Rude CM's

[ronniereb]

~ ~ ~ ~

Okay, and $5.25 back then is equivalent to what nowadays? I got paid $6.40 and we just got a raise a month before I went down there to work! So yes, you were lucky when you got paid that wage. We, however, were not.

You also had the luxury of air conditioning. I, however, did not. So when you as a guest could go seek shelter in an air conditioned building I got to stay outside in the awful heat.

Guests also can complain to Guest Relations and then CMs get in trouble with their managers. A friend of mine once got reported to Guest Relations, and do you want to know why? Because he told the guests that the railroad was closed for the evening due to fireworks. They claimed that "he was very sarcastic." He was NOT sarcastic because he asked me and I told him that the railroad was closed for the night.

CMs put up with clueless guests from the moment we clock into CDS until the moment we clock out from CDS.

And trust me, being asked 5 times in a row, back-to-back, when you could HEAR me say the first time where the FastPasses are located, sorta puts a damper on your day.

And so does working 14 hours straight.

So once again, I ask to please cut CMs some slack. I guarentee you're not all sunshine and roses, either.[/QUOTE]

All I can say to this is you needed to look for another line of work

 

[kmkja1]

Um... Oh yes I would. Do you think I'd let these clueless guests press the load 1 and load 2 gates closed buttons and the dispatch button?



Or do you REALLY think I'd let these clueless guests sit up in the Tower and be responsible for all their idiot ideas - such as sticking their hands in water that if, heaven forbid they clueless guests fall in, they have to get a tetanus shot?



No one in real life is as stupid as some of the guests are. Answering questions here and there is expected. However, never ONCE did I go one single minute without being asked "Where do I get a fastpass?" Um... All 8 HUGE machines are definitely behind me. Open your eyes and look.



Customer service? Guests are to picky when it comes to customer service. If the fastpasses are gone for the day it's the biggest let-down ever. And if their child is too short to ride the attraction, well then it's magically the CMs fault. Get over it.

We have only experienced wonderful CMs in the past and have never encountered a CM as rude as this individual seems to be. Thank goodness they will not be there for our next trip.

 

[tink1978]

Anyone ever encounter anything like this. I will preface this by saying it occured at Disneyland. We were going on the Alice in Wonderland ride. We have a 2 year old daughter who still gets a little scared on some of these rides. As we boarded the ride she immediately climbed in my wife's lap. My wife asked the CM who was attending the boarding area if that was OK and she said it was no problem as long as she was towards the inside of the car and facing forward. As we were exiting the ride (my daughter still in the same position), the CM running the un-boarding area starting waving his arms and yelling at us saying all children must be seated or he would have to stop the ride. As we exited the car he actually berated us in front of all these people standing in the line. It was to say the least humiliating. we told him that the CM at the beginning OK'ed this but he would hear nothing of it and told us next time we would be asked to leave the park. We reported him to Guest Services and they immediately knew who we were talking about and apologized but that did nothing to ease the sting of the embarassment we felt. Anyone else ever have anything like this occur and how did you handle it.

What's the deal with telling you you would be asked to leave the park the next time??? You did not do anything to get thrown out for...

 

[madfordonald]

I think that's just policy -- but his demeanor certainly left something to be desired.

If it is a policy, it is easily broken. I actually recall riding Splash Mountain back to back during EMH because there was no one waiting. We didn't even ask them, they asked us. And at DL we got to ride the Matterhorn twice even with a crowd. They brought our car over to a side track to put another car on and they told us to remain seated that we could ride again.

 

[katytrott]

Excuse me, but in defense to these CMs, here's a little food for thought.

I worked at Splash Mountain for my college program for 4 months. And during those 4 months I really feel like I lost some of my brains. For example, how can a father not know how many are in his party? How can a party of 5 magically transform into a party of 3? Also, when you are in line and a CM asks "how many?" we DO NOT mean how many YOU want to sit in a row. If there are 4 of you, say 4! Otherwise, especially if you are at Load 2 at Splash (which is the first CM you'll see coming out of the tunnel), you may get separated due to the fact that parties of 2 are fillers for large party logs!

Also... Most Guests do NOT read signs. For example, at the End of Line position, which is like the greeter, there are signs all around. So why on earth do I have to tell people where you get the FastPasses (which, by the way, are right behind me) over and over again? Especially if someone asks that question, I answer it, and another guest asks the same question who was right behind the first person.

And in response to the person who said about the CM "yelling" at the lap-sitting ... There is hardly ANY lap sitting allowed. That can pose a MAJOR safety hazard. When there is lap sitting at Splash and I was in Tower I'd get to go over the PA system and tell parents that lap sitting is not permitted. And usually, the parents would have no idea I was talking to them and then we'd get the managers there to scold them at the end. This is your safety, people.

For the poster who said something about more rude CMs at MK than anyplace else... Think about this. MK has the longest park hours. Usually during busy times CMs are on mandatory 6 day work weeks. You usually work 5 at your job back in reality. We are there to bend over backwards for our guests andyet they can't help us out and read a few signs or get a park map. During Easter weeks I was scheduled for over 70 hours! My shortest day in two weeks was 10 1/2 hours and my longest was 14. I was averaging 12 hours a day! Now you try staying at Splash Mountain dealing with the same questions over and over again and explaining to guests where Row 1 is and I guarantee you'll get a little bit aggravated, too.

So next time, if something goes wrong and a CM gets a bit cranky, cut us some slack. Geez. We cut ya'll enough slack!

By the way, this message was not degrading any of you's here, just giving ya'll food for thought. This is what CMs put up with all day every day for usually 6 days a week for CRAP pay.

I know it was mentioned earlier but please remember there are
1: people who are hard of hearing,
2: a lot of people who can't read,
3: a lot of visitors from countries where English is not their first language.

I am a staff nurse here in the UK and spent some time working in Accident and Emergency. You have no idea of the kind of people who walk through the doors (not to mention the doctors )and I can honestly say, I managed to keep my cool and to stay profesional even after working 12 hour shifts four days in a row including nights, for a rubbish wage (major problems within the NHS here in the UK at the moment). I had to, it was my job.

I think the majority of bad experiences on here (have'nt read them all) are just mean. I don't think any amount of tiredness, heat, low wages etc is an excuse for making comments about terrorist attacks, being overweight and so on.

 

[Syrreal]

While there are definitely cases where CMs can be rude, and guests can be rude too, I think that the majority of times it's just a misunderstanding of some type. I can say something that I don't feel is rude and it can be taken as such b/c the other person read something into a tone of voice or whatnot.

While I don't think that a CM should yell at a guest (unless of course the guest is in danger), I also don't think that a guest should yell at a CM (which happens a lot for varied reasons) as most of the time they are just repeating information that they were given by higher ups. Also, sometimes guests come to Disney with such high expectations about the level of service that they can be unreachable no matter what the CMs do.

As far as work hours, there are days that I work 15 hours straight and 18 hours the next, 6 days a week, but I still try to be as friendly and helpful to guests as I can. You never know when you just might make the day for a guest who is tired, cranky, and having a not-so-good time just by doing something nice. And about the repeated questions, just answer them; whether it's "where are the fastpass machines?" or "what time is the 3 o'clock parade?" you will just make the guest's day that much easier by answering the question.

 

[TinkerbellMama]

Um... Oh yes I would. Do you think I'd let these clueless guests press the load 1 and load 2 gates closed buttons and the dispatch button?



Or do you REALLY think I'd let these clueless guests sit up in the Tower and be responsible for all their idiot ideas - such as sticking their hands in water that if, heaven forbid they clueless guests fall in, they have to get a tetanus shot?



No one in real life is as stupid as some of the guests are. Answering questions here and there is expected. However, never ONCE did I go one single minute without being asked "Where do I get a fastpass?" Um... All 8 HUGE machines are definitely behind me. Open your eyes and look.



Customer service? Guests are to picky when it comes to customer service. If the fastpasses are gone for the day it's the biggest let-down ever. And if their child is too short to ride the attraction, well then it's magically the CMs fault. Get over it.

-

WOW. It's this kind of terrible attitude that is behind all the rudeness in the first place.

 

[Joanna71985]

While there are definitely cases where CMs can be rude, and guests can be rude too, I think that the majority of times it's just a misunderstanding of some type. I can say something that I don't feel is rude and it can be taken as such b/c the other person read something into a tone of voice or whatnot.

While I don't think that a CM should yell at a guest (unless of course the guest is in danger), I also don't think that a guest should yell at a CM (which happens a lot for varied reasons) as most of the time they are just repeating information that they were given by higher ups. Also, sometimes guests come to Disney with such high expectations about the level of service that they can be unreachable no matter what the CMs do.

As far as work hours, there are days that I work 15 hours straight and 18 hours the next, 6 days a week, but I still try to be as friendly and helpful to guests as I can. You never know when you just might make the day for a guest who is tired, cranky, and having a not-so-good time just by doing something nice. And about the repeated questions, just answer them; whether it's "where are the fastpass machines?" or "what time is the 3 o'clock parade?" you will just make the guest's day that much easier by answering the question.

I totally agree.

 

[Pats Dragon]

I just have to post because this was so mean I can't forget it!! Most of the cms are absolutely saints and terrific and even the grouchy ones are probably usually incredible BUT...I got a call from my sis who has bone deep wounds, terminal cancer and was shopping by herself at akl gift store. She has a masters degree and is a school teacher but is on lots of morphine which doesn't affect her functioning but does make her appear foggy. She tried to buy a mug as a souvenir and the cm tried to make sport of the dumb tourist by telling her he was sorry but they couldn't sell those mugs they were just for decoration. If she waited long enough the manager would come on duty and he would ask. She thought he was making fun of her but was too embarrased to do anything but leave. I know he didn't know how ill she is but that was sooo mean.

 

[Mirage]

I've worked in customer service for a year and a half now and it still amazes me to see how a bit of politeness and a smile (no matter how forced ) can make the grouchiest person start calling you "honey" and "dear". I try to think of it like this: I don't know where this person is coming from or what they're going through right now and it would feel pretty crappy to know that I'd made someone who already feels bad due to circumstances feel that much worse.

I'll be working in WDW soon and I'm a bit nervous about being able to accomodate every guest who needs attention. I can handle myself pretty well at the large chain store that I work at, where a lot of our visitors are pretty irate for whatever reason, so maybe I'll be okay. My managers always tell me that I handle severely upset customers nicely, where as they would have ended up in a shouting match. XD I don't know, I like listening to people. Usually they end up talking themselves out of their tantrum.

I think that it might not be so hard. I understand mediocre jobs (Take a guess, I wear a blue vest. Well, maroon now.) and seemingly senseless guests, but I've got a sense of humor and better things to dwell on in the end, so it all rolls off my back.

Plus, you can't forget the nice guests! What I just described is only about 10% of what I see every day. Sometimes I wish it was more, because my job gets boring and they liven things up. XD

 

[DBarber600]

On our recent trip, we rode Living With The Land. Our CM guide's opening remaks were "This is my 50th boat ride and yes it begins to wear on you after awhile".

This was our very first trip and that put a damper on things. But, then ...

When the narration malfunctioned, he paraphrased for us: "Blah, blah, blah, and then there were farms."

And finally, as we rode through the greenhouses, he gave the spiel so quickly, I could not understand a word.

He was absolutely terrible. Especially in comparison to all of the wonderful CMs we dealt with - he made himself look even more foolish.

I don't care what type of day you are having or how much you get paid. Be professional and show some pride in what you are doing. I think, fittingly, Walt Disney once said something like you are responsible for the type of day you are having.

 

[SyracuseWolvrine]

for the ex-cm that's venting about the long hours and bad pay ... there are other forums on the net for CMs to vent. This is not one of them.

Yes, as a CM I've answered repetitive questions. Yes, I've been asked "What time is the 3 o'clock parade" too many times to count. Yes, I've been blatantly ignored while answering a question. Yes, I work long hours in the hot sun. The difference between you and me? I don't let it get to me. Those sorts of things will happen in any job, and the feeling I get from knowing I made someone smile, that outweighs the stuff listed here.

 

[Joanna71985]

I wouldn't vent about the pay OR the hours. For one thing, most internships pay...$0. So I would gladly take $6.40 to be in Disney. You learn a lot AND get paid. Also, they tell you upfront about the pay and the hours. So you know going in what you are getting into. And I don't care if I was asked a questions a hundred times in a row. What is it hurting to answer the question? It takes 5 seconds and it makes everyone happy. Everyone does/says something that may seem silly. Especially on vacation. But again, what does it matter. All you have to do is answer the question and be happy (even if you're not). It is easy to do.

 

[Harmony]

Excuse me, but in defense to these CMs, here's a little food for thought.

I worked at Splash Mountain for my college program for 4 months. And during those 4 months I really feel like I lost some of my brains. For example, how can a father not know how many are in his party? How can a party of 5 magically transform into a party of 3? Also, when you are in line and a CM asks "how many?" we DO NOT mean how many YOU want to sit in a row. If there are 4 of you, say 4! Otherwise, especially if you are at Load 2 at Splash (which is the first CM you'll see coming out of the tunnel), you may get separated due to the fact that parties of 2 are fillers for large party logs!

Also... Most Guests do NOT read signs. For example, at the End of Line position, which is like the greeter, there are signs all around. So why on earth do I have to tell people where you get the FastPasses (which, by the way, are right behind me) over and over again? Especially if someone asks that question, I answer it, and another guest asks the same question who was right behind the first person.

And in response to the person who said about the CM "yelling" at the lap-sitting ... There is hardly ANY lap sitting allowed. That can pose a MAJOR safety hazard. When there is lap sitting at Splash and I was in Tower I'd get to go over the PA system and tell parents that lap sitting is not permitted. And usually, the parents would have no idea I was talking to them and then we'd get the managers there to scold them at the end. This is your safety, people.

For the poster who said something about more rude CMs at MK than anyplace else... Think about this. MK has the longest park hours. Usually during busy times CMs are on mandatory 6 day work weeks. You usually work 5 at your job back in reality. We are there to bend over backwards for our guests andyet they can't help us out and read a few signs or get a park map. During Easter weeks I was scheduled for over 70 hours! My shortest day in two weeks was 10 1/2 hours and my longest was 14. I was averaging 12 hours a day! Now you try staying at Splash Mountain dealing with the same questions over and over again and explaining to guests where Row 1 is and I guarantee you'll get a little bit aggravated, too.

So next time, if something goes wrong and a CM gets a bit cranky, cut us some slack. Geez. We cut ya'll enough slack!

By the way, this message was not degrading any of you's here, just giving ya'll food for thought. This is what CMs put up with all day every day for usually 6 days a week for CRAP pay.

You are probably right in what you posted...long hours, bad days, etc.

HOWEVER, these excuses give NO ONE the right to be rude. Even if a CM is having the worst day ever, he/she has no reason to be rude to someone else just b/c they've had a bad day or had to work extra long hours.

And this goes for any employee..whether it be Arby's, Wal-Mart, my local McDonald's (which is famous for having 'testy' workers)..an employee does not have the right to be rude to a customer.

By the same token, if a customer is unnecessarily rude to an employee then all the employee has to do is notify a manager and they should be able to handle it.

 

[Harmony]

No one in real life is as stupid as some of the guests are. Answering questions here and there is expected. However, never ONCE did I go one single minute without being asked "Where do I get a fastpass?" Um... All 8 HUGE machines are definitely behind me. Open your eyes and look.

Just reading this response is depressing me! Surely 99.99999% of CM's love their jobs and don't think of the guests as 'stupid.' At least I hope so..

Honestly, how does someone like this get hired at Disney? Seriously.

I'm not asking to start a debate or jab at the person, I'm seriously wondering how they would get hired and *why* they would want to work there with such a sour attitude?

 

[Lizzybee]

Maybe the CMs seem so great to me because we usually go to Six Flags ...different world all together (but it IS getting better, they are really trying to imitate WDW, we'll be there today for awhile).
As far as low pay being an excuse to be "rude", when I had to move with my then husband (now ex) who was in the military, the job market was so bad, the only thing I could get was a job as a substitute teacher at the middle school on base. This job required me to have a bachelor's degree and the pay was $5.63 an hour in 1996. It didn't give me a reason to be "rude" to the kids, they didn't run over me but I was never rude to them.
Also for those who said a little extra kindness can turn a situation around it's 100% true in most cases. I send letters to defendants with a BIG RED FINAL WARNING stamp, that tells them if they don't finish classes and pay by a certain date they may have to come back to court or risk a warrant. Some of my people are 1st time DUI offenders who have done something illegal, but many of them are "normal" people without a criminal mind. When they get one of those letters (I have to send them), they freak out and some get angry. I always stop them short and say "you know I'm sorry the letter is worded so strongly, but not everyone is as responsible as you are". It ALWAYS works. Even for those who have been in trouble many times, stops them dead in their tracks...WOW she just called ME responsible. Then I can explain to them what they need to get done and by when.

 

[goofyernmost]

I just have to post because this was so mean I can't forget it!! Most of the cms are absolutely saints and terrific and even the grouchy ones are probably usually incredible BUT...I got a call from my sis who has bone deep wounds, terminal cancer and was shopping by herself at akl gift store. She has a masters degree and is a school teacher but is on lots of morphine which doesn't affect her functioning but does make her appear foggy. She tried to buy a mug as a souvenir and the cm tried to make sport of the dumb tourist by telling her he was sorry but they couldn't sell those mugs they were just for decoration. If she waited long enough the manager would come on duty and he would ask. She thought he was making fun of her but was too embarrased to do anything but leave. I know he didn't know how ill she is but that was sooo mean.

What if he was telling the truth? Many stores have displays that are just that, displays. The regular stock might be out and he would have to ask the manager if it was OK to sell from the display. I see no meanness in this, perhaps a justified sensitivity on your sisters part, but in this case possibly mistaken.

 

[rkmassa]

Um, not to start a fight here, but I used to work in college at a local restaurant for $5.25 an hour and my job sucked. However, if I EVER acted like some of the CMs in these accounts did to one of my customers, I would not be given slack. I would be shown the door instead. Customer service is customer service. Disney has never been the only employer on the planet, kwim? What some of these accounts detail is not simply a CM "being a bit cranky."

As for most of the other instances you named, the PPs ASKED THE CM in charge at the time if they were doing the right thing and were told they were. They didn't just take it upon themselves to do what they pleased.

I have not had any problems with any CMs at WDW. They have always been so nice actually.

~ ~ ~ ~

Okay, and $5.25 back then is equivalent to what nowadays? I got paid $6.40 and we just got a raise a month before I went down there to work! So yes, you were lucky when you got paid that wage. We, however, were not.

You also had the luxury of air conditioning. I, however, did not. So when you as a guest could go seek shelter in an air conditioned building I got to stay outside in the awful heat.

Guests also can complain to Guest Relations and then CMs get in trouble with their managers. A friend of mine once got reported to Guest Relations, and do you want to know why? Because he told the guests that the railroad was closed for the evening due to fireworks. They claimed that "he was very sarcastic." He was NOT sarcastic because he asked me and I told him that the railroad was closed for the night.

CMs put up with clueless guests from the moment we clock into CDS until the moment we clock out from CDS.

And trust me, being asked 5 times in a row, back-to-back, when you could HEAR me say the first time where the FastPasses are located, sorta puts a damper on your day.

And so does working 14 hours straight.

So once again, I ask to please cut CMs some slack. I guarentee you're not all sunshine and roses, either.

Ummm, NO! I will not cut any CM's slack for rude behavior. Ever. If you hate the heat, long hours, low pay, and lack of AC---GET A NEW JOB! Hello. Free country here. If guests asking questions over and over "puts a damper on your day", you are in the wrong job. Being a Disney CM is obviously not for you.

 

[Mickey1122]

I'll begin by saying that people of ALL ages wear the little Mickey Mouse stickers that CMs hand out for free. At the International Gateway, we observed this female security guard give stickers out. We asked for some. She replied very rudely that they were only for little kids, and that she didn't see any in our party. It was very unpleasant.

 

[Disneyholic]

I'll begin by saying that people of ALL ages wear the little Mickey Mouse stickers that CMs hand out for free. At the International Gateway, we observed this female security guard give stickers out. We asked for some. She replied very rudely that they were only for little kids, and that she didn't see any in our party. It was very unpleasant.

WHAT?????? We're not KIDS when we are at Disney. I thought that is why I went there, to be a kid again.