Making ADR Thread - hold times, IT vents, and general whine!

[Rebelmom67]

I'm having flashbacks of Feb 22. I was on hold for 3 hours that day - but I got all my reservations!

 

[sand2270]

I called right at 7am yesterday (5am my time)...got through to an agent at 7:02am...I was booking for May 29-June 8. She said that was out of her jurisdiction and said she was transferring me to ala carte. I waited on hold for almost an hour...and the new queue does not provide estimated wait times like the first queue did. When I got through I got all my ADR's within 20 minutes of my preferred times. I was off the phone around 6:20am my time (so 8:20am).

 

[donaldbuzz&minnie]

40 minutes and holding now.

I gave up after an hour yesterday (second attempt), and 45 minutes (1st attempt.)

Disney's IT department is a disaster!!!

 

[MushyMushy]

I was on hold for over TWO hours... well over two hours.

Finally got through, made two reservations and we got disconnected. I don't even know if the two I made are actually in the system because he said he'll give the confirmation numbers at the end of the call.

Can I go bang my head against the wall now?

 

[oybolshoi]

I'm baffled by what is happening with Disney Dining ... is this a permanent state of affairs or just painfully temporary while they get ready to launch the "new and improved system that their guest feedback told them was necessary"?

 

[TinkerBelle_325]

Yesterday I called to try and make my ADRs and the recording at Disney Dining said

"If you are making reservations from May 26th up to and including June 9th press 1"

So I pressed 1 because my ADRs are for May 30th to June 3rd.

Then they told me that they had to transfer me to another agent if my dining reservations were AFTER May 26th.

Then when i was transfered the new agent told me she had to transfer me BACK to the other type of agents.

Then after being transfered between 3 agents I was told I was 1 day outside the 90 day window.

So I call back this morning and the same recording comes up!

"If you are making reservations from May 26th up to and including June 9th press 1"

So I press 1 again. I get to the agent and once again she tells me that if my ADRs are AFTER May 26th she needs to transfer me. I protested by repeating the recording and she said it must be wrong. So now I'm still on hold....11 minutes and counting.

 

[Tara922c]

I called yesterday just to make one reservation. I was on the phone for less than 10 minutes. I only made one reservation, and all they needed was my phone number and name.

 

[donaldbuzz&minnie]

RANT:

I'm writing this as I sit here on hold (almost an hour and counting) to make 2 crummy dining reservations for May. It seems like every time Disney "improves" something on their computer system my blood pressure goes up.

Not only do they not value their customers' time enough to avoid this kind of ridiculous wait, they have the nerve to keep trying to sell you something while you're waiting through the recorded wait music.

Having gone through this last week to make a reservation a day for May, once I get through, I know that their new "improved" system will also require me to give my name, address, telephone #, etc before I can even find out if the date and time I want to dine is available. Since this information does not include a credit card number they can charge if you don't show, it's useless for them except to help Marketing gather information. I really don't want to help them do that at the expense of my privacy.

Disney's IT Department is a MESS. I wish Marketing and IT would realize that Customer Service is where the magic is. To bleed that out might win some battles, but it will eventually lose the war in attracting customers. I'm a DVC member who thought I would want to visit WDW for the rest of my life, and I'm sitting here now wondering if I even want to bother going this May!

 

[TinkerBelle_325]

This is exceptionally frustrating!

My dates are May 30th - June 3rd and every time I try to direct myself to the "special" department I get REDIRECTED! Then once I have been redirected and I redirected AGAIN!

At this rate my friend and I will be eating ALL counter service!

 

[TDC Nala]

I'll probably go but not make any ADRs.

 

[MushyMushy]

I called yesterday just to make one reservation. I was on the phone for less than 10 minutes. I only made one reservation, and all they needed was my phone number and name.

He said they were having some major system issues today.

 

[DISNEYmooner2008]

Great... I just now am calling.... Lets see how long it takes - it's 12:40pm


ETA: WOW - that was fast.... 12:45 and I'm through and done making the 2 ressies I had left!

 

[DISNEYmooner2008]

I don't understand why so many people are having issues... I just called and was through and booked 2 ressies withing 6 minutes....

 

[DISNEYmooner2008]

I just got off the phone. Called at 12:40pm, CM picked up at 12:43, made 2 ressies that I wanted to change, was off the phone by 12:46

 

[basketrn]

I have been on hold now for 51 minutes and haven't talked to anyone...not even to get redirected

If I have to hear the HM song one more time today..I will scream!!!

 

[TinkerBelle_325]

GGRRRRRRRR

Ok, i have been transferred to over 10 agents this morning. EVERY time i press the option for reservations between May 26th and June 9th and EVERY time i am someone directed to the wrong department!

And apparently there is nothing they can do LOL

I've called back and im praying that i'll get the right agent this time. I'm calling from Toronto...my phone bill is going to be astronomical!

 

[TrekBoy85]

It took my wife and I 2 hours and 27 minutes to makes our ADRs. We did get everything we wanted, though. I believe what is happening is that they are still working out all the issues with the new reservation system (our CM had to take all our information twice). The phone queue for May 26 - June 9 is so overloaded that even when you make the correct selection, often times you get dumped into a default phone queue and that is why you're not getting to the correct person.

I really hope they get this taken care of soon!

 

[DISNEYmooner2008]

Uggg I forgot something, so I'm back on hold. Put on hold for a CM at 1:03pm....


I got through and am off of the phone (with a horribly rude CM...) at 1:14pm

 

[mtmbyck]

I called this morning too and got through within about 5 minutes and was able to book both of my additional reservations. I am not sure why they wouldn't make an ADR for you just becuase they can't see your reservation in the system??

 

[sand2270]

I experienced the long wait times and strange transfer yesterday when making my ADR's. I called at 7am Eastern (5am my time), didn't get through to an agent for almost an hour after getting transferred at 7:02am (5:02am my time) and got off the phone at 8:20am (6:20am my time) after making my ADR's.

Having a contact center background (I have worked in one in various functions for about 12 years, including being a phone agent) experiencing this and reading the posts about it makes me cringe. So I wanted to provide some additional perspective. I am not saying people are behaving this way or not, I am just talking from my experience and trying to provide some perspective from the agents point of view.

It sounds like there has been a system change and not enough agents are trained (oh boy...does this sound familiar to me). What happens often is when people finally get through to an agent they let the agent know how long they waited, vent their frustrations or sometimes get angry and take it out on the agent.

This does a few things. First, it puts more stress on the agent. They just want to get you taken care of and off the phone. The agents are totally aware of how many people are waiting in queue and their goal is to clear that queue. Often they also have a handle time they need to keep their contacts within and customers venting, etc. just add to that handle time. Contact center employees are ruled by stats...how many calls handled, how long, etc. They know this and they do their best to manage their time to that.

Second, the time spent complaining to the agent just increases the hold times for everyone else. I didn't say a word about my wait time yesterday when I got through, I made my ADR's and got off the line since I knew others were probably waiting as long as I had.

Third, the agent on the phone CAN'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT THE WAIT TIME. They are a victim of the systems and training as much as we are. Plus, they have been listening to people complain about the waits all day probably...that gets really old after awhile. Again, taking your frustration out on them only makes their job harder and incredibly stressful. Quite honestly the agents probably can't do much about that except pass it along (which I bet they are doing) but the agents are probably just as frustrated as you are.

The best thing to do is email or write a letter, that is the best way to get your feedback in so it is documented and recorded. Venting to the agent may make you feel better but it probably will be a futile effort and just makes the wait longer for everyone else.

Again, I am not saying people are doing this so please don't take this as an accusation or anything. I just felt like I wanted to post this because I really do feel bad for the agents that have to deal with this crap to.