disney needs to get it together.....

[livie1205]

my b friend who is going to akl in sept. just got off the phone with someone at wdw who told her ALL construction will be done by sept. 1st.... and the lady was VERY rude about it.I think next year our familys will spend our money with universal and their hotels...we used to go to wdw because of the good service, no one could compare to disney NOW not so much.anyway had to vent...she was really unpset when she got off the phone and she just wanted to make sure she would not hear alot of construction sounds.ok go ahead ...I am readyfor the people who think disney does no wrong...but I think alot of people are tired of the overall bad cust. service

 

[jfranklyn]

Well, I for one would never defend rudeness - it sounds like your friend did not get good service at all. Personally, thought, the reason that my family loves disney so much is the service and 99% wonderful people that we meet while we are there, not people that I talk to on the phone. Would it be great if everyone was cheerful every single time I talked to them on the phone? Sure, but that's not reality. Now if rudeness became the rule of the day AT WDW, that would be a different story.

 

[livie1205]

your right....but it wasnt just that...she said it took 3 calls to get someone on the phone that knew what the heck she was talking about and the c s person she got on the phone told her there was no dept. for just akl moves and that the construction would be done all done by sept 1st so she could not help her.I mean they should all get on the same page.send a memo ...send a company wide e mail just dont tell everyone something new..

 

[TheLastPrincess]

CRO is NOT Disney. They have offices in Tampa, Orlando, and even TEXAS. They are a business just like every other business. They have mean, rude, careless morons just like every other business. However, they have more nice, accomodating employees than other businesses.

CRO is fed information from Disney. Some CRO employees know about the construction, and some do not. Some know nothing about the construction at AKL, and some will proceed to tell you ALL about it. Whether or not this is Disney's fault is anyone's guess.

Was told by a CM friend to call AKL directly and ask to speak with the manager. Tell the manager that CRO was rude and unhelpful. He said they will sympathize, as no one likes dealing with CRO. The "ground-floor" Disney CMs still have the magic! They are immersed in it, unlike CRO, which is very "disconnected."

 

[G&GMom]

Well I agree that it is frustrating. We are staying in Sept. too and I called just to find out the scoop. I have 2 little ones and I have allergies and ADR's and just generally need to know. They were rude to me on the phone a bit too. I was told it would only be loud when I was at the parks. When I questioned how loud, in case we wanted to nap, I was told that I would be transferred to the WDW switchboard for more info. And of course whoever answered there had no idea what in the world I was talking about.

I understand that Disney is trying to be proactive and make things right for their guests and I am thankful for that. But I am genuinely concerned and I felt like my concerns were not important.

 

[ElizabethB]

CRO is Disney -- and it is the first point of contact with Disney for many customers. CRO CM's need to be polite and informed and it is Disney's fault if they are not.

 

[hoosll]

I think all of us would be more tolerant of the CRO service if it was a tollfree number and we didn't have to answer 3 minutes of THEIR questions before we can ask our question.

I am so put out with the website right now because you cannot test ANY 2008 dates room only or pacakge - I'm sure this has to do with the new pricing strategy making every day a unique price ... I'm a shareholder so I appreciate maximizing the gain for the company BUT if I can't make a reservation efficiently then I cannot spend my money with Disney.

 

[Amy&Dan]

That is too bad that happened with your friend. I haven't stayed at Universal so cannot compare how their customer service is. However, in plenty of travel around the U.S., I have yet to find any place that has customer service that rivals Disney. Which I agree is not perfect but as close as it gets this day in age. I agree, CRO is the bottom of the barrel quite often. Which is why I NEVER deal with them. I go with a good TA like Dreams Unlimited. I haven't deal with CRO in years and your friend's experience reminds me why! From what I have heard, the main construction issues will be done by September 1. If however, your friend is at all unsure, maybe call them and see if they can switch to another resort. But I think calling and talking to someone at AKL directly is a very good idea.

I like the idea of Disney getting some sort of memo out to everyone who talks to a customer but apparently that is asking too much.
And next time, go with Dreams. You won't have to talk to CRO or Disney Dining one single time. They will handle everything, including your ADR's.

I have seen many posts from frustrated people who are scheduled to stay at AKL. And every single one of them has had to deal with CRO because that's how they booked and the stories vary since CRO is so inconsistent.

 

[racinjunkie]

I just don't understand why it's so hard for this info to be consistent!! If there is someone set up to handle this situation then why is it so hard to alert people that if the subject of AKL construction comes up refer them to this number.

 

[Fast Pass]

I am sorry they got a rude representitive. I have had a couple myself.
The majority of CMs though are very helpful. Although I wouldn't say they were informative. Everytime I call I get a different answer to my questions and they still can't get my e-mail right.
Disney's CRO has turned into Russian Roulette-you never know what your going to end up with.

 

[hmp2z]

Bottom line here: CRO represents Disney and is the first point of contact that most people have with Disney. If CRO reps are rude or incompetent, then that is a huge reflection on Disney. I fully agree that people would, after a bad experience with Disney, just say, "Forget it. This isn't worth it," and take their money elsewhere. It's what we almost did with our upcoming vacation next month, because I was so maddened by the lack of assistance and by the falsehoods that I was told by the CM's (not CRO - IPO).

Disney has no excuse for CM's who are uneducated and unable to address guests' concerns about their resort hotels, especially for something as major as the AKL construction that caused so many people to get re-booked in other resorts. Telling guests to call a travel agent because Disney is insanely incompetent is incredible. Why should someone have to do this? Why can't Disney just feed their CM's updated, consistent information like a normal company would?

Jeez...

Heather W

 

[TheLastPrincess]

I do agree that "customer service" is POO! I remember when I was a little kid, talking on the phone to a Disney rep...I thought they were the nicest people EVER. I would say in the past few months I've called Disney 15 times and 9 of those times I've talked to nice people. When I say "nice," I mean people who talk to you like a friend talks to you: "Hi, how are you today?" and then proceed to answer your question in a friendly-type manner.

That being said, I have also worked as a secretary for a car dealership and people are MEAN on the phone. Having to deal with that day in and day out....that sort of thing WEARS on you.

What to do after talking to someone who makes you want to dig your eyes out? WAIT for that "satisfaction survey" and tell Disney how you really feel! Believe it or not, this actually reflects on the CM in a good or bad light, depending on how you rate them.

On the other hand, if you get a CM who is nice and tries to be as helpful as she/he can, tell them you really appreciate it! Thank them! Tell them you're going to rate them high. Put a smile on their face. This encourages them to continue doing their job well. And then follow through with the satisfaction survey.

 

[mking624]

CRO being Disney or not being Disney really has nothing to do with it. They are still doing the work for Disney and people will automatically assume it is Disney themselves. Therefore the people there need to be consistent and friendly. I work at The Disney Store and though we are no longer a part of TWDC (we are now owned by The Children's Place), many guests do not know that. We still bear the Disney name and we must still be reflective of what Disney standards are.

That being said, I also tend to remember that people have bad days and sometimes take it out on those they don't intend to. I've dealt with a couple of rude people and a person who had no clue what they were doing at CRO. I just thank them for their time, hang up, and call back (use the 800 number unless you have free long distance...much better on your $$). I NEVER get worked up about it because I know that will only make me stoop to their level. I want to be the big person. I also make sure I always call that survey number and give my opinions on the phone call (or I stay on the line if I actually complete the phone call...good or bad service). I wouldn't personally stop going to WDW because of one bad phone call though....IMO the good experiences (be it with CRO, the parks themselves, etc) far outweigh the bad ones. In fact yesterday I called CRO and had a wonderful experience with the CM.

 

[mking624]

I do agree that "customer service" is POO! I remember when I was a little kid, talking on the phone to a Disney rep...I thought they were the nicest people EVER. I would say in the past few months I've called Disney 15 times and 9 of those times I've talked to nice people. When I say "nice," I mean people who talk to you like a friend talks to you: "Hi, how are you today?" and then proceed to answer your question in a friendly-type manner.

That being said, I have also worked as a secretary for a car dealership and people are MEAN on the phone. Having to deal with that day in and day out....that sort of thing WEARS on you.

What to do after talking to someone who makes you want to dig your eyes out? WAIT for that "satisfaction survey" and tell Disney how you really feel! Believe it or not, this actually reflects on the CM in a good or bad light, depending on how you rate them.

On the other hand, if you get a CM who is nice and tries to be as helpful as she/he can, tell them you really appreciate it! Thank them! Tell them you're going to rate them high. Put a smile on their face. This encourages them to continue doing their job well. And then follow through with the satisfaction survey.

I had such a marvelous person when I called CRO yesterday (she even caught that my husband's name was misspelled before I even had a chance to bring it up...talk about looking at the details!!) and I was so impressed with her and I made sure I gave her the highest ratings. I'm so glad they do that satisfaction survey now!!!

 

[Lewanc]

I think all of us would be more tolerant of the CRO service if it was a tollfree number and we didn't have to answer 3 minutes of THEIR questions before we can ask our question.

I am so put out with the website right now because you cannot test ANY 2008 dates room only or pacakge - I'm sure this has to do with the new pricing strategy making every day a unique price ... I'm a shareholder so I appreciate maximizing the gain for the company BUT if I can't make a reservation efficiently then I cannot spend my money with Disney.

Hi There --The Disney Travel Company has two toll free numbers (877) 939-3732 & (800) 828-0228 for information and bookings. Of course you will still get the same 2-3 minute questions speel, but at least it won't be on your dollar.

Hope this helps!!!

 

[livie1205]

I am glad other people know what I mean...I love wdw but come on..just a minute ago I read on another thread how someone got called to move last night...and there check in date is august 31! lol and it is all gonna be done sept 1st! I am just so mad at these people that dont know what the heck is going on...

 

[4 mickey]

Hi
I also got great service way beyond what I expected , I guess that maybe they are ask so often about AKL & the construction maybe one not so cm's was upset of yet another asking about AKL .
But that said they should meet disney standards for politeness .
As for universal I for one stayed at pacific resort at universal and being a beautifuld resort as may be it was lacking the of disney in a lot of aspect cm, ambiance , music ( wdw playing dsiney music ) of course I don't regret trying universal but would rather stay at a wdw resort and use buses to go to universal and be back at my disney resort at night .
But then again I'm crazy in love with disney .

 

[Minnie&Nana]

I...Although I wouldn't say they were informative. Everytime I call I get a different answer to my questions and they still can't get my e-mail right.
Disney's CRO has turned into Russian Roulette-you never know what your going to end up with.

The misinformation that is routinely coming out of their call centers is a total JOKE. Someone at the top needs to get a hold on what is what, decide what info is going to be shared with guests, keep that info updated and educate its operators. Or at least give the operators a resource for finding out fact-based replies to questions. It is SO frustrating...

Agree completely and well said.

 

[johnsonet]

CRO is Disney -- and it is the first point of contact with Disney for many customers. CRO CM's need to be polite and informed and it is Disney's fault if they are not.

I completely agree!

The misinformation that is routinely coming out of their call centers is a total JOKE. Someone at the top needs to get a hold on what is what, decide what info is going to be shared with guests, keep that info updated and educate its operators. Or at least give the operators a resource for finding out fact-based replies to questions. It is SO frustrating...

 

[mprewitt]

I understand how the AKL issue has upset many people. I believe Disney is doing their best to handle the situation. Perhaps they've not done the best in terms of keeping everyone in CRO informed. If we get mad at a CM because they don't know something, or we think they are misinformed, it's better not to get mad at the CM. Just hang up and call back and maybe you'll get a CM who's better informed.

I think Disney CM's are way above average in the customer service department. I've met great CM's and bad CM's. However, I've never let me get so mad at one specific incident of a rude CM that I decide never to go back to WDW! The overall experience at WDW is magical and I always have a great time.

If some people get so upset that they decide not to go, I guess that's their decision. I'm not against less people in the parks -- shorter lines for me!