A question about calling Disney Dining

[Kim&Chris]

Do the Disney Dining reservation agents work from home?

Call me crazy, but I called yesterday and I could swear to God that I heard a dog barking in the background!

If that's the case, I need to get one of those jobs immediately

 

[esab4]

You know, one time when I called I heard some odd background noise. I would be very surprised to hear that they worked from home. I have always assumed that they work in a call center.

 

[crcormier]

I believe they work in a call center in Celebration.

 

[maelstrom]

Well, I think that sometimes you are calling a calling center that doesn't belong to Disney, so maybe the people who work for that calling center are allowed to work from home? Just be glad you aren't calling prisoners, yeah?

 

[AUTimmy]

It probably "Bring pet to work day".
A call center with operators worked from home is not cost effective.

 

[Jenna45]

I work for a very large company 50,000+ employees, who does not outsource it's customer service and does have several call centers staffed with WAH employees. I am also a supervisor who works from home with direct reports in 3 states. Since my company is pushing employees to go home, I would beg to differ on that point!

It probably "Bring pet to work day".
A call center with operators worked from home is not cost effective.

 

[Gooofy-Blade]

Well, I think that sometimes you are calling a calling center that doesn't belong to Disney, so maybe the people who work for that calling center are allowed to work from home? Just be glad you aren't calling prisoners, yeah?

I don't know if you thought this was a joke but the feds are now using federal inmates for contracts that involve them operating call centers!!!

 

[maelstrom]

I don't know if you thought this was a joke but the feds are now using federal inmates for contracts that involve them operating call centers!!!

I know that some call centers do use prisoners, so that's why I said it. At least Charlie Manson isn't helping you plan your magical Disney vacation!

 

[disneyjunebug]

I know that some call centers do use prisoners, so that's why I said it. At least Charlie Manson isn't helping you plan your magical Disney vacation!

Ooooooh, I would be afraid he would book me into the Tower or Terror or the Haunted mansion for the evening... EEK!!

 

[AUTimmy]

I work for a very large company 50,000+ employees, who does not outsource it's customer service and does have several call centers staffed with WAH employees. I am also a supervisor who works from home with direct reports in 3 states. Since my company is pushing employees to go home, I would beg to differ on that point!

I used to work with company that let non customer service work from home on friday.
Currently I also work 1/3 of my time at home, I didn't say it is impossible to work from home; For each remote users, there is maintenance cost associates to it. In fact I am little familiar with call center. I implemented automated voice system for call center before. My client implemented automatic sys to cut cost, not increase it. So the logic of having call center agents worked from home is possible but not cost efficiency. The way you explained your company size and bad cost efficiency, you must be working for the Big Blue.

 

[kimbac3]

I know that some call centers do use prisoners, so that's why I said it. At least Charlie Manson isn't helping you plan your magical Disney vacation!

Ok this just had me

Thanks!! I needed a good chuckle!!

Now when I call Disney Dining I'm going to be listening really well!!

Kimba

 

[Microcell]

I work for a very large company 50,000+ employees, who does not outsource it's customer service and does have several call centers staffed with WAH employees. I am also a supervisor who works from home with direct reports in 3 states. Since my company is pushing employees to go home, I would beg to differ on that point!

I just got a WAH job and I am going to be making what I was at the Doctor's office!!!

 

[solferino]

I have an acquaintenance that does this. She takes phone calls for infomercial type things- there's a whole list of rules- dedicated phone line that is a wired phone, not cordless, has to have high-speed internet connection and some other stuff. When she's able to work she logs on to work and somehow that prompts the server or whatever to show that she's available for taking calls.


I guess when American Idol did that special drive a couple of months back she was call taking for that as well.

So I guess it's entirely possible!

 

[TreslovesWDW]

I wondered this also. One time when calling Disney I heard kids in the backround and another time when I was calling amtrak I heard a dog barking.

 

[paras4ri]

It probably "Bring pet to work day".
A call center with operators worked from home is not cost effective.

I work for a national call center for a large corporation and we absolutely have call center reps working from home - it's very cost effective for the company and for the employees.

Having said that I've yet to notice those kinds of background noises when calling Disney Dining - at least not yet.

 

[jenandkam]

I used to work with company that let non customer service work from home on friday.
Currently I also work 1/3 of my time at home, I didn't say it is impossible to work from home; For each remote users, there is maintenance cost associates to it. In fact I am little familiar with call center. I implemented automated voice system for call center before. My client implemented automatic sys to cut cost, not increase it. So the logic of having call center agents worked from home is possible but not cost efficiency. The way you explained your company size and bad cost efficiency, you must be working for the Big Blue.

Actually there is a company here in Colorado called Alpine Access that is one of the companies paving the way for at home call centers. They have some pretty big clients too like Vermont Teddy Bear and one of the flower ones (I think 1-800-Flowers), etc.
If you think about it, it makes a lot of economic sense to run an outsourced call center with WAH agents. The only space you pay for is enough to house your executives, System Admin and servers. You don't pay for an elaborate phone system, computers for agents, etc. All of the agents are hourly employees with no company provided medical benefits, vacation or sick time, etc. In addition, people will work for less money if they can work at home. Last I saw, Alpine Access was paying agents $10/hour, which is way below market in Denver. Makes perfect economic sense to me.....

 

[Tink10]

You'd be amazed at the companies who have reps working from home.....

 

[kristamil]

I phoned Disney Dining last weekend and noticed two things when talking to the rep--1) a young child was making noises in the background and 2) it sounded like someone was doing dishes with the water running. I thought it was a little weird. Now that you said the same thing about Disney Dining reps working from home, it makes sense. It had to have been the rep's home. Thanks for clearing that up for me.

 

[zalansky]

Sorry to bring an old thread back from the dead....but this happened to me a few weeks ago also! I heard birds chirping in the background and I am positive the woman helping me was working from home. Usually when you call someone in a call center, you hear other reps in the background talking as well....not birds and dogs making noise in the background! Now that I stumbled on this thread, I am sure she was at home!

My husband has been in the call center industry his whole life...and it IS very cost effective to have reps work at home, despite what others make think.

 

[grumpy&princess]

when i called today. you could hear other ppl in the back ground but you could definetly tell they were all doing dining calls.