A CM said WHAT???

[xmelissax]

I don't mean to drag this on but, no offense? I'd like to know where you are a supervisor so I don't go there. Thats enough about this. Sorry again for dragging it on. Some people just don't get it.

Sorry, but if you think that if you speak to a manager or supervisor and they apologize to you that they always really mean it you're a bit disconnected. Sure in some cases they do, but it's their job to make the customer happy which means giving lip service. You can't expect everyone to care about everything you care about which means that often people aren't sincere about what they're saying to you when their job is to make customers happy and they could get fired for not apologizing.You may not like it but if you avoid everywhere like that, it would be hard for you to go anywhere.

 

[clkelley]

Mine wasn't what a CM said, but what a CM did. This was at Earl of Sandwhich, just last week, which I realize is not directly run by Disney, but is a leased location. However, the staff there are supposed to follow the "show" of WDW.

There was a girl loading deserts into the cooler and dropped one of them and the lid popped off getting whipped cream all over some orange juice bottles.

Well good show, (and quite frankly health regulations), you would think she would pick up all affected items, take them back stage, and replace with new items. (They could then be thoroughly cleaned with soap and hot water back stage)

No this girl, runs gets some DRY paper towels and just wipes off the orange juice bottles that have whipped cream on them. The juice containers were sealed, but that seems gross that not quite cleaned off juice containers were sold to the public.

Carol

 

[cleo]

I'm tempted to say "Big deal, it's just whipped cream", but quite honestly if it had been the same scenerio in a restaurant where shrimp or lobster (or any shellfish) landed on something I had to eat, I'd be dead before I hit the floor. Even touching something that came in contact with shellfish 'juice' makes my skin turn burn and turn bright red. You're right....she should have washed them off. Sad as it is, there are people with serious dairy allergies who would potentially order that orange juice.

The chances are extremely remote but I would hate to take that chance in my situation and I'm sure I'm not alone! Seems like a silly little thing on the surface, but whoa! that could have been dangerous under the wrong circumstances!

 

[ksoehrlein]

One of the posters stated something to the effect that it seems the "magic" of working for Disney is not what it once was. Even though my experiences have been marvelous, do you have any insight as to why some of the "magic" may be slipping, or if it is at all.

We are all humans. And I know the expectation of working at WDW must be outta sight! Is it that some of the CM's don't have the spirit that was once there, or is it that we have such a high expectation that it seems like the magic is not as strong as others believe it could be by some? I would love your insight!

I don't know that the magic is slipping, but it seems to be a little more hit or miss than it had been years ago. I've had severally terrific stays and CM experiences recently, however, so I hope it's on the upswing.

A few years ago, I was disappointed by how much CM attitudes had changed since my CM days. Then again, the company had grown drastically in that time and many of the people who were hired after I left were there not because they wanted to live out a dream of giving great Guest service, but just because they needed a paycheck. (FWIW, I was there for both reasons!) If you're just there for the paycheck, it's easy to get a bad attitude (especially with starting pay rates being as low as they are and expectations being as high as they are). Then again, that's true for many work places.

Traditions had been 3 days when I worked at WDW and is now only 2 days. I don't know if that's a major cause, but it certainly can't help. I know I came out of it truly pumped and excited to be part of such a wonderful corporate culture. It would be sad to start, say, cleaning park restrooms without that kind of enthusiasm and motivation behind you.

As for Guest expectations, you may be on to something there. People return from WDW and share their stories about the fabulous character experience they had or being allowed to ride a certain ride twice or getting towel animals etc, etc and then their friends and family grow to expect that kind of treatment when they go. When I worked there, Disney wanted us to "Exceed Expectations." But when people go and expect Goofy to ride Barnstormer with their child (I think there's even a photo of that on the cover of a Disney book/brochure), it becomes difficult to even meet that -- let alone exceed it.

I used to love the park Guests who didn't know what to expect. Even the smallest kindness would be met with surprise. I don't know how much of that is still happening for the CMs today.

 

[Honeybehr1]

We were at MGM one day and passed by Buzz and Woody signing autographs. The park was really crowded and the line was crazy long. So instead of standing in the line, I just snapped a quick pic of them as we walked by. About that time, a CM "handler", I guess he was, sees me and says "Move it along, people. The line forms here. But feel free to take as many pictures of OTHER PEOPLES FAMILIES as you want.

That is one of the funniest things I have heard. I would have taken a picture of the CM too boot.

 

[mill4023]

In October my friends and I were checking in to Hollywood & Vine for our Fantasmic Dinner Package ADRs. The girl at the booth looked at us with a straight face and said, "sorry, I'm not allowed to seat you guys."

We all looked at each other like "huh?"

She took one look at my friend who had a Red Sox visor on and said "yeah I'm from NY" and we said "oh...sorry for you."

She got so upset saying how the Red Sox were lucky to win the World Series and that was it for me. I drilled her into the ground with baseball trivia and she had NOTHING else to say. She didn't even put her head up when she told us to wait to the side until our name was called.

We told her!

Sounds like she was just trying to make a joke until you insulted her hometown. Of course, I wasn't there, so I don't know what her tone was like.

 

[#1MMFan]

I'm not sure what he said, but the Lords name is not a curse word to most people. If it was "GD" then yes, that was wrong, but if he said "JC" that's NOT cursing.

Slightly off-topic, but I heard a Universal employee use the F-Bomb a couple weeks ago!!

Anne

Sorry, but I thought swearing was taking the Lord's name in vain. What part of "Jesus Christ" is NOT the Lord's name? I am more offended by this than by other swearwords.

 

[#1MMFan]

I'm a practicing Christian and don't get offended by it.

Anne

Anne, dear, the verb spelling is "practising" with the 's'... and maybe you should "practise" a little harder if you aren't offended by it or think it is only "bible thumpers" who do get offended by that.

 

[#1MMFan]

Maybe some don't "get it" but that's a two way street. Others are irrationally "sensitive" to everyday life.

Anne

okay, I am speechless. Lay it to rest, anne, dear.

 

[PixieDust742]

Just subscribing to this thread!

 

[Tink n Poohbear]

My DH and 4 month old DD were waiting while I took DS to country bear jamboree when they got caught in a sudden downpour. We're talking DOWNPOUR! DH parked the stroller, grabbed DD, and stood under an awning to get her out of the rain. A CM told him he couldn't stand there and he'd have to get out from under the awning. There were no other guests around, he wasn't blocking any doorways or lines. It's not like he even took the stroller. He was just standing in a corner completely out of the way trying to protect our dd. DH told him there was no way he was moving and getting our baby all wet and he'd move as soon as the rain let up. I was surprised at how insensitive the cm was.

 

[marathonmommy]

okay, I am speechless. Lay it to rest, anne, dear.

Why 3 consecutive posts geared at Ann, dear? Perhaps you should lay it to rest as well, #1MMFan. This thread is supposed to be a CM said WHAT? Not a poster said WHAT? (The Dis should not be a place where spelling is corrected. This is not English class.)

 

[#1MMFan]

Why 3 consecutive posts geared at Ann, dear? Perhaps you should lay it to rest as well, #1MMFan. This thread is supposed to be a CM said WHAT? Not a poster said WHAT? (The Dis should not be a place where spelling is corrected. This is not English class.)

Yawn. Yawn. What I need is a class to tell me how to put three quotes in the one post. However, I think you'll find I didn't write THAT much in each post.

 

[tlbwriter]

Anne, dear, the verb spelling is "practising" with the 's'...

Not for those who live in the U.S.

The one thing I don't understand... whether or not anyone finds the CM's use of the actual words "JC" offensive, doesn't anyone else think that it was a rude and flippant answer to the guest's question?

I've been blessed with wonderful CMs so far, both on my previous trip and on the phone when planning this one. I hope I don't have any stories to add to this thread when I get back.

 

[#1MMFan]

Practice = noun; to practise = verb for those of us who come from a country that is several centuries older than that. But regardless of that, it doesn't detract from the fact that she needs to check her ten commandments.

 

[tlbwriter]

Practice = noun; to practise = verb for those of us who come from a country that is several centuries older than that.

I cannot believe you are arguing this point. Her use of the verb was perfectly correct for the language she is speaking and writing. Surely you do not expect her to use YOUR language simply because you are part of the discussion. Unless you are deliberately trying to look ridiculous, that is. If the oldest language wins, shouldn't we continue this discussion in Latin?

And, to veer back on top, I did think of something funny a CM said. Not rude at all - he was actually trying to be helpful. When I made an early ADR for Chef Mickey's, the CM asked where I was staying, to make sure I'd be able to get there on time using WDW transportation. When I explained that we were driving from POR, he proceeded to give me very detailed directions on how to get to Chef Mickey's. Which was very thoughtful, but I was like, you think I'm going to remember this???

 

[JulieWent]

Previously posted: If the oldest language wins, shouldn't we continue this discussion in Latin?

(Sorry -- I forgot to use the quote button!)

Oh, my! Thanks so much for the laugh. I wish I remembered enough high school Latin to answer in it!

Julie

 

[CdnDisneyFan]

Our favorite castmember/character experience happened about 3 years ago at Chef Mickey's. Mickey came up to our table and begin frantically miming for us to look somewhere. We couldn't figure out what he was saying. He kept bending up and down quickly and pointing to the windows. We kept guessing like a bad game of charades that lasted about 4 minutes. Finally Mickey spelled out something by "writing" out the word with his finger on our table. It turned out that during the "Celebrate" song, Minnie's Bloomers had fallen down. We never saw Minnie, but we laughed for about 10 minutes. It was a hoot. Not to mention great video of Mickey waving frantically!

OMG, thanks bobandkevin, I needed that laugh!!!

Jules

 

[Friendly Frog]

We have been pretty fortunate with our CM encounters but we did have the waitress at CRT tip a full glass of ice water over on our table. It was right after the main meal and just before dessert. The table cloth was SOAKED and ice cubes littered the table. Then instead of providing a fresh table cloth or even trying to clean the table, she just served us the desert on top of the soaked cloth and ice.

We couldn't believe it, we were so shocked when the desert arrived that we didn't say anything for a moment (we just looked across at each other is disbelief) and by that time she was long gone.

We finally just rolled up the table cloth, ate our desserts and made a vow that we would not let this ruin our trip. We look back on it now and kind of laugh.

 

[#1MMFan]

Having read some of the posts/threads on these boards in the past week or so, since my return from my vacation, I find myself questioning why I am so keen on the US since this vacation I found more rude people than I have found in all my previous vacations put together. Now, the boards are continuing to prove this point. I am saddened and most disappointed that I seem to have been looking at Americans through rose-tinted spectacles. Clearly some are not so polite or accepting as I had thought. I had always thought that Americans were much nicer than UK people.... some of these intolerant posts have me doubting this. I can't say much more other than I'm going to stop posting because if my view is not "mainstream" enough it just gets called "being sensitive" or just plain wrong. I am sooooo disappointed.