Room Request Obsession

[Zimbubba]

I know that members have preferences and some have requests that they make when calling in for reservations. What I did not know is to what extreme exten some of our fellow members go to.

I just called in on Monday to make OKW reservations for July 2004. A very pleasant and helpful MS castmember asked for special requests. We had two. She was amazed at so few. That lead to a conversation about the extent of members lists down to specifics that even in a perfect world could not be guaranteed. She also stated that I would be surprised at the large number of members who modify requests on a frequent basis.

It appears that the new first come first served policy in assigning rooms is a result of member behavior. That is too bad seeing that these behaviors will most likely result in increase expenses for resort operations= increased dues.

 

[JimC]

We have a few requests (non-smoking, no stairs, near bus stop or central area). We will sometimes request a general view to try to get on a certain side of the resort. We don't get any more specific than that. The first three are standard requests we make with all hotel reservations and it is very rare that there is a problem with them.

There are only two times in twenty years of travel that I got upset with a particular room. One was in DC and the other AKL SV. Both issues were very well handled.

Those AKL SV rooms cost more ($ or points) and we were told that we had a central SV view when we checked in at 8:00 am, better than I expected because this was December and a last minute reservation. But when we returned at 4:00 pm the room was at the end of the building with a view of a fence. Now if I had not paid more for a SV and had not been told that our room was in a certain location, that would be fine.

First call front desk and they tried to accommodate us with a new room -- not really any better, but I appreciated the effort. The next morning I called MS from my cell phone while we were in Epcot and explained the problem. The CM was very helpful. She said it would take a few minutes to follow up and asked if she could call us back. She called back and told us what she did and who would assist us at AKL. Then five minutes later the CM at AKL called to tell us what he had arranged. It sounded fine with us. The room was about as central a SV as you could get, better than I ever imagined.

I wrote a thank you note to Jackie commending both CMs. It was way more effort than I expected.

 

[JudithM]

Originally posted by JimC
I wrote a thank you note to Jackie commending both CMs. It was way more effort than I expected.

How nice! I, too, try to let supervisors know when CMs have exceeded my expectations. I bet Jackie was delighted to hear compliments rather than not so nice comments.

 

[wordzylady]

I only have a few main requests -- that my room not overlook my yard, the parking lot where I work and it be 19 hours due south from home!! LOL

 

[Disney1fan2002]

Originally posted by wordzylady
I only have a few main requests -- that my room not overlook my yard, the parking lot where I work and it be 19 hours due south from home!! LOL

LOL! ......and the phone in the room should not be accessible to telemarketer's or annoying relatives!

 

[childsplay]

I really believe that everyone would be better served in the long run if MS would simply make smoking/nonsmoking and handicapped/nonhandicppaed room designation types (like 1 bedroom or 2 bedroom) and then limit the number of requests to 2 per reservation.

It just seems like allowing people to make 5 or 6 requests sets people up for disappointment, and additionally, fuels the entitlement mentality.

 

[pwoodham]

The only room request we've ever made was non-smoking & asking for 3 rooms close together when we had a large group. I also would rather that other people would not get so wound up about all their room requests.
That said, I think it's reasonable that these room requests are increasing over time. Think about it. We now own at these resorts, and most likely, most people spend most of their vacation at their home resort. They've looked around, walked around, considered all the aspects of their purchase as they are enjoying their vacation. After the 2nd or 3rd visit, they have preferences and opinions about what room location they liked best, whether or not the handicapped room they got last time really worked for their family or was a nuisance, the long (or relaxing, or quiet) walk to the elevator, whether or not they like the Boardwalk (or road, or garbage pickup or whatever) noise, etc.
As they plan their next vacation, I don't think it's at all surprising that they would now have some pretty strong preferences. If we weren't all becoming increasingly familiar with our home resorts, these preferences probably would not develop into what seem to be, on occasion, obsessions.
So, while I think what's happening is natural, I also hope that as a group, we are able to alter our behavior a bit for the good of all.

 

[zurgswife]

Non smoking has been the entire list of our requests.....I did try to fax once to get friends rooms near ours and they ended up in a different "zip code" so I never tried it again...