Disney Cast Members not doing their job...?

[AngieBangie]

We just came back from our Spring Break visit last week, and I wrote a letter to Disney about the amount of cast members I saw standing around talking to each other, and not greeting guests at attractions. In some cases, the CM's ignored you.

For example: We went to get on the Liberty Square Riverboat, and there were 2 cast members standing at the entrance who obviously had more important things to discuss with each other than greeting guests on the attraction. And we entered at a non-busy time, so it wasn't like they were distracted by the swarm of guests coming on to the boat.

And then on Small World, at night just after the fireworks (when it wasn't that busy) DH and I went to get on the ride and were confused as to where to go, so we went the wrong way and saw a gentleman in a wheelchair coming towards us, just as confused as we were because there wasn't a CM directing us. Finally a CM came out and cleared everything up. The CM's that were supposed to be greeting and directing, were standing off to the side of the entrance blowing bubbles.

I don't expect to be treated like royalty, but I do expect to be aknowledged. Disney has a standard that they've set in their customer service and I've only seen it go downhill in the last few years. Now I have had some very positive experiences with CM's, and I included that in my letter also. For me, the cast members make the trip for me. I love their energy, kindness, and willingness to help.

I bring this up because one, Kevin and John talked about the super enthusiastic CM's at the Pepper Market (sarcasm) and 2, I wanted to share that I got a quick response from a Disney CM. She left me a very nice message apologizing for my experience, said she would forward it to the appropriate authorities. I called her back just to thank her for contacting me personally, she seemed so sweet!

I didn't know what to expect when I wrote that letter, I know that Disney listens to their guests, but I honestly did not expect a personal phone call. This made my respect for the Walt Disney Company shoot waaaay up.

I'm sorry if I posted this on the wrong board. I posted here because of the Pepper Market review, and I have heard in the past the podcast team's comments on some CM's, but never a discussion about it on the show. I am curious if other people have experienced what I have on my trip (and this wasn't just from this trip, we go at least once a year and this kind of thing happened last year too... we spoke to guest services about it then). So please, share your comments, I'd love to hear!

Have a happy day everyone!

 

[kermit116]

It's good to hear that your letter got a response. I have also noticed that some (not all) CMs (mostly those working on the attractions) are not as friendly as they used to be. It sounds like you were reasonable in your expectations and communication to guest services, so I hope they pay attention to your comments and experience.

 

[*NikkiBell*]

First of all, to the podcast forum and thank you for posting this here.

I have experienced CMs similar to yours over the past several years more and more often. Years ago, WDW cut back on their CM training and how many full timers they were hiring and instead went with more part timers. In my opinion, that has brought about more of these issues. I'm hoping that the more people voice their concerns, the better off things will become.

 

[GaSleepingBeautyFan]

I'm glad you got a response to your letter.

Don't get me started on the CM's playing with bubble toys - I hate those things and walk on the other side when I see them to avoid them. I'd love if they would stop!

 

[Mr H]

I think a little more improvement could have been with the bus drivers. I realize they have a job to do but some of them should have taken a "happy" pill. I remember on one trip back from the park we started getting the bus singing "Sweet Caroline" and "I Got You Babe".... imagine ... dark buss and voices starting up. Then we arrive at the hotel and we get off as though nothing has happened.

 

[kbelle8995]

I think that Disney needs to go back to "Traditions". This is how they train CM's and get them to know all about Disney and what it means to work there.

As for the Bubble gun, just be glad they didn't have perfume.

 

[zulemara]

3 words
Disney College Program

They turn over 6k domestic CMs alone each semester. Many have never had a real job before, most get pissy with the conditions within 2 months and just try to get through their term. Most don't care about the tradition, the legacy, or the experience provided to guests. In other words, if you offered to send them for free to a talk with people like Bob Gurr, Marty Sklar, etc most would not take the opportunity.

This could be said of many CMs, but the high frequent turnover and complete lack of decent recruiting leads to much of this.

 

[zulemara]

I think a little more improvement could have been with the bus drivers. I realize they have a job to do but some of them should have taken a "happy" pill. I remember on one trip back from the park we started getting the bus singing "Sweet Caroline" and "I Got You Babe".... imagine ... dark buss and voices starting up. Then we arrive at the hotel and we get off as though noting has happened.

Bus drivers are STRONGLY discouraged from using the microphone in any form due to "safety concerns" That is why the buses have automated spiels now for almost everything. Sometimes it's not the CM, it's the decisions management make which cause the guest experience to change.

They put these god awful automated spiels on the cruiser boats that I can't stand. I choose to use the mic to spiel if I'm on a boat that actually has a working mic. Of course I'm not specifically discouraged from talking on the mic(and if I was I'd do it anyway), but equipment functionality can also be a factor.

 

[zulemara]

I think that Disney needs to go back to "Traditions". This is how they train CM's and get them to know all about Disney and what it means to work there.

As for the Bubble gun, just be glad they didn't have perfume.

yeah that works for a week, maybe 2, until you have your first bad day when a guest argues that the lake wasn't there this morning and he/she walked right into MK after parking, then rails go down and you take verbal abuse for a few hours at the ferryboat dock, then you say politely "I apologize folks, but I have to ask you to please clear the stairs for docking" and people challenge you. Suddenly the tradition goes right out the window.

Some of us keep our sanity through outlets like the DIS or through meeting people like Bob Gurr, who inspire to keep the dream alive. My point is going through traditions for a week wouldn't change anything. It has to be constantly reinforced and with 63k CMs, that's nearly impossible to do on a regular basis. This is the difference between WDW and DCL. DCL is a ship with a contained number of passengers and crew. The guest satisfaction is directly related to your interaction. As one former DCL person told me "if you're on a 4 day cruise with someone, you don't wanna piss them off on the first day." They are constantly rewarded for good behavior and comments. That's what creates the quality and service difference between the 2 experiences. WDW has grown so big and has so many people in one day, that the individual attention to the guest as well as individual attention and positive reinforcement of the CMs has been lost.

 

[Mr H]

Many have never had a real job before, most get pissy with the conditions within 2 months and just try to get through their term. Most don't care about the tradition, the legacy, or the experience provided to guests.

They need to hire me....

 

[disney david]

I think a little more improvement could have been with the bus drivers. I realize they have a job to do but some of them should have taken a "happy" pill. I remember on one trip back from the park we started getting the bus singing "Sweet Caroline" and "I Got You Babe".... imagine ... dark buss and voices starting up. Then we arrive at the hotel and we get off as though nothing has happened.

how about this driver i found on youtube not sure how happy they was when he broke out in song well it could be the song he choosed tp punish them for not laughing at his jokes. so the next time your on a disney bus and the driver tells jokes please laugh.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hxc-G52E-Xg

 

[kaligal]

Last time I rode the PM, the girl on the platform was literally screaming jokes (at least she thought they were funny - they were obviously inside jokes) at her co-worker across the platform. And when we got back, she kept it up.

I thought, "Disney has jumped the shark."

Many CMs are more interested in each other than the customers. Even when they're alone, some totally ignore the customers - just purposefully don't make eye contact.

I was in MK with a friend and he commented more than once on the gloomy employees. After we passed one on the way in to HM, he commented again. I explained that HM people are supposed to do that; it's part of the theme. But it wasn't lost on me that the HM person could easily have been confused with some of the others we'd encountered.

Disney is still better than most, but they're going the way of Dell computers and Wal-Mart. They made it big having excellent customer service, then they stopped giving it.

With so many people out of work, I'd think they'd have an easier time finding people who were willing to be nice in order to receive money.

I don't know what the solution is, but it would be nice to see this fixed.

 

[AngieBangie]

I was in MK with a friend and he commented more than once on the gloomy employees.

YES! We were getting on the people mover, and the CM standing at the front, on the ground looked to mopey and bored I wanted to say, "Don't look *too* excited!"

But I felt better when the CM at the top that was loading people into the cars was dancing to the music they were playing on the stage by SM. That's the kind of cast member I like!

 

[pixie dust 112]

Happily, I've not seen this the past few years, although I think things were heading that direction about 5 years ago. I have noticed great interaction between CMs and guests. I generally go 2 or 3 times a year. I was there last January, April and September and again this January, so it's been al different crowd levels and we've had great interaction! Maybe I've just lucked out!. I 'll be there again tomorrow morning for our Spring break, hopefully my good luck will continue!

I do miss the interaction that we used to have on the busses and boats, with singing and trivia. The exception seems to be the Friendship boats that go between EPCOT and the studios and that resort area. I find that they love to talk with the passengers!

 

[kbelle8995]

yeah that works for a week, maybe 2, until you have your first bad day when a guest argues that the lake wasn't there this morning and he/she walked right into MK after parking, then rails go down and you take verbal abuse for a few hours at the ferryboat dock, then you say politely "I apologize folks, but I have to ask you to please clear the stairs for docking" and people challenge you. Suddenly the tradition goes right out the window.

Some of us keep our sanity through outlets like the DIS or through meeting people like Bob Gurr, who inspire to keep the dream alive. My point is going through traditions for a week wouldn't change anything. It has to be constantly reinforced and with 63k CMs, that's nearly impossible to do on a regular basis. This is the difference between WDW and DCL. DCL is a ship with a contained number of passengers and crew. The guest satisfaction is directly related to your interaction. As one former DCL person told me "if you're on a 4 day cruise with someone, you don't wanna piss them off on the first day." They are constantly rewarded for good behavior and comments. That's what creates the quality and service difference between the 2 experiences. WDW has grown so big and has so many people in one day, that the individual attention to the guest as well as individual attention and positive reinforcement of the CMs has been lost.

Hey you don't have to tel me this I used to be a CM. And I agree with you. But Traditions in a good place to start that's you get your start and then there needs to be reinforcement. I got yelled at about the price of hot dogs and merchandise. Neither of which I had the power to change

And I was a CM 10 years ago, I had rude and nice guests so it's a mix as it is on any job. Better pay for CM's College progam and otherwise wouldn't hurt either. Maybe it has changed. I do remember a manager giving me a job assesment at Disney which included these words. "You stopped smiling when you turned to the coffee machine." CM's are human and I think that guest forget that. They are not audio animatronic characters. CM"s have bad days just like everyone else. That doesn't excuse rudeness nor should it. And some discover that working for Disney is not for them. I left knowing that I needed to find something that was better for me. However, I still state that Disney is still something good to put on your resume. It does still get attention and open doors. They still have the reputation out there. When employeers see it on the resume or they ask about customer service they still notice it

 

[Jordansmominjax]

We were in the park two weeks ago. We also noticed a lot of cast members standing around and not being happy and friendly. Especially the food servers at the popcorn and drink areas. I remember thinking is this the way it is going to be from now on. I hope not. They seemed busy talking to each other and looking unhappy. I would think Disney has cameras every where and can see it.

 

[AngieBangie]

I tell everyone I know that is visiting WDW to ALWAYS let guest services know if they're unsatisfied with anything in the parks. Including cast member interaction. Of course I always encourage to give positive feedback as well, I don't like to be a Debbie Downer. But Disney has a standard they've set above all other theme parks, and when they do not live up to that standard, they appear to be just like any other theme park. I understand that CM's can have a bad day, etc, but they still have a job to do, and part of that job is being friendly to the guests to add to their magical experience.

 

[PeterPan09]

I've been a Disney guest for about 40 years, and I've been a CM for 2. In those 40 years I cannot remember one incident where I had a poor interaction with a CM, but in the 2 years that I've been a CM I have been cursed out, screamed at and ordered about in a tone that I thought went out with the days of Mary Queen of Scots to her handmaids. Every CM I know has a story-people have been spit on, had things thrown at them, things I would never imagine that people would do.

Now, does that excuse not giving our best every hour we're on stage??? HECK NO!! Even the worst guest is only in your life for a short time-someone else gets the privilege of vacationing with them and then going home to live with them. I have had far more wonderful encounters with guests than bad ones and would hope that is also true of my guests in their interactions with CM's.

I do agree however that training is not what it should be. Talking to folks who have worked there for a long time, I discovered that the Traditions class that I had for one day used to be FIVE days. They immersed you in the culture, inspired you and made you feel like you were someone special because you were a CM. You can't do that as well in one day. Most of us who really love Disney and are serious about our jobs spend time in the parks to restore that feeling when times get tough. I find a visit to "One Man's Dream" or watching people at MK work nicely.

I also agree that while the CP program can be a wonderful thing-Disney relies on it a little too much, and some of the kids really aren't into it or trained well enough. I've met some great kids that will make amazing CM's if they choose to stay, and amazing workers wherever they go. I've also met kids that thought they were coming to FL to party for 6 months and are pretty upset when they find out Disney actually expects them to work.

It would be great if Disney paid us more-who doesn't think they are underpaid for what they do? Higher salaries might help, if you have to work 60-70 hours a week to keep a roof over your head those hours can take a toll. Is it an excuse not to give our best every moment we're on stage? NO. We took the job knowing what they pay was, it's our job to deal with it or find something else that pays more.

My best experiences with CM's as a guest started with me being pleasant and positive when I met them. Just as a smile or a good attitude from a CM can make your day better, you might just make theirs better by giving them your good vibes. We're all only human, and sometimes despite our best efforts how we really feel can show.

I'm not offering excuses-if anything other CM's are often more critical of their peers than guests. I'm the first to notice Disney look violations or other issues when I'm in the parks-it reflects back on all of us when one of us isn't putting out their best effort. I will say though that until I actually did the job I would never have believed what goes on during any given shift.

 

[dixiegirl]

Well said PeterPan09 and written very fairly for both sides. I have been to WDW annually over the past 15 years and have been a Disney Store cast member as well during that time. My experiences are nothing to the degree of a park CM however I can tell you stories as well. I personally have been cursed out, spit at, and had a plastic wand thrown at my head just to mention a few.

It's a very difficult job and it is definitely not for everyone. I go out of my way when I am at the parks to try to engage the cm's. I thank the really nice ones and always try to say hello to any that I make eye contact with. I know their job - and I know how hard it is sometimes.

I have seen a few gloomy ones myself but nothing that I would complain about.

Maybe Disney could also make a training program for bad guests!? That would help immensely! LOL

 

[poohbear2]

I am not sure about how the CM's at WDW have been, but I returned from DL in February and they were exceptional! I was never so impressed with CM's.