When things go a little wrong at resort, does it do any good to complain?

[tcp0421]

We live in Florida about an hour and a few minutes away. My family came to visit from Pennsylvania. It was their first time going to Disney. We stayed 4 nights at POR. Between all of us we had two rooms. It was terrible. I never had any bad experiences in the past but this time whatever could happen happened to us. I can't remember all of the things that went wrong. I do know we waisted almost a full day in our rooms waiting for our refrigerators. In both rooms they were not working. My step mom needed the refrigerator for her meds so it was necessary to stay to wait for them to come and check the ones we had. Maintenance dated it takes awhile for them to cool day. Well we waited and waited still not cold. Called again....this time they said they were just going to replace them. So we waited and waited again. Finally we had refrigerators that worked. Like I said I can not remember what else went wrong with our stay. Finally I went to the front desk and spoke to a manager. Without any hesitation she told us to go to the food court and get anything we wanted. She even told us to get things to take back to our rooms and as I was walking away she said and don't forget about getting snacks for on the way home. Oh now I remember since we were stuck waiting for the refrigerators we missed our reservations in Epcot. And by the time we were able to go anywhere to eat it was raining terrible. So it does pay to speak up.

 

[smiths02]

I'm sorry you aren't having as much fun this go round ; ( Sending some pixie dust your way!

If you and your family would be happier at CSR (I like it there too), then yes I would go speak with a CM and see what they could do. Figure out what YOU want and ask politely to make it happen. I'm sure they will move you to a new room at CBR if that works better for your family.

Guessing that if the water play area isn't busy, the lifeguards aren't going to make a stink about older siblings playing in there with younger siblings as long as they are respectful of the little ones toddling around.

It is far more likely that the vomiting your family is experiencing is passing around a virus/rotovirus vs. getting food poisoning on two separate occasions. You are around a TON of people during cold/flu season, people are going to get sick. No fun at all! Sucks no matter what the cause of it was!

That was my immediate thought. I would still complain about condition of room and asked to be moved.

 

[smiths02]

Thanks for all the comments. I took your advice and went to the lobby and asked to speak to a manager. I spoke to a very nice cast member who listened to my concerns and arranged to have me moved to the CSR. She also helped me cancel (without penalty) a dining reservation for Garden Grill for tonight (my daughter still isn't fully well so we are not making it to Epcot as planned).

We now have park hoppers so we'll try to squeeze what we had planned for 4 days into 3 days.

Glad it worked out for you.

 

[Tonka's Skipper]

Since you gave an update I won't go into much but let me just say as a person who's family was/is in the service industry (family restaurant) let me say, complaints are not a bad thing that the dis makes them out to be.

1) if a room is bad, how will management know unless you complain.
2) word of mouth is worth it's weight in gold, I'd much rather you complain and give us a chance to repair or fix the problem then do nothing and then bad mouth us afterwards.
3) You paid good morning for a product, if that product is not up to par you are in effect getting ripped off.

AKK

 

[HMANSION LOVER]

we are on our 4th trip, at CBR, and things are not exactly going smoothly.

We have 4 nights left on an 8 night stay and my wife has said several times that this is the worst resort we have ever stayed at. And I think the kids feel the same. (Previous stays were Contemporary, Pop Century, and CSR -- in that order.)

Normally I wouldn't complain about one little thing, but it's getting to the point where it's affecting our fun.

Here is a rundown.

1.) one of the big reasons we even booked CBR is the water playground. After my kids looked at it for two days and we finally take them over and are ready to enter there we see the 48 inch height max. Why can't that be posted somewhere else (pool entrance) so you don't get kids psyched up and disappoint them like that. I looked at other signs and could not see height posted (I also don't remember height requirement listed on anything I read)

2) our room is in need of maintenance TLC. The fridge is missing a leg on front left, so the door doesn't always close or stay closed. I believe the reason my 1 year old threw up on night 2 was because he got some bad milk from the fridge before my wife knew about the fridge problem.

Also, the room looks run down... No cover around sprinkler in bathroom. Condition of some furniture run down.

I asked them to do something about fridge 2 days ago and as far as I can tell nothing has been done.


3) the food in the food court is nasty. My wife and daughter(9) threw up last night and we thing it was from a couple pasta dishes they ate at Old Port Royale. My son(7) also complained of a sore belly.

4) the Internet signal around my room is terrible (both 3G and wifi). The only time we can get on is in middle of afternoon. Never had this problem at CSR. The Internet sounds minor compared to other problems but it really affect when trying to make adjustments to plan.


If I do complain I would be asking if they can move me (for last 4 nights) to
A) another resort
Or
B) another room that is in better condition.

Should I even bother to take time to complain?

We were staying at BWV Sept. 2011. DD's 9th birthday. Had reservations for SCI FI DINER in HS. Called quest services special cake hotline months in advance to have special birthday cake ready at the SCI FI. When the time came for dessert they did not have the special cake we ordered, did not complain. The next evening we were planning on going to Fantasmic @ HS. We had reservations at Mama Melroses with intention to attend fantasmic afterwards. We arrived at the entrance to HS only to find that the computers were down. We could not enter the park for almost twenty minutes. We then had to run like crazy to make it to Mama's. They did a great job of serving us quickly and then, after we explained about getting stuck at the gate, gave us preferred seating vouchers for fantasmic. When we arrived back at BW I spoke to the manager and explained the two events that we experienced in the last two days and he said he would look into it. We recieved a $50.00 customer inconvienence credit on our bill. I always make it a point to convey any disappointment to the CM's because it has been my experience they will do whatever they can to make it right. DON'T COMPLAIN, JUST BRING IT TO THIER ATTENTION you catch more flies with honey than vineger

 

[stitchlovestink]

Quote:

Originally Posted by BillyBuckner

we are on our 4th trip, at CBR, and things are not exactly going smoothly.

We have 4 nights left on an 8 night stay and my wife has said several times that this is the worst resort we have ever stayed at. And I think the kids feel the same. (Previous stays were Contemporary, Pop Century, and CSR -- in that order.)

Normally I wouldn't complain about one little thing, but it's getting to the point where it's affecting our fun.

Here is a rundown.

1.) one of the big reasons we even booked CBR is the water playground. After my kids looked at it for two days and we finally take them over and are ready to enter there we see the 48 inch height max. Why can't that be posted somewhere else (pool entrance) so you don't get kids psyched up and disappoint them like that. I looked at other signs and could not see height posted (I also don't remember height requirement listed on anything I read)

2) our room is in need of maintenance TLC. The fridge is missing a leg on front left, so the door doesn't always close or stay closed. I believe the reason my 1 year old threw up on night 2 was because he got some bad milk from the fridge before my wife knew about the fridge problem.

Also, the room looks run down... No cover around sprinkler in bathroom. Condition of some furniture run down.

I asked them to do something about fridge 2 days ago and as far as I can tell nothing has been done.


3) the food in the food court is nasty. My wife and daughter(9) threw up last night and we thing it was from a couple pasta dishes they ate at Old Port Royale. My son(7) also complained of a sore belly.

4) the Internet signal around my room is terrible (both 3G and wifi). The only time we can get on is in middle of afternoon. Never had this problem at CSR. The Internet sounds minor compared to other problems but it really affect when trying to make adjustments to plan.


If I do complain I would be asking if they can move me (for last 4 nights) to
A) another resort
Or
B) another room that is in better condition.

Should I even bother to take time to complain?

We were staying at BWV Sept. 2011. DD's 9th birthday. Had reservations for SCI FI DINER in HS. Called quest services special cake hotline months in advance to have special birthday cake ready at the SCI FI. When the time came for dessert they did not have the special cake we ordered, did not complain. The next evening we were planning on going to Fantasmic @ HS. We had reservations at Mama Melroses with intention to attend fantasmic afterwards. We arrived at the entrance to HS only to find that the computers were down. We could not enter the park for almost twenty minutes. We then had to run like crazy to make it to Mama's. They did a great job of serving us quickly and then, after we explained about getting stuck at the gate, gave us preferred seating vouchers for fantasmic. When we arrived back at BW I spoke to the manager and explained the two events that we experienced in the last two days and he said he would look into it. We recieved a $50.00 customer inconvienence credit on our bill. I always make it a point to convey any disappointment to the CM's because it has been my experience they will do whatever they can to make it right. DON'T COMPLAIN, JUST BRING IT TO THIER ATTENTION you catch more flies with honey than vineger

One time we were at the Studios and were going to go see Fantasmic but as usual it was Wicked Crowded and getting close to show time. The CM down near the entrance said she thought it was down to standing room only and was suggesting guests come back for the second show. So we decided 'hey great!' When we've attended 2nd shows, often the theatre isn't even half full. Well low and behold, we came back at the time she told us and there was NO SECOND SHOW that night!!!! Now I wasn't that upset because we've seen it before and we Will see it again, BUT what about the guest who this was their only opportunity?? On my way out of the park, I did stop at Guest Services and speak with a member of mgt (I remembered the CM's name who had told me about the 2nd show) and told them what had happened. I said, for me, it's not a big deal...I've seen it and I'll be back again but for someone else, that incorrect information could have caused them to miss their only opportunity to see Fantasmic. I also said I didn't want the CM to get in trouble, but I just wanted her to make absolutely sure there was a second show before she told guests that again...that was all. No anger, no raised voices, just some feedback to fix a problem. The manager said she appreciated my taking the time to tell her about this that she gave me four free one day one park tickets! I told her I really wasn't 'looking' for anything. I was really just hoping nobody missed it that REALLY wanted to see it was all. She told me to use them to be sure "I" came back to see Fantasmic! LOL!!


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[larryz]

3) You paid good morning for a product...

Autocorrect strikes again!

As for us, one trip to the YC, we had asked for standard view adjoining rooms (not connecting, just next to each other). When we didn't get them, I went back down to see if they could move us a little closer together.

The manager on duty upgraded us to connecting water view.

And I wasn't complaining, just asking to be within one or two rooms apart... So, agree, if you're courteous and friendly, it seems they'll work magic for you.

 

[LockShockBarrel]

Ah I see some people have already beat me to what I was going to say.

A business won't know something is wrong unless it's brought to their attention. I agree what gets misconstrued on these boards is commenting vs complaining..then assuming that the person bringing up the issue it always out to work the system and get comped.

Either way, glad to see they were able to help you out and hopefully everyone starts feeling better so you can enjoy the rest of your stay.

 

[shalom]

Thanks for all the comments. I took your advice and went to the lobby and asked to speak to a manager.

Good to hear they took you seriously, and thanks for reporting back!

1) if a room is bad, how will management know unless you complain.

Wanted to second eliza61's whole post, but also comment on this point. I've heard people argue that they shouldn't have to complain, the maids should catch this or that. But, even when there are procedures in place where the maids do a maintenance checklist daily (which frankly I doubt that Disney does), things get missed. Staying in a room is different than cleaning it, and some problems take more time to notice than others, so the people who stay in the room can know way more about problems than the maid ever will. And a lot of people won't bother talking to management about little stuff or things that doesn't bother them, so a broken fridge, for instance, can go unnoticed for a good long while. A warm soda is not the issue that warm milk can be!

 

[BillyBuckner]

I've been home almost 3 weeks now, sorry that I didn't provide update before now.

When I was at CBR, I went over to customs house and explained (calmly) the various issues that we were having and how both wife and kids were not enjoying that resort. I made sure to point out that it was my 4th trip in 5 years and that I had never had a bad experience, but that the circumstances (detailed in previous posts) this time were adversely affecting our experience.

I was very pleased with the courtesy with which our concerns were handled by the manager that heard my complaint and the effort they took to get us back on the track to fun.

After outlining my concerns (there were several - not one little thing), I was immediately offered my choice of water park tickets, or 1 day tickets for a future stay. Per my request she also looked around to see if she could get me into another resort.

In the end, I was moved from CBR to a water view in Casitas section of CSR and I got park hopping added to my tickets (in lieu of water parks).

 

[BillyBuckner]

I forgot to add... I don't think I would choose CBR again (at least until kids are grown) but I was quite pleased with how the situation was handled, which will keep me coming back to WDW property.

 

[Robbi]

Thanks for all the comments. I took your advice and went to the lobby and asked to speak to a manager. I spoke to a very nice cast member who listened to my concerns and arranged to have me moved to the CSR. She also helped me cancel (without penalty) a dining reservation for Garden Grill for tonight (my daughter still isn't fully well so we are not making it to Epcot as planned).

We now have park hoppers so we'll try to squeeze what we had planned for 4 days into 3 days.

You did the right thing. I'm very happy it worked out for you. Hoping your family feels better quickly.

 

[Disney Doll]

I always find that when I am @ WDW, if I have an issue with something that addressing it immediately is most effective.

If it's a minor issue I just call the appropriate dept.

If it is a bigger issue, I tend to speak to someone in person....I have only had what I would consider to be one time where speaking in person was necessary. We had checked into a 2BR villa at OKW (DVC members & it is our home resort). DH & I were there alone for one night, then the next day his sister & her hubby were coming to stay with us for the rest of the trip.

There were lots of "little" things...I opened the drawer in the armoire to put my clothing in and there was someone else's clothing in there! Apparently they had checked out & forgotten to check to make sure they had emptied the drawers and housekeeping had never checked.

Many of the blinds in the livingroom were not functioning properly. That wasn't an issue for us in terms of needing to open or close them because however they were, we just left them since it didn't impact anyone (no one sleeping in the livingroom) but I did want it reported as soon as we checked in so I didn't get blamed/charged for it.

Stuff was missing from the kitchen that was supposed to be there. Again, I could live without the proper # of paring knives but didn't want to get blamed for them being missing.

The biggest issue was the bathroom in the 2nd BR, which was quite shabby. There was a lot of mildew around the base of the room where the walls met the floor, there was a lot of mildew around the base of the toilet. I realize it's Florida and there will be some mildew due to humidity/moisture etc. in the bathroom, but the caulk was absolutely green. Led me to think that the room had not been properly serviced since one would think that if it had been cleaned that bleach spray would have been used on the mildewed area to take care of it. You really couldn't miss it...it was that green.

I did call Mousekeeping and asked to speak to a supervisor, explained my concerns. She came right up and agreed that the room was not up to the check-in standards that they like a room to be. I gave her the bag of the other people's clothes to put into Lost & Found or follow up with them somehow. She offered to move us, but frankly the room's location was good, so I asked her if she would just make sure it got a really good deep cleaning, do something about the mildewy bathroom, and make sure the kitchen had all the utensils, bowls, appliances etc. that it was supposed to have. I told her I didn't care about the livingroom blinds not working but if they felt they wanted to change them @ this point they could feel free to do so or do so after we left.

She was quite lovely and off we went to the parks. When we came back the room was **** & span, the rugs had even been steamed (they were still ever so slightly damp), the bathroom smelled like bleach and the mildewed caulk everywhere had been dug out & replaced rather than just cleaned. The kitchen was fully stocked and there was a gift basket with some snacks in it on the table. That last thing wasn't necessary but very nice.

About 2 weeks after we got back the supervisor called me to report that they had taken that room offline after we left to do a refurbishment, thanked me again for reporting everything in a pleasant and non-nasty manner.

We've been back to OKW many times since so no harm no foul. I think they do the best they can, I'm sure that Mousekeeping has a checklist they are supposed to follow but human nature being what it is, things get missed.

 

[I Love Pluto]

Discussing concerns WHILE YOU ARE THERE is the smartest thing you could have done. You were really thinking!

Many times, people wait until they are home & then grumble about the things that were wrong. If they had gone to the front desk when the problems were happening - then the personnel can help you.

I have a LOT of respect for CBR in their willingness to help you & your family. Helping when things go wrong is the sign of a good resort. Kudos to CBR!

 

[jgoody]

This is very helpful. Thanks for sharing, we will keep it in mind when we visit Wilderness Lodge in early January.

 

[Missytara]

We were at POR after a refurb and we were in Acadian House - we were only the second family to be in the room.

I work in facilities management and noted over the first few days noted some issues with the room. I called from the room and told the CM that I was aware of the CCC and needed to be transferred to Maintenance. They did and I very carefully described each issue and prioritized each item.

That afternoon we returned and everything was fixed and it did not even look like anyone had been in the room!