Aggressive DVC Housekeeping Checkout Day

[RoseGold]

That is an interesting perspective. So as owners we shouldn't have a reasonable expectation of privacy in our rooms until checkout time?

You should inquire about the financial status of people barging into your room before complaining, I guess. My bad.

 

[tjkraz]

If I go to McD’s for coffee every morning and it was cold 4 times over the last 2 weeks, it likely has little to do with who handed it to me as that may differ. The person who can fix this is the manager. Something in the system has broken and they are in the best position to find and rectify the issue.

Your analogy speaks to severity, which is something that's difficult-to-impossible to quantify here.

There are 4100-5600 DVC villas (lockoff factor) at WDW alone. If we assume an average length of stay of 4-5 nights, which may be high given split stays, DVC members represent ~8000 check-outs every single week. Despite the fact that we're on page 8 of this thread, there doesn't appear to be massive outrage on this topic. My own experiences suggest it only happens on a small % of stays.

Maybe I'm one of the lucky ones. Maybe some others are particularly unlucky. I've read about some specific performance-related issues which could stand to be addressed. But as for the practice itself, I'm not sure that there's a clear alternative solution other than blanket changes to the check-out time. And that carries negative repercussions for everyone.

 

[Genie+]

Despite the fact that we're on page 8 of this thread, there doesn't appear to be massive outrage on this topic.

Personally I am not outraged. I’ve been woken up and inconvenienced in the past but not to the level of outrage.

 

[BeachClub2014]

Maybe I'm one of the lucky ones. Maybe some others are particularly unlucky. I've read about some specific performance-related issues which could stand to be addressed. But as for the practice itself, I'm not sure that there's a clear alternative solution other than blanket changes to the check-out time. And that carries negative repercussions for everyone.

How about DVC management tell the housekeepers not to knock on the door until 11:00, which is the stated check-out time? This seems like a very simple issue to resolve. DVC clearly says that check-out is 11:00. Stick to it.

 

[RoseGold]

Maybe I'm one of the lucky ones. Maybe some others are particularly unlucky. I've read about some specific performance-related issues which could stand to be addressed. But as for the practice itself, I'm not sure that there's a clear alternative solution other than blanket changes to the check-out time. And that carries negative repercussions for everyone.

I don't know why you keep defending this gross level of service. We get it, you don't mind people banging on your doors and pushing you out. You can buy a bunch $1 timeshares on eBay that will do that for you also.

These are Disney deluxe hotels. I was at the Grand Floridian and Poly, both $800+ properties. These are not the standards I expect. There are many ways to fix this, an obvious one is not to pound on doors at 8:55AM and enter rooms. DVC can fix all of this, like they did the hours longs waits for calls. So fix it.

 

[BeachClub2014]

Personally I am not outraged. I’ve been woken up and inconvenienced in the past but not to the level of outrage.

I find it highly annoying, but I am not outraged. It takes a lot to get me outraged.

I find it annoying that I have to unplug the phones in the room the night before check-out to avoid getting mystery calls in the morning. I also find it annoying that we have to proactively "announce" in some way, shape, or form that the room is still occupied. I also find it annoying because it is an easily solved problem.

 

[bobbiwoz]

…

Maybe I'm one of the lucky ones. Maybe some others are particularly unlucky. I've read about some specific performance-related issues which could stand to be addressed. But as for the practice itself, I'm not sure that there's a clear alternative solution other than blanket changes to the check-out time. And that carries negative repercussions for everyone.

Maybe we are lucky too. However, we are relatively early risers, by 7-7:30, and I am not adverse to opening the door and saying something. This doesn’t bother me nearly as much as “walking.”

 

[Sandisw]

You truly must have some of the worst DVC luck, we have never experienced any of this in our over 22 years of owning. We rent timeshares all over the country and much of what you are upset about is standard for time shares. If I don't like the TP, I bring my own. Never have I gotten a robe at another timeshare. Never had dishes not clean at DVC. Never had houskeeping at all during the entire stay at other timeshares. I don't find the views sad, Do all the resorts have great views, no, but they offer more like location. Most have really good views. The only exception is BCV and it makes up for those views with other amenties. As to the mattresses, we liked it so much we bought one like it. Linens are similar to industry standard.
I really think you are expecting a hotel experience in a timeshare and that is not going to happen. Our room has never been entered as we keep the lock on every time we are in the room.

Gotta say the same for us. I think in all the times we have stayed in a room, since 1994, even before DVC, only once did we get a knock on check out day asking when we would leave.

I know lots here have shared they have had the experience but I bet there are plenty of us who just have not.

So, I just don’t know how persuasive it is. While a knock prior to 9 am might be a little annoying, after that time, I just don’t see what the big deal is for them to knock and see if the person has left to get a jump on the room if the guest has left.

 

[71 Truck]

The problem is that Disney across the property is short staffed on housekeepers. The sooner they can get the rooms cleaned the sooner guest can get to their rooms who are checking in.
A few weeks ago my wife and I were delayed till after 4pm getting our assigned room because it was still not cleaned. The front desk moved us to another room that was ready.

Disney used to assign a certain number of rooms to a housekeeper. If they got all their room cleaned before the end of their shift they could leave with a full days pay or they could stay and help other get room cleaned for additional money. I am not sure if this is still the case, it may have changed.
These may be rules set by the union
This may be the reason housekeeper are trying to start so early.

Easy solution, go back to the do not disturb sign.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

From what I'm reading with the reports that the app shows people already checked out when they themselves go to check out then it also sounds like the hotels and housekeeping are not using the technology that has been put in place. Or housekeeping may be trying but the hotel side has set up a mass early check out. If that is a correct assessment then the hotel side needs to stop that - allow guests to use the check out as they leave and/or set the mass check out at 11am. By all reports Disney has come out of the dark ages finally in that regard but are bungling the execution. And housekeeping has a part to play in that - they can't be getting incorrect information because the front desk has set up an incorrect process and need to press to have the mass check out time fixed.

That's about as far as I can go to give an excuse on this though. Coming back multiple times when you've told them when you're leaving the 1st time is inexcusable. Disney as hotel operators are not anywhere near the top however even if their room pricing signals they should be.

 

[robinb]

The problem is that Disney across the property is short staffed on housekeepers.

Nope. That's not the problem. This has been going on for years and years, well before the current Covid "short staffed" excuse become popular. It is the "corporate culture" of Disney (and DVC) Housekeeping that encourages housekeepers to bother guests on check-out day.

 

[tjkraz]

How about DVC management tell the housekeepers not to knock on the door until 11:00, which is the stated check-out time? This seems like a very simple issue to resolve. DVC clearly says that check-out is 11:00. Stick to it.

And we're seemingly back to the idea that Disney can hire a massive housekeeping staff willing to work 5 hour shifts. And that's just not practical. Maybe a Hampton Inn in Akron, Ohio with a staff of 20 can find enough people willing to work shorter shifts when they need to staff-up for higher occupancy. Not the manager of 5000+ timeshare villas--and 25k hotel rooms--located in a market where they're competing with dozens of other employers. It may not even be permissible under Disney's labor agreements (absolutely no idea if that's true or not, but Disney certainly faces stronger unions than other employers.)

Every work day is a matter of playing the odds. Yes they know how many rooms are being vacated and can staff for that. But they cannot predict or control when people will be leaving. Statistics tell them that a certain number of rooms will be vacated before 11am on average. But those numbers fluctuate daily.

And then it's a question of guests notifying the resort when they leave. Whether you're using apps, door tags or some other system to check out, people leave without signaling their departure. People even leave the DND sign on doors after they've left. The mobile app feature is quite new, maybe not even available at all resorts. The hope is that it will change behavior over time.

Even with the procedures currently in place, late room assignments already happen. If the staff has even less time to turn-over rooms, this will only get worse on days when few guests depart early and/or guests fail to log their departure.

I don't know why you keep defending this gross level of service.

Because short of changing the checkout time to 10am and/or arrival time to 5pm, I'm not clear on what approach would work better.

We get it, you don't mind people banging on your doors and pushing you out.

I never said that and I'm really not sure how you're reading that into my comments.

I have no problem with a CM knocking on my door after 9am and politely asking when we intend to leave. That's not "banging on the door and pushing me out." The frequency with which it happens to me is historically very low. And it's part of the quid pro quo of getting guests into rooms early.

 

[robinb]

I just did a search and this was the earliest thread I found on the problem.

It was from 2001!

https://www.disboards.com/threads/w...ups-on-check-out-day-before-purchasing.84945/

 

[danikoski]

From what I'm reading with the reports that the app shows people already checked out when they themselves go to check out then it also sounds like the hotels and housekeeping are not using the technology that has been put in place. Or housekeeping may be trying but the hotel side has set up a mass early check out. If that is a correct assessment then the hotel side needs to stop that - allow guests to use the check out as they leave and/or set the mass check out at 11am. By all reports Disney has come out of the dark ages finally in that regard but are bungling the execution. And housekeeping has a part to play in that - they can't be getting incorrect information because the front desk has set up an incorrect process and need to press to have the mass check out time fixed.

That's about as far as I can go to give an excuse on this though. Coming back multiple times when you've told them when you're leaving the 1st time is inexcusable. Disney as hotel operators are not anywhere near the top however even if their room pricing signals they should be.

This right here. It sounds like Disney IT or Disney front desk is mass checking out people on the app when their credit cards are charged the final night. If this then shows up in the housekeeper information, that could be a lot of the confusion. And it absolutely would not surprise me that Disney pushed an upgrade to the app but didn't completely figure out how it'd interact with other things on the app. Because frankly, that's kind of normal for Disney IT. Or, the front desk is either cutting corners or hasn't been properly trained on how to not check out everyone when the credit cards are charged.

 

[RoseGold]

I have no problem with a CM knocking on my door after 9am and politely asking when we intend to leave.

Then we disagree. I don't know where you live, but this is far outside standard American hotel practice, especially hotels at this price point.

Nice American hotels don't even knock when you ASK for something like room service or towels with the DND on, sometimes they call or even delay it.

I wouldn't even think I need to put the phone off the hook or use a post-it anywhere at $800/night in the US. Someone loudly banging on my door for several minutes like at Poly a few days ago, I would expect an emergency or police at the door.

 

[crazywig]

I just did a search and this was the earliest thread I found on the problem.

It was from 2001!

https://www.disboards.com/threads/w...ups-on-check-out-day-before-purchasing.84945/

Not shocked. I was just about to post that we bought in 2003 and at least at the BWV, they knock every single time on checkout day. Without fail.

 

[lowlight]

And we're seemingly back to the idea that Disney can hire a massive housekeeping staff willing to work 5 hour shifts. And that's just not practical. Maybe a Hampton Inn in Akron, Ohio with a staff of 20 can find enough people willing to work shorter shifts when they need to staff-up for higher occupancy. Not the manager of 5000+ timeshare villas--and 25k hotel rooms--located in a market where they're competing with dozens of other employers. It may not even be permissible under Disney's labor agreements (absolutely no idea if that's true or not, but Disney certainly faces stronger unions than other employers.)

You've said, multiple times, that you have inside information and that Disney management has gone through all possible ways to fix this issue. Except there are shifts utilized in healthcare, hospitality, and law enforcement to name a few, that are designed to fix this very problem. Split shift, midshift, twelve hour shifts, overlapping shifts, these have all been utilized in my career. I'm not understanding how shifts that are specifically designed to handle periods of high work volume would magically not work at Disney. Before you say "unions", almost every job I've ever had has been unionized. There's an answer, they just don't want to do it and instead you're defending a company that just doesn't care.

 

[RoseGold]

Not shocked. I was just about to post that we bought in 2003 and at least at the BWV, they knock every single time on checkout day. Without fail.

Wow. Gross that this leaves such a bad taste you remember it 20 years later.

 

[BeachClub2014]

And we're seemingly back to the idea that Disney can hire a massive housekeeping staff willing to work 5 hour shifts. And that's just not practical. Maybe a Hampton Inn in Akron, Ohio with a staff of 20 can find enough people willing to work shorter shifts when they need to staff-up for higher occupancy. Not the manager of 5000+ timeshare villas--and 25k hotel rooms--located in a market where they're competing with dozens of other employers. It may not even be permissible under Disney's labor agreements (absolutely no idea if that's true or not, but Disney certainly faces stronger unions than other employers.)

Every work day is a matter of playing the odds. Yes they know how many rooms are being vacated and can staff for that. But they cannot predict or control when people will be leaving. Statistics tell them that a certain number of rooms will be vacated before 11am on average. But those numbers fluctuate daily.

And then it's a question of guests notifying the resort when they leave. Whether you're using apps, door tags or some other system to check out, people leave without signaling their departure. People even leave the DND sign on doors after they've left. The mobile app feature is quite new, maybe not even available at all resorts. The hope is that it will change behavior over time.

Even with the procedures currently in place, late room assignments already happen. If the staff has even less time to turn-over rooms, this will only get worse on days when few guests depart early and/or guests fail to log their departure.

I guess this is where we will just have to agree to disagree. It's just silly to suggest that housekeeping can only be scheduled for 5-hours a day and that that is the only option available to keep housekeepers from knocking on doors prior to the check-out time.

Why do you believe that punishing owners and changing the check-out time to 10:00 would likely result in the problem going away? Maybe they will start knocking even an hour earlier.

Bottom line, for me anyways: Checkout time has been long established as 11:00, therefore there is simply no reason for DVC to expect the room to be unoccupied and available for cleaning earlier than that, so STOP calling and/or knocking before then.

 

[tjkraz]

You've said, multiple times, that you have inside information and that Disney management has gone through all possible ways to fix this issue. Except there are shifts utilized in healthcare, hospitality, and law enforcement to name a few, that are designed to fix this very problem. Split shift, midshift, twelve hour shifts, overlapping shifts, these have all been utilized in my career. I'm not understanding how shifts that are specifically designed to handle periods of high work volume would magically not work at Disney. Before you say "unions", almost every job I've ever had has been unionized. There's an answer, they just don't want to do it and instead you're defending a company that just doesn't care.

Overlapping shifts are utilized. However the premise here seems to be that Disney can/should massively staff-up between the hours of 11-4. Assuming all rooms are serviced by 4pm, there's little else to be done and housekeeping operates with a skeleton crew. A few workers can be overlapped to cover the early morning and late night requests, but that's a drop in the bucket compared to what they need mid-day.

The bulk of the staffing is scheduled in the 8am - 5pm timeframe with anticipation that some rooms will be vacated by early departures.