Cut the grumpy CM's some slack

[ols386]

I've very seldom ever encountered a "rude" cm. But I have interacted with many who seem extremely aloof, I guess would be the word. And I do understand that they are probably doing and saying the same things, over and over and over, and they do have to deal with cranky guests, at times, and I'm sure it gets old.....as with any job.

But I do believe the bottom line is that they should be expected to be professional at all times. I have off days too, as we all do, but if I behaved in an unprofessional manner (just because I'm having an off day), I'd probably be fired, very quickly.

I think the other thing is, if a cm is dealing with a cranky or angry guest, they should be trained to know how to diffuse the situation. There are ways of doing that, if an employee is properly trained. So, I guess that part of it is a management issue. Employees do have to be trained, especially if they are dealing with the general public.

But as stated earlier, I could count the number of rude cm's that I've ever run across....on one hand. And I've been going to WDW for the past 20 years.

 

[bumbershoot]

I was raised that it is rude and disrespectful to not speak to somebody when they speak to you. I stand by that.

FWIW, not everyone is. And not everyone not raised like that is an ogre, though I'm sure some are (and some raised to speak when spoken to are ogres too...the area I lived in where one must speak when spoken to also did the "bless your heart" sarcastic nasty thing, especially to people who thought it was a NICE thing to say).

Also, it's much more efficient to just do your job of checking out, rather than chat. Some people just can't do both at the same time.

But still, not everyone is raised like that, so I really don't think it's fair for people to hold them to standards that aren't universal.

I can't believe it is not the norm for a person to thank the CMs. In an average day, I probably say thank you no less than 20 times and at Disney that would be much higher. Why do people not find it standard to thank others for their help and services?

Out at DLR I've talked to CMs who are never thanked, or thanked only rarely. It's sad, but when I watch other guests I find that most people just think a CM is doing the job they are paid to do when they do polite things, and just take it as their due (is that how you spell that phrase?) instead of actually thanking the CM.

 

[Micca]

I will go out of my way to be nice to CMs, I expect something similar in return.

 

[kaligal]

People do not pay thousands of dollars so that they can sharpen their skills in being patient with crabby staff people. If I want to practice being patient, I can do that at work. In fact, I DO do that at work and I have never been cranky with anyone at all. Ever.

I do not expect the staff at Disney to be rude to me and I would not accept it and cut them slack. Being nice is their job and if they can't do it, they should quit and give the job to someone who'd be happy to get paid for being nice.

Nobody needs to pay thousands of dollars to be treated poorly.

The idea that we should pay to cut them slack is inane. They, on the other hand, are being paid to deal with the public. It's their job. It's what they said they were willing to do in order to be paid. They should be cutting their crabby customers slack...and be nice to both the crabby and the uncrabby.

Paying a company so that I can be treated poorly is something you won't find me...or most people...doing for very long.

 

[maxiesmom]

People do not pay thousands of dollars so that they can sharpen their skills in being patient with crabby staff people. If I want to practice being patient, I can do that at work. In fact, I DO do that at work and I have never been cranky with anyone at all. Ever.

I do not expect the staff at Disney to be rude to me and I would not accept it and cut them slack. Being nice is their job and if they can't do it, they should quit and give the job to someone who'd be happy to get paid for being nice.

Nobody needs to pay thousands of dollars to be treated poorly.

The idea that we should pay to cut them slack is inane. They, on the other hand, are being paid to deal with the public. It's their job. It's what they said they were willing to do in order to be paid. They should be cutting their crabby customers slack...and be nice to both the crabby and the uncrabby.

Paying a company so that I can be treated poorly is something you won't find me...or most people...doing for very long.

I understand that. And I do agree that being nice is part of their job. But that doesn't mean that you shouldn't still cut them some slack. There is no one on the face of the earth who can be pleasant and nice all of the time. I don't care if it is part of their job, people will slip up or have a bad moment.

If someone is crabby on the job all of the time then yes, they should probably find another line of work. But I can forgive someone a bad moment. We are all human and it is bound to happen.

 

[Lawshark]

I don't understand the thought from some that the CM's aren't paid "enough" so they should be cut some slack.

How much they are paid should have no bearing on how they treat guests. How much the guest makes definitely shouldn't have any bearing on how the CM acts.

If the CM would like to make more money...it just might kinda help them out if they do their job well...and that includes playing their part in the show correctly.

Bad attitudes are rewarded with higher pay and lifetime tenure in some government jobs.

Bad attitudes in the private sector result in lower pay and short term prospects.

 

[weewuvvdisney]

In all our trips to DW, I don't recall ever having a problem with a CM.

I understand that we all have off days however,,,,,


For years I worked as a Receptionist answering the phones for a major company. If I ever was rude to a caller, I probably would have been quickly unemployed.

I am now working as a school crossing guard (in both extremely hot weather and extremly cold stormy weather), I still say hello to everyone (well almost everyone, there are a few that I have given up on after months of hellos).

If you have a job with the public you have to learn how to put aside your "problems".




Jan

PS leaving in exactly 2 months today... YAHOO!!!!!!

 

[Searching4Neverland]

I can definitely see both sides...on one hand, we pay so much that of course we expect to get the "magical Disney service." On the other hand, a lot of CMs don't get much vacation, so if there is a death in the family or some other crisis in their life, it's probably immensely difficult to just smile through that long day.

I try to be as pleasant as I can be to any CMs who may appear cranky, because I don't know what's going on with them...everyone's job requires professionalism with customers, including mine, but there have been a couple occasions where I've broken down.

IMO a big problem is how devoted the CMs are to the company, individually. Some are truly passionate about WDW, and liking your job makes it easier. Some don't care quite as much, and those are the ones who should find another job.

I can't wait to apply for the College Program...and I will consider it my duty to make sure each guest has a magical day!!

 

[Pecobill]

People do not pay thousands of dollars so that they can sharpen their skills in being patient with crabby staff people. If I want to practice being patient, I can do that at work. In fact, I DO do that at work and I have never been cranky with anyone at all. Ever.

I do not expect the staff at Disney to be rude to me and I would not accept it and cut them slack. Being nice is their job and if they can't do it, they should quit and give the job to someone who'd be happy to get paid for being nice.

Nobody needs to pay thousands of dollars to be treated poorly.

The idea that we should pay to cut them slack is inane. They, on the other hand, are being paid to deal with the public. It's their job. It's what they said they were willing to do in order to be paid. They should be cutting their crabby customers slack...and be nice to both the crabby and the uncrabby.

Paying a company so that I can be treated poorly is something you won't find me...or most people...doing for very long.

Oh I'm so glad it's all about you and how much money you spend.We love the fact that people rub their money in our faces.It feels so good that we do so much work for $7.46 an hour and we can barely afford to eat and your worrying that people are cranky.

 

[soonerlpn]

First nobody expects you at your job to be a smily batterfly. Your job is to take care of patients, it is not customer servise, and you do get at least 3X more then what they get paid, you really cannot compare those 2.
You expecting magic to happen, fine, but exactly what do you mean? What are your expectations?

Not the poster you are referring to but I am also a nurse. While you are correct in stating that a nurses job is to take care of patients you are also mistaken in saying that it is not customer service. Nursing is all about dealing with people not just taking blood pressures or changing dressings. We have to deal with some of the most rude and obnoxious things on a daily basis and must do it with a SMILE. If not there will be someone talking to us quickly about our behavior.

Also you have no idea what type of nurse the poster was so you really have no idea what he or she makes. There are LPN's here in Oklahoma that work at the doctors office that make 11 dollars an hour.

Again, I am not the poster you were referring to but had to get that off my chest.

Have a great day!

 

[KellyNY]

Not the poster you are referring to but I am also a nurse. While you are correct in stating that a nurses job is to take care of patients you are also mistaken in saying that it is not customer service. Nursing is all about dealing with people not just taking blood pressures or changing dressings. We have to deal with some of the most rude and obnoxious things on a daily basis and must do it with a SMILE. If not there will be someone talking to us quickly about our behavior.

Also you have no idea what type of nurse the poster was so you really have no idea what he

or she makes. There are LPN's here in Oklahoma that work at the doctors office that make 11 dollars an hour.

Again, I am not the poster you were referring to but had to get that off my chest.

Have a great day!

My observation of nurses comes from my personal experience, I am nurse as well. Yes some people are crunky but it is not because they are jerks, it is part of dealing with being in a hospital. And you do not get back on them because your job is to observe behaivor and to help. People in hospitals are not on vacation, so I stand for what I said before, nobody expects me or you or the poster I answered to before to be a smiling butterfly, we must be polite because our patients or their families are nervous and need help in dealing with their situations, this is part of taking care of the patient not a customer service. As for making $11 per hour, I do not know what nurses in hospitals make in your state and I do not know what is rent, food and so on costs there, so simple stating salary does not tell anything. I am sure that if this what LPN does, customer servise does even less, so nurses always do much better.

 

[Lizziejane]

Oh I'm so glad it's all about you and how much money you spend.We love the fact that people rub their money in our faces.It feels so good that we do so much work for $7.46 an hour and we can barely afford to eat and your worrying that people are cranky.

Obviously posted by someone unhappy in their job.

Of course it's ALL about the guest and how much money they spend. And they won't be back to spend much more of it if you keep providing grumpy service. If guests don't return, then there goes employment for thousands. It's ALL about how much the guests spend.

The previous poster had stated they spent thousands to go to WDW, and your comment is that you "love the fact that people rub their money in your face". For what it's worth, not every guest is rolling in money. We will be there next month. It has taken me a full 12 months to save for this trip, with little expenditure on anything else this past year. I've done without LOTS this past year to make it happen. I'm not rubbing my money in your face. The fact that I (and thousands of other visitors) choose to spend our available cash in WDW means you have a job. I expect you to do your job willingly and in an acceptable manner. I don't care if you're having a bad day - we all have them. But they are our own responsibility, not someone else's. Don't pass the buck.

While I'm sorry you earn $7.46 per hour, there's only one person responsible for that. If you don't like it, do something about it.

The fact is, I pay money to go to WDW to experience some magic. If I didn't care about the magic, I'd go to Universal or Sea World. If I held Disney stock (which I don't), I'd be an owner. As an owner, visiting WDW, I would expect to receive the service that Disney has built it's name on.

As employees at WDW, you enter a contract with them to provide acceptable customer service in exchange for a salary. If you can't hold up your end of the bargain, then again, do something about it.

 

[Pecobill]

Obviously posted by someone unhappy in their job.

Of course it's ALL about the guest and how much money they spend. And they won't be back to spend much more of it if you keep providing grumpy service. If guests don't return, then there goes employment for thousands. It's ALL about how much the guests spend.

The previous poster had stated they spent thousands to go to WDW, and your comment is that you "love the fact that people rub their money in your face". For what it's worth, not every guest is rolling in money. We will be there next month. It has taken me a full 12 months to save for this trip, with little expenditure on anything else this past year. I've done without LOTS this past year to make it happen. I'm not rubbing my money in your face. The fact that I (and thousands of other visitors) choose to spend our available cash in WDW means you have a job. I expect you to do your job willingly and in an acceptable manner. I don't care if you're having a bad day - we all have them. But they are our own responsibility, not someone else's. Don't pass the buck.

While I'm sorry you earn $7.46 per hour, there's only one person responsible for that. If you don't like it, do something about it.

The fact is, I pay money to go to WDW to experience some magic. If I didn't care about the magic, I'd go to Universal or Sea World. If I held Disney stock (which I don't), I'd be an owner. As an owner, visiting WDW, I would expect to receive the service that Disney has built it's name on.

As employees at WDW, you enter a contract with them to provide acceptable customer service in exchange for a salary. If you can't hold up your end of the bargain, then again, do something about it.

First off you can't do anything about the $7.46 an hour.Do you know how hard jobs are to find in Florida? Extremely hard because all we have are immigrants taking up American jobs.Secondly all Disney employees give the required customer service for our wages.It's people like you that expect too much when you come and complain to the employees about every little thing that makes them cranky.


Also as a PP said Disney employees aren't given any time off for emergencies or deaths in the family.They also get barely 2 days off a week.Disney shifts range from 8-14 hours a day.Why don't you try being happy all the time working double shifts 2 days in a row or working on every holiday and not getting to spend time with your family.

 

[dreambound]

Oh I'm so glad it's all about you and how much money you spend.We love the fact that people rub their money in our faces.It feels so good that we do so much work for $7.46 an hour and we can barely afford to eat and your worrying that people are cranky.

Oh please! Being nice IS part of their job. Period! If refilling a cup dispenser was part of their job and they didn't do it, that would be bad! If cleaning the bathrooms was part of their job and they didn't do it, that would be bad!

They aren't called cast members for nothing! They are part of a SHOW. If they weren't expected to "play the part" of the happy, magical cast member, then they would be called "employees" or "cashier" or "janitor." But they are ALL called "cast members" because they are all a part of the show.

You, Peco, will also be a part of the show. If one of the cast members playing one of the characters in costume broke character, they would be spoiling the show, if you will. Same thing with cast members who are rude.

Yes, people get tired. Yes, people need to be cut slack sometimes. But if the role of cast member is too hard, then maybe they need to consider a career that doesn't involve acting.

Meg

 

[dreambound]

First off you can't do anything about the $7.46 an hour.Do you know how hard jobs are to find in Florida? Extremely hard because all we have are immigrants taking up American jobs.Secondly all Disney employees give the required customer service for our wages.It's people like you that expect too much when you come and complain to the employees about every little thing that makes them cranky.


Also as a PP said Disney employees aren't given any time off for emergencies or deaths in the family.They also get barely 2 days off a week.Disney shifts range from 8-14 hours a day.Why don't you try being happy all the time working double shifts 2 days in a row or working on every holiday and not getting to spend time with your family.

Woah, you haven't even STARTED working there and you seem, dissatisfied with the job. You seem to have an attitude about the guests already. It's not about the employee, it's about the customer. This is a business, not a non-profit.

 

[Pecobill]

Dude, you haven't even STARTED working there and you see, dissatisfied with the job. You seem to have an attitude about the guests already. It's not about the employee, it's about the customer. This is a business, not a non-profit.

Actually this is my third time working there.Also it's a companies job to take care of their employees which we all know Disney doesn't

 

[dreambound]

Actually this is my third time working there.Also it's a companies job to take care of their employees which we all know Disney doesn't

Oops, my mistake. I was going by your siggy thing.

There is a website for WDW and other theme park employees to air their grievances. Perhaps that might be a good place to feel some support for your concerns.

I'm sorry, but I just don't feel for you. It sounds like you are saying that Disney is a crappy place to work and therefore CM's should be cut a LOT of slack if they are rude.

Maybe I would buy this if 99% of the CM's I have encountered who ALSO make beans for pay haven't been so incredibly, unbelievably magical and kind and warm and friendly, even in the worst of circumstances. Seriously, I've met amazing CM's. I guess they just love what they do, regardless of the pay.

Meg

 

[Pecobill]

Oops, my mistake. I was going by your siggy thing.

There is a website for WDW and other theme park employees to air their grievances. Perhaps that might be a good place to feel some support for your concerns.

I'm sorry, but I just don't feel for you. It sounds like you are saying that DIsney is a crappy place to work and therefore CM's should be cut a LOT of slack of they are rude.

Maybe I would buy this if 99% of the CM's I have encountered who ALSO make beans for pay haven't been so incredibly, unbelievably magical and kind and warm and friendly, even in the worst of circumstances. Seriously, I've met amazing CM's. I guess they just love what they do, regardless of the pay.

Meg

Now when I'm on the clock I act as polite as possible I'm not rude to guests at all.I just think everyone should get cut some slack and that everyone remember we're all people and we'll have bad days.And I'm sorry if I came off a bit rude it's just that on these boards people continue to attack Disney employees and the parks and I just want everyone to know what we have to deal with in order for them to have a good vacation.

 

[dreambound]

Now when I'm on the clock I act as polite as possible I'm not rude to guests at all.I just think everyone should get cut some slack and that everyone remember we're all people and we'll have bad days.And I'm sorry if I came off a bit rude it's just that on these boards people continue to attack Disney employees and the parks and I just want everyone to know what we have to deal with in order for them to have a good vacation.

I understand that. In fact, often when people post complaints about CMs, I tend to feel for the CM. Sometimes you can tell by the post that it's not the CM that is the problem but the guest! (Not saying the OP is one of those people, but I've read some stories where people had ridiculous demands and complaints and then blamed it on the CM. Unreal.)

But, I have to say, I really enjoy when cast members come on here and share their love of WDW or give tips, etc. I must admit, I don't like hearing about how much it sucks to work for WDW on the disboards Parks and Attractions strategies page! It is not my business to say who can and cannot post here, so don't get me wrong, I'm just saying, maybe it is just me, but hearing complaints about working at WDW is kind of like having someone point to the man behind the curtain, kwim?

Am I alone here in feeling that? I think I'm one of those WDW fans who wants to remain naive and believe the magic is all real and run by Mickey Mouse. Hearing about WDW as an employer turns it from magical wonderland to The Man.

But post away, of course. I'm just an idealist, I think!

Meg

 

[soonerlpn]

My observation of nurses comes from my personal experience, I am nurse as well. Yes some people are crunky but it is not because they are jerks, it is part of dealing with being in a hospital. And you do not get back on them because your job is to observe behaivor and to help. People in hospitals are not on vacation, so I stand for what I said before, nobody expects me or you or the poster I answered to before to be a smiling butterfly, we must be polite because our patients or their families are nervous and need help in dealing with their situations, this is part of taking care of the patient not a customer service. As for making $11 per hour, I do not know what nurses in hospitals make in your state and I do not know what is rent, food and so on costs there, so simple stating salary does not tell anything. I am sure that if this what LPN does, customer servise does even less, so nurses always do much better.

I will again politely disagree. I am a hospice nurse and a huge portion of our job is what I consider customer service. Putting on that smiling face is EXPECTED. I could do my job without the extras but I would not be thought of as well as I am. LPNs in the hospitals in Oklahoma start out around 11 to 12 an hour unless they are in the float pool. People at Frontier City, an amusement park, make anywhere from 9 to 11 dollars depending on what they do. My point it's not about how much one makes, it's about doing your job correctly. If I am not mistaken part of the CM's job is to keep the smiling face and make sure the guests are having a good time. No one gets a pass from me because they don't make what everyone else does.