MS Astounded!

[Pig Pen]

I didn't get the sense the OP was calling without a plan to book.

Even if she did, I think that is fine. Because MS does not provide a convenient, sensible method for checking availability, the DVC owner has little choice but to call. What constitutes "abuse" of the system?

I ask again, how do you check availability? I am truly interested to know if there is a useful method that I am not aware of. TIA!

The new "availability" thread in the DVC forums was helpful to me when I was booking for October. By checking that, I knew that BWV studios were not available for several of my dates so I had a back-up plan. I never call ahead to check on availability because it can change minute by minute. It would be nice to be able to check availability online (even if we can't book online). Maybe soon!

 

[Dean]

I didn't get the sense the OP was calling without a plan to book.

Even if she did, I think that is fine. Because MS does not provide a convenient, sensible method for checking availability, the DVC owner has little choice but to call. What constitutes "abuse" of the system?

I ask again, how do you check availability? I am truly interested to know if there is a useful method that I am not aware of. TIA!

And I got the distinct impression they were calling just to check and not to book and likely checking multiple options. The only real way to check availability is to call. That is not the question in my mind, the question is when is it reasonable to call just to check and in my mind this should rarely happen if your first choices are available. You decide what you want and if they have it, you book it. If not, you go to plan B and that's when checking other times or secondary resorts becomes more reasonable. Even for air fare issues, it's not a very good approach to just call and see. Call and book then call the air lines and then cancel if things don't match up.

 

[Nikisha421]

.

Amazing. I really expected more from them.

(credited to Charles Reade, Ralph Waldo Emerson and many others)

A really good quote ... well worth revisiting. Thanks for the vivid reminder!

As a supervisor (with a Masters Degree in Leadership and ten years experience) I would reprimand an employee for a bad attitude while they were helping a customer far sooner than I would for comments made when the customer shoudn't have been able to hear them. Sometimes those in a service industry need to blow off steam.

not saying the cm was right or wrong but i was just wondering at home to myself how people stay chipper and happy all day long. i knew very early on in life that a job like this could never work for me since i dont have that type of patiencts. but this proves to me that they aremt really as happy as i thought

 

[pickles]

peer pressure can also go a long way. Let's assume you did nothing wrong, the CM gets off the line with you..previously he rand coworkers were having a gripe fest (a general clients drive me nuts gripe fest) to add her part of the conversation and says something like "yea you should have heard this nut I was just talking to..."

I understand you are hurt, mad and probably feel betrayed, because the CM acted nice to your face, but I would take her negative comments with a grain of salt. She wasn't personally insulting you and making the comments to you, and you don;t know what was surrounding the reasons why she made the comments at all

%There is also a saying about eavesdropping and only hearing bad about yourself when you do..wish i could think what that one was..will have to ask mom, she'd know

Brush it off, lucky for you, you probably will never get that one again...BtW when I get done here, if your ears are burning its because we are all chatting about you ..good way to make a person paranoid!

 

[tjkraz]

I have to say that I am amazed at a lot of the responses I am receiving here. I guess all I can say is just wait until it happens to you. You'll be shocked and angry too.

I don't blame you for being angry. There is a time and a place for everything and this CM chose very poorly.

But let's be realistic--venting is human nature. We have all had occasion to vent regarding a client/customer/patient who caused us some frustration. Or if outside of the workplace, perhaps it was a family member/teacher/neighbor.

I don't think venting one's frustrations reveals a character flaw. (If it does we're living in a VERY flawed society.) The CM wasn't the first person who attempted to talk about you behind your back and she won't be the last. Whether you overheard the comments or not, chances are your waitress at dinner last night thought you were too demanding, your neighbor doesn't like the way you cut your grass, one of your employees didn't agree with his performance review and your mother thinks you go to Disney too much.

This CMs crime was not being more discrete in her venting. It's definitely worth a complaint and she deserves to be written up or whatever Disney's punishment is for such things. She shouldn't have embarrassed you in that manner.

 

[DebbieB]

I am a trainer for an insurance company and had an experience a few months ago. I did an online training class and it didn't feel that great, I was not given good materials to use but did the best I could. As everyone was hanging up, I heard someone say "well, that was a waste of time". I'm sure they were talking to someone sitting near them and didn't realize the phone was not hung up.

 

[dallastxcpa]

I have to say that I am amazed at a lot of the responses I am receiving here. I guess all I can say is just wait until it happens to you. You'll be shocked and angry too. I really do hope they recorded the phone call because from what I could tell I was doing nothing wrong. And as for checking availability, I will still check availability unless they give us instant access to it through another manner (which I doubt they will). I am not going to just book plane tickets and such and just hope there is something available nor do I know anyone who would.

I am right with you. The comment by the CM was completely inappropriate. I can tell you we have one person in our office who is constantly complaining. The sky is too blue, its too hot, its too cold. I don't think she had a single client all year that she didn't complain about. The bad thing about people with negative attitudes (venting) is that it is highly contagious and it can absolutely ruin a work environment.

 

[bookwormde]

These type of comments are unacceptable, you never know who is listening. I have had to give warnings to employees and even let 1 go for this behavior (not something I like to do).

Dean,

I usually follow and often agree with your logic, but I do not understand the idea of booking and canceling (except that it holds a reservation that you may not want). Checking availability takes maybe 2 minutes with a good CM, booking and unbooking takes 10-20 minutes at least. This is not to mention this is only practical if you are not banking or borrowing to make the reservation.

I would rather have a well-informed and planned member making reservations than someone “winging it” and changing their mind later, just to prone to errors and unnecessary time consuming changes.

bookwormde

 

[robandkelly13]

Wow! I'd hate to hear what they say about us. We always ask tons of questions and if it's past the 7 month mark, we always want to know what's available where.

 

[Dean]

Dean,

I usually follow and often agree with your logic, but I do not understand the idea of booking and canceling (except that it holds a reservation that you may not want). Checking availability takes maybe 2 minutes with a good CM, booking and unbooking takes 10-20 minutes at least. This is not to mention this is only practical if you are not banking or borrowing to make the reservation.

Obviously this assumes you're serious about having the reservation, if not, I'd agree BOTH would be inappropriate. In this case IF calling to check is appropriate (often it's not), then book it. Just holding on a whim is legal but not ideal. People should think about what they do.

As to the complaining, I can guarantee you that every singled CM including all the supervisors that worked for more than a day or two has done it at least once. That is a reality of life.

 

[LJERRY]

Hi. We are new members, and I must say that I am completely confused by this post!
Why on earth would I not be able to call and check availability on a resort? There is no way I would make my airline res. first and just hope that something is available! The airline is gonna charge me to change my flight!
As for the cm complaining, I understand that people do this all the time...IF the op had given her REASON!!! If simply calling to check availability is too much to ask, then I think I may have made a mistake when I signed up for this.
Before we became DVC members, I would call with several possible dates to get prices and check availability, and we would make our decision based on the comparison of those numbers. I never encountered a grumpy cm who was unwilling to do this for me, even if it was a pain in the butt for them to do it.

 

[thepowellslovedisney]

And I got the distinct impression they were calling just to check and not to book and likely checking multiple options. The only real way to check availability is to call. That is not the question in my mind, the question is when is it reasonable to call just to check and in my mind this should rarely happen if your first choices are available. You decide what you want and if they have it, you book it. If not, you go to plan B and that's when checking other times or secondary resorts becomes more reasonable. Even for air fare issues, it's not a very good approach to just call and see. Call and book then call the air lines and then cancel if things don't match up.

For clarity, I was only checking one set of dates. I was interested in a 2 bedroom anywhere available. There was nothing available. Which was fine. I was going to talk to the hubby today about other options to check on. We like to work together to plan these things esp. with his work schedule. I cannot just pick a week and be fine with that.

 

[thepowellslovedisney]

This has been an interesting discussion but I am ready to move on from it. I have let MS know my thoughts and I hope it is a situation that is used as a teachable moment. I truly believe that negative attitudes are contagious and being a former CM I trust that their supervisor will address the issue. Until the way we can check availability changes, the only way to get up-to-date information is to call so that is what I will do. I think at this point would like to agree to disagree with some of the replies to my post. I appreciate all your time and effort to discuss this. It was certainly an interesting topic.

Thanks everybody.

 

[Disneyhappy]

For clarity, I was only checking one set of dates. I was interested in a 2 bedroom anywhere available. There was nothing available. Which was fine. I was going to talk to the hubby today about other options to check on. We like to work together to plan these things esp. with his work schedule. I cannot just pick a week and be fine with that.

I dont care if you were asking for availability for 2 BR, 1 BR and studios all at the same time. Our membership allows this. You were not breaking any rules and that is the MS job! If it is a problem, DVC will change the rules as they are prone to do recently. You were not being unreasonable in any way so I am also confused by some posts stating it is understandable for MS to get frustrated, implying the MS CM was justified because you were making too many requests. I work in an industry that my staff, among other more skilled components of their job, have a major customer service component. We all have our bad days but you can't have them in front of the customer. If this was recorded, ,I would probably fire my employee. It was unprofessional to get caught like that. I suppose because of the image Disney (and DVC) likes to keep, I expect better customer service than I do from other products and services I consume. I am just glad that this seems to be an exception rather then the rule and I am glad that the OP called to report it. JMHO among the many members here!

 

[cpdwiz]

I have to say that I am amazed at a lot of the responses I am receiving here. I guess all I can say is just wait until it happens to you. You'll be shocked and angry too. I really do hope they recorded the phone call because from what I could tell I was doing nothing wrong. And as for checking availability, I will still check availability unless they give us instant access to it through another manner (which I doubt they will). I am not going to just book plane tickets and such and just hope there is something available nor do I know anyone who would.

I think you are over-reacting a bit...Have you ever dealt with the public as a whole? While you may have been nice to this person, the person PRIOR to you may have been a jerk, and, unfortunately, you caught the CM at a bad time....What they said was NOT meant for you to hear. Have you ever vented out of ear shot of someone? Say anything inappropriate under your breath about someone, a co-worker, family member, boss? Something you did not want them to hear?

While I think the CM needs a little word from their supervisor, I am sure nothing else will happen.

Thats just my opinon....I wouldn't let it dampen your day or your outlook at your vacation plans in the future.

 

[DiznyMagic]

I just called for availability and this time made it a point to stay on the line for the survey I was "randomly" picked for - well after a long silent the call was disconnected - never got the survey!

 

[BirdsOfPreyDave]

You're a bit more controlled than I am. I wouldn't have been nasty, but I sure would have joined back into the conversation to ask the CM to explain to me what she meant.

 

[cpdwiz]

You're a bit more controlled than I am. I wouldn't have been nasty, but I sure would have joined back into the conversation to ask the CM to explain to me what she meant.

I think I would have done that too.....Put them on the spot...

 

[spiceycat]

So I called a little bit ago to check on some availability, I was selected at random to take the satisfaction survey at the end of the phone call. It said to just stay on the line and I would be connected to the survey after speaking with my CM at MS. So after the call I waited and there was silence for just a moment then I heard the CM I was just speaking with calling me crazy and that I should have told her what I wanted from the beginning and basically unjustly complaining about me asking her to look up availability. Needless to say the call never went over to the survey and I was astounded . I then decided to hang up and think about what to do. As I sat there for a moment I became very angry . I felt like hey, we have invested a TON of money into this and this is NOT the way I should be treated even if you think I can't hear you.

First when I call for just availablity say that immediately - then no hard feeling when don't book. mostly they are disappointed because no reservations means they don't get a commission (this to me is a bad system - want it back like it was - when they got paid no matter what we wanted)

secondly when you had finished your call - you need to tell the MS that you agreed to do the service survey. Sometimes say this first - so you will get good service.

she will disconnect - otherwise don't think the system transfers you like it says it does. MS does not do the automatic disconnect any longer. It would help if the automatic response say this - instead of just stay on the line.

sorry you went through this. the MS had no way to know you were waiting to do the survey. the system does NOT tell her.

also the survey would only ask a couple of questions - it is not interested if you are not booking on that call either.

If you are not going to make a reservation say so immediately.

 

[Shleedogg]

I have to agree. I work in retail and there are many, many, many times I need to vent to a co-worker about a customer. Obviously, this is not meant for customers ears and what happened is a big WHOOPS on the MS' part. I am sure they will be spoken to from their supervisor.

I have to agree also. While I too would be upset, if I was calling for something "annoying", I would understand. While its something you have to do, the CM was probably having a bad day and just sick of checking availability.

I used to work in a call center we used to have nick names for our frequent and annoying customers. My favorite is Box, for box of rocks. The guy was really dumb as a box of rocks. I didn't work for Disney, far from it, Off Track Betting, but I can tell you just answering the same questions over and over got really annoying day after day after day.

If she said that to you directly, by all means I would be pissed, but in this circumstance I'd just cut her some slack. Sorry!