Just A Little Vent

[CTDisneyfan816]

Agree



Yes, but this misses the point. Acronyms may be here to stay in message boards. And perhaps they should stay on message boards. They have no place in a conversation with a stranger. A Disney cast member must deal with people from all walks of life from all corners of the world. It is both unreasonable and unwise to presume that the cast members all speak our language. If you wanted a dinner reservation at Chef Mickeys and asked for an ADR at CM, and ended up getting a confirming e-mail stating that you were booked at Cape May, you'd realize that this cute little linguistic world that we (not they) have created isn't anything that should necessarily become commonplace in daily parlance.

The cast member should have politely told the OP that she would prefer not to use acronyms in her discussion, as she wants to make certain that the caller receives exactly what the caller desires, with no confusion or misunderstanding. Ranting was not the right approach. But her rudeness is not the jumping off point for people here to chime in and assert that chat board acronyms are now the way of the world and that the uninitiated had better get used to it.

Agreed, on the phone it does not take any extra energy to say "annual pass" rather than "AP". By saying it out it also avoids any confusion as well.

 

[Disneyholic]

The only acronym that truly bugs me is SM. Are you talking about Splash Mountain, Space Mountain, Spider-Man, or what?

How about CP? Is that Crystal Palace or Candlelight Processional? It took me a while to decifer what was being talked about in a post when this one was used.

 

[nanalisa]

Customer service isn't customer service if they are "having a bad day." I don't get to growl at work even of i feel like it. No reason they should get a free pass.

I agree with you. If I spoke to someone like that at work, I wouldn't be around to take the next call. The CM is being paid by Disney, and is employed to answer questions and take reservations. If she didn't understand what op was talking about, all she had to do was ask. And no matter how painful it can be the customer is always right.

 

[luvmy2babies]

How about CP? Is that Crystal Palace or Candlelight Processional? It took me a while to decifer what was being talked about in a post when this one was used.

Yes and here’s one.

Someone posted on the family board once they got a 1 bedroom at BC for $800 for 7 nights and people started freaking out asking what kind of discount they had that got them a 1 bedroom at Beach Club for a week at that price. For a few hours I think people kept posting hoping the person who wrote it would come back and tell us. I think a couple of private messages got her to come back and explain. She finally did. Oops, it was Bonnet Creek.

 

[mgb70]

annoying.

 

[PeanutButterMom]

1) regardless of whether or not it's "okay" to use acronyms outside of the message boards, the CM was rude, period. If she had just said, "Do you mind not using acronyms," or "Do you mean ..." I doubt the OP would have posted about it.

Anyway, I'm on another message board about a completely unrelated topic, and there are TONS of acronyms. And YES, I do forget that not everyone knows what they mean. We recently added an "open" facebook group, and there is a constant reminder thread to not use acronyms, so to not confuse people who come in looking for help. It makes sense, but I forget. A lot. And I apologize for it. A lot.

And a funny: recently, my 6 year old came home from school, and in (perfectly calm) conversation about her day, she said, "***" (in context, mind you). Um, 6 year old, where did you hear that, and what makes you think you can say stuff like that? She responds, "mom, it's not a bad word. It means, like, 'what are you doing!?! That's silly." she thought "doubleyoutee-eff" was literally a word.

 

[sharadoc]

I hate having to use acronyms that are so "exact". I don't like MVMCP or MNNSHP, I'd rather say Christmas Party or Halloween Party. And yes, the resort abbreviations get confusing too - is CSR Coronado Springs Resort or Counter Service Restaurant?

The worst are the abbreviations like "brekkie" "Cindy's" - that sort of thing. Sounds like it's too cool or too inside to me.

I would have loved to talk to that CM and ask her why it annoyed her so much? How often do people call with DISboards acronyms? I'd tell her I'd be happy to pass along her comments back to the board. She must have really had one of those hardcore DISsers right before the OPs (yeah, I like using that too) call. And it really must have tee-ed her off

 

[nanalisa]

1) regardless of whether or not it's "okay" to use acronyms outside of the message boards, the CM was rude, period. If she had just said, "Do you mind not using acronyms," or "Do you mean ..." I doubt the OP would have posted about it.

Anyway, I'm on another message board about a completely unrelated topic, and there are TONS of acronyms. And YES, I do forget that not everyone knows what they mean. We recently added an "open" facebook group, and there is a constant reminder thread to not use acronyms, so to not confuse people who come in looking for help. It makes sense, but I forget. A lot. And I apologize for it. A lot.

And a funny: recently, my 6 year old came home from school, and in (perfectly calm) conversation about her day, she said, "***" (in context, mind you). Um, 6 year old, where did you hear that, and what makes you think you can say stuff like that? She responds, "mom, it's not a bad word. It means, like, 'what are you doing!?! That's silly." she thought "doubleyoutee-eff" was literally a word.

Remember on "Modern Family," Phil said it was "why the face"

 

[Magpie]

I would have loved to talk to that CM and ask her why it annoyed her so much? How often do people call with DISboards acronyms? I'd tell her I'd be happy to pass along her comments back to the board. She must have really had one of those hardcore DISsers right before the OPs (yeah, I like using that too) call. And it really must have tee-ed her off

You mean you'd actually try to get to know the person and understand where her frustration is coming from? Horrors! Don't you know you're supposed to complain to her supervisor and get her cranky hiney canned? Customer service reps are NEVER allowed to be anything less than completely magical.

All joking aside, assuming the CM wasn't screaming at me or being abusive, I would have just said, "Thanks for the tip! I imagine acronyms can get really annoying after awhile. I'll be sure not to use them in the future when I'm calling Disney." And then moved on with my day.

 

[Granny square]

The op didn't report her did she? I gathered she just came for a bit of vent.

I can't imagine that someone who gets paid for telephone calls want to waste their valuable time having a heart to heart with anyone. Especially someone she has already shown disrespect.

 

[JimmyV]

Point I was trying to make is that its become fairly common across the internet to use many of these terms/acronyms/slang when discussing WDW.

Yeah. But...this wasn't an internet conversation that we are discussing here. It was a telephone conversation. It shouldn't be all that difficult to use your internet jargon on the internet, and use your telephone voice when on the phone.

All joking aside, assuming the CM wasn't screaming at me or being abusive, I would have just said, "Thanks for the tip! I imagine acronyms can get really annoying after awhile. I'll be sure not to use them in the future when I'm calling Disney." And then moved on with my day.

We are cut from the same cloth. Posting a complaint on a chat board would never have entered my mind if a person took the time to put me in my place for using code-speak in a telephone conversation. I'd pretty much concede that the lecture was warranted.

 

[TenKeyThunder]

Well, except that:
Disney named the resort Pop (more slang or colloquial) Century;
Disney rebranded the theme park as Epcot (created word) from EPCOT (acronym); and
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network (Boardwalk location being redundant, given that there's no other such venue on Walt Disney World property ) and American Broadcasting Company identify themselves as, respectively, ESPN and ABC - which is different from consumer-created acronyms.

ESPN and ABC... doesn't matter if consumer created or not... still acronyms disney uses.

"(Boardwalk location being redundant, given that there's no other such venue on Walt Disney World property )"

4 reelz?

 

[Herfnerd]

Yeah. But...this wasn't an internet conversation that we are discussing here. It was a telephone conversation. It shouldn't be all that difficult to use your internet jargon on the internet, and use your telephone voice when on the phone.

Uhm....you were taking my post out of context. I didn't say that it was OK to use internet slang on the phone (but even if it is used, is no reason for a CM to be snarky about it) but replying to the post that the acronyms/nicknames and slang used here on the DIS boards are not unique to the DIS boards but heavily used on other WDW enthusiast forums and blogs.

 

[kaytieeldr]

ESPN and ABC... doesn't matter if consumer created or not... still acronyms disney uses.

"(Boardwalk location being redundant, given that there's no other such venue on Walt Disney World property )"

4 reelz?

My apologies for not being as clear and thorough as I'd thought I was being...
The Entertainment and Sports Programming Network calls itself ESPN; American Broadcasting Company calls itself ABC. Especially with the former, which has multiple venues throughout the country, the venue is using its own name. Disney isn't "calling" it anything different. And the name of the commissary was never American Broadcasting Company Commissary. While the venue may or may not have undergone one or more name changes since the park's inception (my guide books are buried at the moment), in this incarnation it's always been ABC.

4 reelz (of) what? If you meant 'really' - yes, really. There's only one ESPN Club at Walt Disney World. Saying "Entertainment and Sports Programming Network Club at the Boardwalk..." to exaggerate your point just isn't effective. Your listener tuned you out three minutes ago.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Uhm....you were taking my post out of context. I didn't say that it was OK to use internet slang on the phone (but even if it is used, is no reason for a CM to be snarky about it) but replying to the post that the acronyms/nicknames and slang used here on the DIS boards are not unique to the DIS boards but heavily used on other WDW enthusiast forums and blogs.

But the Cast Member didn't specify this forum, did she? She complained about people on Internet message boards having misinformation and thinking [we] know everything when [we] don't.

 

[Melodious]

Agree

Yes, but this misses the point. Acronyms may be here to stay in message boards. And perhaps they should stay on message boards. They have no place in a conversation with a stranger. A Disney cast member must deal with people from all walks of life from all corners of the world. It is both unreasonable and unwise to presume that the cast members all speak our language. If you wanted a dinner reservation at Chef Mickeys and asked for an ADR at CM, and ended up getting a confirming e-mail stating that you were booked at Cape May, you'd realize that this cute little linguistic world that we (not they) have created isn't anything that should necessarily become commonplace in daily parlance.

The cast member should have politely told the OP that she would prefer not to use acronyms in her discussion, as she wants to make certain that the caller receives exactly what the caller desires, with no confusion or misunderstanding. Ranting was not the right approach. But her rudeness is not the jumping off point for people here to chime in and assert that chat board acronyms are now the way of the world and that the uninitiated had better get used to it.

Message boards aren't going away. Even in a physician's office, you hear slang and misinformation and yes, you need to clarify what is meant and not assume unless you're speaking to another professional. I meant that if customer service agents are going to rant at everyone who uses an acronym, accidentally or on purpose, well that service person is in for a long day. She needs to find a way to control her frustration at board language.

Though I'd also assert that the use of AP is probably not the most annoying thing a phone CM hears in a day

 

[Melodious]

Agreed, on the phone it does not take any extra energy to say "annual pass" rather than "AP". By saying it out it also avoids any confusion as well.

Am I to assume that you have never made a mistake when speaking and accidentally let slip an acronym from your profession or a message board that others might not understand. I do it occasionally and don't deserve a rant for it. I simply get used to speaking in a certain way.

 

[TenKeyThunder]

My apologies for not being as clear and thorough as I'd thought I was being...
The Entertainment and Sports Programming Network calls itself ESPN; American Broadcasting Company calls itself . Especially with the former, which has multiple venues throughout the country, the venue is using its own name. Disney isn't "calling" it anything different. And the name of the commissary was never American Broadcasting Company Commissary. While the venue may or may not have undergone one or more name changes since the park's inception (my guide books are buried at the moment), in this incarnation it's always been ABC.

4 reelz (of) what? If you meant 'really' - yes, really. There's only one ESPN Club at Walt Disney World. Saying "Entertainment and Sports Programming Network Club at the Boardwalk..." to exaggerate your point just isn't effective. Your listener tuned you out three minutes ago.

on ABC and ESPN doesn't matter... from what I read CM said disney doesn't use acronyms, and they use ABC and ESPN, which are acronyms.

and the boardwalk thing... was just creating a fictional script of what someone might say on the phone. If there's one restaurant in town called Smitty's and it's on Elm street, someone might say "How long would it take to get from Smitty's on Elm to the Medical Center" (b/c if you've ever had smitty's burritos). but kudos for dissecting my exaggeration (?) ploy??

 

[Magpie]

We are cut from the same cloth. Posting a complaint on a chat board would never have entered my mind if a person took the time to put me in my place for using code-speak in a telephone conversation. I'd pretty much concede that the lecture was warranted.

Yes, and to be honest, I'd have felt like a huge dork for accidentally using "AP" on the phone... kind of like when "DH" slips into your conversation when you're talking to someone about your husband. Talk about embarrassing! Before she even got to the lecture part, I'm sure I'd have been saying, "Oh my god, did I actually just SAY that!? I'm SO sorry!"

This is how you know you've been spending waaaay too much time on chat boards! Tells me it's time to cut back and reconnect with the real world.

 

[Herfnerd]

But the Cast Member didn't specify this forum, did she? She complained about people on Internet message boards having misinformation and thinking [we] know everything when [we] don't.

No, the CM did not specify this forum and my quoted reply that was taken out of context was not in regard to what the CM said in the OP's first post but to another poster that stated the acronyms and slang being used was internal to DIS. I was merely pointing out that it was not unique to DIS but that pretty much all WDW enthusiast forums and bloggers were using the same exact terminology.