Anyone else get nervous when calling CRO?

[Abbie]

Ok, but if you ever have a few hours to kill and want to have some REAL fun, try calling to find out the breakdown cost of your room! We're going in Nov. and all I had on my confirmation was a total. I could have just divided by the number of nights but I knew the rate changed for one of the nights. Nit-picker that I am I called to find out the cost per night for the room, then the tax, plus I knew there was an extra charge for two of my kids who are over 18. You'd think I was asking for state secrets trying to pry out the tax rate! One CM was totally baffled why I would ask such a thing and insisted it didn't matter. Umm, yes, it's really quite a simple question....even if you do span two counties and incorporate two separate tax rates. After being on hold forever and talking to two separate people (who each gave me totally different figures that weren't even close to what I had on my reservation!) I gave up and called back to speak with a supervisor. Finally, finally, after much figuring she was able to break down the cost of the room for me.

Like a pp said, it really shouldn't be so hard! Someone, somewhere in the organization is able to calculate your bill and send you a total, surely it shouldn't be so hard to get a copy of those calculations!

 

[dawnball]

I got a free-dining PIN in in the mail this year, and after sitting on it for awhile, I called to see if there was still availability. Special PIN phone number. Enter the PIN at the prompts. Talk to a CM, give him the PIN, ask if there's availability for our dates "oh yeah, there's lots of availability". Price the vacation. Rack rate. "That's with my PIN" "Oh yes, that's with your pin!" "But that's rack rate!" "Don't forget it includes...."

Yeah. I reserved the room, then immediately called back and applied the PIN to that reservation. Dropped the package price in half.

I'm just glad that I knew enough to know that the first round of rates were obviously wrong, because we never would have gone for those prices.

 

[TJM1976]

IMO, it matters who you speak with at CRO. If you get someone who is having a bad day, or just dealt with an irrate / rude person on the phone call just before me, you do get mis-info or the "just dont care attitude". Two weeks ago I called and booked WL for 2 nights AP rate. It wasnt available. So I asked if she could check the FL res rate and she said no. I said I was a FL resident and lived in Orlando but she insisted that "I cannot check various rates, I can offer to book at regular rate". I politely said thats ok, I will think about it, but can you check to see if the restaurant in Japan accepts the Disney Dining Expierence Discount. She said the only discounts that restaurants accept are the Dining Plans which is a pre-pay dining package. I explained the DDE was a membership program. Her response to that was "that program ended 8 years or so ago". The DISNEY CLUB ended several years back. I then said thank you and I will check other resources. No good-bye or thanks for calling, I immediately was connected to that end-of-call survey which I gave all poor ratings.

I called back and spoke with a rather pleasant gentleman who checked FL rates and AP rates and booked me WL at the AP rate. However, he had no clue what the DDE membership was. Since he was pleasant and helpful for the bookings, I gave him good ratings on the survey.

I then tired to look online for the DDE restaurants who participate and couldn't find anything so I decided to call back once more. This lady knew what she was talking about. She even said that the list can be seen by any CRO cast member and apologized. Two days later the DDE was changed to Tables in Wonderalnd.

I have now decided that I will book my resort ressies on WDW website. You can play with dates if you are flexible, check any other resort, and see all room type rates. I read somewhere a couple years ago that CRO CM's went to incentatives based on what they sell/book. Since its a mixed bag when you call, I guess they have lost out on earining my booking since I will book online. And I wonder if any of the CRO higher-up people reads these message boards.... if the consistancy of info and service were pretty much the same from each CM, then people wouldn't have to call back numerous times for the same info. therefore call volume would not be as high.

I do want to say that I have encountered MANY CRO CM's who were helpful and pleasant. And my to them!!

 

[mhmcduff]

With the bounceback rates do you have to pay in advance? What if you book a trip before you leave and then have to cancel at a later day? what happens then

 

[peyjax]

I will save you the call to CRO to find your answer.

The bounceback is like any other package you book. You have to pay a $200 deposit at booking (you must be at disney resort for bounceback) and pay the full amount 45 days before your arrival date of your next vacation. If you need to cancel before the 45 day mark you are then refunded your $200. After 45 days the standard cancellation fees apply.

There are times that they will let you put a hold on a package and give you two weeks to make the $200 deposit. Once again that is a case of who you talk to. However with the bounceback I highly doubt they would.

Now if the bounceback is not a package and a room only reservation. It is then treated as such. First night deposit due at booking and remainder due at check in. I believe the cancellation policy is if you cancel 6 days before trip you are refunded entire amount of deposit and then if it after that you lose the deposit.

 

[lnd2155]

The guest does not need the 3 letter code. As long as they know what the promo is called of if they quote the specifics of the offer they are good to go. The problem is theres like 600 CM's and most of them are new. They just had like 4 new hire classes in the last month of so. It is true Disney cannot proactively offer discounts or codes, they must be asked for but a good CM will now what code to use for what the guest is looking for

Actually they do. A good cm does know about the specifics of each code however if there are 4 different fall specials going on we can not go into the specifics of each code. We do need the 3 letters. And although there are new cast members on our team at different times, these cast members do go through at least 2 months worth of training behind the scenes before ever going on the phones.

 

[mbanks21]

What 4 differant fall specials? The Oct-dec fall promo was replaced by the UWI codes. If someone calls and says theyre looking for the fall special they saw online are you going to tell them "sorry I need a 3 letter code. Goodbye"?

and at least 2 months of training? Theres very generous

 

[luvthemouse71]

I have always gotten very pleasant and accomodating CMs. The last one I talked to was a real sweetheart..we had a real nice conversation about the Poly and about me taking my Dad to WDW.

 

[lnd2155]

What 4 differant fall specials? The Oct-dec fall promo was replaced by the UWI codes. If someone calls and says theyre looking for the fall special they saw online are you going to tell them "sorry I need a 3 letter code. Goodbye"?

and at least 2 months of training? Theres very generous

They actually are very generous. And no we would never say sorry goodbye. Have you ever had a cast member do this to you?? We try our best to get the guest to retrieve the offer they were just looking at and 9/10 times they do get it and we go from there. And to clarify, once again, there are NUMEROUS different specials that are going on during the fall. Some deal with guests who have gotten pin codes, gst who are residents of florida, some that are for room only and some that include packages to name a few.

 

[bytheblood]

To the OP, I do not get nervous. If I get a CM that makes me feel like something may not be booked correctly or they do not know how to accomplish what I am asking, I always politely tell the CM on the other line that I must talk it over with my husband and then call back to get another CM.

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Actually, I am a cast member who books ressies. We are all very informed and up to date with our codes, however certain codes do apply to certain dates and to be honest we have about 5 pages worth of different codes for different times of the year. Our cast members do try our best to accomidate each and every one of our guests, but please remember we are people too and we can not make the impossible possible. We must remain cordial to our guests even when our guests are less than magical to us.

I am sorry, but that is not always true. I have called CRO quite a few times and have had a CM with very little knowledge on the other line. In some cases, where the CM is clearly incorrect, I have guided them in the right direction and they are downright rude in return. I always speak to them kindly, (mostly because I don't trust them not to delete what I already have in place) and they are still snotty. Fact is, not all people follow the Disney policies.

 

[Smile4Me]

what about calling and finding out if there is a PIN or a Code attached to your name? Does that still happen ? Or will they always send you an email or a postcard letting know?

 

[mbanks21]

If a guest has a pin code theyre going to have the 15 digit code. If they say "I saw the new fall special that just came out" they should be able to get the UWI and equivalent codes without having to know them and they dont have to know them. A good CM will know all the codes and who is able to use them

 

[j&t'sdad]

I don't get nervous, but when I get a CM who I don't think is well-informed. I politely tell him I'll think about things. Then I hang up and call back.

I do the same thing - Almost. If I get a rude CM, I'll say "Thank you, I think I'll call back and speak to someone else."

My hope is the next call they take, maybe they'll think about their crap attitude and be nicer to that person.

 

[peyjax]

I do the same thing - Almost. If I get a rude CM, I'll say "Thank you, I think I'll call back and speak to someone else."

My hope is the next call they take, maybe they'll think about their crap attitude and be nicer to that person.

That is my point. I think I should have titled the post "It should not be this hard".

When I say I get nervous, I guess I do because I do not always have the time to keep calling. It usually takes about a half hour after the prompts, wait time, and conversation with the CM. That is a lot of time to waist only to have the conversation get you nowhere.

I do the same as the rest of you and say the typical "Let me think about it" or "I have to talk it over with the family". My point is we should not have to do that. Like I said before there is a whole board of people who know codes and the ways of doing things and Disney's own employees can not figure it out. It should not be a toss of the dice every time we call!

 

[bytheblood]

I do the same as the rest of you and say the typical "Let me think about it" or "I have to talk it over with the family". My point is we should not have to do that. Like I said before there is a whole board of people who know codes and the ways of doing things and Disney's own employees can not figure it out. It should not be a toss of the dice every time we call!

Don't tell them that. I have called and provided a general code and have been asked by the CM "where did you get the code from?" and have told them "I found it on a message board, but it is a public code" and have had them actually respond with, "well, if you found it on the Disboards, those people have no idea what they are talking about most of the time."

Most of the CMs I get are wonderful. I have been fortunate enough to get the same CM (Julio) to book my trip several times and he was wonderful. Hamill was fantastic and there have been several others. There are only a few who I have had to hang up with and call back later.

In their defense I must say, I called in 3-way with my mother-in-law on the phone to get her hooked up with free dining. I was asking everything for my MIL as well as giving the CM all the information she needed to look it up. She was saying she could not find it, but it was because she was not doing it correctly. The CM was very nice and she was very happy to have my help, she even asked me if I wanted a job. My MIL would have driven me crazy if I was the CM. She got free dining and she was picking it apart down to the penny. That CM was extremely kind and patient with her (maybe because I was helping) but if that were me, if I were that CM, I would have gone mental.