How Does a CM Not Know What the Food and Wine Festival Is?

[Cheshire Figment]

When you call Walt Disney World, unless you really know a direct number, you will get one of two offices.

The Disney Reservations Center (DRC) includes Walt Disney Travel Company (WDTC), Central Reservations Office (CRO), Disney Dining, and some other lesser known information lines. To the best of my knowledge the DRC locations are in the International Drive area, Tampa, Kansas City and Houston and Salt Lake City. There may be more. Some of the people working at the DRC call centers may never have been to either WDW or DL (or both).

The Main Switchboard (407-824-2222) is also where all calls to Disney Resorts go if you are dialing the phone number on the back of your reservations form. Also that is where calls go if you dial the Operator from your room, and possibly even calls to the Front Desk. The Main Switchboard people will, if asked, also identify themselves as Guest Services. They can put you through to any number on WDW.

At both DRC and MS they have access to a computer which has lots of Guest Information and it is very well organized. Actually, all CMs who have access to a terminal, or who even can access the "Cast Portal" from off-site, have access to this Guest Services information. I will often open an extra window when I am responding to people and go into the Portal for the latest official information.

 

[TheRustyScupper]

When you call Walt Disney World, unless you really know a direct number, you will get one of two offices.

1) There is a third.
2) You may get an independent contractor at their home.
3) Disney has arrangements with an off-site company to supply phone people.

 

[IMACM]

1) There is a third.
2) You may get an independent contractor at their home.
3) Disney has arrangements with an off-site company to supply phone people.

Yep, what you said!!!!!!!! And trust me, they are NOT trained very well!! As I said in another post, if the CM in the phone gives you a first and last name you probably have the at home agents also if there is a baby screaming in the background you have one of them as well!!! If you ask the CM for their name and you only get a 1st name you more than likely have someone in either the Orlando or the Tampa center and they ARE very well trained!!!!!!!!!!!

If you feel you are not getting the quality care that we strive to give you please get the CM's name and email guest services with the info!!! We do value your business and your happiness!!!

 

[ElizabethB]

I simply hang up and call back when I get one of the, unfortunately, many CMs who don't have a clue. This is not just the case with dining. I had to call about seven times last Sunday to get one day added to a reservation with a pin code we made months ago. I was told the computer showed availability, but no one could figure out how to make the change. Even the people that were connected in from guest services said it couldn't be done, telling me the code had expired so there was nothing they could do. I know from experience that is incorrect -- if there is availability left.

Finally, after insisting that they find me someone in guest services who knew what they were doing, I was put through to a woman who said, "Yes, there is availability, so no problem whatsoever." She took care of it for me in less than three minutes.

I'm very disappointed with the quality of the training for all CMs answering the phones these days. It's clear to me that Disney isn't paying enough money to retain good help. Turnover is apparently staggering -- and the resulting poor quality of the experience is quite distressing. I can't wait until they outsource the whole thing to India or the Philippines!! Won't that be fun?!

I've been going to WDW several times a year for over a decade and, frankly, the telephone CMs are worse these days than I ever recall before. I've run into numerous CMs who are flat out rude or snide. Not an experience I like when calling Disney.

There are good ones to be sure. We have a grand gathering coming up in Sept. and I find that the CMs in that department are generally quite knowledeable and experienced. Same with group dining. But, they are, sad to say, the exception.