CM's live on another planet

[Hayley]

I've been calling CRO for reservations for years, and never had the weird problems I had this time. I was honestly going to start a thread asking if I was the only one.

All the CMs I dealt with were friendly as all get out. But the first one messed up my reservations royally and gave me all kinds of wrong info. The second one tried to fix it but a couple of things were still wrong. The third guy - well, I was on the phone for an hour with him trying to figure out how to fix it. He put me on hold twice, the first time for 10 minutes, the second time for twenty -- maybe longer, I hung up.

The next guy fixed everything in less than a minute!

Everything's fine, but I too was wondering what was going on with CRO!

 

[joshsmom]

This is the first trip where I have had any contact with CRO and although it was an extremely LONG wait to get through (almost 45 minutes), the CM I had was really great. Her computer kept "blipping out" and she would lose everything she typed. She kept apologizing and asking for my info again. I was so happy to be speaking to a live person, I didn't mind. Now after reading all these horror stories about things being wrong, how do I know my ressies are RIGHT?? I got confirmation numbers and wrote them down, but do I now need to call back and confirm them?? My trip is getting close and I'd really like to know what I should do!

 

[Hayley]

Originally posted by joshsmom
how do I know my ressies are RIGHT?? I got confirmation numbers and wrote them down, but do I now need to call back and confirm them?? My trip is getting close and I'd really like to know what I should do!

Oh, it never hurts to call back and confirm. When made my second call I found out that a) she'd left off a day, b)she'd charged us too much and c) she'd told us that we'd have to change rooms after the first night (which didn't happen to be true.) Just call, give your conf.# and say you want to confirm. Like I said, it never hurts.

And this year is the first time this has ever happened to me, so it just might be a fluke!

 

[joshsmom]

I'm calling TODAY!! This is a special trip and I REALLY don't want it to be messed up with this type of stuff!! Thanks!!

 

[klh999]

I think everyone is right. Its not the CM's fault. But it sure feels good to vent. I needed a place to vent. Maybe as part of the CM's duties they should read this board so they know all the info.

 

[MissMagnolia]

At least for the code issue, there could be a very easy solution. Disney should photocopy a list of all the current codes (since they never seem to have too many different ones occuring at one time) for each computer that the CMs sit at. A "cheat sheet" if you will. It certainly would solve one of the problems.

Now, for the issue of getting different responses about availability, etc. That is a whole 'nother ball game.
Seems like their reservation computer system could use an overhaul!!

 

[KarenC]

Originally posted by summerrluvv
My point was the employees should be informed of ALL promotions that a company is having. I would think a large company like Disney would do this in the form of emails/memos to their employees. It only makes sense for them to know what the customer is asking for when calling instead of being surprised after looking in his/her computer that they even offer a discount for that time period.

LI Newsday Is the Long Island Newsday.

You have to remember that Disney is a business, and while we may not like it, Disney management ultimately answers to the shareholders, not the customer. (Yes, if they alienate the customer enough, the shareholders will be out of luck, but unfortunately most companies today are driven to produce short term results.)

It doesn't surprise me at all that such discount codes are not well known by the CMs. I'm sure they are trained to input a code given to them by a guest who calls in response to an advertisement. But Disney probably doesn't want a "helpful" CM to offer up discount codes to a guest that was ready, willing and able to pay the rack rate.

 

[Winka]

It might tick people off less if Disney had a TOLL FREE number we could call instead of having to pay for 45 minutes of misinformation.

I always use my cell's unlimited minutes when calling CRO...I always get the chattiest CMs and I never have the heart to interrupt them.

 

[jann1033]

Originally posted by joshsmom
This is the first trip where I have had any contact with CRO and although it was an extremely LONG wait to get through (almost 45 minutes), the CM I had was really great. Her computer kept "blipping out" and she would lose everything she typed. She kept apologizing and asking for my info again. I was so happy to be speaking to a live person, I didn't mind. Now after reading all these horror stories about things being wrong, how do I know my ressies are RIGHT?? I got confirmation numbers and wrote them down, but do I now need to call back and confirm them?? My trip is getting close and I'd really like to know what I should do!

we've always gotten a paper copy with the info within afew days...although this time I also got 2 I had not made (???) as well! but you can check that to be sure it's right.

 

[jann1033]

Originally posted by KarenC
Disney management ultimately answers to the shareholders, not the customer.

It doesn't surprise me at all that such discount codes are not well known by the CMs. I'm sure they are trained to input a code given to them by a guest who calls in response to an advertisement. But Disney probably doesn't want a "helpful" CM to offer up discount codes to a guest that was ready, willing and able to pay the rack rate.

they sure didn't listen to roy Disney (lol) and the problem is they can not figure out how to give you the rate even when you *tell* them the code they are supposed to be using! that is just either lack of training or intentionally being deceitful (talk about the old Bait and switch) which I do not think the individual Cms are being but not so sure about the company policy. we have never had problems like this year either which makes me believe something is really wrong with the company.

 

[beatnik]

I agree with many of the posters: if you call reservations, you should get someone on the line who can quickly and efficiently make a reservation (and do it correctly). This is not an unreasonable expectation and it is not being "mean" to expect this of someone who works in a reservations office. It is unreasonable that the customer should have to wait 20 minutes on hold at their own expense only to be given mis-information which requires that the process be repeated (at the peril of the same thing just happening again).

In my opinion, no excuses should be made: people working in the reservations office should be able to make reservations and people should not be placed on hold for 20, 30, 40 minutes. We had a similar experience recently trying to make some PS for a few meals in the World. Too much of a hassle, and don't know if we'll bother next time... There's plenty of other dining options nearby and we go to the World pretty often-- for us it does not matter that much where we eat.

Eventually, such practices will probably catch up with the mouse's bottom line. Unfortunately, however, it seems that nowadays, many folks pretty much expect marginal service. And it only makes sense that if the public's expecations are low, most businesses will not extend themselves any more beyond our expectations than they need to. The less we all expect, the less we all will get.

Beatnik

 

[houseofmouse]

I know when I worked in Customer Service at a hawaiian tour wholesaler, we would get lots of complaints about our reservation agents. Our companies problem was there was always new codes for specials/discounts and new information getting thrown at these agents(many times a day) and it is hard to catch up on new promos while answering 60+ (time consuming) calls a day.

I am sure Disney CMs have this problem too. I think if you just make sure to have them verify any information you feel they might not be sure on then everything will be clarified.

I know I cetainly do this in all my dealings especially if I feel like I am speaking to a new employee.

 

[zurgswife]

I made ressies last night and the CM that took our ressie stated that they just hired a couple hundred new CM's for the Walt Disney Travel.....So, you probably just got a new one that was still learning the ropes...

 

[Michelina]

I totally agree that it is not an unreasonable expectation to have a reservation made correctly and efficiently the first time you call. It would take nothing for the CMs to have a "cheat sheet" of codes pinned up in their cubicle. You should also get the same answer to a question every time that you call.
I work in a customer service call center for a major corporation and it is standard practice that a new rep sit with an experienced rep for at least a few weeks so that if there is something the new person is unsure of the seasoned person can jump in with them.
For the Disney Corporation to have unknowledgable people on the phone being the voice of their company is a discredit to them.
The kicker is that you are calling on your own dime (unless you're calling one of the great 800 numbers I've picked up here), it's bad enough to have to hold forever but then to have to hang up and start all over again because the person you talked to first was ignorant is awful!!
Phew - Sorry for the rant... Bad customer service is a touchy subject for me. I don't think that a lot of this is the phone agent's fault. If the company doesn't give you the proper training or materials that you need to do your job right you just have to struggle along as best you can.

 

[Gillian]

I think that the CMs should get enough training so that they can help customers.

My MIL works for the NJ taxation hotline. People don't last long there! It's an overwhelming amount of stuff to know. She has a huge binder full of memos and charts. And besides just learning how to answer the questions, they have to learn how to work through the computer systems. And often the callers are mean or rude, especially when they don't like the answers they get.

Anyway, my point is ( ) even though they always have new people there, you expect to get the right answers, don't you? If you called the state with questions about your taxes and they told you the wrong thing, wouldn't you be angry? They have (I think) way more info to keep track of than the Disney CMs, but most of them still manage. And if they don't, the supervisors are there to help.

 

[GoldenOldie]

Originally posted by Michelina
...It would take nothing for the CMs to have a "cheat sheet" of codes pinned up in their cubicle....

That would be fine if the discount was available for anyone who wanted it but it isn't. It's capacity controlled. The CM could have just finished getting it for one caller and then it may be gone for the very next phone call that happened to be someone who wanted the same resort for the same dates.

They can't use a cheat sheet. They can only offer what the computer shows them availability for at the time they try to make the reservation.

 

[summerrluvv]

Originally posted by GoldenOldie
That would be fine if the discount was available for anyone who wanted it but it isn't. It's capacity controlled. The CM could have just finished getting it for one caller and then it may be gone for the very next phone call that happened to be someone who wanted the same resort for the same dates.

They can't use a cheat sheet. They can only offer what the computer shows them availability for at the time they try to make the reservation.

I think you misunderstood what the poster meant. They should have a cheat sheet telling them there are codes and what those codes are for. Not a cheat sheet to offer the codes to the public, but rather for their own knowledge so when someone does call with a code, the CM knows what they are talking about.

 

[Smoochies]

Just give the cast members at reservations a little break. That code you had is one of HUNDREDS of codes that they release at any given time. There is an entire database of information, so there is no possible way to have a cheat sheet because the info can change so quickly.
Also, those cast members are working over 60 hours a week, according to Michael Eisner himself.

 

[Tigger Woods]

Originally posted by Smoochies
Just give the cast members at reservations a little break. That code you had is one of HUNDREDS of codes that they release at any given time.

Hundreds of different codes at any given time at Disney? Please, do share!

 

[Kallison]

On my last trip I got wrong info. every time I asked a CM. Even a CM telling me that there absolutely were NO Wishes fireworks that evening. I said are you sure? Luckily I didn't leave, since that was my only night to catch them. I felt sorry for people that didn't know their stuff.