DL Dining run by Grumpy??

[pikaboo27]

Does anyone else feel that a lot of the folks at Disney dining are less than magical? When I call WDW dining, everyone I've talked to is friendly and happy to help and they always wish me a magical day. I know it is silly, but I love being wished a magical day. It's just so Disney! But whenever I call DL dining, I always feel rushed, they are not very helpful, and have never wished me a magical day. Has anyone else noticed this? I know it is something so silly, but calling Disney should have the same magic as dealing with a CM onsite. Is DL dining run by Grumpy or what?

 

[jenjersnap]

They've never unmagical exactly but they do always seem to be in a hurry. Maybe they have quotas that are difficult to attain?

 

[bumbershoot]

I'm sorry you had that experience. I never have, they are always really nice and chatty with me.

 

[MiaBanda]

Maybe they are just getting tired of doing their job. Last year, they were nice and cheerful and chatty when I called. This year...totally different. I was hung up on 3 TIMES! And then, when I finally spoke to someone, she was very curt and just took my info. Then basically hung up. No have a nice day or anything.

I will be calling again in July to set us up for our Aug/Sept trip. Hopefully they will be in a better mood!

 

[DangerMouse]

The last time I called Disney Dining was to change the time for a reservation I had made for my dd's birthday breakfast at Ariel's. The CM was hard to understand (heavy accent), short with me on providing information I was requesting, and as it turned out, didn't even do her job because when we checked in, they had no reservation for us. They still had our prior reservation time in their system. Fortunately, the CM at Ariel's worked with us, but I was definitely disappointed with my DD phone line experience.

 

[scooter15]

I think its just more than DL Dining. I don't know how the job market is out there but over here it has been extremely hard to find CMs that fit that traditional "Disney" type. Honestly I think its there own fault too. H and I worked there back in the days. We knew several friends who left DL for a better one and guess what were given no rehires just for quitting. They never tried to fight it because what was the point. I mean, everyone I knew worked for Disney and almost everyone had no rehires. It just was how things happened. But as soon as they added the other park and they began to expand as a resort destination, almost everyone that was considered the disney type were unable to obtain jobs from there even as just part time or weekend work. I've heard they are getting rid of that status on many people just as long as they were caught doing something like stealing money from the company.

Also, its the people we have living out here. Its just not Disney that has a problem. I have a friend that works in the film industry and he notices it with the people that work on productions. He feels that they don't feel that they should work for anything. Almost like a sense that they feel entitled to get anything they want but would rather not work for it.

 

[JadeDarkstar]

oh wow last year the lady i spoke to was super nice and worked with me, i wasnt as orginized as i should of been but she was cool I hope i get a nice lady again and some one i can understand. usely if i fill like there will be trouble being heard I will ask for some one else to speak to. I have a bad time understanding heavy acents and usely they have to repeat them selfs three or four times. then I notice that person seems mad at me, so I just save my self and them the hassle.

I hope i get some one who will understand the cake i order lol

 

[Daisybelle]

What a bummer! I called over the weekend to change some dining reservations around and the fellow I spoke with was very nice and even could be classified as chatty!

I do think that it is harder and harder to find good customer service reps anywhere though. I'm appalled with some of the folks working out on the front lines of the medical center I work at. Why help a patient when there's a perfectly good People magazine to look at? Makes my blood pressure shoot up a bit.

 

[avalon451]

That's too bad. I have noticed the "entitlement" thing too lately-- younger people not being very responsible or wanting to really do their work the way it's supposed to be done, and there is not a whole lot of applicants to really choose from who fit the bill any more.

It was kind of funny, when I called Disney Dining in February, the girl I got was quite pleasant, but she sounded kind of bored, or maybe just tired. When I was thanking her and saying good bye, I almost laughed, because of her tone. She did say, "Thank you, and have a magical day." but she said it like it was a joke, like people doing a parody of airline stewards with fakey sweet voices.

 

[tmli]

I have to speak to WDW cm's on a regular basis. When speaking to cm's from DL in planning this upcoming vacation....what a difference. I always feel like I am calling a completely different company!!! Short, rude, distant, disinterested.....all words I have used to describe the DL cm's!

 

[IASWAM]

I just called a few days ago and didn't have that bad of an experience. The lady on the other end was pleasant and friendly. She didn't wish me a "magical" day, but she did say "have a good day", which is better than "have a crap-tacular day" I suppose. I agree with PP's about good customer service. It is truly getting harder and harder to find, so when I do get someone who is, at the least, friendly, I feel satisfied to some degree.

 

[kaoden39]

It really has to do with which department you are calling. If I call guest services they always go out of their way to make the call and everything else magical. But it seems to me they are kind of curt and short with you when you call dining. Maybe it is the management of the department.

 

[LynnTarrant]

I have to agree with the majority of comments and the OP I've had to phone DL Dining from the UK I have waited up to 15 minutes for an answer and then it is very curt and rushed, maybe because the lines are very busy and they are told to keep down the wait times. When I have phoned WDW it's never been like that.

 

[gaucho2000]

I just called last week to make reservations for our trip in July and the woman was wonderful. We chatted about my DD, her granddaughter, and our trip. It wasn't rushed or anything and she wished me a magical evening!

 

[Eeyore76]

I just called a few days ago and didn't have that bad of an experience. The lady on the other end was pleasant and friendly. She didn't wish me a "magical" day, but she did say "have a good day", which is better than "have a crap-tacular day" I suppose. QUOTE]

Oh, that was funny!

I hope I don't have a poopie person.....maybe it comes down to the time of year? Like...this is MEGA busy time?

 

[MMSS]

I had a positive experiance for the last trip I took.
I had to phone twice ahead of the trip, and I do remember that one time, the person on the phone was quite helpful and was good at giving his advice/experiance and opinion.
Then when I was at Disneyland, I had to cancel one reservation, and in trying to change another time frame where I couldn't but the person on the phone put me on hold so they could phone the resturant and ask what would be the best option (which was decided to be that on the reservation that we were running late: gave us the extra 30 mins that we needed).

So to me, I was happy, but couldn't honestly say they said "magical" -- definite good experiance

 

[DBBean]

I just got off the phone with Disney Reservation to change our dates. We where scheduled for the early part of next week and had to move it back two days. They did with no problem and were really nice about it. In fact when I made the 1st res. The Castmember did a with me over the phone.
Peace out!

 

[kaoden39]

I just got off the phone with Disney Reservation to change our dates. We where scheduled for the early part of next week and had to move it back two days. They did with no problem and were really nice about it. In fact when I made the 1st res. The Castmember did a with me over the phone.
Peace out!

I'm glad to hear that. A positive experience is always nice.

 

[Albort]

hmm, Disneyland has changed since i started working. Its quite different and a new face seems to be different. their objective seems different too. Its too complicated to say.

 

[mommaU4]

I'm sorry you had that experience. I never have, they are always really nice and chatty with me.

Same here. Guess I've been lucky. If anything they've been too chatty and friendly for my taste. I just wanted to state my business and be done with it. I need one of those abrupt, grumpy CMs!