Question For WDW Cast Members

[goofieslonglostsis]

As a former CP and hopefully a CP again for fall 2013 allow me to say...

YES YES YES YES

OK sorry about that. There are three levels of recognition that you could give us:
1st you talk to our leader and they issue us a GSF or 4 keys basics card. (I got about 11 of these!!)

2nd You talk to Guest Relations and we get an Applause-o-gram, this is really really cool looking and looks very official. (I got 1!)

3rd, and this one meant the most to me, you write a email or letter to corporate and everyone from your area leader down to you knows you got a guest letter and they print out a copy of it for you and you are the subject of the morning opening meeting that day. When I got my letter I was nearly brought to tears to think that a guest would remember me when they got home and think that the simple little thing I did had a big impact on their vacation.

It makes you feel soooo goood when someone takes even a minute out of their day to simply say, "You were awesome". This is the equivalent of a magical moment for CMs.

Don't know what it is, guess it might be the way you're expressing yourself, but somehow this post hit me. I knew about positive feedback going into files. I knew about trickling back to those named. Knew it, been there, done that so to say. And yet this post somehow made it sink in to another level. I've become a sobbing fool on the subject of interaction but there was something in the post that actually moved me to tears.



On subject; yes it is a big thing. First learned about it on -where else - here, so when some amazing things happened on a first trip I took the time to make sure it got noticed. Have been doing so ever since, either by mailing, dropping in by GS or concierge. Whenever possible always voice my findings right then and there to the involved CM, but that's not always possible and I just value giving back what you receive. Hearing thanks is always lovely, but I can totally understand that it's even more welcome when that can have a positive effect when letting the company know. It's not like that's asking so much of me to do, so I do it.

And sometimes there are just those............ loose ends. On my last trip, let's just say stuff happened. It's been talked over and about multiple times, both between me and CM's (involved and/or their managers -also involved-) and I know it's been subject of discussion between themselves. I've been able to thank most involved personally face to face afterwards. Also took the time to write in afterwards, it was the very least I could do. Yet, there are a few loose ends. Some I know I will be able to kinda end on a next trip. One, sometimes doubt if I ever will find out. That one CM sometimes almost "haunts" me. So young, so not expecting to be confronted with what I came upto her desk with, for one second seemed as if she was too shocked but then got onto things and "just did her job". The first in a long line of those involved in a huge amazing thing. Haven't got a clue who she was. Not that that is important to me, but it nags at me not knowing for sure she knows how gratefull I am and how huge of an impact she made. The "haunting" is a combination of that and....... call it worrying about her. Remembering her first reacting, that impact, remembering impact it had on me and others involved, it sometimes makes me wonder. Hoping it hasn't had a negative impact.


When wondering if your feedback might harm a CM; simply do not mention anything you are not 100% sure about feeling OK with mentioning. Sometimes it does not need getting into details about any and all. Using a more general description and just sticking to how that CM influenced you/your group can be enough without always having to tell how they did it.

 

[ars0525]

I sent an email to WDW.Guest.Communications@disneyworld.com

I rec'd an instant your message has been sent notification & then a day or 2 later I got a more personal message stating they were happy to hear I was happy & that the comments would be shared with the areas mentioned (I specifically mentioned 1 CM plus generic overall good service spots).

I have found since my last Disney visit I am quick to praise good customer service because it seems to be such a hard thing to find lately. I work in customer service so I understand, but a smile, pleasant attitude & willingness to help goes a long way. I have asked for managers at McDonald's, Victoria's Secret, Kohl's, anywhere I have an encounter with somebody who does their job well or above & beyond. Usually it's funny cause the manager gets this "uh-oh" look & are so surprised to hear a compliment.

 

[jtowntoflorida]

THE ABSOLUTE BEST thing is a letter written by a Guest after they got home from their vacation. I never received a Guest letter, but in my work location, Guest letters were printed out (or copied, if they were hand-written), placed in a special folder, and presented to the Cast Member at a morning/mid-shift/closing meeting, sometimes with pixie dust thrown.

If a Guest goes home and hand writes a letter it's considered a Guest Letter and is an ever BIGGER deal (depending on the situation, some Cast recieve pins and other awards based on that letter).

Thank you guys so much for these comments. I sent an email about an outstanding CM we encountered on our vacation in 2011 and I was surprised to get a followup call from someone with Disney. She said that the CM in question would get a copy of our letter and would receive some sort of recognition for it, but I had no idea that it was really THAT big of a deal. I'm so happy that I could do something good for someone who created so much magic for our family.

 

[Onalise]

I am a former cast member. I loved it, it not only made my day to hear what just 5 minutes out of my day meant for someone else but, I won customer service pin awards and extra comp tickets for my friends and family.

I went to High School on site. My classroom was at EPCOT, behind Norway. My program was much like the college program, it was called Project Future. I won a Gold Mickey watch for perfect attendance and 4.0!

I miss Disney so much!!!!! 17 Days until I AM HOME!

 

[mrsxsparrow]

That's weird that GR wouldn't use the A-O-G or perhaps the Guest was a CM? I carry around 4KB in my purse and fill them out for Cast when I'm visiting the park, I know many others that do the same thing. I always give them directly to the Cast Member, some will give them to Leaders in the area.

You should make a copy of any A-O-Gs you have and give them to your Leader - those should go on your record! Unlike a 4KB that has 2 copies, the A-O-G needs to be photographed. I know I photograph my casts' before I give it to them so we can get it on their record.

An A-O-G looks different (there's a photo above). If a Guest gives you a 4KB it's a 4KB, and that's how it shows on your record card. It means more to get an A-O-G (as they are more rare), which is why it's disappointing if GR filled out a 4KB/GSF instead of an A-O-G.

I'm in GR right now, and I have NEVER heard of an A-O-G before this post. When a guest comes in to leave a compliment, we write it down and then fill out a 4KB or GSF, depending on what we have available.

Anyway, we LOOOOOOVE when guests come in with compliments! It's seriously the best part of my day. I have kept every single one I've received, although most are from other CM's. I just got my first one from a guest and I pinned it to my bulletin board. It puts a smile on my face every time I look at it and reminds me why I do what I do

 

[wilkeliza]

As a CM I can't stress more that it is amazing if you actually take time out of your vacation to go to guest relations to leave a note for super CMs.

You want to get an applause-o-gram not a four keys card. Technically a four keys card should not be given from a guest to a cast member as they are for CM to CM interactions only (CM including all CMs management and regular) where as an applause-o-gram is for Guest to CM interactions. Perhaps the person who was give a 4KC by a guest encountered someone who had a GR person who just didn't know what to do or ran out of AOG.

It means so much to us as CMs to hear from our guests that we did something great. It means even more if you let us know through an applause-o-gram or hand written note or even email because that shows us you took time from your vacation to show we made a difference and it makes us feel special. Also the company takes guest feedback with much more weight then it does CM to CM feedback so if a certain CM constantly gets great feedback from guests it can help them advance in the company because Disney will realize they are doing something right.

 

[wilkeliza]

I'm in GR right now, and I have NEVER heard of an A-O-G before this post. When a guest comes in to leave a compliment, we write it down and then fill out a 4KB or GSF, depending on what we have available.

Anyway, we LOOOOOOVE when guests come in with compliments! It's seriously the best part of my day. I have kept every single one I've received, although most are from other CM's. I just got my first one from a guest and I pinned it to my bulletin board. It puts a smile on my face every time I look at it and reminds me why I do what I do

Not to refute what you were trained to do but I know in my area we were specifically told we can not issue 4KB (we don't even have GSF anymore) if a guest tells us about the interaction they had with someone else we can tell the CM or tell our managers about it but we can't issue 4KB cards because we didn't see the interaction ourselves. I've always found it amazing how the rules are different all over depending on which department you work in.

 

[mrsxsparrow]

As a CM I can't stress more that it is amazing if you actually take time out of your vacation to go to guest relations to leave a note for super CMs.

You want to get an applause-o-gram not a four keys card. Technically a four keys card should not be given from a guest to a cast member as they are for CM to CM interactions only (CM including all CMs management and regular) where as an applause-o-gram is for Guest to CM interactions. Perhaps the person who was give a 4KC by a guest encountered someone who had a GR person who just didn't know what to do or ran out of AOG.

It means so much to us as CMs to hear from our guests that we did something great. It means even more if you let us know through an applause-o-gram or hand written note or even email because that shows us you took time from your vacation to show we made a difference and it makes us feel special. Also the company takes guest feedback with much more weight then it does CM to CM feedback so if a certain CM constantly gets great feedback from guests it can help them advance in the company because Disney will realize they are doing something right.

Again, maybe this is something new, but I'm in GR right now, and we all give out 4KB's or GSF's. That's what we're trained to do. We even have written instructions from our leaders to do so on the little box where we put them. So please don't make assumptions that the GR host/hostess did not know what he/she was doing.

 

[wilkeliza]

Again, maybe this is something new, but I'm in GR right now, and we all give out 4KB's or GSF's. That's what we're trained to do. We even have written instructions from our leaders to do so on the little box where we put them. So please don't make assumptions that the GR host/hostess did not know what he/she was doing.

Sorry I should have phrased that as maybe the GR was unsure what to do or maybe it is a new policy to just use 4KB that I'm unaware of. I just know as a non-GR CM we are told we can't write 4KB through hearsay (or at least thats what our Epcot attractions WS managers have said). We actually have to see the going above and beyond to give them out. Also I know the few times as a guest before I was a CM when I went to GR we were give AOG to fill out when we said we wanted to highlight an amazing CM.

 

[WEDWDW]

I am a former cast member. I loved it, it not only made my day to hear what just 5 minutes out of my day meant for someone else but, I won customer service pin awards and extra comp tickets for my friends and family.

I went to High School on site. My classroom was at EPCOT, behind Norway. My program was much like the college program, it was called Project Future. I won a Gold Mickey watch for perfect attendance and 4.0!

I miss Disney so much!!!!! 17 Days until I AM HOME!

WOW!High School AT WDW!!!!How cool!!!!

 

[sephorachick]

When I worked there I enjoyed getting them. Our name went into a drawing for prizes. I never won anything but I liked the recognition.

I also got Applause o grams often as well. Here is a picture & story about mine:

http://yohoyohobloggerslifeforme.blogspot.com/2012/08/cast-member-shining-star-award.html

 

[AuroraMeansDawn]

I spent over an hour on the phone booking a trip a few years and the infinitely patient CM on the phone looked up so many scenarios for us as we tried to figure out the best way for our party of 5 adults with two special needs adults could travel best together. We looked at suite, separate rooms, separate resorts and about a million other ideas. We talked about GAC and how to get them. She was so patient, so helpful, so polite that I took down her name. (Yes, I know it's not her real name) and wrote a long email talking about how grateful I was for her help. I try to do this anytime I receive great service.

Down the way in the trip planning I heard from her via PM on this board saying "I think I spoke with you" and indeed she had and she told me that she'd been recognized, received a really neat pin, was recognized in the meeting and I was glad I'd done it.

The email took a few moments to write but she helped me plan a trip that made a big difference to a special family member.

That said, is an email the best way? I know in that case it was but last week I was in the Disney Store and I got into a great conversation with a great employee there who again was going out of his way to help me, checking stock in the back, etc. How do you compliment someone in that capacity?

 

[Cheshire Figment]

If you wanted to write an email about a super great CM, where would you send it?

WDW Guest Communications
PO Box 10,040
Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830-0040

or

wdw.guest.communications@disneyworld.com

Make sure you include the date, time, park or resort (and location) and cast member name from the name tag. The office that gets these can research to see exactly who the Cast Member was, and will send the correspondence, through managerial channels, to the direct supervisor of the CM. Usually a copy will also go in the personnel records.

Often, favorable comments will be read at a pre-opening team meeting.

 

[HuskerFaninIL]

We had two really amazing CMs on our last trip. I sent an email when I got home and a day or two later I recieved a phone call and I'm hoping those two CM's got recognized.

I'm glad to hear that they most likely got some sort of recognition from that call, you never quite know if the person actually finds out you were so pleased with them.

Their photos are in our family scrapbook from that trip. The time we spent with them really added to the magic we felt!

 

[mrsxsparrow]

Sorry I should have phrased that as maybe the GR was unsure what to do or maybe it is a new policy to just use 4KB that I'm unaware of. I just know as a non-GR CM we are told we can't write 4KB through hearsay (or at least thats what our Epcot attractions WS managers have said). We actually have to see the going above and beyond to give them out. Also I know the few times as a guest before I was a CM when I went to GR we were give AOG to fill out when we said we wanted to highlight an amazing CM.

I hope you didn't think my previous comment was rude, it wasn't meant to be! I could just see a guest coming in after reading this thread wanting to leave an AOG and being upset if I filled out a 4KB instead. I don't even know that we have any AOGs. We were told to take down any comments then fill out a 4KB and put recognized by guest per (park) GR.

 

[WEDWDW]

I just wanted to thank all of the Cast Members who responded to my question!

Based on your responses,I will definitely be stopping by GR whenever I receive Great Service from a CM!

Walt Disney said it best:

"You can design, create and build the most wonderful place in the world. But it takes PEOPLE to make the dream a reality"

 

[eastcarolinafan]

I have never NOT received awesome service throughout the parks. The CMs always make every effort to fulfill any reasonable request and go the extra mile, even when not asked. I have spoken to the manager of each of these CMs and was asked to fill out a card for one at POR, which I was more than happy to do. After reading these responses from the CMs, I am afraid I didn't do enough, that I didn't go the extra mile for them that they went for me.

There was "James" at the HM who was just an awesome CM. I struck up a conversation with him outside, waiting in line. James took pains to explain the HM expansion and filled us in on the FLE. There were a few other tricks and stories James shared with us that just made us feel so much a part of the WDW magic. We will always be grateful to James. But I never spoke to his manager or anything. This guy just did what he did because he loved to make people happy, and I don't know, but that kind of thing should be acknowledged by management.

Anyway, I am happy to now know there are steps that can be taken beyond simply telling a manager about a wonderful experience with a CM. Only problem now is I'll be writing letters for three weeks after I come back from every trip.

Thank you ALL so very, very much for everything you do for us. You really are the MAGIC!

 

[RadGirl]

This is a great thread!

Question for CMs: Im sure that throughout the course of my day I'll come across many wonderful CMs. Would it be wrong to request to take their picture so i can have their name for when i fill out the guest relations cards? On the one hand is either that or a notebook, and i would prefer a pic (w/ my phone) so i can more easily recall details of our interaction. On the other, can you say "staker-ish"? (Come on say it. Its fun to say)

Should I just come up straight up and say "I want to take your picture so i can remember your name latter for when i fill a guest relation card"? (That seems akward to me for some reason...)

Or should i try to play it off and try to take the pic all ninja style?, "what? Me? No ma'am. I wasn't taking a picture of your cleavage..."

 

[dreamcruiser]

I'm enjoying this thread as well! I have had such great CM interaction and help that I too have emailed and written to corporate to express my thanks. I have received email responses, and also phone calls from someone at corporate who is speaking for Meg (Crofton). It pleases me to know that I have gotten recognition for these CMs who go above and beyond to make my stay even more magical.
I do have a question for you CMs: does it take a long time for our letters/emails, etc. to get back to you?

 

[Onalise]

I have been asked numerous times to take pictures with guests! This is one way to make it less odd, ask the CM to pose with you!