Disney's left me in tears...

[5DisneyNuts]

I disagree. My apologies if this is not the case, but according to my sources a good number of front line reservations are outsourced.
I don't ever want to spread false information.
How would you account for front line misinformation?

Please do not spread false information. The Disney Reservations Center/Walt Disney Travel Company Cast Members are NOT outsourced.

 

[writerguyfl]

I disagree. My apologies if this is not the case, but according to my sources a good number of front line reservations are outsourced.

I'm a primary source. I used to work there. Everyone there is a Disney Cast Member.

Perhaps you have a different definition of "outsource". Me to (and the dictionary), outsourcing is when you contract an outside supplier to do something what used to be done internally. That has not happened. When you call Disney, you are speaking to a Disney Cast Member.

How would you account for front line misinformation?

Every contact center Cast Member has access to a massive database of information. Without question, there are going to be some problematic Cast Members that do not use the database to find the real answer. That is a very real problem and if it happens, I wholeheartedly recommend reporting the incident.

But, another issue is that some guests aren't always precise in their questions. Verbal language is often harder to parse than written language. Sometimes, the question they need answered isn't actually what is being asked. A great call center agent will be able to interpret what is really being asked based on the context of the conversation. However, that's a learned skill that takes time to develop.

For example, lots of people joke that "What time is the 3 o'clock parade?" is a silly question that Cast Members get asked. But, it's not really a bad question if you know the context. In most cases, the guest is really asking, "What time does the parade pass by the location where I am?" The answer will actually change depending on whether the guest is in Frontierland or on Main Street.

I don't ever want to spread false information.

That makes me happy. Sorry if it seems I jumped on you. Outsourcing is a hot-button issue for me.

 

[TropicalDIS]

OP glad you got it sorted! Dont let it bother you and have a wonderful trip. Enjoy the.magic!

I would definitely email guest services about the attitude of the CM who called you back
You did nothing wrong. Not your fault the original cm ok'd your plan. They have no right to speak with you like that.

Email them. They need to know this!

 

[HarleenQ]

I'm a primary source. I used to work there. Everyone there is a Disney Cast Member.

Perhaps you have a different definition of "outsource". Me to (and the dictionary), outsourcing is when you contract an outside supplier to do something what used to be done internally. That has not happened. When you call Disney, you are speaking to a Disney Cast Member.



Every contact center Cast Member has access to a massive database of information. Without question, there are going to be some problematic Cast Members that do not use the database to find the real answer. That is a very real problem and if it happens, I wholeheartedly recommend reporting the incident.

But, another issue is that some guests aren't always precise in their questions. Verbal language is often harder to parse than written language. Sometimes, the question they need answered isn't actually what is being asked. A great call center agent will be able to interpret what is really being asked based on the context of the conversation. However, that's a learned skill that takes time to develop.

For example, lots of people joke that "What time is the 3 o'clock parade?" is a silly question that Cast Members get asked. But, it's not really a bad question if you know the context. In most cases, the guest is really asking, "What time does the parade pass by the location where I am?" The answer will actually change depending on whether the guest is in Frontierland or on Main Street.



That makes me happy. Sorry if it seems I jumped on you. Outsourcing is a hot-button issue for me.

It's not misinformation. LOTS of CR jobs with Disney are outsourced. They still go through training, etc but they are not CMs.

Source: Me.

 

[bryanb]

When I call a phone number for the Walt Disney Company (or any company) to talk with someone, I expect that the person who takes my call is authorized to speak on behalf of the company unless they tell me otherwise.

Companies hire vendors to do things for them all the time, and frequently with good results. But Disney still should hear about any negative experiences, because these CMs (outsourced or not) are guest-facing representatives of Disney.

 

[bkellar]

OK....so I have an update. I paid the trip off on Monday (on schedule ), and then I gathered my courage, and called on Tues. Here's how it went...

(After I was very nicely transferred to Guest Services)

Some was good, some bad. The first GS person was very brusque right from the beginning , and said that , since my trip wasn't cancelled, nothing was wrong , and that, if anything was going to be done to compensate me for the trauma, it would have already been offered. I disagreed politely, and said that I lost an afternoon of work (true), and that it really upset my whole family, most especially the little girl for whom this trip is made. He kept going back to the fact that a reservation person should never have booked it that way--and I kept calmly and honestly stating that I didn't know that (that was why I had asked the nice reservation lady when I made it--our last Disney trip was a 15 day one that I made payments on for 4 months--but had paid it off 2 months b4 the trip so never dealt with this), that the trip had been a spur of the moment idea to make this little girl (13) feel better with all of her health problems--so for me, just doing as a company what you said you would do to begin with wasn't doing me any favors. He still said there was nothing to be done. I asked to speak to a supervisor , he said "We don't have supervisors , we are all peers here. If you want, I can transfer you to one of my peers who can tell you the exact same thing I just told you" I asked who the next person would be in the chain of command , and he kept insisting that there was no one higher than him, and that, the only thing he would do was have a peer say the exact same thing. Finally, I said, okay, please transfer me to your peer . He was really incredulous , and asked if I didn't understand him that they were going to just repeat his words. I said, well, so be it.....

THANKFULLY , he was wrong . The peer, who had worked there for over 27 years, said very nicely that she could see why I felt upset--she apologized (first one!), and said that she couldn't do much, but she did do something....the little girl is going to have a signed picture from Mickey personalized to her and delivered to the room. They resolved it, I guess.

Do I wish that they had done something else? Of course -- if I had been in that department , I would have found a little Disney magic for our family--especially given the reason for the trip (it's a trip to give a little foster care girl who has had a terrible year with health problems an escape for a day and a half--yes, we're flying a couple thousand miles each way for a day and a half--it was what we could afford)--if there was ever a girl who didn't need that stress last week, it was this girl (she heard when I was talking ). Also, I have been to WDW multiple times (this will be 5) , and I would hope that potentially losing us would matter (it probably doesn't--being disabled I have to book inexpensively, and they probably save the magic for the GF guests).

Who knows, maybe Disney reads these, and when we arrive, they will look at the girl (trying not to use her real name since she isnt mine) and say, "Little Princess, we have a surprise for you . ..." I was hoping they might make her ticket a hopper, or surprise her with a character meal (I can't afford to) but I suppose that is pretty expensive for them too. (Though the commercials show "Disney magic" as being things like that, or upgraded suites, etc,--maybe they've taught us that?)

So, long story short , I had 2 different GS people (apparently the ones who called Thursday wereally GS)who were pretty rude, 1 who wasnt really rude, but wasn't pleasant, and 1 really nice GS person who, thankfully , was the last one and who resolved things, did a nice thing for the girl, and made me feel a little better

Sorry for the long and kind of rambling post...I'm still processing a bit...

 

[bkellar]

Oh, and they did say on the phone in the first conversation that it was ALL packages with outstanding balances that had to be paid off by Friday at noon--mine was the only one under 30 days according to them--it was why I replied so incredulously --I said, there's no way Disney is cancelling 200 people's vacations who have been making payments --and they said yes, if they weren't paid by the next day at noon, they computer update would lose them and they would be gone --I still think that was misinformation. if I was making payments , I would make a quick call , just to check --I'm sure they're probably fine--but can't hurt.

 

[GPC0321]

OP, forgive me, but is this correct?
1. You called to book a last minute trip to WDW.
2. You asked the CM if you could finish paying for the trip on Monday and she said yes, even though the policy clearly states that packages must be paid in full 30 days out from check-in.
3. The reason you wanted to pay on Monday was to get a better rate on airfare?
4. Because you were able to save on airfare, you were able to add your dining plan (I'm assuming quick service since you mentioned not being able to afford a character meal, and if you were on the dining plan, you could use credits)
5. You were called and notified of Disney's policy regarding packages - that they must be paid in full 30 days out and if they aren't, they will be cancelled.

Maybe I've missed something, but if the above are true, then the ORIGINAL CM who took your reservation is the one that Disney needs to know about. She's the one who screwed up and caused this whole fiasco to begin with. She was wrong to tell you that it was okay to pay the remaining balance of the trip on Monday.
The CMS whom you spoke to later were all doing their jobs. Only you can say how rude they were, but remember that you admit your emotions were raw and sometimes when we're already very emotional, our perception of others' tones isn't very accurate.

I hope you enjoy your trip.

 

[K_Jordan]

(it probably doesn't--being disabled I have to book inexpensively, and they probably save the magic for the GF guests).

I think its unfair to say Disney only does nice things for guests who spend more money (especially since they are sending you an autographed picture). GF guests get what they pay for (better room and location) but I doubt they get free stuff thrown at them left and right.

I'm glad your problem was resolved and I'm sure you will enjoy your trip (and hopefully forget about this hassle once you're there).

 

[bkellar]

You missed a couple of things....I didn't know when I called that there was a policy about 30 days--I didn't know anything about it, hadn't read it anywhere,etc --to book the trip I just called 407 w disney to see what a trip would cost, and when she told me the total I asked if I could split it into 2 parts, she said absolutely , np (which obviously I now know isn't allowed , and I will definitely know for next time).

So, I booked the air fare. On Thursday , they called, not to tell me that my reservation was going to be cancelled because it was under 30 days, but instead, that they were upgrading the computers, and EVERYONE who was paying on a trip was going to have to pay it off by noon the next day. The only reason the 30 day rule came up (how I learned about it) was because when I said, no, I won't have the money until Monday, like we agreed to, they said, "Well, it never should have been offered as an installment to begin with"--had I had even an inkling about the policy I would have paid it in full when I called and paid for airfare the next Monday. (I specifically asked, "So people who still have a year to pay are also being called today, and she said "yes")

So, no, I wasn't being called to be told of the policy--I was called because all payment pending trips were called (according to them--they said that had "many meetings to discuss all of the over 200 people they were going to have to call)--and I was upset because they used the fact that an exception had been made (which I would never have done had I known of the policy) to justify it being okay to break the agreement because of a computer upgrade.

Comments like "Well, you're lucky we called you at all, would you rather we had just let it disappeared with the upgrade instead of giving you until tomorrow to find the money" are rude no matter what tone they are given in.

 

[bkellar]

I think its unfair to say Disney only does nice things for guests who spend more money (especially since they are sending you an autographed picture). GF guests get what they pay for (better room and location) but I doubt they get free stuff thrown at them left and right.

I'm glad your problem was resolved and I'm sure you will enjoy your trip (and hopefully forget about this hassle once you're there).

You are absolutely right , kjordan....I should've thought b4 I said that comment. I was in a hurry and still a little upset. I apologize--that was a poor me, sour grapes comment, and completely out of line. Mea culpa!

 

[bkellar]

I think what it came down to, is that I wanted to give a struggling little girl a piece of magic--when I was younger, my first trip was to help me forget about several months in and out of the hospital, and my trip WAS a piece of Magic that helped me forget a lot of the medical stuff for a while . ....if there was ever a girl who deserves a bit of magic, it is this girl I am taking.

I knew I was limited budget-wise, but when I called on Monday , it just seemed like everything was perfect and going to work like clockwork- she was going to get a slice of that Disney Magic she watched so avidly on TV, I was going to be able to make it even better with dining....everything just fell into place. When I told her about it , she was so happy she cried....

Then, when Thursday happened, I felt like maybe I had done something wrong by booking it that way (even though I didn't know), that now her trip was going to be destroyed --I felt a lityle bit like I went from fairy godmother to villain....

I guess a part of me wanted to be able to get back that feeling of sheer joy for the trip....that it was a nice thing to do, for a great kid, at the happiest place on earth....and instead I felt like someone who booked a trip wrong, who couldn't pay within 16 hours to save it, etc, etc....

I know that is me allowing myself to feel that way--I take full responsibility for my feelings and actions. I don't blame Disney for that--I just had hoped that, given that it was THEIR computer upgrade that caused the whole thing, and that since she was such a deserving kid that, they would think, wow, that kid deserves something neat....completely unrealistic....they ARE neat just the way they are, I shouldn't expect magic to rain from the sky....

Im going to just leave the negativity behind, and enjoy what will hopefully be a lovely trip, with a wonderful little girl and my amazing Dad (he'said my driver and like a grandpa to her) in the happiest place on earth.

Deep breath, happy thoughts....

 

[maxiesmom]

As much as Disney is about pixie dust, we have to remember it is first a business, and it is sometimes coated in pixie dust. I truly hope you can put this behind you and have the magical trip you want and deserve.

 

[GPC0321]

On Thursday , they called, not to tell me that my reservation was going to be cancelled because it was under 30 days, but instead, that they were upgrading the computers, and EVERYONE who was paying on a trip was going to have to pay it off by noon the next day.

This just seems completely unlikely. I'm not saying the CM didn't say it, just that it makes no sense. How many thousands and thousands and THOUSANDS of people have packages booked for the upcoming year? There is no way that someone who has booked a trip 8 months from now could be forced to pay in full or else lose their reservation. That would literally affect, I'm guessing hundreds of thousands of people.

And the DIS would have exploded by now with outrage.

Are you sure that's what they said?

 

[bkellar]

This just seems completely unlikely. I'm not saying the CM didn't say it, just that it makes no sense. How many thousands and thousands and THOUSANDS of people have packages booked for the upcoming year? There is no way that someone who has booked a trip 8 months from now could be forced to pay in full or else lose their reservation. That would literally affect, I'm guessing hundreds of thousands of people.

And the DIS would have exploded by now with outrage.

Are you sure that's what they said?

Yep. literally. exactly. repeated it back, asked again. was told very snidely," that's what we said "

It was so obviously not possible that it is what made me question everything to begin with when I started this thread.

When I asked the same thing of the supervisor who called me back, she said "you wouldn't believe how many meetings we had to plan these calls to the hundreds of people it will affect"

 

[writerguyfl]

It's not misinformation. LOTS of CR jobs with Disney are outsourced. They still go through training, etc but they are not CMs.

Source: Me.

I'm not sure what "CR" is supposed to mean in this context. But, I assure you that all the people working at Central Reservations/Walt Disney Travel Company are employed by Disney. They are not outsourced.

 

[GPC0321]

Yep. literally. exactly. repeated it back, asked again. was told very snidely," that's what we said "

It was so obviously not possible that it is what made me question everything to begin with when I started this thread.

When I asked the same thing of the supervisor who called me back, she said "you wouldn't believe how many meetings we had to plan these calls to the hundreds of people it will affect"

But that's the thing. If literally EVERYBODY who has a vacation booked right now that hasn't paid off the balance is affected, that's got to be way more than "hundreds" of people.
People can book vacation packages through December 2017. There is no way Disney can expect all of the hundreds of thousands of people who have vacations booked for the entire year of 2017 to pay them all in full in November of 2016.

And nobody else on the Dis got a call about this? I'm sure there has to be someone else on these boards that has a package booked for some time in 2017 they haven't paid in full yet.

 

[bkellar]

I agree, it is why I thought the call was a scam.

 

[Dug720]

I agree, it is why I thought the call was a scam.

I'm fuzzy on if you called Disney back to find out if what you were being told was accurate. I would never have taken the word of someone who called me with something that seemed so far-fetched. ESPECIALLY given that NO ONE on here reported anything similar. I know we are a small portion of people who go to Disney, but I find it impossible to believe no one else received a call.

 

[bkellar]

I didn't call them back right away...they called me on Thursday , telling me this whole hullabaloo , then I asked for a supervisor , who called me on Thursday about 90 min later.

I called on Monday (automated system ) and paid in full, then I called yesterday (Tues) to talk about the whole thing . when I called yesterday , I asked to talk to Guest Services about the whole thing, and they said "You have been talking to Guest (can't remember if they said relations or services) Services", which made me feel it must have been legitimate . I'm almost tempted to call back and ask what happened with the other 200 people --but obviously , they wouldn't tell me (privacy).

To be perfectly honest , when it first happened , I figured that at least half a dozen of those 200 would be DISers and we could commiserate !

I'm just glad it is paid, confirmed, and done.