Poor management and hiring at WDW?

[Disney Debbie]

A friend of mine just got back from a long weekend at Boardwalk Villas. While he was very impressed with the hotel and the pool let me tell you about 3 things that I just don't understand what's going on in the WDW management "mind". First of all they decided to drive down Wed. night (a 5 1/2 hour drive) and just find a room in Ocala. Along the way they decided to call Boardwalk and ask if they could just tack another night on to their ressie and make the drive all the way down. They called at 8:00 that night - there were plenty of rooms - and were told that since they did their ressie through a travel agent they couldn't just "tack" it on but they could go ahead an come down and stay in a room - for the normal rate of $500.00. This is an empty room at 8:00 at night and they couldn't give them a discount? Which was still over $300 a night? What sense does that make? So instead of filling an empty room they let them give $79.00 to the Best Western in Ocala instead.

Then they get there and ask about where to eat dinner when they checked in. They sent them to Guest Relations where he asked her to recommend someplace for dinner. This was a family of 3 adults and 2 kids staying at Boardwalk Villas - in other words - money more then likely wasn't a problem! The girl at the desk told him, "I really can't tell you - I've only eaten here once and it's too expensive for me."!! This was "guest relations?"

They also asked about doing something special for their DD's birthday and had to call about 3 people before someone seemed to know that there was something they (the hotel) could do. They got a birthday pin for her and no one in the parks or hotel said anything about it. I've seen all sorts of literature by WDW about what a big deal they make over birthdays - the didn't have a single employee except at dinner when they ordered her a cake even wish her Happy Birthday.

It just seems to me that WDW is falling WAY down on training and quite frankly in the case of the guest relations girl in HIRING. What she did was the equivalent of one of my cust. svc girls telling a customer, "Don't buy that product from us - we're too expensive." I LOVE WDW and I'm the one people always come to for help planning and recommendations. It makes ME feel embarassed when I hear stories like this - and I don't even work there! They've had such a great reputation for years for their customer service - and it just seems like each year it's disappearing more and more.

 

[BrianD]

I've often wondered, too, why Disney does not offer very last minute discounts on resort rooms, but if they did, then probably folks in the know, like us, would all wait until the last minute and try to take advantage of the situation. It sounds like your friends probably used a code to get a discount, which probably had already expired. This does bring up the point that there is a distinct advantage of using an AP rate, instead of a code, in that the AP rates never expire. If there are AP rate rooms left the day of, then you can book with the AP rate. Their code probably expired and there was nothing the CM could do about it.

As for the Guest Relations girl, that is not a very smart thing to say. But hey, she was being honest! I think that you find a bad apple in every bunch, and not even Disney is immune to that. I do feel, however, that Disney is still one of the leaders when it comes to friendly CM's, and people who truly take pride in their work. That is why I keep going back to WDW.

 

[Wendi]

We just returned about 6 weeks ago and while we had a Wonderful Vacation, I have to agree. I absolutely LOVE Disney,
but there trainer for training new employee's leaves a lot to be
desired. Being that there are very few people actually being hired if any, you would think that the level of training would be
BETTER. We found castmembers complaining about working, complaining about wanting to go home or break and just ticked because there were working somewhere they really didn't want to. One young man was sooooooooooo bad that I had to interupt him and I said, " Excuse me, but 1 do you realize that all of us guests can hear what you are saying? and 2 Many of us would LOVE to work here." His eyes kinda bugged out and he said "I'm sorry, I didn't realize it sounded so bad. I know that since the ones that were complaining were young kids, they probably wanted to be with there friends and hey there at Disney every day, but we are not and I feel we don't need to hear there problems. I wish they would give most of the "unhappy" one's refresher courses on being "Disney Friendly". Another good one, was in the Concierge lounge at 4 different times there was this one guy who thinks he is "THE BOMB" and he was always on the phone talking to his buddies or girlfriend. He was so loud and didn't offer to help anyone and you could here him planning his after work activities and other stuff. Despite the "Grumpy" cm's we did experience some Super Nice Castmembers. They made the Magic bounce back. No telling on what is going on and I doubt that they would tell us.

 

[ducklite]

First of all, the CM who answered the phone was probably not empowered to offer any special discount. Very few reservationists are. The party should have called the BW direct, and asked to speak to the front office manager. THAT is the person who can offer discounted last minute rooms.

Next, although it was not the best answer, it probably was a very honest answer. Most CM's DON'T make enough to eat a nice meal at WDW on any type of regular basis. $6.00 an hour doesn't stretch very far, especially with very few people getting more than 30 hours these days.

I was just there on my birthday, and had a birthday pin, and only had one CM, in maintanance say Happy Birthday while I had it on. I think that they see so many people so quickly that they just don't notice the pin all that often. It's not really up to the hotel to throw a birthday party for every guest. If you want a birthday button, just ask for one in guest relations inside any park and they'll gladly give it to you. In my case I was sent a birthday cake by the concierge at AKL. I was a repeat concierge guest. It was not requested nor expected. And if they hadn't done anything that would have been fine as well.

And lastly, you never know who has money and who doesn't. I vividly remember a family that looked like the Beverly Hillbillies with no teeth checking into the GF one time. You never know.

Anne

 

[Sammie]

Disney has to have workers and they can only hire what is available from the work pool.

Sorry to say that pool is kinda weak these days everywhere.

A good many younger workers are mainly self centered, egotisical and whiners. They were raised in the era of "I have to feel good about myself constantly" and you can not reprimand me for anything.

They do not know the meaning of a honest days work. I know there are exceptions, but you see this more in and more and Yes, even at Disney.

 

[crazelion]

I think the CM was being honest. Also I think most employees don't eat at there work place. After eating the same food everyday gets old.

If the CM would told had you her favorite place was offsite at food place you would have been upset.


I work at baseball park in the tourist district and get ask that questions a thousands times where is a good place to eat downtown. When I tell them MC Donalds or Burger King they get mad at me. I love both places.

I think Disney has no obligation to you on birthday either. If won't somehthing done then call ahead to see if they can accomadte your requst.

Done just expect Disney to do something because they have done it in the past.

 

[Deb & Bill]

If your friends were staying at the BWV and they had five people, they probably had a two bedroom unit at the least. No way you can get a 2 bedroom unit for anything near $79/night. And if money wasn't a problem for them, why didn't they take the BWV room at the regular rate?

 

[justhat]

Even if a code has expired, if you have an existing reservation with that code and you modify the reservation to include extra days, they should give you the code rate. We had to do this at ASMu over President's Weekend. Our reservation was 2/13-2/17, booked with a general code that expired 12/23/02. We wanted to use the AP code since it was cheaper, but it was only good through 2/12. Well, on 2/17 we got snowed in Florida since we were flying back to DC and the blizzard shut down the airports, so we called ASMu from AK and asked to extend our reservation one night. They did this at the same code rate we had the other nights. Then, later that day we found out we could not leave until 2/20, so we had to extend the reservation another 2 nights, and this was done again without changing our rates. Since the OP said that her friend called the BW directly, they should have been able to do this for her, like ASMu did it for my reservation. It just seems to be luck depending on who exactly you talk to when you call or go to the front desk.

About the CM who couldn't suggest a restaurant, yes I understand that a lot of stuff is expensive to her, but with all of the restaurants at the BW, YC, and BC, you'd think she could have named at least one cheaper one.

 

[MulanMom]

When I worked in a service industry, I seemed to remember a little ditty that went something like this...

"If people receive good service, maybe they'll tell one or two people. But if people receive bad service, they tell at least ten."

I think someone who's in charge at Disney needs to be reminded of the above.

How much would it have taken for the person answering the phone at BW, who would know the person that has the authority to give special rates, to take the initiative and ask that person on behalf of a guest? At 8pm, offer the room at the same rate...it's much better to get some money than let a room sit empty. And let's not forget the intangible goodwill such an action would promote.

As for the Guest Relations person, what would it have taken for her to say "I don't know, but I'll find out for you"? Although being a Guest Relations person, she really ought to be able to direct guests to the restaurants in the general vicinity of the hotel.

And with the little girl's birthday, I think it's a reasonable expectation that Front Desk staff or Guest Relations would be able to give a few ideas or direct the guest to a cm who could answer their questions. And what a missed opportunity by staff to knock the guests over with outstanding customer service. All it would have taken was perhaps simply giving the little girl a balloon and saying "Happy Birthday". Geez, my kids get balloons all the time in family-oriented restaurants.

I guess you can say I agree with you, Disney Debbie! We've noticed cutbacks and problems since the mid90s, about the time Disney bought ABC. Whenever we encounter a really good CM who demonstrates a level of service that used to be the hallmark of Disney, we try to compliment him/her and followup with a written commendation....hoping that a little positive reinforcement will go a long way!

 

[kilee]

Almost every other hotel chain will discount last minute arrival's if the hotel is not near full capacity. This includes the Hilton, Adam's Mark, and the Radisson. However, you would need to speak w/ the hotel directly to get a discount. It wouldn't of been no where near $79.00 though. I have noticed thought that Disney really only rewards people w/ discounts by booking things early. On our last trip, we had some extra last minute money. We were booked to stay off site. I called 2 days before we were getting there to check out a last minute rate for on site moderate. This was the 1st week of February. No discounts at all. I honestly think that once a code comes out it shouldn't expire. They can just have their predetermined number of rooms and when they are gone, they're gone.

 

[Cris]

modifying a reservation really depends on if it is a package or not. Also there is no guest Relations at the hotels. It is called guest services and there is a difference. They are there just to make p.s. /currency exchange/dinner show pick-up. basicially any cashier can do this. They just have a seperate line.

 

[gonga]

One word of advice - always speak to a manager. There is always one there and they are the only ones that can make things happen. I hate to say it, but Disney is slipping a bit. With lowered attendance and cutbacks it has lost some of its "shine". I am a TA and I book my own vacations. I called to have something changed on my vacation, and I had a 5 minute "who's on first" conversation with WDW TC..... She kept on telling me to call my travel agent, and I had to repeat many times, no I am the TA and the trip is for me...well this went in circles - very frustrating. As for the CM with the expensive dinner remark......I don't know why, maybe she was not properly trained or maybe she was new, or maybe like many places all the "good" people left. It is more cost effective to hire lower wage inexperienced then the experienced well trained.

--- MulanMom, you are absolutely correct...I was in sales/service field myself for many years. I have spent many a** numbing hours of training. Are you refering to the hysterical training film "Remember Me"? LOL, which by the way I have seen 20X, at least. Its funny because they used to use Disney as the Gold Standard of Customer Service (and watched THAT movie many times over too....zzzzzzzzz) It was a Disney training film on how to exceed everyone's expectations. Also the managers for the company in which I used to work were sent to WDW for "special training" in Customer Service and they were also given underground tours. Before they left they had to "drink the Koolaid" to make sure the training stuck.
Gee how times have changed. Now you have to go to Sephora for that kind of treatment!

 

[goofy4tink]

I really don't have a huge problem with Disney not making a room available. But, I do have a problem with "Guest Relations" not being able to suggest a decent restaurant. That is their job for crying out loud. I've always been told that if I have a question or a need to go to guest services. I too would have thought that if the young lady couldn't give a suggestion that she would have found someone who could.
As for the birthday stuff, my dd also celebrated her birthday at WDW. Her 6th. She got a card, cupcake and a song at the Crystal Palace at dinner. But that was it. WDW was her present. I think that sometimes we hear of so much magic that we have come to expect it all the time. But then it isn't magic. I, like the rest of you, would love it if the magic always happened for my little one, but it doesn't work that way. I hope that your friends had a great trip in spite of these glitches.

 

[Uncleromulus]

There is little doubt that the once vaunted "Disney Service" has slipped lately. Some of it is no doubt due to poor management, cutbacks, etc.
But as Sammie so correctly pointed out, the manpower pool these days is very --shall we say--"shallow".
So we now find working at Disney the same sort that work at WalMart and refuse to help you get a pair of shoes down from a high shelf--or work at Jiffy Lube and forget to re-tighten the oil drain plug they just removed. Or the waitress at the local Outback who, when asked what beer they have, makes a face and says "I GUESS I'll have to ask the bartender". Or the kid at the deli counter at the local supermarket who, when it's your turn to order lunchmeat, simply looks at you and says " Yeah??"
And so on--
So many of these younger workers have no concept of courtesy, responsibility, or even caring a whole lot that they actually represent the Company they work for. You see it everywhere these days, so it comes as no suprise that you're starting to see it at Disney.
It's a shame, but as the song says-- "It's a Sign of the Times"

 

[ducklite]

BTW--I know that the BWV were 100% capacity from 2/23-27 with a large convention, then over 95% capacity from 2/28-3/2. If the cash rooms were all gone, and all that was left were "points alloted" rooms, I don't think they can discount those due to the contract with DVC.

Anne

 

[DancingBear]

Although most of the responses here are in the spirit of a good discussion, there seems to be a disturbing tendency on the Boards to characterize any criticism of WDW as whining, and to state or imply that somehow it is the critic's "fault", or that expectations are too high.

First, regarding the room discount--I don't think the OP was suggesting that Boardwalk should have given them a 2-BR villa for $79, only that it seems odd that some discount wasn't offered. I agree, particularly considering that this was a guest who was already booked for a longer stay and was just trying to add an extra night.

Nor does it seem that the problem was related to using "codes"--again, I don't think the OP's friend expected the same rate as for the other nights, but was surprised that only rack rate was offered, no discount at all. Also, the OP said the reason given was due to use of a travel agent.

If the CRO couldn't offer a discount but the hotel manager might, why couldn't the reservation agent make this suggestion? In any event, Disney steers folks to CRO, so I certainly don't consider it the guest's mistake not to call the hotel directly.

As to the CM at Guest Relations, I'm sure she was being "honest", but shouldn't the Guest Relations desk be able to suggest a restaurant? Remember, the guest was steered to the Guest Relations desk. At the least, shouldn't she be able to ask what kind of food they are interested in, and describe the various restaurants in the Boardwalk area? Remember, the OP's criticism was of management and training, not the individual CM. Perhaps Guest Relations' CMs at the resorts could sample food from the various resort restaurants as part of their training.

I agree that the birthday thing is hit or miss. It doesn't bother me that much about folks not seeing the button. I wonder a bit more about the guest having to ask three folks before getting a suggestion--I wonder who they asked. Again, this seems like something anyone in Guest Relations should be able to help with.

BTW, we had no problems with any CMs during our visit in December, and a number of pleasant encounters.

I agree that changes in the labor market have made things tougher for Disney; however, I also know that a good bit of customer service attitude comes from the top down. How else do I know that, without fail, I will get great service when I go to Nordstrom's, compared even with other department stores in similar price categories. It's all about what the management values and rewards in their workers. Disney used to be the gold standard for this--I'm not sure whether they are slipping badly or not, but I'm interested in the discussion initiated by the OP.

 

[ducklite]

Nordstroms is known for paying and rewarding their employees well. Disney is not. It used to be a privilege to work for Disney. But as the company has grown and needed an ever expanding work force, they've had to get less picky. Two reasons, there just aren't that many "cream of the crop" workers out there to fill every job, and Disney simply doesn't pay enough to get the best of the best anymore.

If you want to get back to that standard, you'll have to face the idea of no more deeply discounted rooms. Back when every CM was an exuberant young adult from middle America, there were no discounts like there are today.

Disney's rack rate prices are comparable to other high end resorts. But you don't find the deep discounts at those other resorts, which is why they are able to maintain a level of excellence, they have the cash to pay excellent workers.

Anne

 

[Gaiusrex]

Seems like the problem is with manners and service. I like to try and make apathetic cs reps and clerks work a little harder then they are willing. It's really a sadistic thing. It's the same joy I get watching a teenager mowing the lawn

 

[wtg2000]

Actually, given the rapid expansion of Disney over the past few years, I'm impressed that the employee quality has stayed as high as it is.

One bad employee training moment happened a couple years back at PI. We were trying to enter from the Marketplace side. The CM said that PI was closed for a private party. She turned many people away as we stood to figure out our next move. We were staying at DXL and instead of taking the boat back (it was cold) we asked her if we could walk through to the bus stop. She said fine.

People were lined up at Comedy. The CM there said, "get in line, the show is about to start." I said, "I'm not with the party, just passing through." He said, "what party?"

Turns out the party was only at Adventure, not the whole island. In a panic, the CM got on the stick and called the other CM. He wondered why the island was so slow. This girl had been turning people away all night.

I'm also curious about discounting. We called up to book a room about one week beforehand and tried to get AP rates. We got $89 at PO. I asked for all the deluxes, and she said that while they all had plenty of rooms, none had AP rooms. I thought this was strange. Instead of having us pay say $229 (for example) at the YC/BC, they'd rather just get 89 bucks from us. With the Canadian dolloar so weak, regular prices at the deluxes was a bit steep, but we would have been happy to get even 10-20 per cent off. You'd think they would want to fill up the expensive rooms first, even at a bit of a discount that close to the date.

 

[vbfamily]

Bottom line, they should have filled the empty room. They could have given 10 or 20% off. It's always better to fill the empty room. The guests, more than likely, would have spent money to eat there, maybe purchased some things from the resorts gift shop and maybe even purchased breakfast the next morning. This is all money that Disney missed out on.

Disney was always known for their high quality employees. I don't know what has gone wrong the past few years. I know they probably had to work through things after 9/11 with laying people off, etc. but they should have still been able to find quality people and pay them a decent wage. When your employees are happy it shows.

Internships or jobs at Disney were hard to come by and people would be overjoyed if they were lucky enough to get one because they knew that was their ticket to bigger and better things. Companies would look and see that the person had worked for Disney and that was a big plus on a resume simply because Disney had a great reputation of training quality workers.

We saw a lot of CM's at Disney on our last trip who looked like they would rather be anywhere than in Orlando. We also met a lot of CM's who were very nice. I don't think there is a shortage of qualified workers for Disney. They have to get rid of the bad ones. For every one they get rid of there are 5 people who would love to have that CM's job and would do very well at it.