Anyone Else Getting Fed up With Disney CM'S?

[Goofygirls4God]

Not to mention this is our 1st vacaation using Disney Dining Plan so you can totally understand my concern for options and choices and the hope to chose right after reading the boards!
It's Crazy...I had only changed 1 other time and this one was 2 small changes...is this frustration founded at all here?
Blessings
Kristie

 

[nbodyhome]

I certainly don't think the meal previously was underpriced - but there just wasn't enough spaces in a small restaurant. Now, it prices some people out. It would have been nice if they could have just extended the breakfast hours - like 7am until noon, had the character lunch go until 5 or so, and then have the regular dinner for those who don't need characters.

Denise

 

[Jabber_Jaws]

Some of these CM's need a manners class or refresher course on the ettiquette and magic of Disney Vacation Planning.

Same goes for some guest also..

 

[Goofygirls4God]

Oh, I was not ugly or anything...I am just venting here with frustration b/c I figured I could with other Disney planners.
I was totally nice to her inspite of her tone, she was just very opinionated and bossy with me about my vacation...I thought about hanging up and calling back, but I figured I really should press through.I was shocked how verbal and how strongly she urged me to not to make changes to my dinner plans.
It was just a weird CM experience that's all.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Oh I can completely understand the reason for the credit card hold as well as the identification when entering the restaurant for your seating, what I don't agree with nor do I understand is the charging of a full meal before it's even eaten.

Look at it like a hotel room. You pay for that in advance, especially when booking a package - even though you haven't been in the room yet.

I certainly don't think the meal previously was underpriced - but there just wasn't enough spaces in a small restaurant. Now, it prices some people out. It would have been nice if they could have just extended the breakfast hours - like 7am until noon, had the character lunch go until 5 or so, and then have the regular dinner for those who don't need characters.

Okay, not a bad idea - but what do you do when the Magic Kingdom closes at 6 or 7? You're shutting out a lot of Guests who would have eaten dinner there.

 

[Maliki2]

I was making my reservations for my upcoming trip....and I got a CM that couldn't speak a lick of english. I had to hang up the phone and call back.

 

[DeterminedOne]

I don't like the new cc policy either. It's absurd, especially when you're on a dining plan. Another poster mentioned that it's the same when you book a hotel room and they charge upfront. I've never been charged upfront for a hotel stay. Okay, I take that back. Some hotels in Vegas charge upfront but only for the first night like a deposit.

We want to dine at HDDR and CRT for our upcoming trip. I heard HDDR has implemented a pay upfront system as well. If that's true we might have to skip it. Dining is inclusive with the package we're getting and as you well know we're paying thousands of dollars for it. Why are they trying to nickel and dime us?

I work in a customer service call center so I wanted to add something in defense of the Disney travel reps. In that environment information changes constantly and sometimes companies aren't as quick as they should with trickling that information down to the front lines. That leads to confusion and wrong information being given out. Being rude to or short with a customer is never justifiable but I see it happen every day because of the pressure reps are under. Customers don't realize that behind the scenes customer service reps are pushed to get you off the phone in a certain amount of time to answer the next call. Some companies don't care about the quality of information you receive. Especially days when a lot of calls are coming in. The only thing they care about then is getting callers off hold. It puts the rep in a terrible situation. So please understand that it's not all their fault.

 

[Tiger926]

People do make mistakes - the same thing happened to me, but I didn't go crazy. I called long distance from Canada and the Dining CM apologized and kindly refunded my CRT dinner reservation that I made through DVC Member Services - so I had to call and talk to 3 different CMs. Not a big deal - there are more important things to get worked up about then getting them to reverse a charge on your credit card.

Hopefully they'll have the bugs worked out soon. I always wonder when I read of people so incensed and angry with Disney about being overcharged, lost ressies, etc. if they would be so quick to jump and call CRO if Disney undercharged or forgot to apply room charges to their account, probably not!

Tiger

 

[pedro2112]

I don't like the new cc policy either. It's absurd, especially when you're on a dining plan.

If you are on the dining plan you will not have the meal charged to your CC ahead of time. The CC number will be taken down, and will not be charged unless you cancel at the last minute (48 hours or so).

 

[Tiger926]

As several of us have already stated pedro2112, despite being on the Dining Plan many guests are being charged for CRT (as I was). Mine was a mix-up with the CM at DVC Member Services, but when I called Disney Dining to get my VISA credit, I didn't even have to finish my sentence because she knew what I was calling about. It's happened a ton of times over the past week she said due to several 'glitches', so she had my refund started within seconds of calling.

There does seem to be some issues, so I would encourage all guests to check their credit card statements as soon as possible (online is best) and call Disney Dining to get it straightened out.

Tiger

 

[imatoad]

You all can use me as a punching bag, but having worked in the resort industry for many years, the bottom line is, stuff happens, even at the best resort hotels in the world, and as long as they correct it and apologize, no harm no foul. As for the CM behavior, well customer service in the US has been on a rapid decline for some time now, and given the huge staff WDW must maintain, I find the ratio of miserable CMs to nice not that bad. No matter where you go, there will be an unhappy staff member, sad but true. Italy two years ago, beautiful country, but some of the coldest people I've ever met, we stayed at a hotel on the Lido, a small island in Venice, and believe me it wasn't cheap. Well the staff could not have cared less about us if they tried, they were hardly cordial to us upon check in, after that we were pretty much invisible to them the entire stay. Others have told me that's just the way they are, sorry, not when I'm spending that much money at your hotel.

 

[jennifer293]

Since I was required to attend Disney U several years ago I have some idea of the dress codes, etc. For example...only recently have men been allowed any type of facial hair.

But does anyone know what the starting pay is...and can you still "work you way up"? But how long does that take and can you afford to take the time and effort for something that might happen someday?

Can you tell I am also not happy at work...I discovered that verbal assault is allowed....literally yelled at by supervisor...and this is in a police department....

I was talking to a CM in May and I was talking to her about the "characters". I was saying that I bet they had to pay them pretty high to have them out parading around in those outfits in the dead of heat and she said actually they are the lowest paid job at WDW, she said they only get minimum wage... , she said they were mostly high school students and they will do anything for a paycheck!!!

What is minimum wage now? Like $5.35hr or something??? UGHHHH I can't imagine!!!

 

[pedro2112]

As several of us have already stated pedro2112, despite being on the Dining Plan many guests are being charged for CRT (as I was).

Tiger, I am aware of that. The poster I was responding to wasn't upset because CMs were inadvertently charging their credit cards, rather she was under the mistaken impression that the new CC policy would charge your meal in full, even with the dining plan. I was just pointing out that isn't the policy.

That's all.

 

[miller2470]

Whew!!! I just made ressies 2 days ago for both HDDR and CRT, both reservations were for 13 people...when I read that you all were being charged already it really scared me. I was assured more than once that it wouldnt be charged because of the dining plan but was simply a hold. I immediately called Disney DIning and comfirmed that my card was not charged and wouldnt be charged unless we cancelled without 48 hrs notice. I was freaking out because do you know how much that would cost??? It would really mess me up as I have been making my AAA payments for the trip on that card as I pay it down.
The girl that I spoke with was very understanding and helpful, and I must say very upset when I told her that I knew of someone who had been charged and they too were on the DP.

 

[UrsulasShadow]

I'm surprised at how many people here will hang up and call again in order to get a knowledgeable CM. Doesn't anyone ever ask to speak to the CM's supervisor? The one and only time I had an issue with a CM, I asked to speak to his supervisor. I got a very knowledgeable woman, who fixed all my issues, with the added benefit of knowing that my problem with the previous CM was brought to someone's attention. I can't help but wonder if everyone who had problems did this, it would cause some sort of improvement in CM training.

 

[Tiger926]

No problem Pedro - I just didn't want anyone to misunderstand you as you said that no one will be charged for the CRT dinner if on the Dining Plan, and that is incorrect as many have been charged. Your verbage indicated (sorry, the English teacher in me is coming out!) that it definitely isn't happening when it is and I felt it was important to make others aware that they should check their credit card statements for charges so that they aren't in for a shock when they are fully charged (despite being on the Dining Plan) as your response kind of indicated otherwise.

Thanks, Tiger