give this person credit. I'm a nurse, I make good money and I would never tolerate someone spitting on me or shoving me. If they are demented or severely medicated, that's one thing. If not, I will be pressing charges.

How horrible that some have such an entitlement mentality that they think putting their hands on someone is ok? :mad:

While I worked in Disney a few years ago, I am now a high school English teacher - on different levels, I can appreciate not tolerating that sort of behavior. If a student ever did anything like that in my classroom, you can bet they won't be getting away with it. In Disney, I learned a type of patience I don't think I could ever teach (much like I'm sure a parent learns a patience unteachable). FL summers are HOT and the crowds, as any Disney fanatic will know, tend to be tough to handle in such hot/humid weather. Not to say this is a good excuse for acting up in that way, but I learned to put up with it. I would take a deep breath, know my surroundings, and take appropriate action under the specific circumstances. In most cases, it was denying the guest entry to the attraction.

I was working FP Return when a guest shoved me. She shoved her way through a patiently waiting crowd of people and threw her FP in my face while demanding rudely for me to let her in. Her time was the same time as everyone else (which hadn't been allowed in yet). I let her know that she would need to wait a few more minutes and that she could wait behind the group of people as they had been waiting there for a while. She threw her FP at me, shoved me to the side, and ran into the attraction. Knowing there was still a crowd in front of me (a now very interested and curious crowd), I calmly and privately called up to the next CM who would be seeing this guest. I told that CM quickly what happened and to refuse the guest entry. A little while later, I saw the guest being escorted out. Even in that situation, I never yelled at the guest, I never gave her a nasty look, and I never did anything in front of any other guest that would imply I was talking badly or making fun of the guest. Sometimes, people just have bad days - I didn't know this guest's story or what she had been through that day, but I did know her behavior was not acceptable and that I did not want her to think it granted her the ability to ride.

omg our Dads would probably be bff's. My Dad will talk to and joke with anyone who will listen and he totally does not get the social cues indicating that the other person is just not that into it :rotfl2: I can only imagine what some CMs have said about him behind his back over the years!!

I've certainly seen some apathetic CMs over the years, but never any outright rude ones. Most CMs I've interacted with have been amazing!

That's funny!!! My dad is that exact same way. That was the only time a CM was rude about it.

People that work for Disney are there because they chose to apply for the job. To the best of my knowledge, Disney Corporation does not impose a draft. :rotfl2:

That being said, they are human beings. Not everyone is going to have a great day every day. People have lives outside of work, and whether or not anyone deems it acceptable, our personal lives do leak into our work day.

Everyone has their breaking point. Our family was there back in May, and we spent two days at SWW, and the Sunday of Memorial Day Weekend at MK. It was VERY crowded. I didn't come across ONE rude CM the entire week. I DID however witness many rude guests. I also witnessed CM's handling those guests in a very professional manner.

I'm not saying that rude guests entitle CM's to be rude in return, but I know that some people can be downright mean when they don't get their way.

I will be the first to admit that I am not the most patient person, but I always make sure I am nice and polite to anyone in any type of service position, because I've BEEN that person. I know first hand how hard it is to keep your cool or check your tongue when dealing with rude people. I also know that because my personal life is not going well on a particular day that while I might not have been my normal self, letting it show through as the dominant part of my personality was not acceptable.

It's a give and take.

I believe that what we see in Disney is a microcosm of the way the rest of the world is in general.

In my opinion... The world needs a drink! Everyone should just RELAX!!!

I feel the same way, and not because I used to be a CM, but because I'm just aware of human nature. While I worked for Disney, I had a lot of people come up to me and tell me how they couldn't understand why I didn't go off on a guest or that they gave me credit for keeping my cool - while it seemed like nothing to me, it was always very nice to hear that people understand that CMs are not robots.

With that said, CMs are definitely in the business of customer service - in fact, they are in that business with the leading company of customer service. Disney has a wonderful training program and honestly, most people who work for Disney truly love Disney and what it stands for so they are naturally in it for the right reasons. I know I worked with Disney for that reason - I LOVED seeing people light up with excitement, and I did everything I could to make that happen. Magical moments are probably more magical for the CM than the guest. lol. I dealt with some pretty rough stuff, and so I had less patience for my co-workers when I saw them acting rudely to a guest than the guest had (for no other reason than "it was hot out.") I just never found a good enough reason for a CM to act unprofessional. Even now as a teacher, I can't find any reason for a educator to lose his/her temper in the classroom. When you work with other people, you need to find ways to cope and control yourself.

Many people here are looking for reasons to be offended.

I saw some cases in Disney where this was exactly true. There are people out there who believe the more they complain, the more free stuff they get. I have seen guests start complaining about the smallest things and making things up about CMs just to see what sort of stuff they could get. They would start yelling at CMs to see if they could get them to act out so that they have something to run to GR with. Many times, the managers could tell the difference between actual situations and situations exaggerated or made up by scammers. When it comes to Disney, there are unfortunately more than enough cases like this.

There is never an excuse to be rude to any customer/guest/employee at work, especially if they aren't being rude to you. You don't take your personal problems to work. PERIOD. Leave them at the door. If you need to step away for a moment, then do it.

I agree, there is never an excuse to be rude to anyone. However, I have to agree with this statement below:

there is no opportunity to "step away for a moment."

When it comes to Disney, the opportunities to walk away are strict. When you are on stage, you are on stage. There is no walking away unless it is your break or you can find a manager (which can sometimes be difficult if you are in a position with no phone or radio).

With that said, I STRONGLY believe in finding coping methods and controlling tempers. No matter how hot it is, what personal problems are being dealt with, or what's happening behind the scenes, no guest deserves unprofessional behavior from a CM. There are other companies where someone might get away with this - if a person feels they cannot uphold the magic of Disney, Disney perhaps isn't the company for them. That's just my thought.
 

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