had to hold my mouth shut - Travel agent overheard giving bad info

[Mermaid02]

I guess that is the difference between you and me. I would have been all over that conversation!

ME TOO!!

 

[Maridw]

I guess that is the difference between you and me. I would have been all over that conversation!

I would have too. I know my DH would have been a bit embarrassed that I would open my mouth, but oh well, he can deal with it.

I ordered the new WDW planning dvd hoping it would get here before our trip. Yea ok. Anyway it got here while we were gone. I looked at it yesterday and decided to play the trivia game. I did the hard version and DH says "we're not experts". I said watch this.

I missed two of 25 questions. Granted there were two others that I totally guessed at, but still. 23 of 25 ain't half bad. DH was impressed.

 

[aussiemickeys]

I tend to speak up whenever I hear misinformation about Disney. It's a tricky one though - I have been met with reactions of great thanks to blank looks of "who does this person think they are telling us stuff". I just figure that info can't hurt anyone, if the choose to use it or not it is up to them. Our TA is fantastic. She sends people to us sometimes when they are going to Disney so that we can pass on any tips we have. LOL (& yes I refer them straight to the DIS). Last weekend she even sent her sisters to us as they will be going to Disneyland for the first time & we got to plan out their 2 days for them. Talk about fun!

 

[Bracho]

If you had a friend with you I would had to have started my own talk about Disney loud enough for them to hear it. I have never been one to just sit there and here someone bad mouth.

The travel agent in this case sounds like she was making personal comments based on a past experience instead of selling the place as a travel agent... or a friend telling another she had a bad time so don't go to these places. Now the other comment makes me believe she had no idea what she was talking about...LOL A FEW HOURS??? maybe this agent needs to re-read the sales information Disney sends out to travel agents. Something else too... she may not make as much commission selling Disney as she would to another place and she may have been setting her friend up for a different vacation spot!!

For most Travel Agents today, they book a vacation and that's it, for some reason alot of the personal touches and information are gone. I have been to several travel agents over the years and alot of them are... of course... selling places they have never been to, Disney being one of those places.

Alot of us here on the DIS could be Disney specialists in a travel agency, I know I could but it sure is hard to find someone like us in any agency now a days.

 

[dizagain]

I probably would have kept my mouth shut too, but might try to catch the poor woman who's planning and fill her in! My friend just called and her family is going in June for the first time. She had no idea there were four parks and that you couldn't just walk around the entire WDW complex (as she called it)! I immediately gave her the DIS website and told her to run to the bookstore for at least the UG and if she wanted a second book, Passporter. Hopefully she will start getting the picture and I can help her along. I am no expert, but since I'm planning our second trip hopefully I can make sure she's on top of things!!

 

[eileenfk]

I guess that is the difference between you and me. I would have been all over that conversation!

There was a time in my life, where I would have also given my point of view and the correct information. But I have learned that I just don't have the tact for this. (And maybe the information I have is not as useful to anyone else as I might think it is).

If the person (getting the incorrect information) was my friend, I would later tell them the facts.
I might decide to never give my business to the company that travel agent worked for.

At work, people do come to me if they want advice on WDW, DL or anything Disney.

My 16 year old niece like MGM the best. My 19 year old niece likes Epcot the best. My other 19 year old niece likes MK the best. I like Epcot and Animal Kingdom the best, but there are things in the MK that I want to do each and every trip. I can do without MGM at all (since I have seen fantasimic) but if I am with someone who has never seen the show, I want them to see it.
So I would not attempt to tell someone else what park is the best for them.

I like the DL Magic Kingdom better then the WDW MK.
But some people don't like DL at all compared to WDW.

It is smart, to not attempt too much on a limited time schedule. This does tend to lead to excess stress, and dissapointment, which can spoil the fun.
For some families, just doing MK is less stressful then any attempt to see the other parks.
So often, the level of enjoyment is based on what happens compared to what is expected, rather then just what happens.

- Eileen

 

[swilshire]

I would track the poor victim of the bad info down when the TA was not in earshot and give her the url for this board and a gentle clue that she had been given bad info.

Sheila

 

[snyderla]

I once heard one of our local TA's, who is supposedly a Disney Expert, give out incorrect info on our local radio station. We have a TA in our town who has been to WDW dozens of times, she is the one who should have been on the radio! I was hollering to DH in the other room "can you hear what this woman is telling people?" She said 2 or 3 different things that were completely off, but it was about 11 months ago and I can't remember the specifics, DH probably does though. I just remember being really ticked that she had the nerve to go on the radio and give out wrong info!

Lori

 

[Sthronds]

For most Travel Agents today, they book a vacation and that's it, for some reason alot of the personal touches and information are gone. I have been to several travel agents over the years and alot of them are... of course... selling places they have never been to, Disney being one of those places.

QUOTE]


As a TA I felt I should speak up a little. Not all TA's are so cut and dry. I love research so I take the time to give clients as much as I can offer them. Not everyone does, not everyone has the time or the desire to go above and beyond. Unfortunately, we also do sell places we haven't been to because honestly, we don't have the money to travel everywhere either. We do have resources however to teach us about a destination. Like the Dis! I know more about Disney than anywhere else, and I rarely sell it. As for that TA giving wrong information well that is just really unfortunate. I hope the other lady does her own research and figures things out. We don't know everything. There have been a lot of changes to the booking and packaging this year so I doubt that everyone in my office is totally aware. I hope this doesn't sound like I am grumpy. I am definately not that, I just think that one or two or three bad TA's shouldn't spoil the whole bunch of us! Thank you for letting me vent, I am all better now.

 

[pjlla]

Gotta chime in here! I work for a company that "shops" major national travel agent chains, as it relates to how they sell Disney packages. And you cannot BELIEVE the amount of incorrect information I am given on a regular basis. Never mind the fact that there is a fairly new ticketing system that can cause confusion.... these people cannot even name the resorts without trouble!!

I had one person tell me all about this GREAT restaurant at Pop Century. Well, that sent up a flag right away, because there is only a FOOD COURT at Pop. As she describes the restaurant I was able to figure out she was talking about the 50's Prime Time Cafe at MGM. She concluded by saying it was "Mama's Place or something like that". Imagine if I, the consumer, showed at with my reservations at Pop, looking forward to eating in a sit-down restaurant at my resort! I'd be a bit ticked off!!

I also had a fellow tell me that PLEASURE ISLAND was a cool water park where you could swim with sharks! HUH??

I've also had people try to put me in All-Stars when I specifically ask for a "DELUXE" property.

And this doesn't mention all the vaguely misleading statements I get constantly (like the monorail is the only transportation from the GF). And the conflicting information about the new MYW tickets. OR the ones that just plain don't know and just don't bother to find out (like when I ask what the water parks are like and they just say "I don't really know".... how lame is that!)

I understand TOTALLY that not everyone are Disney fanatics like we all are. But if you are trying to sell me something, anything... you had better know what you are talking about or at least try to find out the information for me!! Anyhow.... rant/vent over for now! Thanks for listening!............P

 

[harmony29]

Sue, I couldn't agree with you more. I was a travel agent for 7 years and technically still am, but now I'm a corporate agent working for an event planning company, so totally different ball game. But, I getting really tired of a few bad apples creating bad names for everyone in the industry. When I did do leisure travel I never claimed to know everything and if I didn't know I'd ask someone who did or make some phone calls to find out. Unfortunately, there are a lot in the travel industry that really don't care and won't go the extra step. This is precisely why I got into the industry, as I was sick of going to TAs and getting horrible service and like I was doing them a favor. Being in the travel industry is not always fun and believe me it's not as easy as it looks. You get paid very little and get a lot of flack even when it's not your fault. What this agent said was completely wrong and she should be ashamed for calling herself an agent, but please don't lump us all together, we are not all the same.

 

[DebIreland]

In the TA's defence, I would just like to point out that she wasn't giving advice in a professional capacity, she was having a casual chat at a baseball game! It is unfortunate that the other woman ended up being mis-informed about WDW but then again, I think we can assume she'd be taking advice from other sources too - I'm sure she's not going to rely on a casual chat at a baseball game for *all* her advice and pre-holiday information!! And if she *does* solely rely on that, well really she'll have no cause for complaint afterwards. If I seek legal advice from a lawyer, in his office, paying him 200 or more per hour I expect the facts without error. However, if I casually ask a lawyer acquantance for advice off-hours during my child's football game, I can't complain if I end up with the wrong information. Annoying, yes, but not complaint-worthy!

I would also like to add that unless a travel agency calls itself a Disney *specialist* then I wouldn't expect them to know everything about WDW. I would expect them to give full and accurate details on accommodation and flights and theme park tickets *if* they sell them - beyond that, everything else is a bonus and I would feel a personal responsibility to do my own research on attractions, restaurants etc. Just the same as if I was taking a trip anywhere else.... get the flights and hotel but do my own research on all the other bits.

 

[TPCShauna]

I've mentioned on the DIS before that I've been having issues with my AAA TA. One of the problems is that she gave me incorrect information about the garden suites at BWI. When I called her on it, she said that the CRO person she worked with gave her the info and she was just mimicking it back to me.

Yes, the TAs do often give out incorrect info but half the time, WDW's own employees aren't that much better. I called Disney Reservations three times before I found a CM who could explain the new MYW+Dining to me!

And you were very self-restrained not to speak up. I so would have butted in and said that my Disney radar had perked up and I just had to share how fabulous Fantasmic was at MGM!!

 

[TigerCheer2009]

I wouldn't have been able to keep my mouth shut.

Kudos to you!!!!!!!!!! One tough ! (You really should have said something. Pity the person who actually goes to see "fantasia" and gets fantasmic. That travel agent...if I would've heard that conversation, that TA would have gotten a Mickey ear full! )

 

[miste76]

I would have said something too... hopefully, I would have been thinking clearly enough to be nice about it! I find the best thing that I can do for people is give them the DISboard website address. By giving them info on how to get here... and get their info for free... I know they will have a better trip!

 

[Lizzybee]

I probably would have interjected something like, "Sorry to interrupt, I don't mean to be rude. But you're talking about my favorite place to vacation! We've gone so many times but I'm still jealous that you're in the planning stages since that's the best part for me!" That way she would know that you were open to talking about it maybe at a later time or the TA might ask YOU some questions, etc. Before having kids I was a TA (didn't do Disney, did international travel) and there is a designation that is available to TA's to be experts in Disney. Doesn't sound like the TA in this case had even heard of it!

Bravo well said. I'm not one to keep my mouth shut well, especially when I know it will be helpful. I mean this person is probably spending thousands on this trip and while we went clueless and had a blast our first time, when we went armed with research and info it was beyond magical. I can't even imagine how annoyed and angry we'd be going with misinformation from someone we were paying. You might just be saving the TA from some really negative feelings and reports. I'm pretty sure if I used a TA who gave me totally off base info and I PAID them to help plan my trip I wouldn't be referring any friends to them in the future. Maybe in the OPs situation it just wasn't possible to say something and not humiliate the TA. Maybe you'll get a chance to pull the other parent aside some other day without the TA there.

 

[weregoingtodw]

I ordered the new WDW planning dvd hoping it would get here before our trip. Yea ok. Anyway it got here while we were gone. I looked at it yesterday and decided to play the trivia game.

Where is this trivia game? I've not seen it - I wanna play!

 

[beth_cam]

well i tend to butt inanyway but i probably would have said something like:

"Oh you're talking about disney world my FAVORITE subject. I heard you say something about FANTASMIC. we love seeing FANTASMIC everytime we go to MGM STUDIOS. it is almost as good as seeing WISHES at the MAGIC KINGDOM. It is so hard to see everything in just a few days at walt disney world. we always have to do some planning to be able to get to each ofthe 4 parks in one trip since we love them all so much."

SO you have contradicted without arguing. put out that you have lots of experience; left the door open for more conversation. And just maybe the TA realizes her misinfo (without being called down and embarassed) and gets the right info out next time.

 

[tubachick]

You are better than I. I would have begun talking LOUDLY to my DH about places that we went to, and should we make PS's or plans for that on our next trip, if it was a good day, I have a bunch of pics with me that I am cropping for my scrap book, many of which happen to be Disney pics.... I might have started sorting through those and talking LOUDLY about how much fun that was or this was.....

 

[eeyore kelly]

I would have found the lady right after the game, and said, "If you want to learn everything you could possibly know about disney, go to disboards.com."