CMs chewing gum

[brockash]

Want to hear some opinions about this.
I just encountered my second CM chewing gum. And I wanna know, am I weird to be (a little) bothered by this?

I do not mind chewing gum when you are working somewhere behind the scenes, you do you. But when you are in a role where you interact with guests constantly... Why do you chew gum? Especially playing with the gum in your mouth, and the half chewed up rubber ball is visible for the guests...

First time was a few months back in Soarin' in California Adventure. The CM assigning the seats in the theater was chewing gum. I told him quietly, for future reference, do not chew gum when interacting with guests.

Today I am in Disneyland Paris and it's time to check in. The reception is quiet, CMs are talking to each other. When the CM spotted me, she steps forward to help me. She didn't make me wait or anything. But she keeps playing with her gum, half open mouthed, pressing the gum against her teeth. When I said something about it, she asked if I was bothered by it, and I was a lttle surprised by that question, all that came out of my mouth was that I was surprised. After that, she doesn't chew anymore, but she also says as little as possible, and it's clear: I am not her favorite guest of today. She was still polite, but it was awkkward.

I worked for years in hospitality. This is one of my biggest no-no's in a hospitality setting.
Just to be clear: this was a normal conversation, not screaming, not demanding to see a manager or reporting via e-mail it afterwards. I use the name Karin here, but I am not a Karen I tolerate a lot, when it comes to hospitality workers, I know how hard it is to work in hospitality, but I can't imagine that Disney doesn't have it in their rule book to not chew gum in front of guests. Especially at the hotel reception, you are probably the first CM people see when on property.

I used to work for an airline at the airport, and we had a whole list of dos & donts while in uniform. Eating, drinking, chewing gum, smoking etc. were all prohibited.

So ... all I want to know, are my expectations too high, is this a generational thing (I am now 40, both CMs probably early 20s) or am I just weird?

Yes I would definitely find it unprofessional and it would bother me, but I'm non- confrontational so there's no way I'd say something to them, but maybe it's good that you did.

 

[Deb]

30 years in the hotel business. Agree with you that them chewing it in guest facing positions is inappropriate. Not sure there was anything to be gained by you personally confronting the employee. Also don't see it as a "can I speak with your manager" issue. I might mention it on a survey. So management knows if they didn't.
I'm usually surprisingly easy going as a guest. As in, I may notice it, but it really needs to effect me for me to pursue it. I contacted WDW once about a bus driver's choice of radio station and conversation which literally included standing at the front of the bus and blocking passengers from getting off the bus while he spoke.

 

[FastPasser.]

Congratulations! I'm assuming, however, that the CMs in question had the OK of their managers, that either Disney changed the rules, or they got some kind of exception/allowance to chew gum. Even if they hadn't and they were violating Disney's rules, it's not up to a guest to criticize them.

I agree with PP, saying "I thought CMs weren't allowed to chew gum. Has that changed recently?" Would be a better approach (if something really needed to be said).

Thanks, I doubt that a manager would approve gum chewing on stage.

Some Disney managers can be extremely fussy regarding onstage behavior and will make it known to the CM. Reprimands are not usually in order for such incidents though.

I checked the CM “Disney Look” handbook and it’s still there, along with a few other behaviors that would surprise most people.

 

[FastPasser.]

Agreed, Lou.

Nice to see you here Dan. Just to clarify, it’s not me saying that but unless its changed very recently it’s the written policy.

 

[Newsies]

During my 2016 DCP, I accidentally walked on stage not being "show ready", and knew many, many friends who did the same In my case, I accidentally walked on stage with my blue company ID out (has to be visible while we're backstage, has to be hidden while we're onstage), but I knew coworkers who accidentally went on stage still chewing gum from their lunch break! It happens. There's a lot going on backstage and like just like everyone else, we get distracted, spaced out, and forgetful.

If you see a CM chewing gum, or their Blue ID is showing, or maybe they don't have their nametag, or something just looks "off" -- we mostly appreciate it when guests (discreetly and kindly) point it out to us. 9/10 times we will thank you, fix the problem, and share a silly story with our coworkers later about how frazzled we were before we stepped on stage. Some of these things can get us in a little bit of trouble if a leader sees it, so we would generally rather hear it from a well-intentioned guest than from another CM.

 

[BayouQueen]

For me it would be a “note to self” that Disney parks are slipping. I wouldn’t have said anything, as Karin did, just because I’m older and the drip, drip, drip of lessened standards everywhere has just worn me down. But I find no fault in Karin saying something. Maybe the CM will decide the gum isn’t a great idea.

Enjoy your trip, Karin. I’m envious!

 

[luvthatduke]

I couldn't find it in the online (likely not pro) PDF of Disney's "Look Book" but it popped up here:

"CMs also can't chew gum while at work..."

https://www.thetravel.com/25-intense-rules-every-disney-park-employee-has-to-follow/

I would have been surprised to see a CM onstage chewing gum.
I don't think I would have said anything to them, but if they were being annoying with it
I may have asked, "Didn't Walt say no chewing gum in HIS parks?"

Edited for clarification.

 

[Karin1984]

Thanks everyone for contributing! Nice to see that yes, things might change, but this was not a generational thing. We didn't end up in a discussion about young people having no respect.

I don't think Disneyland Paris is very different in regards to the rules how their CMs look in comparison to their US counterparts. I think most differences are behind the scenes with unions being very strong in France. Some behaviour also might be a clash of cultures.

I am not bothered by visible tattoos, unless it is racist or overly sexual. One of the things where Disneyland Paris I do think the park differs from the US is with the hub shows. Both the previous and the current hub show allowed the dancers to choose their own hairstyle and make up (within guidelines probably), and they can mix and match their outfits. These shows are more modern and not the standard classic Disney shows, so something more contemporary is fitting. But I'm not sure it's something the US parks would ever do.

 

[tony67]

Did anyone consider it might be Nicotine Gum? Maybe they are quitting smoking and need that nicotine fix.

 

[FastPasser.]

Did anyone consider it might be Nicotine Gum? Maybe they are quitting smoking and need that nicotine fix.

Hmmm, I’m thinking that wouldn’t fly.

 

[slo]

HHHmmmm…….this is an interesting topic

I’ve worked with the public for 36 years - 33 of those years a manager or store owner. My employees were NEVER allowed to smoke were customers could see them, they were never allowed to have personal conversations where customers could hear them, never allowed to eat where customers could see them, but gum was never something that concerned me unless they were blowing bubbles or snapping it in their mouth in front of them.

People chew gum for all sorts of reasons - for me, if I’m hungry, gum helps me keep my mind off being hungry. There’s something about chewing something that makes my brain less focused on hunger pains. For others it could be for anxiety, someone mentioned to break a smoking habit and I’m sure there’s other reasons too.

I’d much rather get great customer service from a gum chewer than crappy customer service from a non-gum chewer.

 

[tony67]

Hmmm, I’m thinking that wouldn’t fly.

Not sure what you mean by wouldn't fly.

That is up to the manager to make the exception - and in a time where its hard to find staff and you don't want them running off constantly for a smoke break I can see it being allowed as an exception.

I'm not saying its right - I'm just saying its a possibility.

As a manager dealing with smokers can be a nightmare - in general they take way more breaks than most of the staff - and that upsets the rest of the staff who only get their scheduled breaks. If I can let them chew gum and not take a break that is a win unfortunately.

Even worse I worked in a place that did things like make you request to go to the bathroom and then lets smokers run off to get a smoke.
I was in this situation in a call center a long time ago - I was tasked with writing a program where people requested to use the bathroom and the manager would approve it - or not. Then they had me add an option to automatically reject the request after a minute without a response. Finally they added a setting to auto reject the request within a random time up to 20 seconds - so the auto reject was not obvious.
Their thought process was if someone really had to go they will just go. For some reason though smoker were aloud to take smoke breaks whenever - and people abused that and nothing was every done.
I did not stay long after the auto reject - that was over the top.

 

[FastPasser.]

Not sure what you mean by wouldn't fly.

I don’t think giving that as an excuse to chew gum on stage would work. But who knows, these days, maybe.

It’s not that big an issue. All CMs do things they shouldn’t from time to time. If I saw one doing it I would quietly and privately remind them of the policy and that would be the end of it.

 

[shh]

You comment that you really aren’t a Karen, but you seem to invest a lot of energy in this issue of some cast member chewing gum. I know we all have pet peeves, but I feel your focus on this is extreme! Why not put that energy towards a good cause like fighting poverty, homelessness, substance abuse or domestic violence? Why waste time mulling over this minuscule issue and all its ramifications when there are so many more worthy places to place your efforts? You are a Karen, plain and simple. Just chill.

I think this is an extreme reaction and unkind to OP. We all realize there are many problems and tragedies in this world. None of us are living under rocks.

This entire website and hundreds more social channels, forums, bloggers and "influencers" all obsess about thousands of "minuscule issues" - like the most minute planning or scheduling details of a Disney trip and the tens of thousands of posts that dramatically analyze and discuss every tiny change in WDW rules or policies.

I'm sure if I researched your past posts, I could find a few concerns others may find "miniscule" or "extreme".

There's very subtle gum chewing and obnoxious, gross gum chewing, which is closer to what the OP described. I wouldn't have said anything to the CM, but definitely would have noticed. This was a huge no-no in past years. When you were "on stage", that was strictly forbidden.

As other posters mentioned, the rules are much more relaxed now - and many supervisors look the other way, as it's very hard to get and keep employees vs years ago. I don't blame them.

But I vividly remember when WDW's meticulous customer service training standards were the envy of the entire corporate world, to the point that virtually every company in the '70s through early '00s - especially retailers - were sending their mgmt teams to VERY pricey Castmember/Guest Services consulting programs to learn from best of the best.

Details matter. It was all the "miniscule" service standards Walt Disney insisted upon (that many questioned or disparaged at the time) that elevated WDW above the rest.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

But I vividly remember when WDW's meticulous customer service training standards were the envy of the entire corporate world, to the point that virtually every company in the '70s through early '00s - especially retailers - were sending their mgmt teams to VERY pricey Castmember/Guest Services consulting programs to learn from best of the best.

When you look at how time has adjusted, history is not as kind to companies of decades ago with their practices of not only hiring but "standards". It's something I think people tend to forget when looking so fondly back in the past. That isn't to say "oh look we can chew gum now" but more thinking more in depth about why hiring practices were changed over time and it's not necessarily for the worse. Meticulous takes on a new meaning when you realize that.

Reading articles of the past for instance on size restrictions for women to even be working at Disney World; one article from 2021 states "On-stage “hostesses” were available in sizes 6-14 for women from 5 feet 2 inches to 5 feet 10 inches in height, according to the 1971 brochure, while men’s “host” costumes had waist sizes of 28-40 inches and jacket sizes from 36-44."

A person from a 2014 article discussed their experiences working at Disneyland in the 70s saying that while pregnant women could still work once they started showing and the outfit didn't fit you had to take a leave of unpaid absence. Also if you had any sort of physical impairment (they mentioned a wheelchair, eye patch, cast, etc) you could not be onstage and had to take a backstage position IF one existed at the time. Whether this was formal policy I don't know but that is them giving their experiences as an employee. They also point out that looks were the main factor in hiring practices which isn't a stretch as we know even today at DLR and WDW face characters for instance have stricter rules. Forget inclusiveness of disabilities in hiring practices.

I'm not sure we want to use past decades ago policies for benchmarks of today.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

It’s not that big an issue. All CMs do things they shouldn’t from time to time.

That's why I don't even think it's worth mentioning to anyone. I know with being a past CM you personally feel more compelled to say something but a random guest it's just so asinine of a thing especially as we know we all have done something in our employment. The affect it has on a guest is not there to warrant such a thing.

 

[FastPasser.]

I know with being a past CM you personally feel more compelled to say something

Just to clarify, I wouldn’t say something if I were a guest. I would only say something, not reprimand, to the CM if I was their leader.

 

[Simba's Mom]

My first thought was of Nathan Lane in "The Birdcage" when he screams "He's chewing gum!" about the young guy he's rehearsing with.
But back to the topic. OP, if you're weird, I'm right there with you. When I was a teacher, students weren't allowed to chew gum, so whenever anyone was before me chewing gum, I got upset. Probably that's the reason why whenever I see anyone on the job chewing gum, I feel a little (OK, I'll be honest-more than a little) upset that I don't think they're totally invested in their job. But I forgot about the Nicotine gum-that's the ONLY exception.

 

[Brian Noble]

am I weird to be (a little) bothered by this?

Are you weird? I don't know.

I would have neither noticed nor cared. I 100% would not have attempted to "correct" them--even if it is something that I actually did notice and care about.

 

[NYCgrrl]

I would notice but may or may not point it out to the employee and or supervisor.
People are so very self involved nowadays…smh jsmh.

Like others, worked in the hospitality industry for much of my adult life.
If a union worker did this they’d be written up. Were the employee non union the punishment could be more severe.

Strangely enough I can’t recall the last time I say anyone chewing gum; don’t think it’s very common in this area anymore. I have seen people eating in public (public transport) and that’s a decided turnoff.