Guest in uproar this month becasue of changes in DDP

[sdb72]

I heard that the whole month so far has been aweful for Resturaunt Managers and Servers, That people where coming to them outraged when given a seperate bill for gratuity,, they are complaining that when making reservations it was not described to them the changes,, their was even security called in several instances,, People are cancelling DDP's.. Managers had to mostly offer some sort of compensation, and the guest where directed to guest services to file complaints,, Servers are complaining they are getting walked out on with absolutely no tips for any parties under six and they are making far more less now.. So now I hear Disney is keeping record of all complaints and recoding all compensation they are having to give for unhappy guests.. anyone else hear anything like this?? and do you think Disney will go back to the old plan??

 

[Chuck S]

I think Disney is far more likely to simply discard the current plan, rather than reinstate gratuity and appetizers. Dining plans at Disney have historically started out pretty good, but eventually been gutted, then dropped. Food N Fun comes to mind, they kept changing it until it was no longer an advantage to purchase, and they dropped it. The same is likely to happen with the current version of DDP in a year or so.

 

[Uncleromulus]

There's a lively thread on the restaurants Board (actually the DDP sub-board)about this very subject.
The "lack of knowledge" about the provisions of the new plan should end pretty soon, as I think Disney has finally updated their website (and other DDP sources of information) to reflect all the new changes. Then we'll see how many folks--knowing exactly what they are getting (or perhaps, NOT getting) with the new DDP--decide to buy it. And then if some of those continue to stiff the servers anyway because paying a gratuity dosen't save them as much money as they thought. "Gratuity shock" sets in and now they're mad.

 

[TheRustyScupper]

. . . So now I hear Disney is keeping record of all complaints and recoding all compensation they are having to give for unhappy guests . . .

1) Disney tracks everything they give away for free or as comp's.
2) This is nothing new.
3) They can track issues this way.
4) There is even a special "mooch" program to track habitual moochers. *

* PS - You do NOT want your name to get put on this Black List!

 

[sdb72]

1) Disney tracks everything they give away for free or as comp's.
2) This is nothing new.
3) They can track issues this way.
4) There is even a special "mooch" program to track habitual moochers. *

* PS - You do NOT want your name to get put on this Black List!

STOP IT.. YOU HAVE TO TELL ME MORE.. How do you know this..are their really habitual moochers?? What does disney comp cause I never got anything for nothing.. Is their truly a list,, What happens if your on it?? That is the best.. I love getting the dirt..

 

[Cheshire Figment]

It is called the Guest Recovery System. When a Manager has to take certain actions regarding a Guest, and these actions are not something that a regular Guest Relations Host would do in the normal line of duty, the name, address and information about the action taken and why becomes a permanent record at Disney.

As TheRustyScupper said, you do not want to get on the GRS list!

 

[hildarumpole]

So these people understood the part about no more appetizer, but didn't get the no more gratuity included half of the equation? Or have there been fisticuffs when a guest attempts to order crab cakes at Kona only to be told they're no longer included in the DDP? I can understand being unhappy when there has been a misunderstanding about the gratuity, but to take it to the level of a security intervention shows there is something deeply wrong with some of these people. It's an entitlement mentality run wild. Makes me wonder if some of them are making a scene in order to get out of tipping, because they know how accomodating Disney is with complaints. Those poor servers.

 

[ChrisFL]

Those poor servers.

That's the big problem, whether it's Disney's managmenet decisions or the guests over-reacting to those decisions, it's the servers and managers who are in the line of fire over this, from no fault of their own.

 

[DisOrBust]

Sounds like a magical vacation to me! I have many collegues that are planning a "second" trip with the DDP that did not believe me about the changes. Several had called twice before being told. Of the thing they have screwed up at WDW over the years this one is hallmark.

 

[BTown]

Unfortunately, this was bound to happen. The plan was too good to be true. I've paid for the DDP for my last three trips, but I dont think I will be paying for it when I go back in Nov. To me, the beauty of the plan was to pay for all my food ahead of time and not have to worry with any OOP expense while I was there. To go and eat, yet still have to pull out my wallet to pay for tip kind of defeats the purpose. However, in my case, Disney has won, because though I will not be on the DDP, I will still be eating TS meals every night, because the DDP really got me hooked on that tradition. I just figure, might as well pay for it the old fashioned way. Now, if Disney would offer something that covers gratuity, but comes at a higher price, I would happily pay for it. Like I said before, it isnt an issue of money, its the convience that was priceless to me.

 

[sdb72]

Unfortunately, this was bound to happen. The plan was too good to be true. I've paid for the DDP for my last three trips, but I dont think I will be paying for it when I go back in Nov. To me, the beauty of the plan was to pay for all my food ahead of time and not have to worry with any OOP expense while I was there. To go and eat, yet still have to pull out my wallet to pay for tip kind of defeats the purpose. However, in my case, Disney has won, because though I will not be on the DDP, I will still be eating TS meals every night, because the DDP really got me hooked on that tradition. I just figure, might as well pay for it the old fashioned way. Now, if Disney would offer something that covers gratuity, but comes at a higher price, I would happily pay for it. Like I said before, it isnt an issue of money, its the convience that was priceless to me.

I agree.. I would $$ more just for convience alone.. I loved it last 5 times we went.. to good to be true I guess so.. I hope it is reconsidered.. take the snacks out or somethin,, we have alot of them left over..

 

[Cheshire Figment]

Step 1 - Get the Guests to realize the DDP is really not that good of a deal.

Step 2 - Eliminate the Basic DDP, keep Deluxe only.

Step 3 - Change reservations policy to sixty days for people with WDW Resort Reservations; Confirmation number required - dining reservations cancelled if resort reservation cancelled. For people without Resort Confirmation numbers reservations window is 30 days.

Step 4 - They finally go back to having high quality food again at the restaurants.

 

[DisOrBust]

How about decentralizing the kitchen AGAIN! Vary the menu and kill the DDP. The DDP is like drugs and WDW the dealer. They hooked so many and now change the value.

 

[jdg345]

It is called the Guest Recovery System. When a Manager has to take certain actions regarding a Guest, and these actions are not something that a regular Guest Relations Host would do in the normal line of duty, the name, address and information about the action taken and why becomes a permanent record at Disney.

As TheRustyScupper said, you do not want to get on the GRS list!

Why don't you want your name on this list? Do you get put on there the first time that they have to make something right? I mean, if Disney messes something up and they have to do something to make it right for you, why would you get put on a bad list?

 

[Massillon Dad]

So our family has been going to Disney world for 12 years and its been great, ....love the people&parks&resorts! ...but there have been 3 occasions when we've had to complain to management about BAD issues and insist they be resolved. Does this mean we're on this GRS list (black list)? ..... and if so, so what? ...does it mean they'll treat us worse? ignore us? spit on our food? EXACTLY WHAT DOES IT MEAN? ( P.S. Legitamate complaints involved waiting in ride line 2 hours with FASTPASS, Disney bus stalling on road--then we had to wait hour for replacement bus, son got sick from bad seafood).

 

[CanadianGuy]

Basically, my understanding of the GRS, is this..

If you're in there with multiple complaints for EVERY trip you have ever taken.. and you requested/required something beyond, way beyond, the extraordinary to satisfy you each and every time... the GRS is going to be there to document that and therefore at some point - your complaints will be considered along with your history in future decisions.

It's not there to penalize a guest with honest concerns.

That's my understanding.

Knox

 

[jdg345]

Basically, my understanding of the GRS, is this..

If you're in there with multiple complaints for EVERY trip you have ever taken.. and you requested/required something beyond, way beyond, the extraordinary to satisfy you each and every time... the GRS is going to be there to document that and therefore at some point - your complaints will be considered along with your history in future decisions.

It's not there to penalize a guest with honest concerns.

That's my understanding.

Knox

This makes more sense ... I wonder how they keep track of how many times you've been there without complaining though. It seems like they have a very very intensive tracking database.

 

[Heva2015]

All companies have similar systems. I work in the complaints dept of a large company and we can track if the same person complains year after year about the same things. We also track what things are complained about most so they should be able to see where the problems are with DDP.

 

[Cheshire Figment]

Because, in my position, I have access to and can make entries in GRS I cannot give specifics.

However, I will agree with Canadian Guy's comments.

And, as I implied earlier, if a manager has to do certain overrides that are outside of the normal latitude that we, as Cast Members, have to remedy problems it is a pretty severe situation.

 

[Uncleromulus]

As Heva2015 suggests, such a list isn't at all unusual. Many compnies and business operations that deal with the "general public" have something along those lines. Even the Animal Hospital where I work has a "yellow folder" alert for those animal owners who have caused trouble (on more than one occasion) in the past that required something beyond just front desk intervention.