DVC Member Services Report Card

[disneynutz]

With the hopes that Disney monitors the DIS, I thought that I would start a thread where we could report on our experiences with Member Services. With your participation this thread will stay alive for a long time.

Include your experiences with reservations, CMs, website, wait lists, etc.

 

[Maistre Gracey]

I voted "very satisfied".
Perhaps I've just been lucky, but everytime I call MS I always get a pleasant, knowledgeable, and helpful CM on the other end.

MG

 

[dianeschlicht]

In 10 years of calling, I have never had a bad MS experience. I do KNOW what I want right away when I call, and I rarely ask anything, so that might make a difference. Once I did get a very sullen sounding CM, but everything was done correctly, so her mood didn't effect me one way or the other.

 

[jctwizzer]

Repeat......in over 10 years, we've never had a problem....that, and the results shown, makes one wonder what motivated the OP to start this whole thing

 

[Chuck S]

Calling since 1992, while I've gotten some that were more knowledgeable than others, all have been pleasant and completed the requested transactions correctly.

 

[magicmommy]

Never had a bad experience with MS. Certainly as Chuck stated some are more knowledgeable than others but never a bad one in the bunch!

 

[Granny]

I voted "very satisfied".
Perhaps I've just been lucky, but everytime I call MS I always get a pleasant, knowledgeable, and helpful CM on the other end.

MG

This is virtually exactly what I was going to say!

Part of it is my expectations....I don't expect a chatty CM, though I often make comments that are not strictly business and usually get a nice reply.

And I've never gotten a CM that didn't know what he/she was doing...on the other hand as Diane indicated I've always had everything laid out in advance so the calls go pretty easily.

Part of the MS experience is the wait time for calls as well. My longest wait ever was about 20 minutes but I expected it and didn't have a big issue with it since it is toll free.

All in all, I give MS a very good grade.

 

[Squidrific]

Well I would have voted with the others until this morning. I have always had a great experience until today. I had a reservation for 7 nights in a 2 BR for October at BCV with my BCV points. I called today to drop the first night because we are going to stay on cash at AKL instead. The CM accidentally cancelled the whole reservation and even said oops right after she did it. In the time it took her to try to fix her mistake the 2BR was booked by someone else. Now she says she can only put me in a 2BR at SSR and waitlist me for BCV. I find this inexcusable.

 

[Chuck S]

Well I would have voted with the others until this morning. I have always had a great experience until today. I had a reservation for 7 nights in a 2 BR for October at BCV with my BCV points. I called today to drop the first night because we are going to stay on cash at AKL instead. The CM accidentally cancelled the whole reservation and even said oops right after she did it. In the time it took her to try to fix her mistake the 2BR was booked by someone else. Now she says she can only put me in a 2BR at SSR and waitlist me for BCV. I find this inexcusable.

I agree. Did you ask for a supervisor?

 

[disneynutz]

Repeat......in over 10 years, we've never had a problem....that, and the results shown, makes one wonder what motivated the OP to start this whole thing

The motivation to start this thread was to determine the level of satisfaction with the MS process, good or bad. Thus far the majority seems very satisfied with MS. It gives me something to hope for. Maybe I have just hit a streak of bad luck. I have only made a couple of reservations and both were incorrect. We have also had a couple of other problems. I don't know if the problem is the CMs or the system.

Average telephone wait time is 20 min.
Non Smoking room request was entered as a Smoking Room request.
Reservation was canceled by MS by mistake.
MS seems to put me on hold for several minutes while they are checking on things.
Our developer points were all screwed up and the CMs didn't know what to do.
Made a dinner reservation for Coral Reef with MS. I was told the only time available was 8:30 PM. Called the restaurant to request a diver sign and was told that almost anytime was open. I changed it to 5:00 PM.
Wish they could email the conformations.
Would like to see more info on the website. ADRs, special requests, etc.

 

[DVCAmy]

So far I have always had very pleasant experiences with MS. Some CMs know more than others but I've never had a problem getting what I needed done, everyone has always been extremely helpful! Sure sometimes the wait time for a call is very long but if it's too long for me to wait I will hang up and try again later. If I really need them I'll wait and do something else while I'm waiting. That way when I get off the phone I not only am happy cause I just made Disney reservations I also got the dishwasher emptied and a load of laundry folded. It's a bonus. LOL!!

Amy

 

[dcfromva]

I've been calling since 2002. So far, so good. I don't enjoy long wait times, but rarely have I had to wait for any extended amount of time. Recently, I had to wait about 10mins. I figure it just means it is a popular time being booked.
I am thrilled that we can see our points and ressies online. Nothing against the folks who have helped me at member services, but I would love to be able to make both DVC and dinner ressies on line. That is how I make all of my other room resservations at other hotels right now--even though I have the option of calling someone.
I figure you would still need to have folks at member services to help with the non-standard stuff and some folks just prefer to make ressies by talking to someone.

-DC

 

[DVCAmy]

Squiddy,

I would be upset about that too!! Make sure you call back and talk to a supervisor. There has to be somehting they can do, at least put you as the 1st waitlist or get CRO to release a room so you are not penalized for a CMs error. Good luck!!!

Amy

 

[Maistre Gracey]

Well I would have voted with the others until this morning. I have always had a great experience until today. I had a reservation for 7 nights in a 2 BR for October at BCV with my BCV points. I called today to drop the first night because we are going to stay on cash at AKL instead. The CM accidentally cancelled the whole reservation and even said oops right after she did it. In the time it took her to try to fix her mistake the 2BR was booked by someone else. Now she says she can only put me in a 2BR at SSR and waitlist me for BCV. I find this inexcusable.

While this truly puts you in a bad situatuon, I don't see where it was caused by an incompetent CM. I see it as a human mistake. She knew she hit the wrong key as soon as she hit it. That is just human error, and no matter how much somene is trained to knowing all the ins & outs of the DVC system, things such as this will always happen.

Now, I agree there should be a remedy for this. That's a whole different subject.
I don't have the answer for the remedy, but as Chuck said.. Did you ask for a supervisor?

MG

 

[TenThousandVolts]

I am a new member but planning two upcoming trips I have called MS 4 or 5 times already. very call went perfectly. Wait times are too long though- but the customer service has been top notch.

 

[magicmama]

I have only had good experiences with MS. Even when I have called to rearrange or tweek a ressie.

 

[JimC]

Very satisfied. I enjoy talking with member services so maybe I am part of the reason some of you wait too long for your call .

 

[mjy]

Hmmmm....

I have, at least 99% of the time, never had any problems with Member Services.

That being said, I am also hearing something else as I read this thread.

There is a vast difference between an appreciation (or lack thereof) with MS and what we actually receive when we arrive.

MS can only put requests in for us, they cannot assure that they will be honored.

I always request non-smoking. Sometimes I have been put into smoking because the non-smoking inventory was already full.

Same with other "preferences" that could not be honored at the time of check-in.

But that is not the problem of member services. They have always been relatively open, forthright, agreeable, and pleasant on calling.

Yes, sometimes it does take a while to get one on the phone. I can only imagine the people they are already taking care of since, once I get a chance, we chat up a storm as well.

I get a chuckle out of the occasional MS person who says, "Gosh, you've just stumped me! Can I put you on hold while I try to find the answer?" Once back, they thank me for helping educate them because they will know the answer for other members should the same question ever come up.

So, I was one of the people who checked that I have had no problems with MS. They are, generally, tops.

 

[Squidrific]

I agree. Did you ask for a supervisor?

I did ask for a supervisor. The only thing they did was tell me we were 1st on the waitlist for a 2BR at BCV. Don't know how much faith I have in that right now. You are right Mastre Graicey that is human error, however, the unwillingness to remedy the situation after the human error - that is my problem with member services.

I bought an add-on in December for more BCV points - wanted 75. The guide forgot that we had changed our waitlist request from 50 to 75 and sent through the paperwork for 50 points. I called him immediately and he realized his mistake - talked to his supervisor and they promised I would have my additional points in a few weeks and they had me as #1 on the waitlist. It is now 3 months later - still don't have the additional points and have been watching and see that other people in the same use year that waitlisted after me have received theirs - guide still says I'm #1 on the waitlist. So I recognize that there is human error - trust me!

 

[Chuck S]

I did ask for a supervisor. The only thing they did was tell me we were 1st on the waitlist for a 2BR at BCV. Don't know how much faith I have in that right now. You are right Mastre Graicey that is human error, however, the unwillingness to remedy the situation after the human error - that is my problem with member services.

You situation is certainly unfortunate, and I would be unhappy and disappointed, too. But, since the CM did press the wrong button and cancel the room, and since the room then was re-booked by another member in the meantime, the only other solution would be to bump the member that was booked and tell them there was an error, apologize to them, and put them on the top of he waitlist. Either way, there isn't an easy solution, and MS is between a rock and a hard place.

Someone has to be treated unfairly in this situation, either you or the member that snagged the room, as they can't make a room available where there is not one. It sounds like MS is taking responsibility, and placing you at the top of the list...but I know that is little consolation.