New charge for Bell Service Delivery

[Chavaleh]

When we were at Pop Century in January I saw a bell services chap pushing a luggage card with at least a dozen grocery bags that were stapled shut and had surnames on them. My guess is that more and more people are becoming aware that having groceries delivered to your hotel is an option and that it is taking up more of bell services time requiring more employees to handle the extra load.

 

[Iowamomof4]

Are they currently charging for receiving grocery deliveries from places like instacart?

 

[Iowamomof4]

Are they currently charging for receiving grocery deliveries from places like instacart?

(Note: I'm not talking about this new delivery fee for bringing them to your room)

 

[jo-jo]

Absolutely.

It is a specific delivery service fee.

Unlike the fee to receive packages shipped to the resort, which is a fee to simply receive each package, the grocery fee is a fee to deliver your grocery order to your room. I think many people will consider that that fee covers any obligation they have to pay for the delivery of the groceries to the room, including tips, and that no tip is needed unless there is genuine extraordinary service, which isn't likely to happen [not because they arent good employees, but because - what exactly would extraordinary service even BE when delivering groceries ?].

SW

We once had bell services offer to put the cold things away for me.

I said no thank you. We order groceries for two rooms, so I had to split items anyway.

 

[Starwind]

Are they currently charging for receiving grocery deliveries from places like instacart?

The hotel does not charge to receive grocery orders from grocery delivery services such as instacart, amazon prime now, garden drocery or dizzy dolphin.

They have just started to charge a DELIVERY fee if you have Bell Services deliver your grocery order to your room. That fee is $6 per order. If you choose to go to Bell Services and pick up your order and take it to your room yourself, there is no fee.

Note that for packages delivered through parcel services such as USPS, UPS, FedEx, DHL, so things from places like Amazon.com, Amazon Prime, Amazon Pantry, and other online stores, which go via the resort front desk, the resort charges a $6 fee per package [formerly $5] to receive the package.

SW

 

[Starwind]

We once had bell services offer to put the cold things away for me.

I said no thank you. We order groceries for two rooms, so I had to split items anyway.

We also would refuse, just because we don't want more people than necessary handling the actual groceries.

But if someone were to accept, that would certainly be "exceptional service", IMO.

SW

 

[DLgal]

By charging a specific service fee for the DELIVERY of the groceries [but not for just receiving them, which is what they do with packages], I think many guests are going to feel they have paid for exactly that service - the delivery of the groceries order to their room - and therefore there is no need to tip unless there is some kind of genuinely exceptional service on the part of the Bell Services delivery person [which isn't likely]: if they are just "doing their job" and delivering the groceries to the room, then the service is paid for through that delivery service fee charged by Disney, no tip needed. [ And if there is a tip, then what, 15-20% of the service fee ? so about a $1 ? Even with the supposed $1 from the $6 fee going to Bell Services, that is $2 which is still much less than what they previously likely would have gotten in tips for the same delivery, even if not everyone tipped ]

SW

When I order pizza from any number of national chains, they charge a "delivery fee" of around $5. They are very clear that "a delivery fee is NOT a tip for the driver." I tip an additional $5 to the driver. This is the same thing.

 

[Starwind]

FYI, The Whisperer's Guide to Orlando is reporting on their public FB page:

QUOTE:

Effective today, If you have something from bell services delivered to your room, other than your luggage that came through Magical Express, Disney will charge you a $6 charge per trip. This policy applies to groceries, gift baskets, strollers or anything that you ask bell services to deliver to your room.

This charge is not a gratuity and the person who delivers it to you will not get any part of that fee so a gratuity is still expected on top of the new fee.You can still pick up items at bell services for no charge. This policy applies to groceries, gift baskets, strollers or anything that you ask bell services to deliver to your room.

This is different and separate from the $5 per package fee that Disney charges for packages that are delivered through the mail to your Disney Resort.

END QUOTE

If true, I wonder if that applies to luggage not delivered through ME ? e.g. luggage we take with us on ME, or luggage people who drive or use a car service or taxi bring with them ?

I really can see this having a significant impact on the tips Bell Services will receive: "if I am being charged a specific delivery fee, why should I have to pay a tip on top of that?" is a legitimate question many will think and proabably not tip.

SW

 

[Deb & Bill]

When the delivery service makes the delivery to Bell Services and you are not there, where do the groceries go? To a refrigerator or a freezer or both if the groceries need that. Why does Disney need to have freezers and refrigerators at Bell Services? To store all the groceries being delivered by offsite vendors or storing groceries of guests who are having their stuff transferred to a different hotel. In the second case, they need refrigerators and freezers at both ends since nothing is sent to the second resort until later in the afternoon and not delivered to the room until the guest calls to request it be delivered. Disney is now charging guests who do their grocery shopping with offsite vendors for the storage and handling in Bell Service onsite. And groceries aren't easily handled like luggage. It might be in bags, open boxes, whatever the delivery service uses. So, tip the person bringing you your groceries from Bell Services and pay the storage fee. If $6 is going to break your budget, you need to stay home.

 

[Starwind]

When the delivery service makes the delivery to Bell Services and you are not there, where do the groceries go? To a refrigerator or a freezer or both if the groceries need that. Why does Disney need to have freezers and refrigerators at Bell Services? To store all the groceries being delivered by offsite vendors or storing groceries of guests who are having their stuff transferred to a different hotel. In the second case, they need refrigerators and freezers at both ends since nothing is sent to the second resort until later in the afternoon and not delivered to the room until the guest calls to request it be delivered. Disney is now charging guests who do their grocery shopping with offsite vendors for the storage and handling in Bell Service onsite. And groceries aren't easily handled like luggage. It might be in bags, open boxes, whatever the delivery service uses. So, tip the person bringing you your groceries from Bell Services and pay the storage fee. If $6 is going to break your budget, you need to stay home.

Except they aren't. If they receive it but you go yourself to Bell Services, pick up the (grocery) packages and then take them yourself to your room, there is no fee. There is no receiving fee. There is no storage fee. IF Disney had an issue with needing freezers and fridges they could charge fees for receiving or storage, but they are not. They could also not allow grocery deliveries to Bell Services and require the guest to meet the delivery service, but they are not.

The fee is only for Bell Services to DELIVER the grocery order to your room. Fee for service. The service is delivery.

We will still tip, though probably less generously than we used to. But I think many other guests are going to regard the fee as exactly what it is, a fee for delivery service and that service is then fully paid for with the fee, nothing extra required.

SW

 

[UncleMike101]

Absolutely.

It is a specific delivery service fee.

Unlike the fee to receive packages shipped to the resort, which is a fee to simply receive each package, the grocery fee is a fee to deliver your grocery order to your room. I think many people will consider that that fee covers any obligation they have to pay for the delivery of the groceries to the room, including tips, and that no tip is needed unless there is genuine extraordinary service, which isn't likely to happen [not because they arent good employees, but because - what exactly would extraordinary service even BE when delivering groceries ?].

SW

Exactly......
And the entire $6.00 should go to the delivery person.
This is just another example of Disney's unbridled greed.
More money in Scrooge Mc Igers "Performance bonus" check.

 

[Disneypro1]

They should charge for that, IMO. It's a service above and beyond standard luggage service.

Agreed.

 

[DLgal]

Exactly......
And the entire $6.00 should go to the delivery person.
This is just another example of Disney's unbridled greed.
More money in Scrooge Mc Igers "Performance bonus" check.

Not if they need more staff to fulfill these requests. Then, the cost is borne by Disney because they have to pay additional people.

 

[Ben E N]

FYI, The Whisperer's Guide to Orlando is reporting on their public FB page:

QUOTE:

Effective today, If you have something from bell services delivered to your room, other than your luggage that came through Magical Express, Disney will charge you a $6 charge per trip. This policy applies to groceries, gift baskets, strollers or anything that you ask bell services to deliver to your room.

This charge is not a gratuity and the person who delivers it to you will not get any part of that fee so a gratuity is still expected on top of the new fee.You can still pick up items at bell services for no charge. This policy applies to groceries, gift baskets, strollers or anything that you ask bell services to deliver to your room.

This is different and separate from the $5 per package fee that Disney charges for packages that are delivered through the mail to your Disney Resort.

END QUOTE

If true, I wonder if that applies to luggage not delivered through ME ? e.g. luggage we take with us on ME, or luggage people who drive or use a car service or taxi bring with them ?

I really can see this having a significant impact on the tips Bell Services will receive: "if I am being charged a specific delivery fee, why should I have to pay a tip on top of that?" is a legitimate question many will think and proabably not tip.

SW

I have to admit that what went right into my head is "I will still tip, but how much now?". I tipped our bell services guy $8 to bring stuff to our room last time (I have no idea if that is good or not, but seemed right to me considering the groceries were refrigerated). I cannot think to do that on top of a $6 delivery fee, though, so sadly the delivery person will get less out of this change. It's not to spite them, I just can't justify paying $15 or more to have some things brought from one area to another.

 

[Brett Wyman]

We once had bell services offer to put the cold things away for me.

I said no thank you. We order groceries for two rooms, so I had to split items anyway.

I asked for them to do this at the Poly in November and they said they don't (we wanted to hit the parks and just wanted the cold items put up). Not sure if that's an official stance or if some bellhops just try to go above and beyond. We were actually told we had to be in the room for grocery delivery.

 

[Deb & Bill]

I asked for them to do this at the Poly in November and they said they don't (we wanted to hit the parks and just wanted the cold items put up). Not sure if that's an official stance or if some bellhops just try to go above and beyond. We were actually told we had to be in the room for grocery delivery.

If you buy them from Disney through the DVC site, you should find them put away in the refrigerator or on the counter.

 

[Brett Wyman]

If you buy them from Disney through the DVC site, you should find them put away in the refrigerator or on the counter.

Ah good to know. We are just point renters so we don't have that option. And these were coming from Instacart. What grocery store does the DVC site use?

 

[UncleMike101]

Not if they need more staff to fulfill these requests. Then, the cost is borne by Disney because they have to pay additional people.

No way...............
Disney will simply shove the extra work on the existing staff.
I've had friends in WDW Management and they said the overriding rule is to get as much work as possible out of the CM's that are already hired.

 

[jo-jo]

I asked for them to do this at the Poly in November and they said they don't (we wanted to hit the parks and just wanted the cold items put up). Not sure if that's an official stance or if some bellhops just try to go above and beyond. We were actually told we had to be in the room for grocery delivery.

We were in the room. We had a number of things and I told him just to put everything on the floor. ( Bags of groceries and cases of soda, not like loose oranges just rolling on the floor.) And he offered to put the cold things away.

 

[DLgal]

No way...............
Disney will simply shove the extra work on the existing staff.
I've had friends in WDW Management and they said the overriding rule is to get as much work as possible out of the CM's that are already hired.

Unless you have intimate knowledge of bell services, in particular, you have no idea whether they have had to increase their staffing levels or not.