Dissapointing First Impression of DVC

[Doctor P]

Were you given the toll free number to call? If so, shame on the owner who rented to you in giving you that number. Member Services is exactly that: services for MEMBERS. If you called the (407) area code number for member services, then I would agree that you should have been treated with more respect. Otherwise, anything short of hanging up on you, especially on a Monday morning, is more respect than should be expected or deserved. JMHO.

 

[Disney Lover JJ]

HA? Please enlighten me, as I do not know what HA means....your reputation preceeds you...so I know I will get a kick out of your comment..jeje

 

[Doctor P]

HA? Please enlighten me, as I do not know what HA means....your reputation preceeds you...so I know I will get a kick out of your comment..jeje

Handicapped Accessible (room)

 

[disneymama73]

And by the way...the reason we have two ears and only one mouth is not that listening is more important...it is because listening is fat free...and if we had two mouths...we would all be twice as fat and wouldn't fit in Disney rides...everybody knows this.

Speechless.

 

[Disney Lover JJ]

Didn't know about the (407) #, I'll call there next time...if the 1-800 is just for members then I respect that...so what if a member sends his family (not immediate) on vacation...should they contact only the (407) number?

 

[disneymama73]

Were you given the toll free number to call? If so, shame on the owner who rented to you in giving you that number. Member Services is exactly that: services for MEMBERS. If you called the (407) area code number for member services, then I would agree that you should have been treated with more respect. Otherwise, anything short of hanging up on you, especially on a Monday morning, is more respect than should be expected or deserved. JMHO.

I agree 100%. I have never given out the 800# when renting points.

 

[Laurajean1014]

I don't understand the OP. The systems tells you how long your wait is.... If you didn't want to wait 15 minutes, then why did you hang on? The most I've ever gotten is 8 minutes and there have been times when I hung up and called later (to get someone in 2 minutes)....

Also, if you are renting - why not have your "landlord" make the changes for you?

I've booked about 100 trips in the past 11 years and I have not had anyone be rude to me. Everyone is pleasant and professional. I always try to make them comfortable and they always return the favor.

I guess DVC should be happy you weren't selected for the random survey.

 

[Doctor P]

Didn't know about the (407) #, I'll call there next time...if the 1-800 is just for members then I respect that...so what if a member sends his family (not immediate) on vacation...should they contact only the (407) number?

Actually, only the member should be making contact about the reservation in any case. But, yes, even family should be using the (407) number if they are not members. This helps free the toll free line for member calls and also members do not get charged for non-member calls. BTW, on a lot of Mondays, a fifteen minute wait for MS is not bad!

 

[Laurajean1014]

Didn't know about the (407) #, I'll call there next time...if the 1-800 is just for members then I respect that...so what if a member sends his family (not immediate) on vacation...should they contact only the (407) number?

MEMBER (to be a part of something)
NON-MEMBER (to not be in the group)

Also, your story is starting to overlap - you originally were renting, now it's from a relative? Renting from a relative (if that's the case) does not allow you member privileges.

Also, your comment on the one mouth, two ears? Where did that come from?

 

[rocketriter]

I agree that Disney Lover JJ deserves some slack. MS knows when the crush call days are and knows to staff them appropriately. And Disney is world-famous for the excellence of its customer service, a skill in which you help customers who are, themselves, trying to be helpful without ever telling them they're "wrong." In addition, good customer service does not create 2 classes of customers, owners and renters. Either policy is to not help renters, or it is to give them help of the exact same quality as members. Each policy is valid, but a policy of letting renters call in and then treating them poorly is not.

This particular CM blew it. Yes, it happens. But at Disney it shouldn't happen often.

 

[Laurajean1014]

I agree that Disney Lover JJ deserves some slack. MS knows when the crush call days are and knows to staff them appropriately. And Disney is world-famous for the excellence of its customer service, a skill in which you help customers who are, themselves, trying to be helpful without ever telling them they're "wrong." In addition, good customer service does not create 2 classes of customers, owners and renters. Either policy is to not help renters, or it is to give them help of the exact same quality as members. Each policy is valid, but a policy of letting renters call in and then treating them poorly is not.

This particular CM blew it. Yes, it happens. But at Disney it shouldn't happen often.

No one should be rude (especially in a customer service atmosphere). However, I don't think we're getting the real story (or at least the other side of this).

Also, if you are waiting for a MS rep, you are told how long the wait is. The OP could have hung up, but they chose to stay on and wait. That can't be someone else's fault.

 

[crisi]

Please don't, as I can just imagine the post when the front desk CM is having a bad day and you get stuck with a HA room.

Smoking HA room. And the lightbulb is out in the closet. At the end of the hall on the ground floor, despite the request being right on the reservation to be close to the elevators on a high floor.

DisneyLover JJ - I like my DVC - but if you purchase, you are buying a timeshare, not a stay in a Disney Deluxe hotel. Our dues are paying for those CMs that answer the phone. Have realistic expectations for what you are buying. DVC resorts operate at almost complete capacity year round. That makes the wear and tear a little more visable. It means that not everyone can stay on a high floor close to the elevator. And, because DVC tries (or at least I believe they do) to balance what needs to be done with how much we pay in dues - we pay for improvements - to hold times, for new carpet, etc. Finally, it means that once you own, you don't have a lot of leverage to complain - go ahead and sell your points. Disney doesn't need to continue to delight you (more often than not, they do - but you seem to have some high expectations for the brand).

To say "its Disney" and trust that everything will have a pixie dust sprinkle is not understanding the timeshare industry.

 

[Disney Lover JJ]

You are right...the system did say 15 minutes...I just commented on this because thought it was a long time for Disney...but after reading your posts...maybe on Mondays this is expected.

In regards to the Member / Non Member thing...I thought that once a reservation is in one's name..one could call to check on it....guess not...learned my lesson

In regards to the family thing...its not that the story overlaps, it's just that I wanted to find out how this would work if and when I become a member. I know that I will be making many reservations for my sister, brother, parents etc...and wanted to know if they could pick rooms and preferences directly with Disney (after I originally set up the ressie) or if I would have to do everything from beginning to end.

Finally my comment was in reponse to a previous post that said...

"...in communication, listening is often more important than speaking - that's why we have two ears and one mouth..."

I was simply sharing an experience with the DIS and thought this comment to be a little out of line....

 

[jade1]

Just so you know, your 2nd impression may include a long check in, no welcome homes, chipped furniture, stained carpet, burned out light bulbs, cold pool temps, auto AC problems, cigarette butts on the deck, bad views or room service trays in the hall during your stay. Hopefully not though. Good luck and have fun.

 

[crisi]

But he is staying at the BCV, so that means that despite the elevator buttons existing in a hole in the wall, he will be spared the trailer trash that frequents another nameless DVC resort.

(JJ, at this point we are having fun with each other, don't worry about this comment).

 

[Disney Lover JJ]

Crisi...I don't have points...I was looking to buy. Nonetheless, reading your post has almost convinced me not to buy into the DVC club..not because of the wear and tear..as I have stayed at other Timeshares and I know this is the norm (I stayed at one where the AC had to be repaired, the washer had a leak, the ice maker was frozen and one drawer fell on my foot)...but the fact that they cannot guarantee a non smoking room is definitely a no no for me....my wife is allergic and I am expecting my first baby...so paying $20M and $1M in annual dues and there is no guarantee of a non smoking room (which I consider not a request but a must) might be out of the question for me

 

[Disney Lover JJ]

Intersted to hear what is this other "namesless DVC resort"...just in case with my luck I was thinking about buying there jeje

 

[MissD]

Intersted to hear what is this other "namesless DVC resort"...just in case with my luck I was thinking about buying there jeje

PUHLEEZE...don't go there.

...and in saying 'there'-I mean the subject of the nameless resort

 

[disneymama73]

Crisi...I don't have points...I was looking to buy. Nonetheless, reading your post has almost convinced me not to buy into the DVC club..not because of the wear and tear..as I have stayed at other Timeshares and I know this is the norm (I stayed at one where the AC had to be repaired, the washer had a leak, the ice maker was frozen and one drawer fell on my foot)...but the fact that they cannot guarantee a non smoking room is definitely a no no for me....my wife is allergic and I am expecting my first baby...so paying $20M and $1M in annual dues and there is no guarantee of a non smoking room (which I consider not a request but a must) might be out of the question for me

I used to work the front desk at several big name hotels. A request is just that -- a request. You do the best to get it for the guest, but if it is not available, it's not available. This is the case whether you have a cash ressie or own a timeshare.

That being said, I always request a non-smoking room as my DH and I both have allergies, and we always get one. If one was not available at check-in, we would wait for one to become available.

Question. When you say $20M, do you mean $20 MILLION?

 

[MissD]

Just so you know, your 2nd impression may include a long check in, no welcome homes, chipped furniture, stained carpet, burned out light bulbs, cold pool temps, auto AC problems, cigarette butts on the deck, bad views or room service trays in the hall during your stay. Hopefully not though. Good luck and have fun.

I had to laugh...most of these have applied to my 'real' home at one time or another