customer service from ASMo

[RIDisneyFan]

This is DH, my wife normally does the posting on the boards here. I am just wondering if I am making a mountain out of a molehill. We had ADR for CRT on Saturday 09/24. That morning started off ok then I ran over something at the ASMo that punctured my tire on my wheelchair (WC) and the CM that we told was nice and offered to lend me a chair for the day and they would see what they could do to fix my tire. This was at or about 9am that morn and we got back in around 5 or 6 (I forget which) that eve and it appeared that they had done nothing to fix my WC or even look at it as Val (one of the managers there) told me they would do. I would like to state that my chair is much lighter that the park chair and much easier for me to get around in and operate than a park chair. They finally, after pressing the issue, got a patch kit and a pump and handed it to me to fix it myself.

I felt that they should have sent someone to a bicycle shop and got a tube and replaced it, as my WC tires are normal size bicycle tires. When I asked why they did not patch it for me they told me that it was a liability for them since it was a personal WC and not a park WC. The patch worked I was able to use my chair after staying up well past 11pm to fix it. I just felt that because it was punctured my something on the hotel property that they would repair it for me w/o question.

After we got home I went to a bicycle shop here and it cost me all of $5 and replaced it myself. I am just wondering really why the hotel could not do this for me there. If I am making too big of deal out of this I apologize but to me it is a big deal as it is such a tiny thing they could have done.

 

[Servants of Evan]

Please bear with me on this but I think you may have over-reacted (or perhaps "over expected".)

I would have to assume that if a person (in their car) ran over a bottle/nail/etc in their parking lot Disney wouldn't be out there changing the tire or buying a new tire for that person's car. It's just one of those "road hazzards." I would also suppose that the same could be said for wheelchairs. Judging by the incessant drone of those darn leaf blowers, I'd have to say Disney makes every effort to keep all pathways and walks passable, but as they say throughout the world -- S%*# Happens. It sucks when it happens to you, but it does happen (I like to say that "Mr. Murphy [Murphy's Law] is alive and well").

Candidly, I wouldn't think they'd have staff members readily available for a run out to a bicycle shop for you, but I would hope that they would have called you a cab to help get you to one to handle the repair if that's what was called for. Again, if my car dies, I don't expect them to come running and pop the hood to see what is wrong -- but I'd hope they'd help me contact AAA. (I know that's not a perfect analogy, but I'm sure you get the jist).

Myself, I wouldn't even attempt to repair someone else's wheelchair -- I can only imagine what would happen if I scratched it, cross threaded a retaining bolt/nut, or had any other sort of issue -- beyond the "what ifs" regarding not tightening something correctly, etc. As much as I would like to help, working on someone else's personal property leaves me a bit cold -- especially when it becomes a life-safety issue.

I'm sorry that this has happened to you, but I think the expectation level you set was a bit high...

Servants of Evan

 

[djkeenan]

Sorry, but I have to agree with Servents of Evan. Loaning you another chair was the kind of service we've come to expect, but arranging for repair was your own responsibility. I sure hope the rest of your visit went well.

 

[RIDisneyFan]

For the most part the rest of our visit did go well. I think comparing a car mishap to a WC mishap is like comparing apples to oranges. I can however see your point, thanks for the input.

 

[keishashadow]

For the most part the rest of our visit did go well. I think comparing a car mishap to a WC mishap is like comparing apples to oranges. I can however see your point, thanks for the input.

Agree 100%, you need your chair to be mobile; as opposed to a car for convenience.

IMHO, the service @ the AS Mo is the worst of the 3 AS properties...not sure whether it's because they're the busiest, i.e. overworked or what...

I thought the service as AS Mu was excellent, throughout the resort. We were treated great & service was professional and prompt.

As for the AS Mo, I've never seen such a slow check in, at a time when only a few folks were ahead of us in line. The famous Disney Magic was sorely missing from the CM's demeanor. Several incidents irritated me:

1) Didn't pack pool towels, called mousekeeping several times - w/o any luck. Front Desk said they weren't responsible for them, to keep calling; eventually they'd deliver...6 days later, no additional towels ever showed up (yes, I called @ least once a day to request them).


2) When I checked in I indicated that I'd need boarding passes printed out when we departed. I was told "no problem" as long as I came back @ a non-peak time. Of course, when I did, the few CM's on duty (who were engaged in a riviting personal conversation) stated that they were "too busy" and that I needed to venture to an on-site "business hotel".

3) Wanted to double-check on directions to NASA, waited in line @ guest services for over 20 minutes; and the CM asked why I didn't use MapQuest.

These incident's became the AS Mo deal-breaker for our family...hard to enjoy the magic when basic/promised requests are not fulfilled.
Disney charges top dollar for a top-notch experience. I don't expect the same level of service @ a Value resort as a Deluxe; but I do expect the same level of courtesy and standard of training in the CM's @ all WDW hotels.

The worst level of customer service is to promise to do something, then renege later.

 

[safetymom]

You may get more responses if you post on the Disney resorts board or on the disabilities board.

 

[nowellsl]

It may be a good idea in the future to keep an extra tube or repair kit handy whenever you travel somewhere. I honestly don't see how it is the hotel's fault that you ran over something that punctured your tire - unless it was part of a permanent fixture that had a sharp edge or something.

 

[keishashadow]

It may be a good idea in the future to keep an extra tube or repair kit handy whenever you travel somewhere. I honestly don't see how it is the hotel's fault that you ran over something that punctured your tire - unless it was part of a permanent fixture that had a sharp edge or something.

Of course it would be a good idea to keep an extra tube on hand & it's not the hotel's fault that the tire went flat...but the poster reported the incident to management @ 9:00 a.m. & they said they'd "see what they could do.." to fix the tire. Which a prudent person could assume that they'd actually fix it or immediately inform the poster that they couldn't help - due to liability issues and he better make alternate arrangements. This situation had to have been addressed before @ WDW resorts.

A perfect example of CM's mis-information/promising something (just to fluff you off & get you out of their face) then, not following through.

 

[nowellsl]

Of course it would be a good idea to keep an extra tube on hand & it's not the hotel's fault that the tire went flat...but the poster reported the incident to management @ 9:00 a.m. & they said they'd "see what they could do.." to fix the tire. Which a prudent person could assume that they'd actually fix it or immediately inform the poster that they couldn't help - due to liability issues and he better make alternate arrangements. This situation had to have been addressed before @ WDW resorts.

A perfect example of CM's mis-information/promising something (just to fluff you off & get you out of their face) then, not following through.

You are right, they should have told him right off that they couldn't fix it! I just think it's a little unreasonable to expect them to take it to a bike store to have the tire repaired or to expect them to patch it just because it happened on their property which is what the poster stated.

 

[Disney Daniel]

Going to send this over to the Resorts Board for you.

 

[ducklite]

You are right, they should have told him right off that they couldn't fix it! I just think it's a little unreasonable to expect them to take it to a bike store to have the tire repaired or to expect them to patch it just because it happened on their property which is what the poster stated.

These are my thoughts exactly.

I think what the OP is upset with was they alluded that they would be able to get it fixed. The correct response from the manager should have been "Where would you normally get this repaired? Perhaps I could locate a similar place locally for you to call."

IMHO that's all the OP should have expected, and all the resort should have offered. It seems reasonable and prudent, and is what any moderately priced hotel (Hampton, Holiday Inn, etc.) would have done.

Anne

 

[RIDisneyFan]

These are my thoughts exactly.

It seems reasonable and prudent, and is what any moderately priced hotel (Hampton, Holiday Inn, etc.) would have done.

Anne

I appreciate all the input and yes I should have had the thought of everything that could have gone wrong. On that note I would like to say that val when I mentioned the fact that if I had been staying in something like the Animal Kingdom Lodge they would have done alot more for me, she told me "No all the resorts here at disney treat all guests the same no matter how much they pay for the room."

I have a hard time believing this, as I did work in the hotel business for a few years (wynham). That hotel did alot for the customer that was well above and beyond for any reasonable person to expect. I just think it is good customer service when a guest does not think of every possible thing that can go wrong. I was just mainly upset that they told me they would take a look at it, and they actually appeared to have done nothing all day. Had they told us right off we would have come back early as my wife stated earlier.

Well live and learn I guess. This was just one small thing I over looked and I thank you all for your input. I truly am not an unreasonable person. I just like to have done what is said to me that would be done, that is all. They did however replace a disney pin and lanyerd that was left in a bathroom by DD5. My wife went back literally 5 min later and it was gone. The ASMo was not responsible at all for this and yet they replaced both. To me that is good service.