scolded by ms

[Lesley]

Interesting....the only times I have been put on hold were peak DVC calling times....like in Jan. calling for Dec. ressies. The rest of the time I have always gotten through quickly.

It sounds as if we've hit the nail on the head about how the waitlist works, and it would be most fair if they didn't release cancelled ressies back into the system until the time they run the waitlist. Or keep the waitlist "live" so that cancellations automatically are booked up.

I recently had an experience where I tried to get on the waitlist for something I had been told just an hour before was not available and it was available! And I guess I've been making "too many calls" since I changed my mind a few times within the space of 2 days!

What is it recently with folks being so snippy with one another? MS...here...oh my!

 

[SamSam]

Originally posted by Tagrel

- Either a cancelled reservation needs to trigger the waitlist to run
or
- Cancelled reservations need to be returned to the available pool right AFTER the waitlist runs (not immediately).

I agree, there would be no problem if cancellations immediately went into the auto waitlist pool. The same with new rooms available because of new sales.

 

[Maistre Gracey]

This was the original post.

Originally posted by sitchu2
I was advised to inquire with ms by this board weekly for my waitlisted request that is now only 27 days out and the reception I got when I called this week was a very annoyed " do not call us every week , thats what the waitlist is for when it comes up we will call you. now do not call until a week before"

I guess they keep a record of every call you make on the computer, I felt really embarassed, I was only trying to make sure I was doing what was necessary to ensure my family and guests a great vacation. Im new at this it will be my first trip home.

Anyone else experience this?

In my opinion, there is absolutely NO excuse for this behavior by MS. To make a member feel embarassed should be a cardinal sin.

I for one expect MS to be courteous, and answer all my questions even if it is a pain in the butt for them. The level of service and courtesy that I expect from Disney is above and beyond average, and that is one reason I am willing to pay much more for DVC than some run of the mill timeshare. It should be noted that this does not give a member an excuse to be rude to MS (not that this happened here).

 

[sgtdisney]

Personally, I think Disney would solve this problem, and cut down on phone calls to MS, if the money was spent to create a web based product that would allow you manage your DVC account online. You could bank, borrow, make reservations, check availability etc., online and not have to 'bother' MS.. I am sure the members would have to pay for this through the dues, but over the long run, it would cut down the expenses. And perhaps then 'Grumpy' could be released from a job she must not like very much and find employment in a job with less customer interaction.

And by the way, the next time 'Grumpy' chastises you for making a phone call, I would politely inform her that you are paying her salary and if she doesn't like to answer questions from members, you would be happy to inform her manager for her.

 

[mickey1010]

sgtdisney, my sentiments exactly!

At the VERY least, MS could have a web interface to access your account to find out how many points you have left for the year and to put them in bank/borrow status. I'm willing to say that a substantial amount of phone calls are made by DVC members for specifically for these transactions/questions.

 

[DeeP]

I have always had very pleasant CMs answer my calls to MS however I have also never gotten lucky with getting a room at BWV on a waitlist, except for an upcoming trip in Dec I got 1 of 2 nights I need. I never called MS excessively the other times I was on the waitlist instead I changed my dates, but this time I have plane reservations already made and after hearing stories of how others have gotten rooms on waitlists by calling, this time I am going to be more assertive in getting the 1 nt I still need and if MS does not like it, too bad. Maybe if the waitlist data was set up to run properly and to be automatically set up to interface with the room inventory data and update both inventories calling MS might not be necessary. I do call MS an average of 6-8 times per year which I do not think is excessive since I go to WDW at least 4 times a year.

 

[scootersmom]

While I haven't called MS much, having just bought DVC last fall, I did have an interesting thing happen earlier this month.
I called to see if we could extend our HH stay by paying cash for one night and talked to a wonderful CM named Gabrielle. She booked the cash room for us, then said she noticed we had ressies in Dec/Jan for WDW. She wanted to know why they had us moving all over the place and on a waitlist. Well, we had our first and last nights booked at BCV, one of the mid-week nights at BWV and were waitlisted for any size room for the other two nights.
I said I had been told that was what was available and she 'harumphed' and said if I could hold a minute, she'd check things out for me. She got us a one bdrm at OKW for the 1st two nights on points, a one bdrm on cash for one night, then two one bedrms for the last two nights on points, all at OKW. The second room is for my parents, who will be joining us then. So, now we don't have to move all around on such a short, 5 night stay. She put us on waitlist for the cash night in case it came open for points and said to call occasionally to see if a member discount may become available also.
I was very impressed with Gabrielle! She was really on the ball. And, in this case, even though I was calling about something else entirely, this will make for a much easier stay in Dec.

 

[MaryAnnDVC]

I was put on a waitlist in early February 2001, when we closed on our resale, for a trip to BWV in November. After not hearing anything for 5 1/2 months (nor calling them), I called MS, and lo and behold, apparently the waitlist came through THAT DAY. I thought that was quite the coincidence.

 

[pwoodham]

I will also be calling daily, and have the same experience with MS and the waitlist that has been discussed here. I was on 4 automatic waitlists, and only one of those had come thru PRIOR to my phone calls. The other two I actually got were done at the time I called. That's the system as it exists, and I don't think it's a selfish attitude to try to get available reservations that serve my vacation needs, when Disney's getting all my vacation money one way or another anyway.

 

[ILuvDVC]

I called Member services twice this week. I wanted to change my reservation for Next June, because I had requested building 63, and found out that the Grand Villas in that buildig were Handicap, and I didn't want handicap. So, I asked to change the reservation to request buildings 19, 25, 12, 41 or 43. The woman was pretty rude to me, and told me that it is much harder for them to fill my request when I put down so many options! I was like...what? Options? I'm telling them that these are the buildings I prefer, I would think if I only put building 19, then I would be building myself up for disappointment! Anyhow, I called back to verify that she changed the reservation, and the next woman was worse than the first. She tried to tell me that my one grand villa reservation had two reservation numbers! GRRRR! I ended up sending an email with my request in it, because either I was having a bad Day or member services was.

 

[sitchu2]

As I read all of the posts I am having more of an understanding in what is going on here.

If one was to call daily I would assume around 3 to 4 pm would be a good time to call? Is there a better time of day to call to increase your chances ? Assuming the waitlist is run at the end of each day am would be out. You would have to hope for changes made during the first half of the day but call before the end of the day.

Does this make sense??

 

[DVCajun]

LOL HeatherPage!

I think it's a little odd that an available room would be given to a caller if those same dates were waitlisted. It seems like the right thing for MS to do is have a policy of "first come, first serve." In fact, it was my belief that *was* the policy, i.e. if I waitlisted after another member, then I would be next in line if that member declined the ressies when the dates came available. Now you're telling me that if Joe Blow makes a pest out of himself to MS he will get the dates I have waitlisted!??? I'm sorry but I have a *huge* problem with that.

I have actually had very good luck with waitlisting. Twice I have gotten dates I have requested. Neither time did I call incessently beforehand.

I think I might write an email about this. I don't think someone should be put first in line because they make a phone call.

 

[BounceyOne]

We were waitlisted for a feb 2002 room, while we were at BWV in 12/.01 we received a phone call to our room about thewaitlist coming thru.

I loved how they tracked me down

 

[EastCoast]

Excuse me for asking, but does MS stand for Member Services?


EC

 

[DVCajun]

yes it does, East Coast.

 

[EastCoast]

Thanks, DVCajun

I am still trying to catch up on the acronymns. I have a list but it is not complete. I keep it open while I am surfing but as I said, it does not always have what I'm looking for.

Thanks!

 

[Regina]

If MS weren't so inconsistent with how they fill waitlist requests, no one would have to call to check up on their reservation.

I was lucky, I got my request but it came via the mail, no call was made to me.

I don't think it's unreasonable to call once a week. Some of you have your reservations split up all over the place, and that's a big hassle. I know that I'd be on top of it.

I've never gotten a cranky CM at MS, but I'd certainly ask for a supervisor if I did.

 

[SalandJeff]

We had 3 nights waitlisted in Dec, the 1st 2 for a studio and the 3rd for a 1 bdrm, which we have for the rest of our stay. We've been waitlisted since Feb and did receive something via mail that our nite in the 1 bdrm came through. Have heard nothing about the other 2 nites.

I decided that because the AP rates are so low thru Dec, we would treat ourselves and stay at GF for first 2 nites. I called MS today twice with questions and to change our waitlist, and I felt that both the CMs were not very friendly, helpful and very rushed. I only call MS a couple of times a year, and have to honestly say, they are always like this.

In contrast, when I called CRO to make the ressies at the GF, the CM was wonderful, spent a lot of time with me, checked different discount codes at 2 different resorts, gave me advice on how to do the ressie to save money and gave me information on the resorts and being at WDW during the holidays - all without prompting from me. Her name was Gray and she was wonderful!

The CMs at MS could take some lessons from her!

 

[Johnnie Fedora]

It seems to me there should be some sort of internet look up option. I would like to just view my account to see the points I have and what ressies I have made. That way I wouldn't have to call MS for simple things like checking to see if ressies have the requests I wanted or if two ressies are linked, etc.

 

[manning]

When we bought in March, we were told that all of CRO was being rewritten. If so, this may solve the waitlist situation. If they are using the original system from waay back when, it may have been written in the days of batch loading. In computer time, it has been fairly recent that real time entries have come on the scene. In the seventies and eighties, computer data was loaded into the computer using punch cards. I worked for a huge company and even in the ninties info was batch loaded. We did away with the punch card and keyed in the info into a terminal, but it was held for an update at night. IS (information services) claimed it was cheaper that way. If we made a mistake on a record, we had to call someone in IS to have the data manually removed. Later an action code was used (a=add, d=delete, c=change) Enough of the history lesson.

I believe the new system will be real time, and hopefully all ressies will be on first come basis. If they were smart they could have a phone system were you call up and key in your ressie number and you get your status. It also could be done on the internet. This will leave the reservationist to handling only original bookings and changes.