Inquiry from newspaper reporter

[charlespbg]

Hi, I was given permission by Pete Werner to post to the message boards for a story I'm working on.

My name is Charles Passy and I'm a writer based in Florida. I'm doing a story for the New York Times' Sunday travel section that looks at customer service at Disney parks and resorts. It's tied to the 50th anniversary celebration.

I'm particularly trying to gauge if customer service has improved or declined in recent years at Disney parks and resorts (in Florida and California). I'm a longtime Disney World passholder myself and recently had a rather bizarre and problem-riddled stay at the Saratoga Springs Resort. But I also had some marvelous experiences at the parks during that visit.

I'm curious if others have interesting stories to tell -- good or bad -- about recent visits to the parks and resorts.

I can be reached via email through this board or you're welcome to post here. Let me know if you're interested in speaking to me and we can arrange a time for a phone interview.

Thanks!

P.S. If you would like to verify my credentials before we speak, I'd be happy to put you in touch with my Times editors or provide email links to my stories.

 

[Kendra71]

There's a post you should read on the boards about a little girl who lost her autograph book towards the end of her trip. It was so moving and sweet; really telling of some of the "magical" people who are employed at Disney.

Truth be told, I know Disney is a business and a business exists to make money. However, Disney manages to make its money by providing safe and exciting family entertainment, and periodically creating magical moments for thousands upon thousands of families. In a world where companies manufacture many things for the sake of making money (alcohol, cigarettes, pornography, etc.), Disney manufactures family-friendly movies, incredibly creative art, fun experiences and a little bit of magic.

To me, just watching my child's face the first time he sees all the things we pay to see (Mickey Mouse talking to him at Chef Mickey's, Buzz Lightyear (his hero) giving him a high five, Tinkerbell flying across the sky) will be magical enough, but chances are, one of the thousands of Disney employees will do something that makes every penny we paid seem like it wasn't enough (even if just for a moment), such as noticing his name tag and call him by name or a beautiful princess blowing him a kiss or a hotel maid arranging his sleeping buddies so they are in the window awaiting his return, or helping him replace a lost autograph book, etc. These people don't make a ton of money and EVERYONE (even someone patient and caring enough to work with children) has bad days, but I can't think of any other business in the world where more magic happens than Disney. Walt was right; this is what he will be remembered for, and it will touch the lives of millions.

Good luck with your article. I'm sure that the people on this board can help you!!

 

[Fast Pass]

As long as Pete gave the O.K., I am sure you are legit.

The first time we went to Disney was in 1974. The park in 1974 was only MK. MK had no covered waiting areas to protect guests from the Florida heat,no PS for dining and basically no customer service except for the occasional question that you asked to a CM on your own. Now, we did have a magical moment-Mickey Mouse was being attacked(for lack of better word) by dozens of children and my Mom wouldn't let us near the unorganized fiasco. A CM saw us,whispered something to Mom,we went to the back of the castle and received a private audience with Mickey Mouse!
I wouldn't say that customer service was bad,it was just not great.The cast members were still full of smiles and full of information but they seemed like robots.It was like you could ask a question push a button and out would pop an answer. That being said, the private audience with the Mouse made Disney seem so magical that it became one of my best memories of childhood-and if it wasn't for that one CM,Disney wouldn't have been so special.

The next time I went was in 1988 to Disneyland in California. I don't remember much from the trip except that it was crowded and the CMs seemed put out with anyone that dared bother them. I heard one CM tell a couple who asked where something was that he didn't look like a map and they would have to ask someone else!

The third time was in 2002. It was by far my best CM experience of all. We stayed at the All Star Movies and received better attention and service than some of the Deluxes we have stayed at in bigger cities. The CMs at the parks were full of correct information,the parks were spotless,and there were smiles everywhere. I believe my Disney magic got resparked because of our splendid visit.

The next time was in 2004. All I can say is HURRICANE! The CMs were so patient and so kind in such extrordinary conditions. They bent over backwards as hoardes of people were streaming all over the resorts.At the parks the CMs maintained a calm,peaceful yet urgent attitude that allowed us to feel comfortable about hurricane Jeanne. There were people being rude and yelling at the CMs and all they did was smile and do their best to make everyone feel safe.

We will be going this September and all I can comment on is the CMs over the phone. So far,the CMs have been very polite and extremely helpful. I have received some bad information but I always check back three times on important questions and go with the majority response and I also check on the Internet to try and catch any problems.

Bad Customer Service sometimes has nothing to do with the CM,sometimes it has to do with the guest.


I have gone other times but I just wrote on the big trips. If you need more info PM me

 

[eeyore45]

I think if you're looking for specifics for this year on resorts, you may have quite a few incidents listed on the resort boards.

I am dismayed at a couple of interesting "Facts" posted. WDW has had job fairs, and it seems they are not able to get as many people, so it seems it is affecting the cleanliness of the rooms.



After reading several posts on the fact rooms arent as clean as they could be (specific dirt, food, etc) I emailed Disney, while I did get an answer, clearly indicating my email was read (and in a timely manner) my spefic question on how many rooms a mousekeeper must be responsible for, thus cutting down on how clean that room can be accomplished... was not addressed, basically they knew I could spend my money elsewhere, but they felt there was so much more to the cost of the room than just the room!!

Disney parks and resorts are some of the cleanest and well managed in
the world. In addition to being part of the Walt Disney World Vacation Kingdom, our Resorts offer uniquely themed surroundings that let you experience whatever themed or fanciful atmosphere you enjoy most. For your money, you will find a world unlike any you have visited before - with over 140 fun filled attractions

Again, there are a lot here who post mostly negative posts, those that are satisfied rarely post gushing remarks on how clean their rooms are!! My favorite was Snacky (a mod) posted a link to his review of POFQ, and said not to take it literal, he was upset over the airline problems resulting in his extra day at POFQ! So I feel I gain information, knowledge on how to deal with a situation if it arises... I felt an affinity to a poster who said, I wish I had my Dis friends... she was "down graded" and was stunned... I lol, knowing exactly how she felt... the "what if" factor is why I read the Dis Resort boards!

Hope you get info on the Disabilities, I think its an interesting angle!! Most that are knowledgable with the Special Service number seem to have fewer problems when they are in touch with them..... (for room 'request')

 

[WaltD4Me]

Personally I think if you are looking to do an article about the decline of customer service, I hope you also include something about the decline of common courtesy in customers ("guests") themselves.

It seems like everyone (myself included a couple times) is so quick to critize or comment on the decline of customer service, without also noting the decline of the customers being served.

Yes, I've had a couple run-ins with some not so magical CM's, but I've witnessed ALOT more guests going beyond rudeness, bordering on almost abusive behavior towards CM's and I'm sure at some point, it does effect customer service overall.

 

[Jennasis]

I have never...in all my visits to WDW...EVER been let down by Disney's on-site customer service. I've never had an unfriendly cast member, I've never had a dirty room, never waited too long for meal service at a restaurant. EVER! This is the exact reason why, time and again, I return to Disney for my vacations. I imagine that I am likely in the majority as far as my positive experience goes, but am sure many people have felt let down in some way.

I have stories of cast members doing nip-ups to help out...from the time my father needed emergency, life-or-death, medical attention in the middle of EPCOT to the time my little sister lost her autograph book and got it back MONTHS later with a surprise!

I'll e-mail you my address. I'd love to contribute!

 

[philaround]

My wife and I have been several times over the years. Our most recent visit was just a few weeks ago for our 31st anniversary. Over our previous visits we have experienced many moments of magic but never so many as this time. From the moment we walked up to the DME CM at MCO until the skycap took our luggage off the DME bus when we went back to MCO for our return flight we experienced one magic moment after another. Every CM we encountered was kind and friendly and very outgoing. The lady with the Mickey glove at MCO, the CM at the DME check-in counter, the many CMs controlling the DME bus loading, the Mears driver on the bus, the CMs at POFQ front desk and thruout the resort, some CMs at the carts in Epcot from Hong Kong who were learning the Disney way in preparation for working at Disney Hong Kong, the many ride and attraction CMs at all the parks but especially Crystal, John, and our pilot Brian on the jungle cruise, and the many CMs at the shows and restaurants with special thanks to Irene at Tony's Town Square for our anniversary dinner, Marie-Claude at LeCellier, and Nancy at Hoop-Dee-Doo.
Thanks to all the CMs for making this visit the most magical of all our visits.

 

[Feralpeg]

For the number of people that Disney deals with on a daily basis, I think the do at terrific job. That is not to say that guests won't occasionally run into a grumpy or less than helpful CM. It happens. CMs are people working for little pay, dealing with demanding guests often in the heat. Hey! I'd be grumpy myself.

It used to be that there were down times of year at WDW. That seems to be a thing of the past. Disney has to try to do refurb during busy guest periods. They need more CMs year round. I know they are having a hard time finding CMs at this time. Yet, I've seen posts griping about a ride being down or something being fenced off because it spoils the magic of their vacation. Well, it has to be done at some time.

I think the expectations of guests have changed over the past few years. While I love this message board, I think it has caused some people to have over the top expectations. Because one person posts about an upgrade, many people believe they absolutely deserve one. If one person says their child got a freebee for their birthday, the next person is bent out of shape because they didn't get the same perk. I think Disney owes guests a decent clean room and safe enjoyable theme parks. Even that is hard to qualify and just doesn't meet some folks expectations. I have never experienced a dirty room at WDW. Of course, I don't get down and look under the beds or run my hands along the baseboards looking for things. At the them parks, I expect to have to wait in lines and don't expect the CMs to go out of their way to make my experience special. I make my time at Disney special.

Sorry to go on so long!

 

[Mortlives]

Good luck with your article! I haven't noticed a decline in service, myself, but I've only been bringing my family for four years, so that's what I have to measure it against. Sure, not every CM sweats pixie dust every moment of every day, but I can't recall one ever being unpleasant to us. The foods always been good, the souvenirs built to last, and the rooms clean enough for us.
If you want more info on our trips, you can check out my website . Feel free to email or pm if you have any questions.

Kungaloosh!
Morticia.

 

[Fire14]

for me a special sprinkling of pixie dust happened in May 2004.

I have a t shirt with Pooh and friends on it and had all the autographs except Rabbit. After many trips to info board and requesting to know when rabbit would be appearing and being told he was out at such time, only to have no luck what so ever, a nice CM asked if my Dh and I were having a good time only for me to say yes but it would be better if I could catch up with rabbit to sign my t shirt, I didn't need picture just autograph. So pulled some Disney magic and went out back to Rabbit's garden got his autograph, along with owls, kanga and roo's. You never saw a grown girl cry so hard in tears of happiness.

 

[taximomfor4]

Resort trouble, disability involved, customer service followup

Funny you should ask. A close acquaintance, upon reading this story from my Easter visit, advised me to start contacting FLA papers. Huge coincidence that you are looking for stories! Just follow the link above, feel free to contact me if you have questions.

 

[tzvdmd]

I agree with WaltD4Me, you should do a artical on the decline of the guests that visit WDW!

 

[VickiVM]

There's a post you should read on the boards about a little girl who lost her autograph book towards the end of her trip. It was so moving and sweet; really telling of some of the "magical" people who are employed at Disney.

I'm the one who posted about what we experienced last week on our last day at the parks.

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=829447&highlight=Massive+dose+magic

This was our 7th trip to WDW - 3rd one with all 3 of our children. I think there is a distinct difference in service from say our first trip in the early 90's to now - however, I can't say that Disney deserves all the whippings they get because external events and circumstances have changed: how our country views security, liability issues, shift in economy and how it affects wages, and simply age. Disneyworld has aged and has to re-invent themselves every couple of years to keep it's guests returning. That's a huge undertaking, I'm sure, to continually have to add/delete/change attractions and rides so that people like me and my husband still think it's worth it to give WDW 3K+ of our hard earned money every couple of years. This last visit my husband stated that he felt that a lot of the attractions were feeling 'old' to him. (I certainly didn't agree with him - that may mean the end of our trips. YIKES.)

So, sometimes I think those of us who return frequently sometimes have that "OK, WDW- Wow me again like you did my first time" mentality. I know I still do. Most of the time they do. Sometimes they miss the mark, but I'm so happy to be totally lost in fantasy and play with my family that I forgive the little things. I don't doubt that sometimes they goof up big time with guests. I feel really badly for those whose vacations are marred with a horrible event or behavior. But for the Moreno's we do our best to plan wisely, look for the best value, and leave the rest up to WDW. They've never let us down.

Vicki Moreno

 

[marcij]

We had a wonderful experience of someone going above and beyond their duties to help us out. Our oldest son was 5 and had a favorite lovey -- a stuffed night-night Barney that he took with him to bed every night and on every trip. When we got to the airport to fly home, we realized that Barney wasn't in his backpack. As soon as we got home, I called the housekeeping department to see if the Barney was left in our room. He wasn't anywhere in it, but the person in charge of laundry offered to go to where they clean the laundry and search for him. Two days later I received a wonderful call that Barney had indeed gotten tangled in the sheets and had been found. The hotel overnighted him to us so that Andrew could be reunited ASAP. Although he was much worse for the wear from the washing process, he was still Andrew's favorite Barney. Housekeeping could easily have said that they couldn't find him, but instead searched for him and made my son (and the rest of our family) extremely happy. While I know from reading on the boards that there isn't a "fairy tale ending" to every trip, I am touched by the people that helped out my family, and have consistently made our trips to the happiest place on earth truly magical.

I'd be happy to talk in more detail if you would like.

Marci Johnson

 

[SorcererDonald16]

I can honestly say the only bad experience I've had (and you can see from my signature how many times I have been to Orlando and where I have stayed) was a really weird situation in March 2004 when, on the night we checked in, our room somehow got mixed up with another room and the front desk thought we had complained and asked to be moved to another room when we hadn't, and they called us around midnight about it and again at 1am. All of this somehow ultimately resulted in our room keys not working the next day; we thought they'd just gotten deactivated somehow, so we got new ones. But apparently 100 copies of them were made when someone accidentally hit a wrong button, thus deactivating our keys (again) and wiping out our park hoppers. Very bizarre and it took awhile to straighten it out, but the Cast Members who helped us were beyond friendly and apologetic; the CM who helped us the second time even gave us a 50% discount on the previous night's room. We didn't start going to the parks until the next day, so it wasn't a big deal (other than being really bizarre, LOL). So what started as a bad experience caused by, imo, honest human (or maybe computer) error ended up ultimately showing how great the majority of CMs are.

I second those posters who have said the quality of guests is what's really declined! Every time I go, I see people (mostly adults, no less) behaving worse than before, and usually some poor CM is on the receiving end of it. For what the CMs get paid and all the crabby people they deal with, I think they are above and beyond what you will find almost anywhere else. No other hotels in the US that I've stayed at actually make me giddy at the thought of just going in the lobby and looking around, or walking in the gift shop. From Riverside, to Caribbean Beach, to Coronado Springs, to (starting this Sat.) Wilderness Lodge, nothing can compare to the magic those CMs bring to the resorts. Each time I go seems better than the last in terms of CMs both at the parks and resorts. In shops at the parks, I cannot think of a CM who didn't ask me how my vacation was going, where I was from, etc. Stores at many other travel destinations would not necessarily have employees who cared to ask those questions.

As always, one must keep in mind that, as they say, "one bad apple doesn't spoil the whole bunch." ANY company can wind up with an incompetent jerk working for them, so Disney, unless supervisors or higher ups witness the behavior or receive complaints about it and do nothing, cannot be blamed for hiring such a person when they believed them to be top-notch. There are less than ideal people working for every company in the world.

As I said earlier, the REAL issue in WDW is the decline of guest manners and common sense as to what is and isn't an appropriate way to handle themselves in public. I'd be willing to say 98% of those CMs deserve some kind of gold medal for the junk they have to put up with, sheesh.

 

[mello]

But I can remember going to Disneyland since about 1970. Our latest trip was last summer, and in all that time we have never once been dissatisfied with the customer service. Each time we have been there, we have noticed or experienced CM's going out of their way to make someone's visit more pleasant or magical.

Also, a note on cleanliness. Last summer we took a 1yo and a 2yo with us. As we were sitting down on the curb to watch a parade we commented that this was the only place in the world where the pavement is so clean you don't worry about your toddler sitting on it - there's virtually no chance of them picking up some nasty item off the street; the CM's don't leave it unswept long enough!

 

[Puffy2]

I've gone about 6 times over the past three years - I have noticed a slight decrease in cleanliness, but Disney (and Universal) are still well maintained and neatly kept compared to any other theme park I've ever attended. Still, to keep that reputation and to continue to be able to charge those prices, they should be vigilant with cleanliness, maintenence and hospitality. It's what they are known for.


The main complaint I have with WDW right now has to do with the reservation process. I've never had stay on hold and punch so many buttons in my life just to get a price quote - and they want to know your life history before offering up that information. It is annoying - even an invasion of privacy. Also, more often than not, I seem to know more about the hotels, the policies, etc... when I call than the reservation agents do. I know these people aren't paid much and they must have high turnover, but for their call center - I give Disney a 3 on a 1 - 10 scale for customer service (with 10 being the best).

 

[Uncleromulus]

charles:
Just keep in mind that everything needs to be judged by todays "standards".
The CM's that they hire today (and Disney managenment policy and procedure) are not the same (and do not have the same standards) as when Walt was alive.
And as several have stated, the "behavior" of the guests at WDW has changed (I should say deteriorated) as well.
And it seems to me that WDW is cutting corners when CM "staffing" is concerned. This puts extra pressure on those CM's who--understaffed--try to keep a happy face as they struggle to control ride entrances/exits, etc.

When all is said and done, I think WDW still has the best employees of most companies out there.

 

[nativetxn]

Bumping this back to page one

 

[Terry S]

I believe the magic (as well as the customer service) is alive and well at WDW. I believe the expectations of the guest is high especially with the advent of the Internet and this often leads to disappointment. People are expecting things like room upgrades and special attention from a character because some stranger on the internet reported that they got it. So when they go and they don't get this special treatment they are disappointed or when they do get the treatment it is not that special because they were expecting it.

I go to WDW 2 to 3 times a year and the smiles are still on the CM's faces every time I go which in turn puts smiles on my kids faces. That is all I need to know that the customer service is still 5 star at WDW.

If you want actual stories. I can tell you about the treasure cruise captain who found one more spot on the Albatross Treasure cruise so both my kids could go on this cruise.

Or the food services host who hosted our Illuminations Dessert party and listened to my daughter talk his ear off for a whole hour all with a smile on his face and an interested tone. (something I know was not an easy task).

Or the CM that hung a sign on our favorite room that said "The (insert family name here) Suite" when we arrived to our room we felt as important as Walt himself.

There are many more instances like this that I can post. Little things that a CM did that were huge things to our family and make me believe that customer service is alive and well at WDW.