CM Attitudes

[surferdave]

The observation that CM behavior has been slipping has been made recently in a lot of places (including the DIS Unplugged podcast) based on a lot more than just the anecdotes noted here.

 

[Missyrose]

I will say one thing though, I follow a few people on Twitter who are friends with face characters and I will never understand how they can live tweet their shift, there never seemed that much time between M&Gs.

 

[MickeyMinnieMom]

The observation that CM behavior has been slipping has been made recently in a lot of places (including the DIS Unplugged podcast) based on a lot more than just the anecdotes noted here.

Yes. You're right. It's based on more anecdotes than just the ones here.

This has been a running story since I joined DIS. But now it's apparently because of FP+.

It amazes me how little actual information people need to draw conclusions... AND causality. Not just on DIS or about WDW but elsewhere and on just about any topic. Notions of what is true evidence, how much of it is needed to draw cogent conclusions, etc... Mostly absent, especially online.

To be fair, I guess this is not Statistics Unplugged...

 

[DOPEYLUVER]

My daughter who is a CM was just home this past weekend. I am an accountant and interacting with people really isn't my thing but honestly the things she tells me about the guests really is appalling.

She likes to pick up extra shifts but doesn't like to work the parades because the CM's always get spit on by the guests.

She sent me a picture of her knee. It had a hideous bruise that I really thought should have been looked at by a doctor. It happened because she told a guest in a scooter she couldn't go somewhere and the guest decided that ramming my daughter was an appropriate response.

Guests are not happy at all with the FP+ and do "blame" the front line employees. Last week a woman screamed at her because she thought her FP was for 9PM. It was for 9AM. Had the woman been just slightly civilized it could have been taken care of, but when being screamed at their really isn't much incentive to sprinkle pixie dust. The change in the Guest Assistance Cards is another thing that guests yell at her for.

I found one previous poster's comment very interesting about the entitlement of students causing the problems with CM attitudes. I blame it much more on the entitlement of society.

My daughter had dreams of making a career at WDW but now she will leave as soon as she graduates college. So there would be one example of rude guests being the cause of a decrease in happy CM's.

And finally, one of her co-workers was fired a couple of weeks ago for cellphone usage.

 

[hildarumpole]

Been going since 1976 and have never been pixie dusted on PP nor heard of it.

(That said, I don't dispute the OP's general point. I'm here now and maybe 1 in 10 CMs are really nice and or engaging. My unfounded guess is pay. The job doesn't attract the more skilled people it use to?)

We got pixie dusted for the first time this year. It was a female CM who waved her arms and said, "Away you go!" It was cute and unexpected.

We noticed a definite decline in some CMs attitudes toward their work this year. I understand working with the public can be draining, but that's no excuse for some of the CM behavior we encountered. At the Christmas shop in MK, the cashier put her hand up at me and said, "Wait." when I approached the register to check out and said, "Hello." She was fussing with some stuff on the side of the register and could have been less harsh. I further had to wait when another CM came up to her to complain about not knowing where to put some items. At the shop near Haunted Mansion, 2 CMs were engaged in a discussion about acid reflux and how awful a fellow CM looked in her uniform. In both shops, these were all older women who, presumably, haven't had their social skills stunted by electronics. I don't expect CMs to whip out poms poms every time I walk by, but at least not look like they hate their lives. The CMs from foreign countries were the friendliest and most engaged. Maybe some of their disgruntled American counterparts could take a cue from them. A good attitude goes a long way in making work more tolerable, even if you don't like the job.

 

[ToddyLu]

I haven't noticed any change in CMs but I have noticed young parents not paying attention to their children because BOTH are on their cellphones in a que. That is sad to me, what kind of interaction are they missing. I mean it is a 15 min wait and the child is in its stroller, Mom and Dad typing away.

 

[Cap'nJack'sMum]

Today was my first experience at one of the FP+ kiosks. I will say that the CM approached me and my daughter somewhat apprehensively, but we were kind and polite in our interactions and by the end he was smiling and wished us a magical day. I think CMs are getting bashed and attacked by rude guests so they're pulling back a bit to evaluate the tone of the interaction they're about to have. I don't have a problem with it at all. It's a normal human reaction. Having to meet someone, who is going to rip your face off, with a huge smile 8 times our of 10 would make anyone a little gun shy.

I haven't met any CM who was rude yet this trip. They may not be all smiles and waving, but upon interacting with them, they are just as nice as usual.

 

[surferdave]

Yes. You're right. It's based on more anecdotes than just the ones here.

This has been a running story since I joined DIS. But now it's apparently because of FP+.

It amazes me how little actual information people need to draw conclusions... AND causality. Not just on DIS or about WDW but elsewhere and on just about any topic. Notions of what is true evidence, how much of it is needed to draw cogent conclusions, etc... Mostly absent, especially online.

To be fair, I guess this is not Statistics Unplugged...

Pretty much everything said here is anecdotal and speculative, this thread is no different.

 

[MickeyMinnieMom]

Pretty much everything said here is anecdotal and speculative, this thread is no different.

I won't disagree there!!! LOL!!!

By definition sharing one's experience is sharing anecdotal info. Nothing wrong with that... Especially on a message board!! The part I find funny is all the conclusions people are willing to draw based upon that anecdotal info. Doesn't actually make any sense, but happens all the time...

 

[BugsDaddy]

My daughter who is a CM was just home this past weekend. I am an accountant and interacting with people really isn't my thing but honestly the things she tells me about the guests really is appalling.

She likes to pick up extra shifts but doesn't like to work the parades because the CM's always get spit on by the guests.

She sent me a picture of her knee. It had a hideous bruise that I really thought should have been looked at by a doctor. It happened because she told a guest in a scooter she couldn't go somewhere and the guest decided that ramming my daughter was an appropriate response.

Guests are not happy at all with the FP+ and do "blame" the front line employees. Last week a woman screamed at her because she thought her FP was for 9PM. It was for 9AM. Had the woman been just slightly civilized it could have been taken care of, but when being screamed at their really isn't much incentive to sprinkle pixie dust. The change in the Guest Assistance Cards is another thing that guests yell at her for.

I found one previous poster's comment very interesting about the entitlement of students causing the problems with CM attitudes. I blame it much more on the entitlement of society.

My daughter had dreams of making a career at WDW but now she will leave as soon as she graduates college. So there would be one example of rude guests being the cause of a decrease in happy CM's.

And finally, one of her co-workers was fired a couple of weeks ago for cellphone usage.

I am sorry, but I find it very hard to believe that any guests are "spitting" on CMs during the parades. I have never seen this once but as described, you would think it happens all the time.

 

[BigAlsGal]

As someone who frequents disney world I'm not quite sure why I take on a role of a person responsible for creating magic but I do. I honestly can't imagine what these CMs experience everyday but I can only assume sometimes they are treated like doormats, peeons, and nobodies.

I don't assume that everyone smiles at them and waves happily. Heck I know a couple times I've smiled at people and been looked at like an idiot. Or tried to give out unused fastpasses and looked at like I'm trying to sell stolen watches on a street corner.

It takes a very unique person to be shot down over and over again and keep trying to make someone's day magical. I'm always smiling and waving at the CMs and I've always been met with them same. If I see a CM acting less than magical I'm very empathetic, as none of us can be full of pixie dust all day everyday. We are human.

I'm going to say though I have never had a CM sprinkle me ever on PP. Now every now and then I've seen them pretend to magically lower the bar on the ride vehicle but never pixie dusted.

 

[Mom loves Disney]

We too have had pixie dust sprinkled on us at Peter Pan by a lady cm. We loved the extra touch.

 

[wisblue]

On the original post about CMs being trained, keep in mind that August marks the end of the Spring Advantage College Program and the beginning of the Fall College Program. So, there are a lot of young people going through their original training and they are just learning the specifics of how to do their jobs. There are inevitably going to be some who are not thrilled with their assignments and/or have some difficulty adjusting to them.

As a parent of a daughter who went through a couple of these programs, I would hope that guests would treat these young people in a civil and understanding manner.

 

[CounselorX]

I wish I remembered the name of the guy that works at Tower of Terror, loading passengers. He's our favorite CM and he's always in character and is hilarious to even look at his facial expressions and hear him talk. I'm really hoping he'll be there in 2 weeks so we can get his name and maybe take a picture with him.

 

[CounselorX]

I wish I remembered the name of the guy that works at Tower of Terror, loading passengers. He's our favorite CM and he's always in character and is hilarious to even look at his facial expressions and hear him talk. I'm really hoping he'll be there in 2 weeks so we can get his name and maybe take a picture with him.

Actually I found him through a simple google search. It looks like he's a lot of people's favorite CM. His name is T.J. Wollard.

 

[LoveMyDogTheDoodle]

I think a lot of this is expectation of the CMs. Too many people expect to walk up, not engage a CM at all, yet have them suddenly do something to make their experience more magical. I've never had a CM not engage me back when I say hello to them and ask them how's their day.

As for the cell phone thing, it's unfathomable that WDW allows CMs to use theirs in the parks. I worked in retail management for 9 years, first rule of working in one of my stores was your cell phone goes in a locker at the start of your shift, and comes out at the end. 2 offenses and you were fired (Barring emergency circumstances.) Why WDW wouldn't implement such a rule is baffling.

As a former CM (I worked Fast Pass Plus recently before moving to the Panhandle of Florida) I would be shocked to see a fellow CM on a cell phone! It is strictly forbidden to use a personal cell phone for anything other than a timepiece. This is drilled into us during training. Even when off duty (if wearing a costume) use of a cell phone is forbidden. We understood that when "on stage" we were expected to play a role. We also knew that we were being watched by coordinators and trainers.

Regarding cranky CM's; my opinion is that many of them have to pick up extra shifts working as much as 50 or more hours a week just to make ends meet. Disney only pays between $8.03 and $8.15 to start (Florida minimum wage is $7.93). And raises are far and few between in spite of a union (and dues that are paid by the CM's). This would test even the most friendly and patient of us.

 

[Planogirl]

I think that it's a wonder that Disney can find CM's much less find those who are able to wear the happy mask on a constant basis. These people are routinely underappreciated and treated poorly and yet they manage to be there every day. Kudos to them.

 

[Alice Royal]

I wonder how much of the attitude change is lack of training and how much is due to society and a younger generation glued to their phones and not interacting with people in their daily lives.

I'm going to put it out there. Do you think we are starting to see CMs that are part of a generation that has poor social skills because of use of the internet? Facebook/Twitter/ texting is robbing people of their interpersonal skills. Is this part of the decline of Disney Excellence?
*waits for it*

Absolutely not. I'm an autistic adult whose casual social skills leave a lot to be desired. My cell phone is one of my few means of meaningful communication, as I find that I can say a lot more through text than I can with my voice. You'd probably judge me if you saw me at WDW because I'm the kind of person who will text her friends while they're standing right next to me or use apps in line. But that's not something that flows into my professional life.

I work in service, and I show up every day excited to do that. It's as much acting the part as it is wanting to do a good job. Some do that better than others regardless of their age or cell phone usage. I've been told by several employers that despite my daily challenges (which I've learned to deal with myself, often without considerations or accommodations at work), the way I interact with everyone sets me apart. In fact, the only downgrade from one generation to the next has simply been the fact that many young adults expect their employers to serve THEM rather than for them to serve the PUBLIC. I'm not saying it's right, but I'm saying that there are more general attitude problems with my generation rather than...technology problems? Technophobia doesn't explain away everything that's wrong in the world.

My boss owns a small business and employs about 140 or so people. He says that 1 out of every 10 people he hires is an exceptional employee.

Taking that "fact" onto consideration, WDW has approximately 66,000 employees. That means that there are (in theory) 6600 exceptional employees at WDW. Everyone else just "gets through their day" at work, IMHO.

^^This, pretty much. Again, it's in the attitude. A lot of the youth who work for Disney aren't doing it to pay bills or raise children (and I'm assuming from the previous posts that we're attributing CM apathy to this generation). They feel entitled to a job so they can spend their paychecks on stuff. Then there's the 1 in 10 who really cares. In theory, Disney *should* be able to weed out the other 9, but considering their incredible workforce size, I suppose it's not so easy.

As for the cell phone thing, it's unfathomable that WDW allows CMs to use theirs in the parks. I worked in retail management for 9 years, first rule of working in one of my stores was your cell phone goes in a locker at the start of your shift, and comes out at the end. 2 offenses and you were fired (Barring emergency circumstances.) Why WDW wouldn't implement such a rule is baffling.

I won't call anyone a liar but there is a rule at WDW and if a cell phone was used in the manner that was described, the CM would have been terminated on the spot. Not buying the version at all. Two encounters also, no not buying it.

Straight from the Disney Look guidelines:

"No matter where you work or what your role is, anytime you are in a public area, you are on stage. Your attitude and performance are direct reflections on the quality of our Disney show. Often it's the seemingly little things that detract from our guests' enjoyment – chewing gum, having poor posture, using a cellular phone or frowning. Of course, smoking and eating on stage are also strictly prohibited. All of this adds up to one of the most important aspects of your role in our show: good stage presence."

 

[Nancyg56]

An extended member of our family was recently a CM at WDW. Listening to her and her friends talk...well it kinda brought reality to the CM "magic" for me. Some CM just "act" the disney role better than others. They talked about guests a lot as being stupid or rude. I'm sure they have their fill of challenging guest interaction but I found the conversations to be very smug and sarcastic. In all fairness tho I'm sure here are many CM who do love their job and want to make a difference

I think that if the conversation was private, it was not meant for guests to hear. I think that everyone who works has a conversation that if heard by outsiders, would tarnish their impression of the company. This is no different. I was always told that if I eavesdropped on a conversation, I needed to be prepared for what I heard.

OP- the CM's are under tremendous pressure right now. i would not associate any less than magical CM's with personal devices, the internet, or any other technology out there.

 

[RealBlast3]

I don't know, I've always had wonderful Disney trips and couldn't think of anything to complain about from castmembers? I have absolutely no expectations of them, in terms of interacting with me or spreading pixie dust. I think some guests need to adjust their attitude, to be honest. Just because you may have had some very magical experiences from certain castmembers in the past, doesn't mean you always will. They are not robots after all. As long as they are professional, that's all I expect!

And if, on occasion, you do encounter something like the supposed cast member on the phone at the register or a raised voice - so what? I guess I don't see what the big deal is? I wouldn't even remember stuff like that or have it irk me. There's so much wonderful stuff happening at Disney World, a castmember's enthusiasm levels would definitely have no bearing on my enjoyment level. But then I try to be a positive person and don't let things like that bother me.