scolded by ms

[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?

 

[SamSam]

Yes, I've had the same experience that you had. I'm waitlisted for Sept. 19 and had been calling every couple of days. Two times I've reached a member service person who was annoyed that I called. The response was "you are on an automatic waitlist and you will be notified ....."; I always respond with 'yes, but I'm very impatient would you please just check and see if something popped up?" I get very embarrassed at such treatment, but I don't want to miss out on my days, so I make myself call anyway.
I had been on two other waitlist, one for Nov. and one for Dec. and with both of those, the days were found when I called and had them check. They had not been automatically assigned to my waitlist, so I feel it's important to keep calling.
I just try and call 'with a smile' and hope I get a pleasant cm.

 

[sitchu2]

Thanks so much for your reply, the support on this board is awsome!!

 

[Beth]

I have had the same experience as SamSam MANY times - so many that I have stopped using the waitlist, and just call myself. I don't know why it happens (getting the room when you call, instead of getting it from the waitlist) - so I've chosen not to risk it anymore.

FWIW....

 

[ZerasPride]

I experienced something similar when calling about some waitlisted days over Thanksgiving. I wanted to change some Hilton Head days for an OKW stay. I got a couple MS people who were not very nice and told me I was waitlisted already and would be called when the days opened up. But one time I called and got the nicest gentlemen who put me on hold and came back with 2 of my 4 days! It was great. I kept telling myself this is my membership and I am the one that has laid out all these thousands of dollars for these accommodations and I'll call every day if I want! In my case, as in others, it paid off. By the way, the other two days came through as well so now I have exactly what I wanted but I do wonder how fast these days would have come available if I had not been so persistent.

So the point is that its your membership and no one will care about your vacation needs like you so if you feel like you want to call back continually, I can't see the harm in it at all and you just may get what you need/want faster!

Lisa

 

[HeatherPage]

Well that's just too bad (for MS). We pay alot of money in initial purchase and dues money. I don't think it's to much to ask for them to be pleasant when people call to inquire about availability. In todays economic times with unemployment and all, they should be happy that they're at a job to get these phone calls-especially a job that is to help make family vacations. They could be like me and working for attorneys-blech!

 

[Desperado]

I just wonder if we are tying up ms resources unecessarily which increases our dues expenses by making unecessary calls that they cannot offer assistance for. Granted, they should be polite when asking people not to call repeatedly when they cannot offer any additional assistance or offer new information, but I think we sometimes offer advice on this board to repeatedly call that is not in all members best interests. Calling repeatedly creating situations where others cannot get through to ms for more pertinate issues with which ms can immediately help might fall in the category of an unecessary call.

I kept telling myself this is my membership and I am the one that has laid out all these thousands of dollars for these accommodations and I'll call every day if I want!

I hate to see this type of "me, me, me," regardless if it causes problems for others type of statement. I hope members can all work together to keep unecessary costs and hikes in our dues to a minimum. If all memebers adopted this approach, additional costs to increase ms support and additional call volume would certainly be required.

 

[ZerasPride]

I agree with you to a certain extent Desperado but as I mentioned, in my case, the MS rep was able to put me on hold and get me what I needed. Would it have come through without the call? Possibly. But I am glad I don't have to play the waiting game anymore and can get on with the planning phase of this vacation.

I didn't and don't want to seem that all I care about is "my" vacation or what is best for "me". I apologize if that is how I appeared to you. I too had read on this board the advice of calling periodically (just as I would do with CRO) and checking on the availability for what was needed for a trip. Since I am a fairly new DVC member can someone comment on the aspect of dues increasing as a result of more telephone calls? I certainly do not want that to happen and this is the first time I have ever seen anyone post on that being a possibility. Thanks!

 

[Maistre Gracey]

Funny thing...I have noticed that SOMETIME, not always, MS just does't seem as friendly as when I called CRO. I noticed this a while ago, and thought it was my imagination.

Again, most of the time these folks are great, and I've received tons of help, but every once in a while....

 

[RobDoc]

The wait list does work, but...

...if it worked the way it is supposed to, you shouldn't be able to call and get the same dates you are auto waitlisted for-since the autowaitlist should have already assigned the room to you.

I have used the autowaitlist and still called when the date was getting close and have <b>always</b> been able to get the dates I was looking for. Sometimes the waitlist actually worked and got me the dates I requested and sometimes I got the waitlisted dates by calling.

I would still call. As others have already stated, dues are paying for MS to make our reservations. If it is really a problem for MS, the simple solution is to have the autowaitlist assign the dates to me before I call the next time. If I call and am told I already have the dates, I'll be happy to stop calling and just trust the waitlist.

 

[Dancind]

Let me tell you my experience in the last week or so. I've been calling trying to get more days at BCV for our Mother-Daughter trip next week (was 3 nights OKW, 2 nights BCV). Then on Monday, I was calling to try and add two nights at the beginning of our trip starting Sunday night, very short notice! I called Monday morning and got "Grumpy". I didn't catch her name, but she sounded like a mature lady with a low voice. She told me that she "knew" that all of the resorts were sold out, and that was the end of the conversation. I booked a hotel through Mousesavers for our two nights. I had Grumpy before, when checking the waitlist, and yes, she basically chewed me out for calling. Anyway, a few hours later on Monday, I tried again, got a younger sounding lady this time, very pleasant. She actually checked the system for me, and Voila! Two more nights in a studio at OKW! This morning I tried to check the waitlist again for more nights at BCV, and Sigrid told me they couldn't call the resort for me to check until tomorrow, when I am officially off the waitlist. So I guess I'll do that. I don't really care what happens now, I'm so happy about our two extra nights! Diana

 

[SamSam]

I don't want to tie up MS unnecessarily, but I've had the same experience as others that when I call the rooms are sometimes available, but had not been assigned to my waitlist. As stated earlier, if the auto waitlist worked 100% of the time then there would be no reason to call.
Perhaps I shouldn't do auto waitlist, it's something I'll have to think about.
Yay, for these boards!!!!

 

[OKWKirt]

I will add an echo here. I tried the last two years to change a couple days at OKW to VB, both on wait list. The first time it didn't come through. The second time (last year) I called to check on the wait list and they said they had my room. I asked why they hadn't called to inform me and they said they were going to. I still don't know if I got it from the wait list or by calling. Do you think a wait list does not come through because you did not call and someone else did and got your room - something to think about.

 

[KNWVIKING]

There is no excuse for an MS employee to be rude BUT,how many times have WE had bad days at work and snapped at people. I personally have had only great experiences with MS. My only complaint would be some lengthy hold times waiting for an availible MS agent. Maybe they are all tied up checking the waitlist

 

[manning]

If they are using CRO system, calling may put you at the top. I found this out years ago. When I would call to check, 9 out of 10 times I got the room. Found out that the waitlist would run once a day. Cancellations would stay in a queue until the schedule waitlist update. By calling and having them check, they would go to the queue, and if something was there, you got it.

If I got Grumpy, I think on some free time down there, I would take a ride over to Celebration and have a chat with a manager.

 

[Zimbubba]

Some members do call excessively. I would not be surprised to see a limited number of "free" calls in the future based on the number of points you have. I think we need to monitor ourselves as to the necessity of calls.

 

[Maistre Gracey]

Originally posted by Zimbubba
Some members do call excessively. I would not be surprised to see a limited number of "free" calls in the future based on the number of points you have. I think we need to monitor ourselves as to the necessity of calls.

Actually, there is no such thing as a "free" call, as we pay for this service through our dues.

I would rather see dues increased, as I feel the cost should be shared by all. I share the costs of what other members use that I may not use, so it I feel it would even out.

One thing I would not mind seeing done away with is the (800) number. This would save some $, as well as cut done on calls.

 

[Tagrel]

Originally posted by Zimbubba
Some members do call excessively. I would not be surprised to see a limited number of "free" calls in the future based on the number of points you have. I think we need to monitor ourselves as to the necessity of calls.

If Disney is going to spend money on infrastructure, I would hope it would be to correct the waitlist problem instead of trying to work some system where they start trying to bill people for calling an 800 number.

If the waitlist runs once a day, and cancelled reservations are reentered into the system AS they are cancelled, then THERE stems the problem.

- 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).

If one of these two solutions isn't implemented, then anyone can call daily before the waitlist runs to move themselves to the head of the line. IMO, NOT a very fair or effective waitlist.

 

[AnnaS]

I do not call too often. I guess not too many points. I do feel that with over 60,000 members, they need to have more MS available to handle calls. I know through some experience and based on other DVC members that sometimes you do not get through, sometimes you get disconnected and other timesare on hold for a long period before you get through MS. I am sure it's non-stop for them, thus annoyed. I wonder how many there are to handle all these members. I know I do not have time to stay on hold.

 

[ZerasPride]

I was actually wondering would I have gotten a call from MS when my 2 days were available at the end of the day by being on the waitlist or could another member have snatched them from me (or someone else on the waitlist) by calling MS like I did?

As I stated before, my goal is not to run up member dues with constant irritating phone calls to MS but if I am waitlisted for a ressie why does it seem to be a 50/50 chance of actually getting what I have waitlisted for?