We have noticed that Universal has picked up where Disney has totally left the game in customer service. Talking to many team members there, there are a lot of former Disney cast members. When asked, they will tell you that they are so happy to be now working for Universal. While no where is perfect, there is less stress working at Universal.
Universal empowers their team members to be able to assist guests with good and bad situations. The front line team member can do a lot of things to remedy a bad situation and enhance a guest's experience. At Disney, you have to try to get a manager at the front desk or e-mail guest services and wait for the response. At the parks, get in the endless guest services line!
We are very happy staying at Universal resorts, visiting their parks, and dining in their restaurants. We do still visit the Disney parks and dine in the restaurants- in small doses.
I see it (and have experienced it),
@Ninja Mom, it just makes me really sad and I would like the trend to stop now!
We did our first Universal trip - a split with WDW - this past April. Experiencing the resorts and parks back to back, the thing I noticed most about customer service was that Universal seems to have clearer "rules" and better enforcement of rules by front line CMs. Others may not agree, but I have found in life - and at theme parks - that when you have clear rules and enforce them, less people try to break them. On the other hand, Disney seems more and more to have rushed roll-outs of half-baked (and at times unclear) policies, then train CMs to avoid conflict with guests. Even with pretty clear rules, CMs seem less likely to enforce them, so for myself, I have felt that I have to decide as the consumer whether the impact bothers me enough to deal with it myself or let it go, since counting on CMs to address it seems to waste time and energy (in my experience).
In the past, it hasn't bothered me enough to stop going and hasn't impacted my vacation enjoyment, but it's starting to change with the last couple of trips, but even more because of my follow-up with guest services. Having been caught in the roll-out of a couple of newer policies in my January trip, I followed up with guest services about my experiences. The CM on the phone (from Kalogridis's office) seemed to put the management of other guests' behavior on me, even in instances where there were plenty of CMs present to address it.
Having said all of this, regarding
this topic and this last trip, it was actually at Universal that we had staff knock with a DND sign at a tough time - 9:30pm (not necessarily a too late time but it was our check in day and we'd been up since 4am). We had no issues at WDW, and actually got a late checkout at Boardwalk (no charge - 1pm). The only odd thing at Boardwalk was that we were at club level and my daughter walked in on housekeeping when they were doing the turndown. No a big deal, just in my experience, usually housekeeping leaves the door open when they are in a room.
I wish only the best for her. There are many many great CM's at Disney!! It seems like from what DS says, it's the management that is, like you said, not supportive of the front line CM's. It's the upper management that put such crazy policies in effect like room checks, etc. Upper management just seems out of touch with the guests! We are more than numbers on a financial statement!!
