Just got back - disturbing theme....

[MGMBill]

I work in the same industry that you do and I can honestly say that in over 15 years, I haven't run across the problems that you seem to have.

I don't think that you shoud treat a CM or any person that serves the public as a servant. Nor do I believe that they should cater to every whim of the customer. I also believe the vast majority of customers feel the same way.

When a customer is rude and crude, a CM shouldn't return the sentiment in the same manner but they don't have to take it either. What the OP mentioned was the behaviour of SOME CMs, not all. The OP wasn't talking about rude customers but rather CMs that were not serving their customers in a manner that the customers were entitled to. And yes they were entitled to be treated properly because they paid for service. If a person cannot provide that service, they are in the wrong line of work.

I've worked in both customer service type jobs, retail and banking, and I currently work in education. I'm an elementary special ed teacher. Yes, in both types of jobs you do have "customers" you are working for, but there is a world of difference between them. As a teacher I've been treated with nothing but respect and courtesy but while working in retail and banking people treated me with disregard, indifference, and basically like a servent. And yes, if they felt like it they would yell at me and be nasty, threaten me, and tell me I deserved to be fired. Working in education is not like working in customer service. I speak from my personal experience. I wonder can you do the same?

 

[MouseketeerOvaHere]

My employer stands behind its employees in cases of assault..we're union too so that helps. But seriously, if a patient gets demanding, that is NOT the same thing as being beaten up.

Ok, now your just pulling straws. Surely you can read between the lines and not nit-pick. I said verbal assault, not getting beaten up. Not all of us work in "peachy" parts of town so come do a day at my hospital and you will see there is little difference between "demanding" patients and the verbally assaulting one.

I still say go ahead and get nasty with a patient(barring being physically threatened) and you will face consequences from your facility.

Again, you don't know what you're talking about. I've witnessed it a few times and the hospital has stood behind the employee. When the cause is just, no consequences have been rendered. Inner city is a little different than good ole rural hospitals. You have to deal with these people a little different than most.

 

[dolphingirl47]

First of all, I am sorry that the OP had to witness behaviour like this. I work as a supervisor in customer service for an airline and find behaviour like this totally unacceptable.

You'd think they would feel lucky to have jobs.

Unfortunately statements like this breed the described behaviour. Far from feeling lucky to have a job, they feel scared that they will lose it. Every time somebody makes this statement, they get reminded that their jobs are anything but secure. People might give them the statement directly or it is implied when they overhear people talking or in the media. Especially at Disney were there have been lay offs, I am sure that there are not many people who feel lucky at the moment. Add to this that the same amount of work has to be done by less people and the stress mounts. All over sudden
"You'd think they would feel lucky to have jobs." becomes "We are all going to lose our jobs anyway, so who cares?". As I said, I work for an airline and exactly the same thought process is taking place with a lot of our staff. We are lucky that we had no lay offs and none are planned, but they see what is going on with other airlines that have large scale redundancies. They know people that used to work for us and changed employer and have now lost their jobs. They have added stress as our call volumes go up and up, but we have less people to do the work due to a hiring freeze and natural attrition. It is my job to stamp on behaviour like the one mentioned above and I definitely stamp on it. As I said, I don't condone behaviour like this, but unfortunately I can understand where it comes from.

To the poster I quoted, I know that you meant no harm, but just wanted to show how a harmless statement like this can be perceived.

Corinna

 

[eliza61]

First of all, I am sorry that the OP had to witness behaviour like this. I work as a supervisor in customer service for an airline and find behaviour like this totally unacceptable.



Unfortunately statements like this breed the described behaviour. Far from feeling lucky to have a job, they feel scared that they will lose it. Every time somebody makes this statement, they get reminded that their jobs are anything but secure. Corinna

Well said Corrina,

I don't work in hospitality but the corporation I work for has laid off ~4,000 people. those of us that are left definitely are not feeling "Lucky". We are scared that at any time the other "shoe" might drop and there is absolutely nothing we can do. My coworkers have become snippy, impatietent and some are now suffering from depression. The sick rate has gone through the roof from people suffering from stress. I work with 1 guy who is one dialysis. He has kidney failure, he is so scared and depressed that we have nicknamed him "eyeore". If he gets laid off, no way can he afford the cobra to keep him alive.
And we're supposed to be productive, happy employees. No way!!

 

[Mouseaholic!!!]

I think the economy is really taking a toll everywhere, including Disney. The cheap labor is probably the kids they hire, they make hardly any money and they're at an age where they really don't care (NOT all, but some). I think Disney might be getting rid of older workers in favor of the cheaper labor, and they're getting exactly what they pay for. I don't think Disney expects as much from their CMs as they did the past and if you put nothing in, you get nothing back. JMHO.

I suspect you may be right.

In my DH's case, staff was fired and then replaced with "more affordable" choices. In one case, DH's supervisor was fired. He was always there to step in and help when DH and associates were overwhelmed (and with the deep cuts - DH is ALWAYS overwhelmed now).

Now the New Guy is a techno-geek who can push buttons - but has no idea how his division operates.

In a crisis - he just sits back and lets one of the 4 "long-timers" (who were not cut) run the place.


Well.....at least Mr. Techno Guy is cheep!

 

[WDSearcher]

Sadly, the prevailing attitude I've seen among the executives is "Well, Walt's been dead for over 40 years."

I'm a long time CM, and I have to say that I am so TIRED of the "What would Walt do?" philosophy. None of us -- no one -- has any idea what Walt would do if he were alive today. We can guess, but no one knows. Walt was a smart businessman with vision. Who knows? 30 years in -- once his daughters grew up and technology took off -- he may have gotten tired of the whole theme park line of business and sold off the company to go off and do something else. He may have decided that championing new phone technologies was his passion. He may have developed the Internet. He may have become a hermit like Howard Hughes. He may have tossed it all away and moved to Europe. No one knows.

People have this nostalgic, warm and fuzzy feeling about Walt Disney -- but THAT Walt is the "brand" of Walt Disney. The myth. The legend. Sure, Walt had those qualities, but Disney was also a sharp-edged, hard-to-please businessman who had political ties, hated unions, and believed his way was the only right way.

Constantly going back to "What would Walt do?" nearly got the company sectioned off and sold to corporate raiders in the Miller years. That reliance on what Walt would think or say or do -- as opposed to looking at the market, the business and the audience and making decisions based on TODAY -- was the whole reason Eisner and Wells had to step in and save the company in the first place. I think our exec leaders today need to remember the nostalgia and "brand" of Walt Disney as they move forward, because that's what got us to where we are. And it's what distinguishes us from the Six Flags and Cedar Fairs of the world. But I'm just fine if they decide to not make every decision based on "What would Walt do?" I'd much rather have them say, "What is best for the company right here, right now?"

 

[declansdad]

I've worked in both customer service type jobs, retail and banking, and I currently work in education. I'm an elementary special ed teacher. Yes, in both types of jobs you do have "customers" you are working for, but there is a world of difference between them. As a teacher I've been treated with nothing but respect and courtesy but while working in retail and banking people treated me with disregard, indifference, and basically like a servent. And yes, if they felt like it they would yell at me and be nasty, threaten me, and tell me I deserved to be fired. Working in education is not like working in customer service. I speak from my personal experience. I wonder can you do the same?

Yes I can.

 

[ntsammy5]

He may have developed the Internet.

No, that was Al Gore.

ITA - that theme is over used - a lot. just like WWJD? The fact is no one knows. Visionarys rarely do what you'd expect them to do. That's why they're unique.

 

[declansdad]

Well consider yourself lucky that you have not run into these problems?? For people, like myself, who have suffered the wrath of ridiculous people year after year, its pretty offensive to hear someone say basically that we should basically sit down and shut up. I mean, you say that people providing these services are entitled to not have to take when a customer is rude and crude, but somehow the rest of your discussion indicates otherwise. How are we supposed to effectively provide our service ("just do our job") when we are often being treated very poorly by some individuals??

Now I agree with you that those who treat CMs with respect (the majority) should receive the high level of service CMs are supposed to give, but you cant simplify the process into one that paints customer service workers (the way in which i explained in my prior post, just to be clear ) as should be automated robots. its more complex than that.

The fact that you don't seem to have had any of the bad experiences some posters have commented on means that you wouldn't know what it feels like to suffer from much customer/client abuse. Would you be able to smile and put on a brave face from clock on to clock off in these conditions? I very much doubt you would... And I don't think I know anyone would be able to, at least with out cracking big time at some stage...

What I have said it not to be used as some blanket excuse for all less than desriable CM behaviour but more to put things in contxt and suggest that sparing a thought for the CMs is not such a bad idea..

For the record, I have never said I haven't had similar experiences to what some posters have used as examples. I have said they are few and far between. Many posters have been implying that they are dealing with the worst customers day in and day out, 24/7. I'm sorry but I don't believe that for one minute.

Secondly, if you are dealing with a rude customer you still need to serve that customer to the best of your abilities; the same as you would any other customer. However, if the customer is being physically or verbally abusive, that's different. That you don't need to take. Sorry I didn't make that clear before.

Lastly, some posters have related the poor level of service to poor pay. As I said earlier the fact that you are receiving poor pay is not an excuse for poor service. An employee agrees to work for a certain rate of pay and they are expected to provide good service. A customer shouldn't expect any less or any more than that. The employee cannot provide less service simply because they are being paid minimum wage.

 

[PrincessAtta]

I've worked in the food service industry for close to thirty years, and I have found recently that "the customer" in general has a very short fuse. I think our communities at large are stressed out because of the economy, and when people are in the moment of physically spending money, it brings that stress to the surface. Customers are expecting more for their money, even if the commodity or service has not changed.

We have strict rules with regards to what we can and can not do with regard to alcohol service and I find people are having a very hard time lately with no. As in no, I can't serve you more than two drinks, or no I can not serve you without showing ID, and have been called vulgar names in response. My delivery is measured, polite and apologetic, and customers are flying off the handle on a regular basis. Last night someone flipped out, called me a name and screamed at me because our credit card machines were temporarily down. As if I have some control over credit card machines.

I'm not blaming the OP, and honestly didn't read what I assume is a debate based on the number of pages in the thread, but I feel like there is a kind of "Popcorn is FOUR dollars? (even though it was $4 last year, and the year before, and the year before)" which quickly escalates to "Popcorn is FOUR dollars and I can't get the stupid kid to hurry up so I get back to the rides??? Where's a manager?"

I find service declines in general at WDW when the economy is good, because people can find better paying jobs outside The World. That's when I think they have more bottom of the barrel types on staff.

 

[Belle102498]

I work in the same industry that you do and I can honestly say that in over 15 years, I haven't run across the problems that you seem to have.

Maybe I should get a job where you work I have been in the industry for 8 years, and without a doubt, I get at least 2 students a semester who have an abusive attitude. And if it isn't the student, it is a parent trying to get their kid a better grade, or special treatment. I know when I was in college for my B.A. I NEVER let mommy or daddy deal with MY issues.

 

[TimmyTimmyTimmy]

That is such a big NO NO! Imagine an actor on stage playing a role. He or she just can´t say what they feel like. It is the same thing at Disney. They should leave their bad personality problems outside the parks and let people feel like they are in happy place where the worries of the outside world can´t reach them.
I would fire a person like that faster than fast.
Everybady has bad days, but in some jobs that just wont cut it.

 

[DisneyWalle]

Because so many CMs or past CMs are here on this particular thread, please accept my sincere thanks for your hard work! Thank you for spreading magic that can not be done anywhere else! Thank you for working tirelessly at your job. Thank you for going out of your way! Thank you for postponing breaks, lunches and dinners to help guests! Thank you for smiling over and over again! Thank you for greeting everyone as they were the first ones you had seen for the day! Thank you!

Remember that the miserable people at Disney are probably miserable at home. They didn't just get that way! You have to try to have a terrible time at Disney - even if things don't go your way - big deal - are you having fun - have you had fun up to that point. We shouldn't expect CMs to make our vacation more magical - we are in a magical place -but if a CM does create magic for you - be excited and thankful not mad, asking why hasn't someone done it before now.

I have worked in customer service before as a bank teller. You can not make everyone happy and those miserable few try their best to make you miserable with them. Don't let them have that power! I always found smiling at them and talking gently just made them madder. But made me feel so good - because I wasn't sinking to their level.

I look forward to our Disney trip in August! Always excited! Always happy! Always magical! Disney World!!!!

 

[DianeV]

I think this has gone off in other directions in some ways. The OP wasnt talking about cms who were being mistreated. There is no excuse for that however that doesnt seem to be the case here. Now if you are defending these cms because maybe they were mistreated by someone else that day I dont agree with that at all.

And the post about Eisner having to save the company? Maybe he did at first but he did some pretty bad things in later years. I wouldnt consider him any kind of 'hero'

 

[JPN4265]

You'd think they would feel lucky to have jobs.

But with what is coming out of Washington, we all will be taken care of, and don't need a job anymore.

 

[declansdad]

Maybe I should get a job where you work I have been in the industry for 8 years, and without a doubt, I get at least 2 students a semester who have an abusive attitude. And if it isn't the student, it is a parent trying to get their kid a better grade, or special treatment. I know when I was in college for my B.A. I NEVER let mommy or daddy deal with MY issues.

I guess I am lucky. I have had to deal with angry students, spouses, and yes even parents but it just doesn't happen that often.

 

[kimmar067]

For the record, I have never said I have had similar experiences to what some posters have used as examples. I have said they are few and far between. Many posters have been implying that they are dealing with the worst customers day in and day out, 24/7. I'm sorry but I don't believe that for one minute.

Secondly, if you are dealing with a rude customer you still need to serve that customer to the best of your abilities; the same as you would any other customer. However, if the customer is being physically or verbally abusive, that's different. That you don't need to take. Sorry I didn't make that clear before.

Lastly, some posters have related the poor level of service to poor pay. As I said earlier the fact that you are receiving poor pay is not an excuse for poor service. An employee agrees to work for a certain rate of pay and they are expected to provide good service. A customer shouldn't expect any less or any more than that. The employee cannot provide less service simply because they are being paid minimum wage.

...amen!

 

[WDSearcher]

And the post about Eisner having to save the company? Maybe he did at first but he did some pretty bad things in later years. I wouldnt consider him any kind of 'hero'

I didn't say he was a hero. But he and Wells DID save the company. Sure, he turned out to be a stinker at the end there, but he's also responsible for some of the things that DISers like best -- value resorts, Disney on Broadway, Magical Express, Animal Kingdom. So you have to give him that, at least.

That is such a big NO NO! Imagine an actor on stage playing a role. He or she just can´t say what they feel like. It is the same thing at Disney. They should leave their bad personality problems outside the parks and let people feel like they are in happy place where the worries of the outside world can´t reach them.
I would fire a person like that faster than fast.
Everybady has bad days, but in some jobs that just wont cut it.

All Disney CMs ARE playing a role. But as I said earlier, a lot of them don't really "get" that part. If you're a 21YO and this is maybe the second or third job you've ever had, you're probably not remembering all the time that at Disney, you're an actor too. Because you didn't have to do that at the last place you worked. There, you were serving fast food. Now, you're expected to serve fast food AND maintain a fantasy that the Guest is on a small town main street in mid-America. If you don't "get" that, then you obviously can't do that. And even though it's part of the training, a lot of CMs take a while to understand how to do that part of the job.

And I totally disagree with how you would handle that situation. If someone is having a bad day or doing something wrong, don't fire them -- teach them how to do it right! You don't fire those folks "faster than fast". You pull them aside, explain to them what you think they did wrong, ask them why it happened, explain to them the proper way, and then send them back out with that knowledge and a reminder that we're all part of the "show". You arm them with more information and give them another chance. Otherwise, they have learned nothing, and you have an open hole on the line.

You can't fix the problem by firing the person. You fix the problem by fixing the person.

 

[Mom2Rae]

What is up with these employees lately? These three experiences in the last four days are the only ones I have ever seen in my eleven trips. I am worried this is an indication of future customer service declines. Any insights?

I witnessed the same thing during our trip 6/2 - 6/9. I saw one cast member talking to another at Rafiki's Planet Watch when a little boy "dared" get out of line to see one character to rub Rafiki's arm who was a few feet from him. It was just sad. She actually told the CM with Rafiki that next time she'll trip him?????

One older gentleman CM wanted to pick a fight with me because I didn't want to take our rented double stroller through the line at K Safari...I just wanted to park it myself. The entrance was already pretty packed since the park has just opened and I thought it would be more difficult to add that big honking thing in the mix of people. He just couldn't understand why I wanted to park it outside MYSELF. He "punished" me by making me walk all the way over to the train station to park it. I told him he shouldn't take it so personally that a CUSTOMER was willing to take care of the stroller her self.

I hope this isn't previews of coming attractions.

I also had the pleasure of meeting some great CM's...one that comes to mind was Gretchen who worked at the gift shop in Toon Town..she gave us her Sharpie so DD could get her Vinylnation Mickey signed by the characters.

 

[PilotWife]

I just have to say that I have gone to Disney every year for at least the last 7 years, and we just returned (May 22-June2) and although for the most part our customer service from CM's was great! BUT I did notice that there were not as many CMs as in previous years, and that the ones that were available to have questions asked of them, didnt seem to know the answers.....but always seeked someone out that did.

Jennifer