Cast training please. Pretty please.

[nuttylawprofessor]

We're just back from a fantastic trip. Many happy pixie-dusted moments. One bad afternoon at Downtown Disney, which brings me to my question.

Has anyone noticed that cast members are just not on the same page. EVEN WHEN THEY'RE WORKING THE SAME DARN STORE! We wanted a box of potato head parts for the little one for Christmas. I asked one cast member at the registers near the potato head parts if we could buy extra pieces separately if they didn't fit in the box. He told us yes, but only if you buy a box, and then only one extra piece for $2. Great! Thanks! We continued through the store, doing some shopping for Santa. I went to check out at the registers in the center of Once Upon a Toy. Cast member tells me "No, you can't buy parts separately." I explained what we were told at the other register. "No, there is no such policy, and how would I know what to charge you. I mean, I don't even know how I'd ring that up." I asked her to ask one of her fellow cast members. Now I have two rude-ies looking at me like I'm on illicit substances. I explained that the other cast member told us "One extra part, $2." I then get the response, "But this is a big part." (It was the Astroblaster car). Dumbfounded, I finally told them to ring up the rest of the order and forget the extra part. I went back to the original cast member and got my extra vehicle for $2. I was so frustrated by the know-it-all peevy attitude.

We had so many other wonderful cast members, but this interaction really left a sour taste in my mouth. Booo them. Yay Don at Once Upon a Toy. You rock.

 

[Feralpeg]

Many CMs move from store to store depending on where they are needed. Sometimes they pick up extra hours working in the theme parks or, theme park CMs pick up hours working in the stores. Therefore, they don't always know what they are doing. They shouldn't give out false information. They should just say they don't know, but it is drumed into their heads to be helpful to the guests. I think they try to hard.

 

[Schmeck]

But perhaps the first castmember was the one who was wrong! Maybe they are not supposed to sell the parts seperately, and the other CMs were right. Just because they do not agree, doesn't make them bad. Of course you would like the one who said what you wanted to hear, but don't be rude about the others. They may have been right in the first place!

 

[blueangel]

I got told the same thing - NO astroblaster vehicle! But they told me you could buy extra parts separately, just not the vehicle! Kinda makes me mad, now because I left without it...No way was it fitting in that box.

 

[nuttylawprofessor]

Ummm, I wasn't being rude about the other cast members. When I went back to CM 1 (Don), I explained what happened. He knew what he was doing and was doing things correctly. He told me that he's been at the store for the past 18 months and told me about the change in policy, that is, when it happened and why. If a cast member wants to be helpful but may not be familiar with the store, then please go talk to someone who would know the answer. Regardless, the two that I encountered were NOT trying to be helpful. Looking at the guest like she has three heads with lobsters crawling out of each ear is not being helpful. Nor were their snarkish responses that just don't translate well to the written page.