Decline In WDW Operator Friendliness

[rentayenta]

I spoke with 3 CMs today. One in reservations, one in Dining, and the last in Grand Gatherings. They were all extremely helpful especially the one with reservations. She told me what her kids favorites were with regard to parks and food. She found me a package PIN because all I had was a room PIN. She went above and beyond.



I am sorry you received less than stellar service.

 

[finedice]

I think a lot depends on how you book your trip. When I booked my upcoming trip through Travelocity...($25/night savings) for POR, no one will help me, or even speak to me about my reservation. I am told that it's because Travelocity owns the reservation, and no one at Disney can touch it. Either way, I am still going to be a disney guest! I'm just hoping that as the date gets closer, where I made the reservation becomes less of an issue, and I'll be treated with the same level of magic that any other resort guest would receive. 16 Days to go!

 

[tink55]

Now there is an after-call survey for a random sampling of callers. I know I've heard the prompt a few times when I called.

I get asked if I want to take the survey every single time I call - is that weird? I'm a Florida resident, AP holder, and frequent visitor. I always call using the 800 number and I always agree to the survey (although sometimes I forget to stay on the line). I wonder if the CMs know when the caller has agreed to evaluate them using this online survey? Maybe RustyScupper knows? Because if I knew I was being evaluated on the spot, I would be more inclined to provide the best service possible.

And yes, I am usually pretty happy with the service I receive.

 

[HockeyDadof2Boys]

We are taking our first trip since 2001 and decided this time we are going to stay onsite for the first time. We have been four times and always stayed offsite. I don't know if I got lucky or what but both of the people I spoke to at reservations were great and one of them did tell me to have a magical day.

 

[CanadianGuy]

It would appear everybody gets asked the survey. Every single time I have called in the last 12 months.. I got the survey thing.. several times in one day even.

 

[cybertheo]

I work in the quality assurance department for a major call center, so anytime I call anywhere the customer service representative is quietly being ‘graded’ in my head.. I think the survey after the call is genius.

I’m going to name names’.

I have always had good to great experience with when making reservation except once. The cast member’s name was ‘Wednesday’ and she didn’t engage me as a customer and there was lots of dead-air. Luckily, I had pressed ‘one’ to take the survey and she got 2 and 3’s. However, the next night for another reservation, the cast member was Posie. She Rocked! She was friendly, engaging, and sincere. I had pressed ‘one’ but forgot to take the survey. So the next time I called back, by chance I got her again. I couldn’t wait to give her all ‘five’s.

 

[saikai]

I just finished planning a "spur of the moment trip" yesterday. I chose the option of less than four visits and had VERY good CMs every time. The man I spoke with yesterday was so helpful with park advice and special programs for the kids, we were on the phone for over an hour! I 've called four times in the last couple of days and only heard "have a magical day twice". But I'll be hearing alot of it next month!!

 

[johnvree]

It's hit or miss I find. Some are very good at their jobs and very friendly. Others are not so good and not so friendly.

 

[clkelley]

We too, just called for a last minute trip that we're going on in early May.

We were asking for the impossible, but the CM we got was very patient and looked up each of the value resorts for each weekend in May and checked all rates, first Passholder, then AAA, then rack.

Nothing at all for a two-night stay any of the first three weekends in May.

She seemed very genuinely upset that we couldn't find anything.

After we hung up, I started piddling around on the Passholder website and for three nights starting on Thursday, there was availability at All-Star Sports for the 2nd weekend in May, so we grabbed that. We thought about calling and cancelling the first night to get the two nights we wanted, but changed our minds and are taking an extra day!!!

When I called last night to make a couple of dining reservations, first off, I got cut off three times in a row before even speaking with someone, and the fourth call, the CM I got seemed bored. She made our ADRs very efficiently, so I guess I can't complain to bad.

I get asked about that survey EVERY time I call. I've gotten to where I know the sequence of questions and answers and just hit the numbers. I'm tired of the whole automatic thing. Especially on MY nickel.

 

[seven dwarfs]

When I called the other day it was if I was talking to a machine. The lady could not have been human. I will say it was awful. I really like when you get someone who "loves" Disney. You can really tell when they do. It seems as the years go by so does customer service. But, it is not just Disney, it seems like it is everywhere. A sign of the times....

 

[ktink]

I've only had one bad experience w/ a CM and she was just having a BAD day. I just called back and low and behold got her again so I just hung up and waited until the following morning.

During planning for this trip I've had nothing but extremly helpful CMs that have gone out of their way in helping. The last call I made to Dining I spoke w/ a gentleman that took the time to go over all of my ADRs and correct some mistakes that had been made by another CM, hence the BAD day lady. Anyway she had mispelled our last name and entered the phone # incorrectly and he fixed all of that. That way when we get there we'll have everything printed out under the correct phone #. That lady had made a mess of our ADRs so I was very pleased w/ this man's help. We were on the phone for about 45 mins. I know that they should provide this kind of service w/ the $$$$ that we're spending on these vacations.

 

[ewspy87]

I used to work a help desk so I know what it is like to deal with people. When I called to make my reservations I had all my info researched from online and had a short list of questions. It went smoothly and the CM i talked was very nice. It took all of maybe 10-15 minutes.

You will get various results no matter what call center you contact. People are people.

 

[Briar_Rose]

I fully realise that Disney is a business, but since they have touted their customer service as being some of the best in the industry, I do not think it is rediculous to expect their operators to be better than my phone company's, instead of much worse. I thought I had read somewhere about their new quota system. It shows. Previously the operators were nice to extrememly friendly. I can't say that any of the CMs were rude or did not get me what I wanted. However every single one of them was cold and made me feel like I was a number to be moved through the assembly line as quickly as possible. They certainly did not sound like they liked their job and there was no "Have a Magical Day." One of the women actually did sound like a robot, like one of the PPs mentioned. Oh well, no big deal, just disappointing. So much for the famed Disney customer service. I am really happy to hear that others have had better luck though. Maybe we just had really bad luck. Hopefully the CMs at WDW will be just as friendly as we remember. Otherwise we may have to rethink that DVC purchase.

 

[DznyLvr2005]

I will never forget this...
last year in Sept, we were at the MK, I think it might have been either at MNSSHP or a last EMH night there... anyway... We were getting our food at Pecos Bill and we exited the side door..
Well some cleaning CM put a cone in front of the door, as in, not to enter that way... well, we have trays in our hand and we tried EXITING that door... I got the door half way open before I realized there was a cone on the other side, but since I was stuck with a tray with food and drinks, I excited the door anyway...
I have never seen a CM get so ANGRY !! I mean, she screams out "DON'T YOU SEE THE CONE??" I said "No I didn't see the cone, it was on the other side of the door and I can't see because I'm carrying a tray" then she goes on and on about how we went out that door. I couldn't believe it!!!
That was the only time I've ever encountered a rude, impersonal, CM....

 

[DznyLvr2005]

I fully realise that Disney is a business, but since they have touted their customer service as being some of the best in the industry, I do not think it is rediculous to expect their operators to be better than my phone company's, instead of much worse. I thought I had read somewhere about their new quota system. It shows. Previously the operators were nice to extrememly friendly. I can't say that any of the CMs were rude or did not get me what I wanted. However every single one of them was cold and made me feel like I was a number to be moved through the assembly line as quickly as possible. They certainly did not sound like they liked their job and there was no "Have a Magical Day." One of the women actually did sound like a robot, like one of the PPs mentioned. Oh well, no big deal, just disappointing. So much for the famed Disney customer service. I am really happy to hear that others have had better luck though. Maybe we just had really bad luck. Hopefully the CMs at WDW will be just as friendly as we remember. Otherwise we may have to rethink that DVC purchase.

Have you taken the phone survey at the end of your call?? There's always a survey to take when you get off the phone with a CM. I think they have it recorded who you talked to, etc...

 

[Claire&TheBoys]

I called to make another ADR yesterday and talked to the nicest lady! It was my 3rd call (the others were a month ago) and I did the survey each time. All the CMs I talked to were nice, but this lady was very friendly and when she found out we were staying at SoG, she told me her son is in the Air Force and how she took him to WDW when he was about 2 and they did the Character meal at Crystal Palace and he loved it. I would believe that they get bonuses on what they sell, though, as she asked if I"d like to book for Cirque - the most expensive ticket at WDW! But she was great and pleasant and I happily gave her 5's.

 

[GreatLakes5]

I've never known anyone who works at WDW at that level - can't help but wonder sometime what they earn and what their benefit package is. I thought about this a couple of times when were there in January spending our $ to be there - could these people afford to be going on these vacations on what they make? I know - no excuse - but I can't help but wonder.

 

[dawgsgirl]

I really HATE to call Disney. You never know what you will get. I have gotten great CM's, rude CM's, and CM's that did not have enough English for me to understand. My biggest frustration is the info they give out. It's basically different every call. Disney should at least be able to give out the same information no matter the personality of the CM. I have one golden memory of the worst CM ever! Several years ago, it was one of those mornings that AP rates had been released. I called right at 7:00 and got this CM who started yelling, and I mean yelling, about people who read stuff on the internet that was not true, etc. I did not have time to get shocked or deal with him at all. I had an AP rate to get! Right in the middle of his rant, I just hung up and called back. The second call was golden. It was only later in the day that I stopped and realized--I had been yelled at by a CM! I do feel sorry for the folks who have to put up with the quotas and low wages. Disney should be ashamed of themselves!

 

[brisus]

I have noticed a HUGE change in the reservation department. On my trip back in December I became so upset with the service that I actually dealt with the manager of customer service. I feel that the quality of individuals working here now is poor and they are very short and rude. I have even been hung up on at the end of a call without even a goodbye or thank you for calling, just a plain hang up in my ear. In my opinion, this is not the Disney magic I am used to. I used to look forward to calling because this seemed to be the only place left that you would receive such friendly service, not any more. I even booked this April trip through travelocity, which in the past would have been out of the question. I am so disappointed in the change of service. I think it is quite clear that it is not even close to what it used to be.

 

[Flagondry]

I agree with all your observations except "efficient".

I also don't remember the last time somebody said "have a magical day" which was pretty standard a couple years ago. It's a little thing, but I always liked it.

Someone said that to me today at the end of making ADR's.