Response from Executive Offices

[Daitcher]

Nasty attitude? I'm merely trying to point out the incorrect information you've posted and continued to insist is factual. I have no problem when someone states their opinion about something, only when someone insists it is a fact and berates others in the same post. I am not a "board host" on this board and while you may feel otherwise, I'm also entitled to post my opinion- as are the moderators of the forum. If your opinion varies from mine, you are welcome to state that. Am I not allowed the same privilege? If you want to insist that your statements are factual then be prepared to be challenged- just as you did to another poster in this very thread.

As for your continued insistence that OKW is the largest DVC resort, it is not. As I pointed out in my last post in this thread, SSR is already the largest DVC resort and will add another 50% capacity in 2007. The capacity numbers are readily available from DVC and may be found in numerous posts on this board - OKW has 531 units with a maximum of 761 when separating the lock-offs into Studios and 1BR villas. SSR , right now, has 552 units with a maximium of 780 counting lock-offs. When completed in 2007, the Phase III buildings will bring that total to 828 units/1260 maximum. SSR is already larger than OKW, even though it is not yet completed.

If you have more personal comments to make to me directly, it might be best to use the PM function as you've been asked in the past.

I'll be the first to apologize to the OP and others for this diversion. Personal vendettas shouldn't be carried out in these threads. We'll keep it to pm's if necessary. Sorry we all can't agree.

 

[Daitcher]

problemchild,


I just had to weigh in one more time. I am truly shocked that people have given you a hard time with this. Expecting a clean room in working order is nothing to be flamed about. I've recieved flames and posted flames so I would guess that qualifies me as having flame knowledge. Don't let the flames stop you from expecting more of DVC. They failed miserably in your case. Good news is that it is not the norm.

DAVE

 

[offtheice]

You guys are all so damn funny! We're not sure whether to agree or disagree, but we are sure that "Flyers" logo is a serious waste of time.

Disney Trips since our Honeymoon in 97' = 31
Trips to the Meadowlands for Devils Championship parties = 3
The envy of Flyers fans = "Priceless"

lol coming from a swap fan in southjerseylol .. let me guess ,your the only one that showed up for the swamp parking lot parade ?? Talk about wasting your time .. Enjoy

 

[offtheice]

I never have a bad day !! my point was crap happens . To expect any points back because you had bad experience, well like someone else posted here, get in line. Just roll with the punches and remember its a vacation..

I'm a trauma nurse-you cannot believe how much it takes to get me upset. I see on a daily basis how stupid most of this stuff is in the "big picture" and how quickly things change. I thought I did roll with the punches when I let it go on the second day of attempting to get it rectified.
I work many hours and wipe ALOT of BUTTS to afford to take my kids on a vacation-I don't want to clean the room myself when I arrive because its dirty.
I also didn't EXPECT points back-which is why I wrote the post in the first place, it was my first trip home and I didn't know what to expect, or fight for.
I came to this forum to clarify what the norm was-so I WOULDN'T be unreasonable or push for more than I should. To tell you the truth, I would have been happy with a CLEAN ROOM and phone call back. Since I spent over and hour trying to change the sheets and clean up the room-I was pissed and had the creepy crawlys for most of the trip-the place FELT dirty to me.

Well I am sorry you had a bad experience. Hope next time is better for ya.. Hey you have one of those jobs that i want to say thank you for helping out ..

 

[NewJerseyDVCMembers]

Nothing else-should I be happy with that or expect a partial refund, point credit or something else? I guess I expected a better solution a bit quicker (I emailed them the week of January 15) Should I drop it or call the # provided in the email for "questions"?

You obviously posted seeking advice, so here is ours. We don't think you'll end up with any points credits or anything like that. If they provided a number to call, then call it. Explain that you are not happy with the resolution that has or has not been given. Keep in mind that Disney recieves many complaints from people who are just seeking some form of "freebie", make them understand that you are not one of them. Tell them of your genuine concerns and problems, let them lead you through the process. By the way, it will take time, but stick with it if you really feel like you need to.

P.S. To our neighbors in Somers Point, you know those "FLYER" fans, when the state of New Jersey takes out taxes from your paycheck... Its going to help fund the new DEVILS arena up north... Thanks for your support!

 

[roadtripper]

See we differ on opinion there. It is alot of effort to get something for nothing and there are two categories of people who do it. Those who are victimized and feel they deserve compensation and those who lie/cheat/sensationalize to get something for nothing. In my experience those who complain usually have a legit complaint compared to the numbers of people who push for freebies. Who wants to come on vacation and have to complain? I know it stinks when I am dissappointed on vacation. It is such a let down.

DVC sells itself as being a premier property where lifetime memories are made. Those images should not include dirty dishes or crumbs in the bed. When it happens it should get more than I am looking into it letter....IMO

Gotta say, this post makes the most sense to me, in a thread started by a person with a legit complaint that turned nasty for no reason. If all of those things had happened to me last week at OKW, I would have had a fit. It stinks to be on your first (or 50th) trip home, and have yukky crackers on the sheets. That is beyond gross. The OP was asking if she should expect more than a form letter, and I think she should. However, I would not give up just yet. I got a form letter from Disney re: an issue once, and a followup phone call SEVERAL months later. In my letter, I had explained a problem and suggested a solution. Since then, I have never had the same experience, so I chalked it up to a fluke, or that my letter had actually worked. Either way, I'm happy.
Re: those who pursue compensation--Recently, I had to go to small claims court against a major auto manufacturer (no names, but I will never buy another KIA ) and I saw people who had gotten the short end of the stick all their lives, and no one that was going to get rich off of their day in court. I had to take a day off from work for the trial, and spent countless hours preparing my case, which a lawyer told me was cut and dried in my favor. Not being a lawyer, I was totally stressed the whole time. I won, but it wasn't easy to put myself and my family through that. My lawyer friend said it is in the company's best interest to treat people this way, because for every 1 person who takes them to court, 9 don't.
DVC members deserve (and should expect) better treatment. I don't get why people on these boards tell other members to deal with it, when it could be them the next time. How about a little solidarity, people? There are tens of thousands of us now!

 

[Doctor P]

Some people really have twisted things that have been said in this thread, and I think things need to be clarified. First of all, I don't think anybody has DEFENDED DVC in terms of the ORIGINAL problems the OP said she had. There are a few disagreements that have permeated the thread, but I don't think that is one of them. Rooms should be in working order when a guest enters them (or the guest should be warned that something is known not to be in working order, but will be taken care of in short order but so as to not delay access any more the guest will be allowed access to the room). Furthermore, a guest's concerns about maintenance issues should be addressed quickly and thoroughly. Clearly the guest was not treated with the dignity and respect normally accorded by a (usually) first class company like Disney. The issue is how to deal with issues like this and the appropriate evaluation (after the fact) of the seriousness of the issues faced by the OP. IMHO, I would have dealt with things differently while I was at WDW if I was as seriously concerned as the OP seems to have been. We had a significant issue at a WDW restaurant on our last trip. I would have gone to the front desk or guest services either in the middle of the night or very early morning when there were likely to be no other guests present (or very few) and indicated that the problems still had not been fixed. I would have expressed grave concerns about the problems with the outlets and the safety of my family with those problems. I would have directly asked when I could expect those problems to actually be fixed so that my family could feel safe. Unfortunately, the dishes problems and the sofa problems would have been ancillary. As long as the sheets HAD been changed on the sofa bed, I would have probably just vacuumed up the crumbs and the bed very well and, if I was extra worried and in a 1BR or 2BR as this appeared to be, I would have just taken care of the problem myself by washing and drying the sheets and running the dishwasher. Sure, it's an inconvenience and it shouldn't have happened, but things DO happen and I would have considered this to be a minor inconvenience I could have dealt with with minimal effort. I would have then asked for a replacement of the dishwasher soap and laundry soap I used to do this, though (and suspect they would have been embarassed and come forth with it quickly). Another thing that I always do in these circumstances is always take the trouble to check out in person if there have been problems. We had serious problems with a villa (not at Disney) on a golf vacation one time and the problems NEVER gotten taken care of in the 8 nights we were there. We explained the problems to the manager upon checking out with no expectation of any compensation (although we did end up getting significant compensation which made us willing to go back for a future vacation). I think the OP's EXPECTATION of any thing more than an apology is probably unreasonable especially at this point, but it would be nice to get a more personalized response. I had a serious issue with DCL that required a multiple page letter and a lengthy response from them. The response to a long while, and I was not happy with the outcome, however the letter indicated that they had read my letter very carefully and tried to respond personally to every point. Therefore, I had very little beef and certainly accepted that they took it seriously and cared. I'm really sorry that this happened on the OP's initial visit. If there are lingering concerns, I would suggest taking them up with the resort directly (perhaps that is where the original letter went) as they are IMHO the one's who should probably be most concerned and responsive. Good luck with whatever outcome is ultimately sought. Whether I agree or evaluate things differently, that doesn't mean that I hold ill will toward the OP or her situation.

 

[offtheice]

You obviously posted seeking advice, so here is ours. We don't think you'll end up with any points credits or anything like that. If they provided a number to call, then call it. Explain that you are not happy with the resolution that has or has not been given. Keep in mind that Disney recieves many complaints from people who are just seeking some form of "freebie", make them understand that you are not one of them. Tell them of your genuine concerns and problems, let them lead you through the process. By the way, it will take time, but stick with it if you really feel like you need to.

P.S. To our neighbors in Somers Point, you know those "FLYER" fans, when the state of New Jersey takes out taxes from your paycheck... Its going to help fund the new DEVILS arena up north... Thanks for your support!

actually its not coming from tax payer .. the sports authority of Nj is funding a small amount. the rest is coming from the devils, and the medowlands..See your reponse is the typical smug remark that comes from the 10 devils fans that jumped on the bandwagon after 95. My question was where were you the prior 20yrs ? I know , you where a flyers fan ...

 

[flexsmom]

"Nothing else-should I be happy with that or expect a partial refund, point credit or something else? I guess I expected a better solution a bit quicker (I emailed them the week of January 15) Should I drop it or call the # provided in the email for "questions"?"

I may have missed it, but for the OP - in your e-mail or letter did you specifically request some type of compensation? I have often been told that when submitting a complaint of some type it is best to state what you are seeking, whether it be an apology or some other more tangible type of compensation, because if you do not, many companies will simply take your comments "into consideration". We could argue about whether or not Disney intends to be like "many" companies or whether they should be different, I know. But, generally speaking I have found that when I say exactly what it is that I would like to make something better, I have a better chance of getting it.

I hope you do give it another chance - we have had great luck with our two visits home so far and I am hopeful that situations like this are really in the minority - not acceptable by any stretch, evenso!

 

[Disney Doll]

I will say that if I had entered my room and found the number of things wrong that you did, I would have complained too, as you did. Again, these things alone may have been minor, but when you look back at the list of things that were wrong all in one room, it indicates a room that was not properly cleaned.

As far as the check-in time, I think they guarantee you check-in by either 3 or 4 PM, so if you arrive earlier in the day, your room may not be ready. Dirty dishes, crumby sleeper sofa, broken towel bar, broken blinds are all issues that should have been fixed by maintenance/housekeeping immediately or fairly soon after they were reported.

The mistake you made was not to continue to pursue these issues while you were there. I understand that no one wants to deal with aggravation while on vacation, but in a case where there is blatant disregard for the member, unfortunately you must deal with it. And I agree that it is a shame that you have to have aggravation on vacation.

As far as what to do now....I would be surprised if they gave you points back, although if you feel that strongly that you deserve points back, I'd approach tham with that as a compromise. I think as a member I would be more concerned that the situation get rectified. Again, maybe the housekeepers made a mistake. Maybe one told the other she was going to clean the unit and got distracted and something else happens, and you know how it goes. But the bottom line is, when you called with your issues while you were there, they should have been addressed immediately. And that is the point I would try to get across to the DVC management.

I think there is a Customer Satisfaction person for the DVC. It used to be Jackie Leuders or reuters or something liek that...I forget her last name, but now I think there is a new person. Anyone know the name?

I will tell you a personal experience with OKW, which is my home resort. Several years back, we stayed in a 2BR which, while there was nothing terribly wrong with it, had a lot of "little" things. I did report them to Housekeeping/Maintenance. Some of them were taken care of while we were there, some weren't. About 2 weeks after we got home, I received a call from the Housekeeping/Maintenance Director thanking me for reporting the issues and to let me know that they had taken that room out of inventory to do a rehab on it, because when she looked at it (based on our complaints) she, too, felt there was a lot of little things wrong that added up to a less than Disney quality room.

They didn't offer me any compensation, but I wasn't looking for any because again, nothing was that awful. I was merely doing my job as an owner by reporting the issues.

Good luck with your follow-up. I'd be interetsed in hearing the outcome, even if you prefer to PM me. I agree that you "have a case".

 

[TCPluto]

We are all entitled to our opinions but this post isn't opinion. Your post couldn't be more incorrect. DAVE

At the risk of sounding like the opinion police, I think your comments are an opinion as well.

At least that's my opinion....

 

[Pluto4Pres]

I will tell you a personal experience with OKW, which is my home resort. Several years back, we stayed in a 2BR which, while there was nothing terribly wrong with it, had a lot of "little" things. I did report them to Housekeeping/Maintenance. Some of them were taken care of while we were there, some weren't. About 2 weeks after we got home, I received a call from the Housekeeping/Maintenance Director thanking me for reporting the issues and to let me know that they had taken that room out of inventory to do a rehab on it, because when she looked at it (based on our complaints) she, too, felt there was a lot of little things wrong that added up to a less than Disney quality room.

This is what what I would expect from DVC. Members should have a vested interest in the condition of their assigned rooms and make mgmt aware of any problems. I would hate to find out that the previous occupant had done this and nothing was done. If another room was not available for the OP, (there always seem to be rooms available for those who throw hissy fits about their view), DVC should have offered a top to bottom cleaning, fixed any minor problems immediately and taken the room off-line after her stay until all major issues were fixed. A meal voucher or something for the room like flowers or balloons with a card would have been a nice touch to restore the magic.

 

[patsal]

It sometimes takes six months or more before you hear from them with some solution to your problem. I have had an experience that was far from approproiate and it was acknowledged within the first month with a similar response. After about six months more went by I rec'd a phone call and a follow up letter. My biggest concern was that no other guest be treated the way we were in a similar situation. It does take a good while to get to the bottom of these kinds of complaints. Though I'm still not sure it really requires this much time or if they just want you to have forgotten about it so when they do call it isn't too fresh!

 

[NewJerseyDVCMembers]

actually its not coming from tax payer .. the sports authority of Nj is funding a small amount. the rest is coming from the devils, and the medowlands..See your reponse is the typical smug remark that comes from the 10 devils fans that jumped on the bandwagon after 95. My question was where were you the prior 20yrs ? I know , you where a flyers fan ...

Last Post off-topic, We Swear!!! The NJSEA, is infact picking up 40% of the cost, and it IS a state government agency, therefore, taxpayer supported. And you are corret we weren't always Devil fans, until they came to NJ, we were Islander fans. Then on June 30th, 1982, we became Devils fans, because we are originally from Bergen County. We could get to games easier and wanted to root for the "home" team and the underdog. We know its hard to swallow all of those Championships we've enjoyed, the Devils, the Yanks and Mets, the Giants. You'll get your day to celebrate, over 25 years without a single championship is a long time. Of course you could be retired and living in Florida by the time it happens, maybe then you can cheer for the Lightning!


How about a wager of sorts... Disney related... If the Flyers win the Stanley Cup, we'll take you and a guest to dinner at the Crystal Palace in DisneyWorld, pending of course that we have corresponding vacations. If the Devils win, you pay! If neither of us win, maybe we'll just have a drink at the ESPN club and watch a game.

WE NOW RETURN YOU TO YOUR REGULARLLY SCHEDULED POST....

 

[wilderness01]

To the person who responded then "sell it" shame, shame. The OP has some valid complaints.

To the OP: I am not sure that you should get points back, but you should have been moved and this unit taken out of inventory. Sorry this happened to you and that you have been having to from some poster's replies. It is a shame when someone can't take what is a valid complaint and offer some suggestions but instead feels like it is an attack on their beloved DVC and then attacks the OP's views/experiences. I just will never understand this.

 

[problemchild718]

Whew!!! Who would have thought I would feel so drained after a question. I thank all of you for sharing with me your different perspectives and points of view. I really was looking for a barometer of where I should be. As for the posts that came across as nasty, I hope that your tone was misconstrude with the loss of voice we all suffer from in emails. If they were meant to be mean spritied, I prescribe a dose of pixie dust and a visit to your local hospice to regain your perspective.
For those of you who came in at the tail end or have requested clarity-after noting many problems with the 2 BR unit, I went in person to the desk a few times, called the desk a few times and went to speak to my DVC guide in person. Then gave up for the moment (but kept notes of names dates and times) I wrote to DVC and WDW Executive Offices when I got home and finally received a response from them.
I did call the number provided and left a message for the woman. I await her response and will let you all know what occurs. I first wanted the room fixed and for someone to acknowledge that the room was not up to DVC standard and accept responsibility for it by repairing the items noted ASAP while providing us with a clean ready room for the night. When none of that was done, I began to get more upset. I wanted to be compensated for the time and effort it took me to clean the unit. I also want to know that this is not the standard DVC has set for my future trips. We will return to WDW for our honeymoon in July (although we are staying at GF) and hope that stay has all of the magic we have grown to love and expect from Disney.

 

[gppnj]

If this were me, I wouldn't want points back, but I would want assurance that they're going to work toward preventing things like this from happening again. That's the real issue as I see it. It sounds like Housekeeping could use some better QA.

 

[MiaSRN62]

Aslo OKW has no direct ties to theme parks. BCV & BWV fill up during F&W Fest. They are aslo busier than the norm during F&G and other special events. The same can be said for VWL during Christmas and other times with events at Magic Kingdom. OKW really doesn't have any of these "special times".

I'll tell you, from my personal experience...I was unable to secure a ressie at OKW in '02, '03 and '04 for F&W and for the Christmas holidays at 60-90 days out. I can't always plan far ahead of time. OKW DOES indeed fill up at times. I actually had a CM tell me in Nov '04 (first week) that there was not one single room available at OKW (all DVC resorts were booked that week as a matter of fact). So, they may be one of the last resorts to fill up during that time period (I feel the size of the resort has something to do with this too).....but they do fill to capacity nonetheless. I've had no luck with last minute plans at OKW (and by last minute I mean 60-90 days out) during the late Oct-late Dec time period. I've attempted this 3x with no luck. During the summer, yes, I have gotten rooms last minute (45-50 days out) but I was able to secure them at BWV and BCV as well. VWL is sketchy. And I do feel OKW has a direct tie with DD (via boat)----it's not a park, but it is a wdw destination area. There are many different seasonal events/programs that are held in that specific area during the year. It's a nice option for those who don't want to visit one of the parks. I feel it counts for something.

To Robyn (OP)....I'm late in reading this thread, but just about finished reading all posts. I just wanted to add that I appreciate your report on the room experience and I feel it was totally within your right and expectations to request another room as you did. Though I love OKW and have never experienced anything even remotely close to what you described in many years of vacations there, I sympathize with what you encountered. No DVC Member should have to accept a room in the condition you described. Once we all become complacent about these things, it makes it more likely to occur. I feel all the DVC resorts sort of rely on our feedback a bit to "police" themselves. I'm glad you spoke up about it.

It sounds like Housekeeping could use some better QA.

Agreed.
Please let us know how it goes with the follow-up to the phone number you called. A measley meal voucher would have been nice for your troubles. It's a shame they didn't offer it and that you have to pursue it. Not the best customer service I think the room condition would have put a little damper on my vacation experience too. Please give OKW another chance one of these days.....because the majority of the time, it's a wonderful place to stay.

 

[Sherri]

I was locked in the bathroom with no way out at the BWV last March. I was there between 20 minutes to a half an hour waiting for someone to get me out of the bathroom (small bathroom) in a studio. That was a bad situation for me since I had a bad case of Pneomonia and was flying home that day and wanted to spend the last half hour before check out resting.
I have to say my frustration was relieved when the manager came up and spoke to me through the bathroom door. We were offered a later check out and something to eat. We declined both since we had to get to the airport at that time. My point is this, I was pleased that someone took the time to aknowledge the bad situation and it wasn't dimished by managment. Had they been nonshalant about the whole thing then I would have been angry.
It's not about compansation but about being heard and treated well. I am sure if the OP would have been treated fairly by managment in the first place then she probably wouldn't have requested points to be returned. So I think OKW should have been more attentive while she was there and because they weren't I feel they may be entitled to some points back. Just my opinion.

 

[JerJan]

WOW!!! What a coincidence that the "VERY SAME THING" that I am preparing to write about in a new thread was here when I logged on! I just returned yesterday from 4 nights at OKW 2/24 through 2/28 and I was in the room from HE-- #2525!!!! I will be posting this thread in the next 24 hours and yes, I have pictures too!!!

Let's just say that Housekeeping at OKW has some BIG issues that need to be resolved!