A warning...

[ducklite]

This is NOT a bash against the peole in CRO. They can only know what they are trained to know, and offer information that they've been given.

Last night I called to book a room at WDW. I specifically asked for GF, Main Building, RPC. The woman I spoke to was new, she told me she was. Several tiems she ahd to put me on hold to check with her coach on how to do something. She came back and told me she was booking me into Lodge Tower concierge. I told her that was not main building, it was in Sugar Loaf. She again asked me to hold, then came back and told me that her coach agreed it was main building. I told her I'd think about it and hung up.

I called back and spoke with a guy who told me that there were no rooms in the main building. So I asked for 14th Foor at the CR. He told me he could give me a room in the "Tower Club". That's the 12th Floor I tell him. He then tells me there is no difference! Again I told him I'd have to call back and hung up.

I gave up for the night and called this morning. Got Dalio who has been with CRO for over seven years and she knew her stuff. She agreed that both of the others had been wrong, and was able to find several rooms in the GF RPC as well as 14th Floor at the CR. I booked the GF RPC which I had wanted to begin with.

My point is that the other CM's had obviously not been properly trained, and/or the materials they had were incorrect. Can you imagine if I didn't know the correct information and arrived expecting something I didn't book? I'm really wondering if that is the root of many problems that people have at check-in.

Disney Executives--if you are reading this (And I know you do...) PLEASE, get your people better training! It might take a couple extra hours of training time, but you'll have much better guest service and happier guests in the long run!

Anne

 

[SeaSpray]

I had the same experience when I was making all of those calls to CRO last month while hoping for an opening at the Polynesian concierge. It was actually a bit scary to realize just how wrong some of the info that some of the CRO CMs were giving out to me was. Like you said, if we didn't know any better, we could arrive at the resort and NOT have been booked into the room/view/level we had stated that we wanted. There's got to be a better way for them to train the CRO CMs.

 

[pirateofthecarolinas]

I had a CM at CRO ask me what was so special about the 14th floor at the CR. He could put in a request but not guarantee!

Lori

 

[BCV23]

Anne, just want to say how nice it is of you to only mention Dalio by name.

It really bothers me when people complain on these boards about a specific CM....so unfair to name someone and give only the poster's side of the story. And the CM has no way to defend himself/herself.

So good for you, Anne....and good for Dalio!

 

[Alicnwondrln]

I could do a BETTER job from my house!!

haha i think most of us could
not a bash but the training must be bad if they dont know the difference between main building and not main building

 

[ducklite]

Anne, just want to say how nice it is of you to only mention Dalio by name.

It really bothers me when people complain on these boards about a specific CM....so unfair to name someone and give only the poster's side of the story. And the CM has no way to defend himself/herself.

So good for you, Anne....and good for Dalio!

Like I said, my comments were NOT against the CM's, but the lack of training and/or information they are being given to effectively do their jobs.

Personally I think that anyone working in CRO should be given a tour of every resort and have the various room types and sections pointed out before they ever start to answer the phone. I think being given this visual tour would relaly help them be able to comprehend the words in front of them, which I also think are often not well written/organized.

Anne

 

[WDW LifeLong Fan]

This is NOT a bash against the peole in CRO. They can only know what they are trained to know, and offer information that they've been given.

Last night I called to book a room at WDW. I specifically asked for GF, Main Building, RPC. The woman I spoke to was new, she told me she was. Several tiems she ahd to put me on hold to check with her coach on how to do something. She came back and told me she was booking me into Lodge Tower concierge. I told her that was not main building, it was in Sugar Loaf. She again asked me to hold, then came back and told me that her coach agreed it was main building. I told her I'd think about it and hung up.

I called back and spoke with a guy who told me that there were no rooms in the main building. So I asked for 14th Foor at the CR. He told me he could give me a room in the "Tower Club". That's the 12th Floor I tell him. He then tells me there is no difference! Again I told him I'd have to call back and hung up.

I gave up for the night and called this morning. Got Dalio who has been with CRO for over seven years and she knew her stuff. She agreed that both of the others had been wrong, and was able to find several rooms in the GF RPC as well as 14th Floor at the CR. I booked the GF RPC which I had wanted to begin with.

My point is that the other CM's had obviously not been properly trained, and/or the materials they had were incorrect. Can you imagine if I didn't know the correct information and arrived expecting something I didn't book? I'm really wondering if that is the root of many problems that people have at check-in.

Disney Executives--if you are reading this (And I know you do...) PLEASE, get your people better training! It might take a couple extra hours of training time, but you'll have much better guest service and happier guests in the long run!

Anne

I'm glad you were able to get your request and that you had the knowledge and foresight to call back until you found a CM at CRO that knew what he/she was doing.

 

[GrumpyC.Hook]

Double post...nothing to see here...move along ...lol


Sorry I am horrible with this posting thing~

Amy

 

[GrumpyC.Hook]

Oh my goodness. I talked to Dalio last week when I booked my reservation for December and she was truely great. She is orignally from near my house and we had a great conversation and she was able to do great things.

I hope I get Dalio again! I left a compliment for Dalio so I hope they give her something great she deserves it !

Amy

 

[WDWRC]

Orlando and Tampa CRO Cast do go on resort tour, but we don't get to see every room type at each resort.

Tracy

 

[ducklite]

Tracy-

The point is that they should! Especially with some of the more confusing ones like the GF and CR where there are a lot of differences. Obviously at the value and moderate, and even some of the deluxe resorts, the rooms are cookie cutter. But particularly at the GF and CR, there are HUGE differences. For a CM to tell me that there was no difference between 12th and 14th floor concierge--that's terrible! Either they weren't properly trained, didn't have the correct info in front of them, or worse yet were making it up as they went along based on their assumptions. Or to tell me that Lodge Tower IS the main building at the GF--can you imagine how upset someone would be if they got there and found out they weren't getting what they thought they had booked?

Those differences REALLY need to be spelled out in black and white and made perfectly clear. And obviously better training needs to be provided.

Anne

 

[gabbygrennell]

Definitely need some kind of better training!

I think this is exactly why there are so many stories of people arriving, and being completely disappointed! Imagine how many "problems" could be solved if this was not an issue... if there was better training....

I feel for the people who have no clue what they are doing when they make their ressies, arrive and find out later that they could have had such and such (what the really wanted) if someone had listened, or had some kind of knowledge of the resorts!!


It does however make you appreciate the many wonderful cm's who go the extra mile to help you out, and take the time to listen to you and find out what you are really looking for, then get it for you!

 

[BostonRob]

Like I said, my comments were NOT against the CM's, but the lack of training and/or information they are being given to effectively do their jobs.

Personally I think that anyone working in CRO should be given a tour of every resort and have the various room types and sections pointed out before they ever start to answer the phone. I think being given this visual tour would relaly help them be able to comprehend the words in front of them, which I also think are often not well written/organized.

Anne

You're right. Sadly, from my exprience, I'd have to say that those CRO CM's who are ignorant to matters we speak of, outnumber those who know their stuff. It is a pleasure when you speak with somebody that actually know what they're talking about, but it doesn't seem to happen very often.

I've found this to be true with most things in this age of "price first - service last", so I always try to educate myself on whatever I'm dealing with (WDW hotels, HDTV purchase, mortgage refinance) rather than rely on information I'm given by somebody who may or may not have had thier job for more than a month. The internet and sites like this, make this sort of self education fairly painless.

 

[TigrLvsPooh]

That's the #1 reason I use Dreams Unlimited now. I would get so annoyed and angry trying to book things through CRO it ruined my whole trip planning experience. I felt like everytime I called I had to train a new CM!

Too bad we can't request or call certain CM's at CRO! Like with extension #'s or something!!!

 

[kandmwedding]

Just wanted to be the devil's advocate here and say that not everyone can be trained in everything. I work in the Training Dept in a bank and we can't cover everything that someone would need to know. We go over the regular items, but can't possibly train someone in how to handle all the strange questions that come up (not to say that the OP's request was in any way strange). And, on top of that, we can train someone very well and they go out and perform poorly. While there are a few CMs at CRO that seem to not know a thing, by in large they are very helpful and get the job done. Just my two cents...

 

[disneyfan67]

Like I said, my comments were NOT against the CM's, but the lack of training and/or information they are being given to effectively do their jobs.

Personally I think that anyone working in CRO should be given a tour of every resort and have the various room types and sections pointed out before they ever start to answer the phone. I think being given this visual tour would relaly help them be able to comprehend the words in front of them, which I also think are often not well written/organized.

Anne

That's a very good idea and I'm all for it. A couple of days spent touring the resorts and getting to know them would be a big help. I remember one CM that I had on the phone didn't know what the term "longhouses" meant and didn't any of the buildings at the Poly I was refering to. Disney needs to implement that plan of yours Anne, and also update or fix the online website to help in booking. Many times I have tried to use the website and just don't have anyluck. I think a couple of more days training would make the job less stressfull for anyone working at the CRO. I know that I wouldn't want that job without being on the top of my game and not knowing WDW like most of you do.

 

[skiwee1]

Anne, just want to say how nice it is of you to only mention Dalio by name.

It really bothers me when people complain on these boards about a specific CM....so unfair to name someone and give only the poster's side of the story. And the CM has no way to defend himself/herself.

So good for you, Anne....and good for Dalio!

nevermind. Misread!!

 

[Shells9]

I called CRO a few weeks back wanting a PS for Cinderella's Gala Feast at GF. When I inquired, the CM checked and told me there was nothing available and that those sell out first thing in the morning. I told her it was dinner and not CRT and she said she knew. I hung up, called back, and got right in to the Gala Feast. The first CM must have been confusing it with CRT and was sure I did not know what I was talking about.

 

[Scoootch]

Wow Anne...thanks for the heads up. Not that some of shouldn't think to just hang up and call back anyway, but sometimes it doesn't hit you until after the fact. Thank goodness you got Dalio on the line and got what you needed finally. I can only imagine what some people must go through upon arrival - especially for what you pay for conceirge or even just for particular views at certain resorts. And thank goodness for the Disboards that we are ever constantly learning all the in's and out's that the average guest is clueless about!

Just wanted to be the devil's advocate here and say that not everyone can be trained in everything. I work in the Training Dept in a bank and we can't cover everything that someone would need to know. We go over the regular items, but can't possibly train someone in how to handle all the strange questions that come up (not to say that the OP's request was in any way strange). And, on top of that, we can train someone very well and they go out and perform poorly. While there are a few CMs at CRO that seem to not know a thing, by in large they are very helpful and get the job done. Just my two cents...

Well, maybe you can't train everyone to cover and know everything but CRO IMO could definetly have certain depts trained specifically to book certain catagories Why not have CM's who've had a certain amount of years on the job already be then trained to be able to book catagories like conceirge and/or suites AND things like large groups or whatever....but make it beyond just booking the cookie cutter type rooms at the resorts?? That way, these are CM's who'd have a few yrs experience at the regular bookings and then after gaining that experience be trained further to book the higher level (and more expensive $$$) catagories. I recently read the thread about How much did you spend on your WDW vacation? And to me, if someone is going to spend $10,000.00 on a Disney vacation -- and this is what some people said they just spent and we're talking about 1 family staying conceirge level ...I can't recall exactly which resort or the exact details at the moment as it was a week or 2 ago but anyway....for that kind of $$$ from one family alone, IMHO, the least Disney can do is have the CM's making the reservation for this $10,000.00 vacation be trained properly so as not to have any kind of problems upon check-in due to a CM who either wasn't fully trained or misinformed or Whatever reason!

JMO though

 

[maxiv]

might be a stupid question (?!) but what IS so special about the 14 floor ? is it only in grand floridian (GF?) or also in coronado springs ? as you can see, i'm a newbie

does anyone have a plan where you can see what you can see from you room windows when you look outside so i know what to tell them where to book the room for me ?

regards
max