GC Incentive if Housekeeping Declined? Update July 14 - Testing Concluded

[gottalovepluto]

Well, after the experience I had with housekeeping at Pop this week, I think I'm going to have to eat my words! If I am given this option on my short 4-day August trip, I will probably take them up on it.

I was at Pop this week from Sunday to Wednesday, and had the housekeeper bang on the door and then barge in on me on Monday afternoon, and again on Tuesday morning, despite the fact that I had the PRIVACY PLEASE sign on the door both times! On Monday, I had been up and out early, came back around noon to take a nap, room had not been cleaned, so I put the sign on the door knob. I was awakened at about 12:45 to loud banging on my door, so I jumped up as the housekeeper started opening the door. I was not fully dressed, so I ran to the door and stood behind it and housekeeper asked me when I was leaving. Told her I wasn't sure, but didn't need anything as I had just arrived the previous day. She tells me to call housekeeping when I leave the room so it can be cleaned. I decided to leave again around 3ish, so I pushed the housekeeping button on the phone and got guest services. Told them I was trying to get housekeeping, but they said they could help me. I asked that my room be cleaned. I should have told them that the housekeeper barged in on me earlier despite the privacy sign being on the door, but I didn't. Frankly, I was worried about retaliation if I complained. Came back to room very late after MK EMH and room was cleaned, no problems.

Decided to sleep in on Tuesday since Monday was a late night, so had the Privacy Please sign hanging on the door again. Got up around 10:00am and hopped in the shower. As I was coming out of the bathroom (in just a towel!), housekeeper is banging on my door. I yell that I am still in the room, but she starts opening the door! I screamed at her that I had just gotten out of the shower and to SHUT THE DOOR! Thankfully, she shut the door.
Cannot begin to tell you how angry I was, so of course I immediately called "housekeeping", and talked to someone again in Guest Services. Told them what happened and that I was extremely upset. Person says he will have the housekeeping manager call me and then tells me to "have a magical day!" Too late for that!

Housekeeping manager calls me about 15 minutes later, so I explain everything to him, and reiterated that the Privacy Please sign was indeed hanging on the door knob both days. He just pretty much blew me off and said "well, sorry that happened, don't know why she would do that, I'll talk to her." I told him I didn't want anyone coming in my room at all until I checked out. It sure would have been nice to have a SINCERE apology!

Has anyone else ever had housekeeping completely disregard the Privacy sign??

That's beyond ridiculous & an apology would not be ok to me. It's just not significant enough compensation for being walked in on twice by housekeeping- it's not YOUR fault they haven't trained their Housekeeping staff properly. Once is an accident, we all have our embarrassing moments- but TWICE? And two days in a row WHILE the sign was out?! I would be at the front desk escalating this issue, unless you're trying to forget it and enjoy your trip in which case I would email Disney guest relations with what has happened & move on about your trip.

ETA: looks like your trip is over, missed that part. Please email guest relations with your experience if you are comfortable doing that, the only way they'll fix that behavior is if higher-ups find out about it.

 

[mousefan73]

Just trying to figure out how by paying guests 20/day is SAVING them money???? As most likely "cost" per room/day has to be less.

 

[dansdad]

Just trying to figure out how by paying guests 20/day is SAVING them money???? As most likely "cost" per room/day has to be less.

That is why they are running this as a test for a month. So they can determine if indeed it did save them $$. And if not, they will adjust the amount per day offered and run the test again. A month is a pretty good duration to be able to add up the savings in room supplies, laundry supplies, man hours for housekeeping and man hours for laundry services.

 

[mousefan73]

So if you call for more towels, I wonder if they now direct you to the pool!

Wouldn't surprise me. They would have to if they save money. Or they are turning housekeeping into "runners".

 

[summerlvr]

That's beyond ridiculous & an apology would not be ok to me. It's just not significant enough compensation for being walked in on twice by housekeeping- it's not YOUR fault they haven't trained their Housekeeping staff properly. Once is an accident, we all have our embarrassing moments- but TWICE? And two days in a row WHILE the sign was out?! I would be at the front desk escalating this issue, unless you're trying to forget it and enjoy your trip in which case I would email Disney guest relations with what has happened & move on about your trip.

ETA: looks like your trip is over, missed that part. Please email guest relations with your experience if you are comfortable doing that, the only way they'll fix that behavior is if higher-ups find out about it.

Yes, I've been home for 6 days now, but you're right, I should email guest relations and let them know what happened.

 

[KrazeeK120]

Just trying to figure out how by paying guests 20/day is SAVING them money???? As most likely "cost" per room/day has to be less.

I'm not sure what minimum wage is in FL, but if they can cut housekeeping staff by a certain amount, it will save them money (even if they're paying guests $20 per day).

If the staff being cut are full time, you're also looking at cost savings in benefits to that employee. Even part-timers may have some benefits, I'm not sure about Disney specifically.

 

[mousefan73]

h

I'm not sure what minimum wage is in FL, but if they can cut housekeeping staff by a certain amount, it will save them money (even if they're paying guests $20 per day).

If the staff being cut are full time, you're also looking at cost savings in benefits to that employee. Even part-timers may have some benefits, I'm not sure about Disney specifically.

We once chatted with our Mousekeeper, she had 17 rooms a day to do.. at PoR.. I assume then that a value they get more as the rooms have less. At this Point, no coffee machines etc.... Now if in this Experiment all 17 took the offer, that is 340 Dollars Disney is paying out each day... I just wonder if at 20 if the cost savings are that significant or even anything.. you still have servicing in some form... bringing TP, towels to rooms.. Imagine if all rooms at PoP did this.. you still would Needs loads of Service People deliviering TP, Soap, towels etc... you still have wet towels, sure the "waste" may be minimal as not everyone will treck out to get some or call. and sheetsw weren't changed daily anyways.. I just question the 15 minutes they Service a room ( and it is really that fast) is worth 2o Dollars. Most other do Points or 5 Dollars max.

 

[mom2rtk]

h

We once chatted with our Mousekeeper, she had 17 rooms a day to do.. at PoR.. I assume then that a value they get more as the rooms have less. At this Point, no coffee machines etc.... Now if in this Experiment all 17 took the offer, that is 340 Dollars Disney is paying out each day... I just wonder if at 20 if the cost savings are that significant or even anything.. you still have servicing in some form... bringing TP, towels to rooms.. Imagine if all rooms at PoP did this.. you still would Needs loads of Service People deliviering TP, Soap, towels etc... you still have wet towels, sure the "waste" may be minimal as not everyone will treck out to get some or call. and sheetsw weren't changed daily anyways.. I just question the 15 minutes they Service a room ( and it is really that fast) is worth 2o Dollars. Most other do Points or 5 Dollars max.

If this rolls out full scale, I expect that $20 figure to go down. Their goal is to get people used to the idea of no housekeeping.

 

[DaisyJ]

Just trying to figure out how by paying guests 20/day is SAVING them money???? As most likely "cost" per room/day has to be less.

It isn't saving them money right now, but once you have to opt in to having housekeeping, not an every day guaranteed thing like it is now, it will save Disney lots and lots of money.

 

[Sue M]

Well, after the experience I had with housekeeping at Pop this week, I think I'm going to have to eat my words! If I am given this option on my short 4-day August trip, I will probably take them up on it.

I was at Pop this week from Sunday to Wednesday, and had the housekeeper bang on the door and then barge in on me on Monday afternoon, and again on Tuesday morning, despite the fact that I had the PRIVACY PLEASE sign on the door both times! On Monday, I had been up and out early, came back around noon to take a nap, room had not been cleaned, so I put the sign on the door knob. I was awakened at about 12:45 to loud banging on my door, so I jumped up as the housekeeper started opening the door. I was not fully dressed, so I ran to the door and stood behind it and housekeeper asked me when I was leaving. Told her I wasn't sure, but didn't need anything as I had just arrived the previous day. She tells me to call housekeeping when I leave the room so it can be cleaned. I decided to leave again around 3ish, so I pushed the housekeeping button on the phone and got guest services. Told them I was trying to get housekeeping, but they said they could help me. I asked that my room be cleaned. I should have told them that the housekeeper barged in on me earlier despite the privacy sign being on the door, but I didn't. Frankly, I was worried about retaliation if I complained. Came back to room very late after MK EMH and room was cleaned, no problems.

Decided to sleep in on Tuesday since Monday was a late night, so had the Privacy Please sign hanging on the door again. Got up around 10:00am and hopped in the shower. As I was coming out of the bathroom (in just a towel!), housekeeper is banging on my door. I yell that I am still in the room, but she starts opening the door! I screamed at her that I had just gotten out of the shower and to SHUT THE DOOR! Thankfully, she shut the door.
Cannot begin to tell you how angry I was, so of course I immediately called "housekeeping", and talked to someone again in Guest Services. Told them what happened and that I was extremely upset. Person says he will have the housekeeping manager call me and then tells me to "have a magical day!" Too late for that!

Housekeeping manager calls me about 15 minutes later, so I explain everything to him, and reiterated that the Privacy Please sign was indeed hanging on the door knob both days. He just pretty much blew me off and said "well, sorry that happened, don't know why she would do that, I'll talk to her." I told him I didn't want anyone coming in my room at all until I checked out. It sure would have been nice to have a SINCERE apology!

Has anyone else ever had housekeeping completely disregard the Privacy sign??

That is awful! I would have gone down to the front desk to speak with hotel manager since housekeeping manager wasn't helpful. When ever I'm in the room I have the door latch on so nobody can barge in! I hope Pop rooms have this. All the other resorts do, but I've only stayed at Pop 2x for one night stays and can't remember.

 

[Sue M]

If this rolls out full scale, I expect that $20 figure to go down. Their goal is to get people used to the idea of no housekeeping.

That's what I'm afraid of. I want and expect housekeeping. Not as an extra service you have to opt in to get!!

 

[SL6827]

That's what I'm afraid of. I want and expect housekeeping. Not as an extra service you have to opt in to get!!

That is their intent, and makes me really wonder about a possible minimum night stay in the future.

 

[KrazeeK120]

That is their intent, and makes me really wonder about a possible minimum night stay in the future.

Do you have a source confirming that this is their intent? If not, there's absolutely no way to know that for sure.

 

[SL6827]

Do you have a source confirming that this is their intent? If not, there's absolutely no way to know that for sure.

Bet money on it. Even though it is most likely their intent, it doesn't mean it will work.

 

[SL6827]

It is by far one of their most interesting directions they have tried to take lately.

 

[KrazeeK120]

Bet money on it. Even though it is most likely their intent, it doesn't mean it will work.

I wouldn't bet money on it at all. No other chain that offers incentives to forgo housekeeping has jumped to making it a paid service.

I really don't understand why it's so far-fetched to think that they are just looking for ways to cut some costs somewhere. Not everything that they do has a sinister motive behind it at all.

I have a hard time thinking that they'll be able to get away with charging for housekeeping as a separate line item. That would be enough to drive me offsite, and I'm guessing I'm not alone. Paid housekeeping certainly isn't a way to attract business, but incentives for skipping housekeeping is. It's all about perception.

 

[KrazeeK120]

It is by far one of their most interesting directions they have tried to take lately.

Copying something other hotels are already doing isn't all that interesting, really.

 

[SL6827]

Copying something other hotels are already doing isn't all that interesting, really.

I have never stayed in one that has done this. But I am sure some do. But Disney is just trying to pad their pocket even more with this. They love the DVC model.

 

[SL6827]

But is nice to see that you don't think they won't get away with it as being an extra fee though. One would hope.

 

[MaryLovesPoohBear]

Copying something other hotels are already doing isn't all that interesting, really.

Exactly. So many people already put the Do Not Disturb sign up.

And other hotels offer incentives for it, why wouldn't they try it?

I for one, would be glad to decline housekeeping.