DVC Customer Service due to poor lodging?

[The Faculty]

Hello fellow DVC members!

We recently stayed at our home resort of SS and were gravely disappointed with the shape of the studio we stayed in. This was our actual first stay at SS and the experience left us wondering if spending all of this money was right.

Here were the issues:

- Carpet stained badly in many places and worn almost to the floor.
- mold all over the shower curtains
- sink was dirty and moldy
- fridge was missing drawer, one shelf and the can holder unit
- iron was burned beyond being usable
- ironing board cover was burned, stained and mold
- couch cushion sank right into the metal portion of the couch/bed
- furniture drawers broken

Calling housekeeping, they took care of the iron, ironing board and the shower curtain. They tried to do the fridge the best they could but told me that the 'person' who looks after fridges was on vacation. I thought it was strange that only one person knows where the fridge parts are kept and how to fix them.

It appeared to me that housekeeping was not doing its job properly to have this many things not right. I also feel that fellow DVC members don't care for the property either. Seems to that attitude of "I am paying dues, so I can do whatever I want".

Anyhow, I complained at the front desk and a very young manager of housekeeping came out to hear my concerns. She took notes on her PDA and said the items would be looked into. I told her I would be following up with a letter to DVC. I told her the situation was much below Disney standards never mind DVC standards of which fees are paid to avoid such crap.

So, now looking all over the place, I do not see where I should be sending this letter to or who it should be addressed to. There is no company directory for DVC. I might as well send it to the big Jim himself.


Does anyone know of who and where I can send this follow up letter to?

Thanks!

 

[bzzelady]

The issues you refer to are exactly why I put my SSR points on the market (and thankfully have sold both blocks of points).

We encountered some of the same type of room issues last November over the Thanksgiving weekend. We also noticed the piles of garbage and linen bags in the hallways that often remained there for most of the day. Not a first rate operation in my opinion. I actually emailed Member Satisfaction and my guide when I got home to make them aware of the issues.

 

[The Faculty]

The issues you refer to are exactly why I put my SSR points on the market (and thankfully have sold both blocks of points).

We encountered some of the same type of room issues last November over the Thanksgiving weekend. We also noticed the piles of garbage and linen bags in the hallways that often remained there for most of the day. Not a first rate operation in my opinion. I actually emailed Member Satisfaction and my guide when I got home to make them aware of the issues.

Where would I find the member satisfaction email?

I don't exactly want to sell considering I just bought them 2 years ago from a resale. Surely, they need to get their arses in order. I now understand that OKW and SS share the same housekeeping division.

 

[ChelleinNC]

DVCmembersatisfactionteam@disneyvacationclub.com

The only way DVC knows to fix issues like this is to report them.

 

[Blahnde]

I'm curious in which area of SSR you stayed. I'm in no way condoning this type of care, but I am wondering if some areas of the resort are getting more worn out than others due to popularity. For example, you rarely hear anyone recommend staying in The Paddock or The Carosel areas so these may be in better shape. It seems crazy to me that a resort that has been open for fewer than 5 years is already in such bad shape. I understand it is supposed to run at occupancy (unlike most hotels), but they still need to keep these units in good shape.

I also wonder if the poor treatment has something to do with CRO and DVC using SSR as "overflow" for excess bookings. I've heard many stories about value resort guests getting shifted to SSR during peak booking periods, especially during "free dining." Of course these folks are not concerned with the condition of the resort or taking care of the room; it is the owner v. renter mentality. And because CRO put them there, they are not held responsible for mistreatment the way owners would be; it is just a bad situation on so many levels.

Thank you "The Faculty" for being a responsible owner and reporting these problems. Hopefully, someone will either be fired or get a good tushie chewing and things will improve!

Blahnde

 

[Sammie]

people who are going to make a mess of a room do so whether they rent or own and to infer otherwise is just wrong and actually not very nice to imply that someone from a value resort would make a less desirable guest.

Blahnde when you stay places other than DVC do you trash the rooms because you don't own, I doubt it.

According to my friends that work at DVC resorts just as many "owners" abuse the units as do renters.

Yes occupancy does play a part in that there is less time for regular maintenance but who is staying there does not.

The BCV were showing serious wear after 2 years.

 

[CarolA]

Well, while I am sure OP is telling the truth I must point out that this is NOT the norm.

I have stayed at SSR at least a dozen timesn all OVER the resort (everyplace but Grandstand). The ONLY problem I have ever had was a broken safe. That took a while to repair as once engineering figures out they can't fix it they have to contact a manager who has the master key to remove the "core" It's a limited number of people. But even then it wasn't bad.

My last room had one small "wear" spot on the carpet by the door. Nothing big and the only reason I noticed was it's where I packed my Owner's Locker!

 

[Blahnde]

people who are going to make a mess of a room do so whether they rent or own and to infer otherwise is just wrong and actually not very nice to imply that someone from a value resort would make a less desirable guest.

Blahnde when you stay places other than DVC do you trash the rooms because you don't own, I doubt it.

I don't trash traditional hotel rooms not only because I think it is classless, but because I know I will be held responsible. DVC does not hold "guests" (those they transfer from other resorts, value or otherwise) responsible because they (DVC) "own" those units. If an owner trashes a unit, they will receive a bill from DVC; if a DVC "guest" (as defined above) trashes a room, DVC has only themselves to bill. The guest is not held accountable. To be honest, it sounds like no one is being held accountable or these resorts would not be in such sad shape.

I own and rent out non-vacation homes; I know well the treatment renters give my property. My comment was simply a refection of this knowledge. From my experience, those who rent, in general, do not have the investment and therefore do not take care of the property they rent. This is a simple fact, not a judgement.

Blahnde

 

[vicki_c]

Sorry you had a bad room -- our studio in the Springs was immaculate -- I thought it was the cleanest, freshest seeming room I had ever stayed in at Disney. That said, there was some puddle in the hallway near our room (looked like melted pink ice cream) that was there for 3 days! Other than that, though, I thought everything at SSR was top-notch.

 

[tjkraz]

The issues you refer to are exactly why I put my SSR points on the market (and thankfully have sold both blocks of points).

To each his (her) own, but IMHO encountering housekeeping and maintenance issues...from a single stay, no less...is a poor justification for selling.

Every week there are 800-1200 new families checking into the rooms at SSR (not to mention all of the other DVC resorts) yet reports like this are far from the norm. And there's little evidence to suggest that problems are more widespread at SSR than other resorts.

Employees change. Resort management changes. Procedures change.

If SSR wasn't your cup 'o tea, so be it. But I certainly hope you won't sell your VWL points if you read that SSR's houskeeping manager has been reassigned to the Wilderness Lodge.

 

[tjkraz]

If an owner trashes a unit, they will receive a bill from DVC; if a DVC "guest" (as defined above) trashes a room, DVC has only themselves to bill. The guest is not held accountable. To be honest, it sounds like no one is being held accountable or these resorts would not be in such sad shape.

To be honest, I have yet to hear of a single DVC guest / member being billed for room damage. Maybe it has happened, but it's far from widespread.

Even DVC resorts have budgets for maintenance. They have extra appliances and furniture in storage, and CMs on staff capable of making repairs. I really don't get the sense that there is a conspiracy afoot to keep the rooms in barely-livable condition.

Just my $.02, but I think the main problem is that housekeeping isn't proactive enough in finding problems. They don't check drawers to make sure they still slide. They don't open ironing boards to see if the cover is still in good condition. They don't take an inventory of the kitchen to make sure all of the utensils are present.

Should they? Yeah, they probably should. And perhaps some housekeepers do.

The main problem I have with these maintenance discussions is that it's difficult to put things in perspective. Are we dealing with one poor housekeeping staff member who wasn't doing her job? Did a guest depart late leaving housekeeping with even less time to attend to the room? Was housekeeping short-staffed on a given day? Or are there wholesale problems in resort management that need to be addressed? I'm sure we all have out theories.

To the OP, we've had a dozen DVC stays and our worst experiences were a toaster broken when we arrived (replace within an hour) and a dishwasher that broke mid-stay (replaced while we were at parks.) Here's hoping your next stay is a better one.

 

[DisneydaveCT]

I'm very sorry to hear that The Faculty had such a poor experience at SSR.

Like a few other posters I have had a very positive experience at SSR. I have stayed there four times in the past two years. My worst experience was the styrofoam cups. I also had a poor view one trip, but not every room has been designed with a great view.

IMHO, part of the problem is with guests who find less than acceptible conditions in their rooms and choose to report it only after returning to their home state. That decision delays the response from Disney to correct the problem.

If we expect to find our room to be in good condition we check-in, then all of us, both renters and DVC members, should immediately report problems with the condition of our rooms after we first check-in for our stay. Otherwise, bad conditions will be allowed to grow and get worse.

As noted by other posters, problems were very often repaired after Disney was told about the issue.

 

[Blahnde]

To be honest, I have yet to hear of a single DVC guest / member being billed for room damage. Maybe it has happened, but it's far from widespread.

I understand that this board is only a microcosim of DVC Membership, but I have read about more than just "wear and tear" going on at DVC Resorts. There are posts on here (and other boards) about pieces of furniture (tables and chairs!) being missing, not to mention the small appliances, pots and pans, and pack-and-plays that disappear. If owners are not being billed for these items, my question is why not? I do not approve of my dues paying for stolen property; repair and maintenance I get, but missing pieces from the refrigerator need to be billed to the last occupant.

The main problem I have with these maintenance discussions is that it's difficult to put things in perspective. Are we dealing with one poor housekeeping staff member who wasn't doing her job? Did a guest depart late leaving housekeeping with even less time to attend to the room? Was housekeeping short-staffed on a given day? Or are there wholesale problems in resort management that need to be addressed? I'm sure we all have our theories.

I agree that there is probably not one simple answer. I proposed just another theory, but by no means do I think that this is the sole reason that a particular room was in disrepair. However, I think it is important to hold DVC accountable for taking care of our property. If I had a property management firm taking care of my rental properties, I would hold them responsible for doing their job. Part of DVC's duty is to take care of our property interest. It would be nice if they always did a perfect job without anyone reporting problems, but we need to report problems to help them do their job.

Blahnde

 

[DVCPAT]

The main problem I have with these maintenance discussions is that it's difficult to put things in perspective. Are we dealing with one poor housekeeping staff member who wasn't doing her job? Did a guest depart late leaving housekeeping with even less time to attend to the room? Was housekeeping short-staffed on a given day? Or are there wholesale problems in resort management that need to be addressed? I'm sure we all have out theories.

Perspective ?? Does the excuse for poor housekeeping really matter? When someone complains to management about a legitimate issue, I think it’s a good thing. Disney wants guests to be satisfied, selling a DVC contact is the ultimate complaint. If Disney can’t maintain and clean a room properly, I’ll also sell my contracts. We really enjoy our WDW vacations but customer loyalty is reciprocal.

 

[tjkraz]

Perspective ?? Does the excuse for poor housekeeping really matter?

It certainly does when a member is questioning the wisdom of their purchase decision and others are suggesting that such complaints are commonplace.

While the specific reason will probably remain unknown, I do think it's important to illustrate that there are reasons beyond Disney doesn't care and the implication that such issues are frequent occurrences.

When someone complains to management about a legitimate issue, I think it’s a good thing.

I agree. I never suggested that OP should not report these issues.

 

[kikiq]

We had 2 studios and a 2 bdrm in August and all 3 units were all clean when we checked in. I did report the dishwasher door not closing properly to the front desk as well as marks in the foyer where it looked like someone dragged something on it. We were missing knives and Mousekeeping was there within 15 minutes with replacements.

We were in Congress Park. I also wonder if the room is in a particular area.
I was a little concerned after reading other members' reports here. But then as veteran DISers have said, people almost always post their negative experiences and not always post their positive experiences.

 

[yxe dad]

I have only stayed at SSR twice but both times the unit was in ok shape. I say ok, not great because the carpet looked worn and stained(esp by the entrance). The sheets were at the end of their life, and the shower had paint peeling. None of it ruined my stay and I did mention it to the CM at checkout but I think alot of my issues are because of the lack of daily cleaning. I know our fee's would increase with daily cleaning and I'm not saying that should happen, but they need to do a better job of cleaning when a guest checks out. Have a cleaning schedule based on the length of stay or at the very least a check list that is signed by the mousekeeper and the superviser before that room is released to a guest.
On the checklist could be things like-
Is the shower area/shower curtain free from mold
Do all the drawers and doors operate properly
Are all the utensils(forks/spoons/corkscrew,etc)in the unit
Is the hide-a-bed made with clean linens
Is the safe operational
Is the fridge operational
etc,etc,etc
And if the "List" already exsists, why isn't somebody being held accountable for the units condition

JMHO

 

[Doctor P]

My parents and I stayed at Congress Park about three years ago and loved SSR. However, that is the only trip to a DVC property where I commented to the Front Desk staff about issues with the room. The room had not been fully maintained and had worn carpet to the point where the subfloor was becoming exposed in places. I was pretty shocked. It did not affect our enjoyment of our visit, but I did note it upon checkout to try to spare the next guest(s).

 

[hakepb]

When i stayed at SSR this July (Studio in Grandstand) everything was very clean. We noticed the aroma of cleaning chemicals when we first got in, then noticed that the carpet was damp by the bathroom, I think they just did a carpet cleaning. we also noticed the ongoing outdoor pressure washing, and some touch-up painting by the Grandstand pool bar. (You know you're at Disney when you always see maintaince happening.)
The only real maint issue I noticed was a stair landing got a pool of water on the 2nd day, so they put up the cautionary yellow slip signs, then did nothing. By the ned of our stay it there was a bunch of dead bugs in that pool of water (drying slowly). Why could not someone broom or squeege off that water?

 

[The Faculty]

Wow! Quite a heated debate. As a matter of fact we were in Congress Park. And I lied, as this was our second time at CP but our first time as being DVC members. We actually enjoyed the first time which led us to the purchase.

The bottom line is what I experienced was unacceptable. We pay dues for things to be maintained. And it shouldn't be the member telling the property what needs to be fixed.

I had a similar experience with the Hard Rock Hotel at Universal back in July of 1996. The place was a mess. They admitted it and told me they did not have a clean room to give me. They went on about how the hotel was scheduled for an overhaul in January 2007. Bottom line there, they gave me $150 credit on the account during the stay and then followed through with 2 comp. nights in one of their Club 7 rooms. (We had stayed in a Club 7 in '96). Although the certificate expired in August 2007, they had no problems honoring it this past summer. We went there after the disappointing stay at SS. And quite honestly HH was brilliant. They had done all of the work promised and have been able to maintain the property properly.

I don't see why DVC can't do the same.

Anyhow, as the original post goes, is there someone more direct that I can contact? What about compensation?

Cheers.