Everybody's so quick to blame the individual cast members, or a lack of training, or a bad day. But consider this, what if they're simply doing what they're told to do.
Each year more and more cast members are college program kids. They're given very explicit instructions, they're told this is the way it is. If you don't do it this way you're gone. That's a pretty big incentive to ignore your generic Disney training and do what your direct manager says.
When it comes to the turnstiles right now they're basically relearning how to control access to the parks. Managers are watching like hawks, guest relations is overwhelmed and the individual cast members are being told that they have to follow procedures to the letter. And sometimes they might be a little short or "rude" to guests who simply aren't listening to what they're saying.
Other cast members have never been told that they have leeway in enforcing non-safety rules. 30 to 60 days after a cast member is brought in they're given an additional class about how they can go above and beyond. That's when they're told they're empowered to fix problems without needing a manager, and when they learn they have a lot of leeway.
Beyond that cast members are being told to move guests faster and faster. If guests aren't moving then they're complaining. And if they're complaining it looks bad for managers. So the managers in turn start breathing down cast members' necks. And what do you do when your boss if breathing down your neck, you do what they say, even if it means being rude.
And remember cast members see thousands and thousands of guests a day, how many times have they heard the same stupid joke? Eventually they're going to comment on it to a coworker, hopefully out of earshot, it's not meant to be mean, it's merely the frustrated gripe of a person stuck doing the same repetitive task hour after hour day after day with no real feeling of satisfaction.
From experience, I know many of the CPs tend to have more leniency than some of the full-time CMs. I have noticed that a lot of CPs carry a lot of energy and enthusiasm that more jaded CMs don't. This isn't to say it's true to all. I've seen it the other way around, too. But for the most part, that is what I've observed.
The training is definitely split into different sections. The general orientation is pretty detailed and outright when it comes to creating the magic though. I don't believe it's terribly rigorous in that it teaches rules over preserving the magic, it's actually quite the opposite. HOWEVER, with that said, I completely agree with your statement about how area managers can instruct different priorities than the general training. It can become confusing and frustrating to be told to keep the magic and then get told to stick by the guidelines EXACTLY (which aren't the most magical things in the world). When it comes down to it, your area manager has more control over your fate than anyone else. I was sort of nodding to that idea in my previous post - most of the crabby CMs are not because of guests...it's because they are dealing with some other behind the scenes problem (more times than not), and any guest issue could be the straw that breaks the camel's back. I had a coordinator who never smiled and berated CMs for doing something special for a guest (he actually ended up pulling a couple FPs out of a guest's hand after a CM had so kindly given them away). Textbook example of the situation described in the post I have quoted.
I give this person credit. I'm a nurse, I make good money and I would never tolerate someone spitting on me or shoving me. If they are demented or severely medicated, that's one thing. If not, I will be pressing charges.
How horrible that some have such an entitlement mentality that they think putting their hands on someone is ok?
While I worked in Disney a few years ago, I am now a high school English teacher - on different levels, I can appreciate not tolerating that sort of behavior. If a student ever did anything like that in my classroom, you can bet they won't be getting away with it. In Disney, I learned a type of patience I don't think I could ever teach (much like I'm sure a parent learns a patience unteachable). FL summers are HOT and the crowds, as any Disney fanatic will know, tend to be tough to handle in such hot/humid weather. Not to say this is a good excuse for acting up in that way, but I learned to put up with it. I would take a deep breath, know my surroundings, and take appropriate action under the specific circumstances. In most cases, it was denying the guest entry to the attraction.
I was working FP Return when a guest shoved me. She shoved her way through a patiently waiting crowd of people and threw her FP in my face while demanding rudely for me to let her in. Her time was the same time as everyone else (which hadn't been allowed in yet). I let her know that she would need to wait a few more minutes and that she could wait behind the group of people as they had been waiting there for a while. She threw her FP at me, shoved me to the side, and ran into the attraction. Knowing there was still a crowd in front of me (a now very interested and curious crowd), I calmly and privately called up to the next CM who would be seeing this guest. I told that CM quickly what happened and to refuse the guest entry. A little while later, I saw the guest being escorted out. Even in that situation, I never yelled at the guest, I never gave her a nasty look, and I never did anything in front of any other guest that would imply I was talking badly or making fun of the guest. Sometimes, people just have bad days - I didn't know this guest's story or what she had been through that day, but I did know her behavior was not acceptable and that I did not want her to think it granted her the ability to ride.
omg our Dads would probably be bff's. My Dad will talk to and joke with anyone who will listen and he totally does not get the social cues indicating that the other person is just not that into it
I can only imagine what some CMs have said about him behind his back over the years!!
I've certainly seen some apathetic CMs over the years, but never any outright rude ones. Most CMs I've interacted with have been amazing!
That's funny!!! My dad is that exact same way. That was the only time a CM was rude about it.
People that work for Disney are there because they chose to apply for the job. To the best of my knowledge, Disney Corporation does not impose a draft.
That being said, they are human beings. Not everyone is going to have a great day every day. People have lives outside of work, and whether or not anyone deems it acceptable, our personal lives do leak into our work day.
Everyone has their breaking point. Our family was there back in May, and we spent two days at SWW, and the Sunday of Memorial Day Weekend at MK. It was VERY crowded. I didn't come across ONE rude CM the entire week. I DID however witness many rude guests. I also witnessed CM's handling those guests in a very professional manner.
I'm not saying that rude guests entitle CM's to be rude in return, but I know that some people can be downright mean when they don't get their way.
I will be the first to admit that I am not the most patient person, but I always make sure I am nice and polite to anyone in any type of service position, because I've BEEN that person. I know first hand how hard it is to keep your cool or check your tongue when dealing with rude people. I also know that because my personal life is not going well on a particular day that while I might not have been my normal self, letting it show through as the dominant part of my personality was not acceptable.
It's a give and take.
I believe that what we see in Disney is a microcosm of the way the rest of the world is in general.
In my opinion... The world needs a drink! Everyone should just RELAX!!!
I feel the same way, and not because I used to be a CM, but because I'm just aware of human nature. While I worked for Disney, I had a lot of people come up to me and tell me how they couldn't understand why I didn't go off on a guest or that they gave me credit for keeping my cool - while it seemed like nothing to me, it was always very nice to hear that people understand that CMs are not robots.
With that said, CMs are definitely in the business of customer service - in fact, they are in that business with the leading company of customer service. Disney has a wonderful training program and honestly, most people who work for Disney truly love Disney and what it stands for so they are naturally in it for the right reasons. I know I worked with Disney for that reason - I LOVED seeing people light up with excitement, and I did everything I could to make that happen. Magical moments are probably more magical for the CM than the guest. lol. I dealt with some pretty rough stuff, and so I had less patience for my co-workers when I saw them acting rudely to a guest than the guest had (for no other reason than "it was hot out.") I just never found a good enough reason for a CM to act unprofessional. Even now as a teacher, I can't find any reason for a educator to lose his/her temper in the classroom. When you work with other people, you need to find ways to cope and control yourself.
Many people here are looking for reasons to be offended.
I saw some cases in Disney where this was exactly true. There are people out there who believe the more they complain, the more free stuff they get. I have seen guests start complaining about the smallest things and making things up about CMs just to see what sort of stuff they could get. They would start yelling at CMs to see if they could get them to act out so that they have something to run to GR with. Many times, the managers could tell the difference between actual situations and situations exaggerated or made up by scammers. When it comes to Disney, there are unfortunately more than enough cases like this.
There is never an excuse to be rude to any customer/guest/employee at work, especially if they aren't being rude to you. You don't take your personal problems to work. PERIOD. Leave them at the door. If you need to step away for a moment, then do it.
I agree, there is never an excuse to be rude to anyone. However, I have to agree with this statement below:
there is no opportunity to "step away for a moment."
When it comes to Disney, the opportunities to walk away are strict. When you are on stage, you are on stage. There is no walking away unless it is your break or you can find a manager (which can sometimes be difficult if you are in a position with no phone or radio).
With that said, I STRONGLY believe in finding coping methods and controlling tempers. No matter how hot it is, what personal problems are being dealt with, or what's happening behind the scenes, no guest deserves unprofessional behavior from a CM. There are other companies where someone might get away with this - if a person feels they cannot uphold the magic of Disney, Disney perhaps isn't the company for them. That's just my thought.
