Disney/DVC Customer Service

[JimMIA]

This is a good example of customer service at WDW right now.

http://www.wesh.com/news/20003663/detail.html

I'm not bashful about criticizing Disney, but I don't think that is an example of customer service...either good or bad.

This story - although it contains one disturbing factoid which may, or may not, be a) true, and b) relevent - is just about Disney conducting an investigation in accordance with the rules most employers follow in situations like this. And a news media reporter trying to make a name for themselves.

 

[PMDR59]

Being new to DVC and havent been home yet........I have no opinion about onsite DVC customer service. No complaints at all about MS I think they have been excellent.

Having been on DCL 3x in the last 4 years I rate their customer service (over the phone and onboard) as beyond excellent!!! I have nothing to compare it to since I have never cruised any other line.

All my previous trips to the parks we have stayed off property, but with the exception of 1 comment from a CM (which I didnt get unitl after, and it was funny, just not what I would expect from a CM) the CM's in DL and WDW were exceptional as well.

Now I have a different take on Customer Service than most. Having worked in Customer Service for the last 18 years and for the last year actually working as a supervisor handling customer escalations this is what I have found.

The world has changed, or shall I say the people in it. Most of the people hired in the last decade at my company have the same attitude. Its all about ME. I find this to be true just out in the general public as well. There is no work ethic, no self-respect, no personal responsibility. Its all about what am I getting out of this, Its not about doing a good job.

I see this from my work position as well. We never had a position before to handle customer escalations. They were handled by our Manager. They were few and far between, because the representative handled the customers issues, there really was no need for much to go above that level. My position was created becase the level of requests that need to go beyond a regular service representative have become so numerous that the Managers couldnt handle them and get all of their normal work done. To be honest most of what I deal with on a day to day basis is 90% nonsense. People looking to get over on something, get something for free, or have caused their own situations and wont take responsibility for it and want to blame the company. Not to say that there are customers who 100% have a gripe and have been wronged in some way by the company, and I do my best to correct it as quickly as possible and give them that little something extra to make up for it. Or that the representative that handled the customer or should I say mishandled caused the situation.

This goes back to my original statement in just the overall decline of what is availble in the workforce. And if there are not enough people out there for Disney to hire that meet "Disney's normal standards" then YES we are going to see an overall decline in the level of service they can provide.

 

[Sammie]

It's funny though, how many people will think that's "whining or complaining".
I remember last august I posted how I was unhappy that the 2 back burners on the stove in my 2 bedroom did not work. what made me unhappy was that I contacted the front desk (I acknowledged these were probably the wrong folks to contact) on the morning after discovery and 6 days later it still was not repaired.
You would not believe the flames I got, every thing ranging from "you must lead a charmed life if a broken stove is worrying you" to "you're not at disneyworld to cook". So now I think, maybe it's me. maybe people do let dirty rooms and broken items roll off their backs. I dunno. Like I said, the stove was in no way ruining my vacation, I just felt it should not have been broken. Trash left in the garbage can upon arrival doesn't send me screaming to management, it just sours my overall impression. So what do you do?

I am sure some will label it complaining or whining. But who cares. If they can post their great situations, others can post their less than great situations.

I can honestly say that in all the many years of traveling I have never checked into a room with the mess I checked into at a DVC resort. There truly was no excuse; which the Housekeeping Manager agreed with. His words were, "this is appalling".

Broken glass on the kitchen floor, blood and hair in the refrigerator, left over smelly, molding food. Basically the housekeeper started cleaning, left before finishing and released the room.

I as others; fault management and I hold Jim Lewis accountable as anyone else. They need a system that has someone checking these rooms before releasing them because I do agree that the quality of the available work force has changed. But if we know that, then surely Disney does to. So you hire 30 medicore maids and one good supervisor and make sure the rooms are clean before releasing them.

He did get the room very clean, and treated us to dinner on Disney, since we had to leave the room, and stay out for a couple of hours to have it recleaned.

When Disney rooms and villas become less than the local Hampton Inn in cleaniness and upkeep, they have slipped greatly in my opinion. I expect my DVC villa to be as clean as the models they use to sell them. I am ok with normal wear and tear but things that are broken or do not work, should be fixed.

 

[pvalues]

Did you book a standard room or a concierge room?

What does that have to do with anything? You shouldn't have to pay for a concierge room. What a ridiculous question IMHO.