My "experience" with MS today

[David in Manassas]

For those who are interested in reading, let me point out my experience. I'm not sure if everything the MS representative said is correct. I don't claim to know all the rules but I have owned for 12 years.

For an upcoming use year (March 2006) I have bunch of points that were banked into the new use year. Over the new use year I have two reservations. One in June and one in July.

Today, an Interval International match that I had been waiting for came available for April. When I called MS to tell them I would take the match, I requested that they use my banked points first. I'd rather have my future DVC vacations use the current year's points on the off chance that I have to cancel. That would give me more options then with banked points.

My conversation....

MS: My first name-You MUST always use your banked points first for any reservation.
Me: That doesn't seem logical. I should be able to use whatever points I want fist.
MS: I'm sorry My first name, but our computers are set up this way and there is no choice in the matter.
Me: If that is a rule, can you tell me where it is written down in the guidebook
MS: It isn't written down anywhere, it is just the way our computer system works.
Me: I'd rather you use the banked points for my II trade and use my current use years points for the future DVC reservations.
MS: My first name - I can't do that. I would have to cancel your reservations to use the current use years points and since those weeks are all sold out, you would have to go on the waiting list.
Me: That doesn't sound right. May I ask to speak to a supervisor.
MS: My first name.....I am a supervisor!
Me: Could I speak to another supervisor to get a second opinion in the mater
MS: My first name we are very busy around here. I'll see if I can get someone else to speak to you.
Me: Thanks. I plan on asking around on the Internet boards to see if anyone has done what I am asking for before and got a different answer
MS: Puts me on hold without warning...long pause...over 10 minutes...
MS: My first name...I think we found away around the problem..we have had to remove serveral safeguards to our computer system, but we can do it.
Me: Thank you very much. What was your name again?

OK..some of you might be saying...what are you upset about. Well first of MS representative was clearly sounded rushed. They must be very busy. Plus he was just plain not polite. You know the usual Disney attitude...they make you smile when you call. I can't believe this guy is a supervisor. He surely could not expect the same from his own employees. Plus, this is probably just me, but I don't like people to use my first name unless they ask first. That seems a courtesey, but that is probably just me.

Bottom line. Saying I was going to ask this question on the Internet seemed to open up some additional possibilities for me. Plus it doesnt hurt to be persistent, but polite which I was.

Imagine if you made a reservation in your new use year for the last week of your use year and they forced you to use banked points for this?? Then if you made subsequent reservations for prior inthe year you could use your current years points for those. Does that seem logical..

I just thought you might find this interesting to read. I don't need to be told I was lucky they made some kind of big exception for me. etc etc. I just found it amazing that I never came across the rule "You must always use banked points first - no exceptions" before ..


David

 

[greenban]

I don't but the rushed point. I called 4 times today, and except for around 4:30PM, had no wait time whatsoever, and the Advisors were all chatty, we weren't rushed at all!

I think someone had their ears on too tight or was having a less than magical day for other reasons. That doesn't mean, he out-and-out lied to you, he just wasn't a happy camper either!

-Tony

 

[LIFERBABE]

For the most part, the MS reps are very patient and helpful. Priceless in fact. If I have a complicated request or just need alot of help, I make sure I have a helpful CM. If I dont, I just check availability and then I call back for the more complicated stuff. Ive never gotten 2 grumpy CM's in a row, so it works for me.

 

[DVCconvert]

"My first name "

That must be awkward!

 

[Dean]

David, I'm a little confused. Were your current points tied up in the reservations and only the banked points available to use? MS can use banked points for the II exchange but they must be able to actually use them, which they should not be able to do if the points were in the current (05) use year. I'm not sure where the points were and where the issues were, would you please give more info.

 

[Lasrnw]

I have not had great experiences with MS....the wait time alone is enough to put you asleep. Lots of other people think that a 20-25 minute wait time just to get someone on the phone is OK- I don't. My last call was so frustrating after getting put on hold repeatedly I finally gave up and called Disney reservations directly (they picked up the phone right away) and made paid reservations at GF.
I have major second thoughts about buying into DVC because I feel like I get second class service. I so wish we could reserve online so I'd never have to call MS again.
Just my opinion......

 

[GritsGirl]

I have a double first name and don't use "half" of it alone so when people chop it off, it does kind of make me cringe (after I realize they are talking to me).........but enough about me.......

When Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs won an Academy Award a gazillion years ago, the award was presented to Walt Disney by child star Shirley Temple. She addressed him as Mr. Disney and he quickly corrected the little girl and told her his name was Walt. It is a first name company and they all wear name tags to prove that..........so while the familiarity is uncomfortable to many, it is part of Disney.

I think I understand the point thing----I had a reservation that I knew was firm and one that was flakey because of invitees.....at the time I made the reservations, I was able to choose which "type" of points went to which one so making changes if needed would put less points in jeopardy.....it wasn't a problem or unusual as far as I could tell.

Good Luck!

 

[JimMIA]

David, I'm a little confused. Were your current points tied up in the reservations and only the banked points available to use? MS can use banked points for the II exchange but they must be able to actually use them, which they should not be able to do if the points were in the current (05) use year. I'm not sure where the points were and where the issues were, would you please give more info.

I'm confused too. Sounds to me like the CM may have been right.

If you banked points and then made two ressies in the '06 UY, they WOULD have already applied banked points to those ressies. If they did, those banked points were gone.

If you made the ressies first and banked later, it sounds to me like the CM was telling you they would automatically do what you were asking them to do.

Either way -- absent further clarification -- it sounds to me like the CM was correct.

May not have been the answer you wanted to hear, and they may have done one of their fabled "one-time, super-secret exceptions," but sounds to me like the CM had it right from the start.

 

[goofy4wdw59]

I had a similiar experience with a CM who insisted that I couldn't mix points from different resorts for a 7 month reservation. She blamed the computer saying that there was no way to enter points from multiple resorts for a single reservation. Having done this in the past, I knew I was right. This CM ended up inncorrectly borrowing points from my 07 use year and then had to put them back. I was on the phone for a long time, and it was a little frustrating. CMs can be wrong.

 

[browniemtb]

I'm brand new owner and I've spoken to MS to book a few trips. Out of the 8 or 10 calls I've made I got 3 really good CM and a few doing their jobs and a couple that could really care less that I was learning the ropes. Its sad to think that this problem stemmed from a supervisor..
Brownie

 

[dianeschlicht]

I have not had great experiences with MS....the wait time alone is enough to put you asleep. Lots of other people think that a 20-25 minute wait time just to get someone on the phone is OK- I don't. My last call was so frustrating after getting put on hold repeatedly I finally gave up and called Disney reservations directly (they picked up the phone right away) and made paid reservations at GF.
I have major second thoughts about buying into DVC because I feel like I get second class service. I so wish we could reserve online so I'd never have to call MS again.
Just my opinion......

Wow! When were you trying to call? I have never had a wait of more than 5 minutes, but then I usually call right at 9 AM ET. Even when I have called for busy times, I have not had waits that made we want to not book.

 

[Dean]

I had a similiar experience with a CM who insisted that I couldn't mix points from different resorts for a 7 month reservation. She blamed the computer saying that there was no way to enter points from multiple resorts for a single reservation. Having done this in the past, I knew I was right. This CM ended up inncorrectly borrowing points from my 07 use year and then had to put them back. I was on the phone for a long time, and it was a little frustrating. CMs can be wrong.

I think the MS CM try hard and are usually pretty good at what they do. However, we need to realize that most of the regulars here on DIS and similar tend to know the system FAR better than the average MS CM. That's one of the reasons I like email. They tend to hair pretty experience people and you have a record for later.

 

[David in Manassas]

Well after getting some private messages, I guess I lucked out with what MS did for me today. I still think the attitude could have been better, but since I got a "freebie" I guess I can't really complain.

David

 

[Hef4545]

I am used to dealing with up beat CM at the reservation line. No matter what time I have called to make a reservation, I have always gotten someone that tried their best no matter if they worked there 10 years or a month to be pleasant. (you can definitely tell the difference).
I am a new member and I have called MS once and got a real crabby pants on the phone. Hopefully next time, I will have a better experience.

 

[Daitcher]

I have not had great experiences with MS....the wait time alone is enough to put you asleep. Lots of other people think that a 20-25 minute wait time just to get someone on the phone is OK- I don't. My last call was so frustrating after getting put on hold repeatedly I finally gave up and called Disney reservations directly (they picked up the phone right away) and made paid reservations at GF.
I have major second thoughts about buying into DVC because I feel like I get second class service. I so wish we could reserve online so I'd never have to call MS again.
Just my opinion......

I agree with this statement. I've never had a MS person who I thought was very good. Most don't seem to know the ins and outs of the program and none have been anything but OK. I have dealt with Marriott Vacation Club MS and they have been wonderful. I've only made cash ressies with them and cancelled some stuff, etc. but they seemed to go above and beyond. I never felt they were annoyed or rushed. Just ME, no flaming please! I think the bad reputation DVC members are getting is carrying over to MS. Every time I've asked them to put a request into the system they seem like it is a big deal. By the way, I normally only request NS and high floor. I have requested a certain building once at VB, but that is it. I'm not the screaming guest when I don't get requests met. Very disspointed with MS but DVC is still great.


DAVE

 

[MinnieGirl33]

Plus, this is probably just me, but I don't like people to use my first name unless they ask first. That seems a courtesey, but that is probably just me. /QUOTE]

FWIW, it ALWAYS been Disney policy to use first names. Even the bottom people on the totem pole would/will call any executive by his/her first name. It's part of the culture.

As for the rest of the post, I do not defend poor service or lack of courtesy HOWEVER, the way I understand what they were trying to tell you is that if your banked points were already allocated to certain ressies, the only way to get those banked points back would be to cancel those ressies. This was in issue in your case because there was no availability to simply re-book.

Although I can understand your frustration with how the system is set up, I do think that it works in members favor the majority of the time. After all, since we are in a use-it-or-lose-it scenario when it comes to banked points, I like not having to remember to request that my banked points be used first. JMO.

 

[bounceliketigger]

We're new to this, but I will say the wait time is just about unacceptable. Once I get a person, they are typically very nice & helpful. I have already received various points of misinformation from them though, much of which was clarified here on the boards so that I was able to call back, speak to someone else & KNOW what I'm talking about, get them to check it out & get the "correct" response.

I tried to make reservations for Sept. & simply hung up & made the request online. I'd rather wait a few days while doing other things then sit on the phone for crazy amounts of time getting neck cramps.

 

[Pluto4Pres]

I'm feeling lucky because in 14 years I've never one bad experience with MS.

 

[LisaS]

I've been a member for 6 months and so far I've made about 10 calls to MS, including several calls to make a day-by-day reservation for December. Most of the MS CMs I have spoken with were very pleasant and helpful, one was more business like than friendly, but none have been unpleasant and all of them knew their stuff. My longest wait on hold has been about 3 minutes. All in all, I've been very pleased.

 

[WithFaith50]

This is off topic. I just wanted to say "Hello fellow Manassasian (is that a word )!" I live in the Wellington/Cloverhill area. It's nice to know that there are DVC'ers close by.