Disney/DVC Customer Service

[CMOORE185]

eliza61, I agree with you that the decline in customer service is no fluke. IMO it has been getting worse over the last couple of years.

rowbear, It is your opinion that service is exceptional, and to say the ones who don't think it is "really just don't get it" is pretty arrogant on your part. It is just your opinion, not fact.

 

[rowbear]

I'm glad you feel the way you do, but that again, for us, even adding these things don't make it a WOW factor. You get to the point when if you get the big things right, the small things are what make the difference between exception and average.

Average is not a bad thing, being exceptional can be very expensive to maintain (and we've seen Disney doing its best to reign in costs, which will continue to move the bar towards average), but touting "above average" as Disney does makes it look silly in my eyes when it misses the mark on the details. The old saying holds true, the Devil is in the Details.

Let me give you a WOW experience, not related to Disney or any of Disney's services. We buy food items from Dean and Deluca on a fairly regular basis. Dean and Deluca are based in NYC (they have a few other locations) and I live in Syracuse, so it requires shipping of our products, often overnight or 2-day because of them being perishable.

I recently placed a fairly small order (less then $100.00) and requested overnight shipping. The next day I was expecting to receive the package, however when I got home from my office, I found that UPS didn't leave the package at the door as they usually do and instead left a yellow tag. I called UPS but by the time I was home and called, the local office was closed and I was unable to change the package delivery until the next day.

Around 8:00 that evening my Blackberry starts buzzing and it was an e-mail from Dean and Deluca telling me they received notification that my package was not delivered and wanted to make sure I was aware of the attempt and that I was able to secure the package from UPS after they attempted to deliver it. Now, initially, I'm thinking no, I didn't get it and its a nice attempt at service but really they're just responding to the UPS notification, automatically via a standard message.

Shortly after the e-mail though our home phone rings and its a live customer service representative calling about the same notification. She expressed concern that the package was not delivered to me, and took ownership of the fact that UPS didn't leave the package (as that is their request of UPS for perishable goods, assuming it is a safe location and you are a repeat customer). She advised she was going to contact UPS on my behalf and request it to be delivered next day or put in a change order if I wanted. Considering UPS cannot guarantee a delivery time, I choose the change order, she then advised she would contact me back the next evening to ensure I was able to pickup the package.

The next day came, I drove to UPS, picked up the package and got home. That evening I received a call from the same service representative and she confirmed my pick-up and offered to send replacements free of charge for any item that was damaged in the shipping delay (ie. went bad). I told her everything was still chilled (4 freezer bags, plus 2 dry ice bags did the job) and it was not necessary.

This whole scenario proved to me that Dean and Deluca was A) a premium service, B) offered above standard customer service and I although I already knew it, offered some of the best food products.

Dean and Deluca probably spent a significant amount of money paying for the customer service calls, follow-up with UPS, etc. but their desire to service their customer was priority one, even on a small order.

The less customer interaction you have the easier it is to appear to have premium service. Stay at a Dean and Deluca resort for a week on a vacation and lets see if they can take care of every little detail every single time. Apples and oranges. Disney has been consistently better at details for what they do than anyone.

 

[rowbear]

eliza61, I agree with you that the decline in customer service is no fluke. IMO it has been getting worse over the last couple of years.

rowbear, It is your opinion that service is exceptional, and to say the ones who don't think it is "really just don't get it" is pretty arrogant on your part. It is just your opinion, not fact.

They are exceptional even in a decline because no one can match them. They set the bar. No one comes even close to providing the same overall vacation experience at an affordable price. Sure you can have a few negative elements to a vacation but even then they can't be beat. I am personally not going to sit around a dirty room and huff and puff over it or let it taint my vacation. If it ever does happen to me I know they will get it sorted out.

 

[Maistre Gracey]

I voted exceptional, but it's still not as good as it used to be.
If you are figuring housekeeping as part of customer service, my rating may go down.

MG

 

[Maistre Gracey]

They set the bar.

IMO, they used to set the bar and others would try to match it. Now it's pushed up from underneath by the competition, with Disney struggling to keep it's head above it.

MG

 

[rowbear]

I voted exceptional, but it's still not as good as it used to be.
If you are figuring housekeeping as part of customer service, my rating may go down.

MG

That I agree with. They are not as good as they used to be but they have a long way to fall to leave exceptional land.

 

[rowbear]

IMO, they used to set the bar and others would try to match it. Now it's pushed up from underneath by the competition, with Disney struggling to keep it's head above it.

MG

As if Disney had any real competition. Other vacation experiences offer a fraction of the Disney experience.

 

[rowbear]

A. I have yet to hear ANYONE say they would never go back.

B. We had 3 years of two trips a year and every time we got dirty rooms ( BWV )

You can believe what you wish, but I'm here and reading. I don't understand your fixation of " If your not happy with Disney you shouldn't be on DISboards ???

Did we sell off our DVC, Yes we did. Does that mean we have NO interest in Disney at all anymore and therefore won't read DISboards, No that would just be silly and I would never know when things start to turn around.

Since when is making an observation being fixated? You aren't just reading and keeping tabs you are actively participating (as a debbie downer for all of us with upcoming vacations). If this is what makes you happy go for it but it is odd.

 

[jlewisinsyr]

The less customer interaction you have the easier it is to appear to have premium service. Stay at a Dean and Deluca resort for a week on a vacation and lets see if they can take care of every little detail every single time. Apples and oranges. Disney has been consistently better at details for what they do than anyone.

Not really. If isolate something Disney offers, like bringing my car from valet. I can isolate this service from the rest of the stay. I should expect above average service because I'm paying A) a price for the service and B) staying a resort that offers exceptional service (bills itself as such). I should expect that my vehicle is brought around when I'm asked. Not once during my stay was it ever ready when I arrived back down at the entrance of the GF (a few times it was at the Poly), often 10 - 15 minutes after I called from the room, usually when I'd approach the desk, they hadn't even set my keys out to get the car pulled around. If it was a one time event, sure you can toss it as a fluke, but every time for a week, something isn't right.

 

[rowbear]

Not really. If isolate something Disney offers, like bringing my car from valet. I can isolate this service from the rest of the stay. I should expect above average service because I'm paying A) a price for the service and B) staying a resort that offers exceptional service (bills itself as such). I should expect that my vehicle is brought around when I'm asked. Not once during my stay was it ever ready when I arrived back down at the entrance of the GF (a few times it was at the Poly), often 10 - 15 minutes after I called from the room, usually when I'd approach the desk, they hadn't even set my keys out to get the car pulled around. If it was a one time event, sure you can toss it as a fluke, but every time for a week, something isn't right.

Are you also isolating all the great things and giving them all the credit they deserve for them? That is my point. You weigh it all out and they are exceptional even when a few things don't exactly go as planned.

 

[Ed T]

"Customer service is not a job it's an attitude"

I find that with everything you will get mixed service and you should acknowledge both the good and bad service levels. Some companies will learn from the communication you send and some will ignore it. I don't find Disney is one of those companies that often ignores their guest. You may not always get the answer you want but at least you should feel like you made the attempt to make a change.

 

[disneynutz]

Here are a few of my thoughts.

Unfortunately it all boils down to money and management.

In the past Disney took great pride in "Pulsing" the Guest experience and it was a budgeted item. Cast Members were allowed to spend Disney money to make things right, and they received internal recognition for doing so.
The Cast Member training on Disney history and expectations, "Traditions" was a week long session that taught them the "Disney" way.

Now things are different. Traditions has been reduced to only a day. Everywhere is short staffed so the Cast Members don't the time to interact with Guests like they used to. Instead of the Cast Member acting on the issue themselves like a few years ago, they are instructed to refer the Guest to Guest Relations.

The lines at the attractions are longer because there aren't enough Cast Members to process the full cues and often only half of the ride is operating.

The restaurants aren't what they used to be because the menu is selected based upon what will cook the fastest and require less people to cook the food. The wait staff now has to bus their own sections, so the have less time to talk with the Guests. Their goal is to turn the tables over in the shortest time possible.

Mousekeeping is expected to clean more rooms in less time. They are given a quota and they are expected to follow it. If they happen to get a couple of rooms that were occupied by pigs, it throws their whole day off. Many Mousekeepers will back each other up when one falls behind so they can finish on time.

Have you ever been at SSR standing in line with 20 people at The Artist's Palette with only 1 or 2 lines open and you notice 3 Cast Members off to the side talking? That's poor management.

Disney has also become very aggressive in cutting hours and scheduled events. If they project a drop in attendance, they are very quick to only have fireworks on the weekends or to cut park hours. That's not really fair for the family that is paying the same price as others. I understand that Illuminations is running a reduced show during the week days.

There have also been reports of Disney reducing costs by using less air conditioning across property and modifying the transportation schedules.

Disney doesn't make much money as the management company for the DVC. They do make a ton of money as the Disney Vacation Development Company selling contracts. Is it really a surprise that most of their time and attention is spent on DVD?

The only way that we as Guests and Members can make things better is by letting our feelings known, good or bad.

If you have a DVC issue, email the Member Satisfaction Team: dvcmembersatisfactionteam@disneyvacationclub.com

If you have a Park issue, email WDW Guest Relations at: wdw.guest.communications@disneyworld.com

Thank you for your time.

 

[eliza61]

Well as this forums voting has suggested. Many people feel that Disney has quite a bit of room for improvement. Very happy if every one had great vacations but I'm not about to dismiss the legitimate complaints and plan to hold disney accountable. 25% is not a fluke, and I do believe that the people who voted "less than exceptional" have been other places and can compare. We are quite capable of "weighing it all" as you say and still making a rational decision without "huffing and puffing" in our rooms.

My observations are neither isolated or uncommon.

 

[pearlieq]

I find it to be average, or slightly above. Or maybe I just have high expectations.

I've had generally positive experiences, which is why I keep forking over my money. As with anything, everything depends on the person and the day.

I can't think of many occasions where Disney took my breath away. I also can't think of too many (though there have been some) where they really disappointed me. I can think of many, many occasions where they did what I expected of them in a reasonably acceptable manner.

I'm not saying I wouldn't be in favor of improvements, but they do enough to keep me coming back.

 

[Brian Noble]

Disney has been consistently better at details for what they do than anyone.

In theme park design? Absolutely. (Though Universal is getting there with IOA, and the corner that is HarryPotterland might well be a game changer).

In theme park operations? Mostly, but not always. Some of the better run "family parks" (Holiday World, Dollywood, etc.) are starting to give them a run for their money in terms of customer service and operational efficiency. They aren't there yet, but they are in the conversation.

In hotel/timeshare operations? Nope. Not even close. Uppper half, you bet. Top quartile? Probably so. Consistently better than anyone else? Not in my personal experience---not by a long shot.

While you are entitled to your opinion, don't expect everyone to agree with you. They are called "Discussion boards" (not "Agreement boards") for a reason.

 

[StreamMaster]

Since when is making an observation being fixated? You aren't just reading and keeping tabs you are actively participating (as a debbie downer for all of us with upcoming vacations). If this is what makes you happy go for it but it is odd.

This is my point. You may find it unusual, but it isn't inherently "Odd" ( this is what I ment by fixated ). because YOU wouldn't do it your going to call it odd. And calling me a "downer" because I sold my DVC interest, or because of my personal experiences with Disney is just childish and leads me to believe that you aren't someone to have a civil discussion with.

Lesson learned.

 

[wulfekamp]

I could be wrong here BUT. I don't think this poll has anything to do with service. It shows that the negative stuff is a very small group. Almost 75% are very happy with DVC and about 23% are middle of the road. I think and again I might be wrong that mike is tired of all the negative stuff and wanted to see how many people really felt that way. It seems to be a small minority. But I could be wrong.

 

[Maistre Gracey]

I could be wrong here BUT. I don't think this poll has anything to do with service. It shows that the negative stuff is a very small group. Almost 75% are very happy with DVC and about 23% are middle of the road. I think and again I might be wrong that mike is tired of all the negative stuff and wanted to see how many people really felt that way. It seems to be a small minority. But I could be wrong.

25% of the people here voting average or less, is not a good result. It would be if we were talking about a Holiday Inn, but we're not. We are talking about the supposed king of customer service.

MG

 

[Maistre Gracey]

As if Disney had any real competition. Other vacation experiences offer a fraction of the Disney experience.

Of course they have competition.
Until Disney gets every vacation dollar spent, there is competition.
Don't you think Disney would love to fill all their resorts at the expense of the hotels and timeshares in the area?

Disney has a large advertising & marketing department. They wouldn't spend money on that if there wasn't any competition.

MG

 

[DVC Mike]

I agree with the posters who said that the legendary Disney customer service is not as great as it used to be. Disney has rested on their laurels and have gone down a notch or two. That said, I still think they are better than most. They aren't perfect, and have never been. I still voted Exceptional.