automatic waitlist hitch

[MichelleB]

I called mid week last week to see if there was any other accomodations available for part of our Jan. ressie (I had been on a waitlist for several nights at VWL). Anyway, when I called the gentleman said that one of my days had a match. I expressed my pleasure because I'd checked the website and it wasn't showing the change. He said not to worry that it sometimes takes up to 5 days for the website to reflect the changes for the waitlists. Ok, so fastforward to yesterday. I called MS because the change still wasn't showing under our vacation details after a week. The MS rep I spoke with said yes there was a match but the gentleman had not gone into the system and made the change. What??? I thought it was an automatic waitlist change. She said not to worry, the we were a match for the waitlist but it would sit out there until someone went in manually and made the change. In fixing this one, she also learned that a waitlist we'd placed for summer '08 has come through and had not been changed either so she went in and manually changed that ressie too. Why does this have to be done and why on earth would it take me calling (that was the idea of the automatic waitlist I thought) to get that manual change made? I'm confused and wondering if anyone else has had this situation come up.

 

[Buckeye Fan]

That's odd. Whether it's done manually behind the scenes or systematically, I still thought it was "automatic" to the customer. I had put in for a ressie this March for a 2-BR at SSR. At the end of Oct, all that was available was a 2-BR lockoff. I really wanted a dedicated 2-BR, so I waitlisted the entire ressie, not just day by day. MS told me that if the ressie came through, it would automatically be booked, there would be no point change (since I had reserved the lockoff) and that I could check the website regulary for an update. I saw the change on the website a few weeks later and received a new confirmation letter from DVC stating that we were booked for a dedicated 2-BR. My experience sounds very different from yours, as for me, the process seemed automated all the way from the waitlist to the new confirmation letter.

Good luck with your reservations and safe travels!

 

[MichelleB]

What you describe is what I expected to happen, but for some reason it didn't. Seems odd that it happened on 2 of my ressies. I'm curious to see what happens in the future. Thanks for confirming that it should happen the way I expected.

 

[jennib5426]

I had the same issue with my waitlist for April 08. I was was on waitlist for 2 seperate days in April at BCV. I called when the website was down and they said a match had come thru for one of my two days, then they asked if I wanted to book it? I was suprised becuase I thought they automatically booked it. I had plenty of points to cover the waitlist if it came thru.
I called back a few weeks later when the web site was back up to double check my point balance and the CM said my second waitlist came thru do I want to book it.....

I don't understand the waitlist, it doesn't seem like it is automatic.
If I had never called I don't think they would have booked my waitlist requests.

 

[GoofysGal33850]

I had the same issue with my waitlist for April 08. I was was on waitlist for 2 seperate days in April at BCV. I called when the website was down and they said a match had come thru for one of my two days, then they asked if I wanted to book it? I was suprised becuase I thought they automatically booked it. I had plenty of points to cover the waitlist if it came thru.
I called back a few weeks later when the web site was back up to double check my point balance and the CM said my second waitlist came thru do I want to book it.....

I don't understand the waitlist, it doesn't seem like it is automatic.
If I had never called I don't think they would have booked my waitlist requests.

The waitlist is automatic, but the system doesn't automatically do it. It still takes a person to confirm it.

Your waitlists would have been booked because the room is sitting there waiting for the waitlist team to get to it. The room isn't going anywhere... it sits there until someone can process it.

Considering the amount of waitlists we have been having, that's not too bad. Everytime someone says "Waitlist me for every studio", that's 11 waitlists. Multiply that by the the hundreds of members weekly who ask for that (or similar), you can imagine the amount there are.

When she said 'Do you want me to book that' it may have been better to say 'Do you want me to confirm that'... it was yours and sitting there until someone was able to do it. To take it from you (rlease the inventory) would require another manual process... the system won't take it away.

 

[dianeschlicht]

That is just crazy! I would think a good computer program would make this as automatic as it's supposed to be!

 

[GoofysGal33850]

That is just crazy! I would think a good computer program would make this as automatic as it's supposed to be!

I don't care how good a 'program' is... I wouldn't want it to be able to indiscriminatly borrow points for me without the oversight of a advisor. : -)

We've never said that the process was automatically done by a program, only that we we automatically confirm a waitlist without calling for permission since the act of having us create a waitlist is a request in advance for us to make the reservation. Now we no longer have hundreds of rooms in limbo while waiting for members to call back and are able to satisfy members needs better.

We do our best to keep it magical.

 

[dianeschlicht]

I don't care how good a 'program' is... I wouldn't want it to be able to indiscriminatly borrow points for me without the oversight of a advisor. : -)

We've never said that the process was automatically done by a program, only that we we automatically confirm a waitlist without calling for permission since the act of having us create a waitlist is a request in advance for us to make the reservation. Now we no longer have hundreds of rooms in limbo while waiting for members to call back and are able to satisfy members needs better.

We do our best to keep it magical.

I agree it shouldn't "borrow points", but why can't it swap one ressie for another without borrowing?

 

[VrBchJ]

Off topic, but I always appreciate Goofysgal's insights and inside information. Thanks for sharing your expertise with us.

 

[bridger71]

No disrespect to Goofysgal post, but I keep seeing a recurring theme from MS that the number of requests has increased dramatically or that the number of members has increased dramatically, etc... and it takes longer to process waitlists. My response to that is, we as owners, paid for a 'total package' product that includes the resorts as well as member services. If DVC membershipe has grown so dramatically then has MS increased proportionally to that growth? It would seem if that were the case then the level of service members saw 5 or 10 years ago should be the same today.

 

[GoofysGal33850]

I agree it shouldn't "borrow points", but why can't it swap one ressie for another without borrowing?

I wish it were that simple

The human 'system' we use (not to be confused with the computer system) is automatic, but the computer system is not automated to process them.

We hope to upgrade so that we no longer send the confirmations on stone tablets. It's bad when you miss the chisel and hit your thumb.

 

[rsquare]

You mean MS cast members aren't chained to their desks 24/7 with their supervisors cracking whips at their backs?

Automated or human, I'm not sure which makes more mistakes. And I write code!

I echo bridgr71's comments about DVC becomming crowded. Is it because everyone wants to use their points at the same time of year or some other reason (like DVC sold too many points). Every time I go to WDW, I want to rip down all those "Best Kept Secret" posters!

 

[GoofysGal33850]

You mean MS cast members aren't chained to their desks 24/7 with their supervisors cracking whips at their backs?

Automated or human, I'm not sure which makes more mistakes. And I write code!

I echo bridgr71's comments about DVC becomming crowded. Is it because everyone wants to use their points at the same time of year or some other reason (like DVC sold too many points). Every time I go to WDW, I want to rip down all those "Best Kept Secret" posters!

They don't have whips.

everybody wants to come at peak times and most are under the impression that they can call on short notice and get availability. Unfortunately, that's not the case. Most of our calls this week are for 12/28-1/5.

I wish people would get their airfare AFTER they get their rooms. (sigh) I feel bad when I don't have availability, but I can't build it. I so much prefer being able to make magic and do it every time I can.

 

[MandM22]

Off topic, but I always appreciate Goofysgal's insights and inside information. Thanks for sharing your expertise with us.

Ditto. I really appreciate the insider view of things. It helps us all understand and appreciate what goes on behind the scenes. I am a programmer and all code has flaws... Sometimes the human interaction is needed as a safeguard. You know like when you hit "delete" and the system responds.."Are you sure you want to Delete?".

Goofysgal - you are appreciated. Thanks for the info!

rsquare - I agree with you... I want to rip down those "Best Kept Secret" signs also. sssshhhhhh don't tell anyone else about DVC... lol