Services are being stripped

[wdwdano@yahoo.com]

But just maybe, if they kept that Member happy they wouldn't sell. Now the new person buys from Disney, and they have two Members that may add on.

No, it's not a 1:1 relationship, but it surely would mean more sales for Disney if the resale market dried up.

MG

I agree as well on keeping happy customers. If you have a resale market, I bet the resale market shows whether the people were happy or not. When I bought my timeshare I bought because I love Disney as a whole. Now don't think I didn't go online and look at the reviews. I didn't see to many negative reviews. If it keeps going downhill you might see an increase in the number of resales and believe me Disney won't like that. I have a hunch that the economy has played a part in all of this. One thing I don't like is cutting corners. Rounding them off is fine to be fiscally responsible but when you cut corners your food will fall off the table.

 

[wdwdano@yahoo.com]

Great post, and I think we see some of that "entitlement" here on teh boards too. People think THEY need to get everything THEY want...The best view...The cleanest...The newest....The quietest....The easiest to get to.... Someone has to take those other rooms, and the more people who complain and make changes, the more unhappy EVERYONE is going to be. Service is certainly negatively effected by lack of staff, but it's also effected by over demanding "customers". I always wonder how these same people manage at home where no one is there to do those things at the drop of a call.

For example, my fridge broke last week. I have a service agreement, but because the service folks are too short staffed, I had to wait a WEEK to get my fridge fixed. Thankfully, I had another in the basement walkout level I could put food in, but still. These economic times call for those kinds of measures, and we are ALL effected by it. My first thought was that the service company should hire back some of those laid off workers so they were more properly staffed, but then I quickly realized that might prevent them from staying in business, and my cost would likely be even higher. It's a catch 22, so you have to bend where you can and not be a total PITA when you are on vacation and expect the most for the least.

I'm sorry but what you are saying is a whole different thing. Yes we are in a recession. That means that we have to be frugal. However, when I go on vacation with whatever money I saved. . . .It is my vacation. . . exactly what it is. I don't want to suck it up and deal with it. It is not my problem, I shouldn't have to deal with it and any hotel no matter where or what company it is should be on the problem ASAP. Especially when you have paying customers. I am sorry, but that is just unacceptable to wait more than 30 minutes for anything including room service.

 

[dianeschlicht]

I'm not sure if you were referring to my earlier post, but I was talking about the lack of cleanliness we see when checking into a DVC resort.
Yes, it looks clean at a quick glance, but it's a far cry from the old Disney standard.

And yes, I consider a clean room to be part of the contract, not a perk.

MG

I have to agree with you there, MG.

 

[crisi]

Another thing is that Disney's motivation for perks changes over time.

There used to be a lot more dining discounts. But there used to not be the Dining Plan filling restaurants past capacity. Disney doesn't have excess capacity in their restaurants, no need to offer discounts to fill them.

Other things were possible when DVCers were a small number of guests - pool hopping at SAB for instance. As DVC got bigger, the hoppable pools list gets more and more restricted.

 

[crisi]

I'm sorry but what you are saying is a whole different thing. Yes we are in a recession. That means that we have to be frugal. However, when I go on vacation with whatever money I saved. . . .It is my vacation. . . exactly what it is. I don't want to suck it up and deal with it. It is not my problem, I shouldn't have to deal with it and any hotel no matter where or what company it is should be on the problem ASAP. Especially when you have paying customers. I am sorry, but that is just unacceptable to wait more than 30 minutes for anything including room service.

But what you want and what Disney can provide as a company and keep its shareholders happy and its company strong at a price point that enables it to fill its parks during a recession are not compatible. Honestly, if that is what you are looking for in a vacation, a resort with over 10,000 hotel rooms is not going to be able to provide that. We've waited longer than 30 minutes for service from some very nice boutique hotels.

 

[wdwdano@yahoo.com]

I am sorry that you did have to wait that long at a boutique hotel, if you read up on my post about the problem that I had with pillows. A pillow should not take more than 10 minutes to get from the housekeeping location to any room on property. This is an operations issue. It pertains to not being able to delegate to people because they are not properly staffed. Maybe the resorts should have runners that can help with this.

I hardly ever complain, if fact the only interaction I have is when I am ready to park hop in the morning and I am waving good morning on my way out of the hotel.

Disney isn't even a boutique hotel company. They are about quality, friendliness, ease, and magic. It is not magic when you wait 30-40 mins for a hair dryer, pillows, 3 refrigerators.

I think its great to be able to bring this up from time to time. Its kind of our "state of the union". LOL

 

[disneynutz]

But what you want and what Disney can provide as a company and keep its shareholders happy and its company strong at a price point that enables it to fill its parks during a recession are not compatible.

And that is the issue with most companies today. Shareholder value and profit has become more important than providing a excellent product at a fair price.

In the past there use to be more of a balance. Walt wanted the magic at any cost and Roy wanted less cost.

Bill

 

[crisi]

But runners have costs. Costs add to dues. Disney is seeing a lot of contracts turned over right now because people can't afford them. Increase the dues, you'll increase the defaults. Potentially, it means more inventory for Disney to sell for cash, but when rooms have been discounted so heavily for the past eighteen months to keep capacity at a level where they can keep the lights on - that isn't a winning situation for Disney.

A timeshare is a strange symbiotic relationship between members - as anyone who has been on the downside of a failing timeshare can tell you. Loose too many members, can't sell the rooms for cash, and the timeshare becomes too expensive for the next tier to own, so they sell - and the cycle restarts until the timeshare is unaffordable and collapses.

 

[crisi]

And that is the issue with most companies today. Shareholder value and profit has become more important than providing a excellent product at a fair price.

In the past there use to be more of a balance. Walt wanted the magic at any cost and Roy wanted less cost.

Bill

Without the shareholders, you don't have a company. Disney does not provide any sort of extraordinary shareholder value.

(And Walt Disney, Unionbuster? Are we talking about the same Walt Disney?)

 

[tjkraz]

I am sorry that you did have to wait that long at a boutique hotel, if you read up on my post about the problem that I had with pillows. A pillow should not take more than 10 minutes to get from the housekeeping location to any room on property. This is an operations issue. It pertains to not being able to delegate to people because they are not properly staffed.

Resorts schedule positions like housekeeping runners and maintenance staff (and front desk, bell services, food service, etc.) to deal with average demand. If the average number of requests between 8-10pm is 3 per hour, you staff to handle 3 issues per hour.

The problem comes when those three requests come just a couple minutes apart, or on the odd day when there are 6 calls per hour instead of 3. Then guests may be forced to wait a little longer as issues are addressed first come, first served.

Staffing to accommodate double or triple the typical volume of requests is simply wasteful. And members pay for that waste via our dues.

 

[crisi]

The problem comes when those three requests come just a couple minutes apart, or on the odd day when there are 6 calls per hour instead of 3. Then guests may be forced to wait a little longer as issues are addressed first come, first served.

Ideally, they are triaged when they end up with a queue - a change of sheets for a vomiting child takes priority over a request for a blender for your margarita. An overflowing toilet is a bigger priority than window blinds.

Realistically, they are probably done in order of "squeeky wheels" - a patient person with needing a change of linens due to illness might wait behind three loud people who need a blender.

 

[wdwdano@yahoo.com]

Resorts schedule positions like housekeeping runners and maintenance staff (and front desk, bell services, food service, etc.) to deal with average demand. If the average number of requests between 8-10pm is 3 per hour, you staff to handle 3 issues per hour.

The problem comes when those three requests come just a couple minutes apart, or on the odd day when there are 6 calls per hour instead of 3. Then guests may be forced to wait a little longer as issues are addressed first come, first served.

Staffing to accommodate double or triple the typical volume of requests is simply wasteful. And members pay for that waste via our dues.

I never said anything about being wasteful. I never said anything about being overstaffed. I simply stated that resorts should be able to meet expectations for its guests. Disney meets and exceeds expectations. To do that you need to be properly staffed. Disney hires and fires 100's of people a week. I am sure adding a couple of support personnel will help hotels meet those needs at various resorts. They do it now in fact. They hire role hoppers to work different roles depending on the demand.

 

[nytimez]

I think service across WDW has declined in recent years. It's not limited to DVC. But overall I'm happy with my membership and don't expect perks beyond the ability to book my room. My biggest problem isn't the absence of services, but the dramatic point realignment -- but that's another issue altogether.

 

[crisi]

I never said anything about being wasteful. I never said anything about being overstaffed. I simply stated that resorts should be able to meet expectations for its guests. Disney meets and exceeds expectations. To do that you need to be properly staffed. Disney hires and fires 100's of people a week. I am sure adding a couple of support personnel will help hotels meet those needs at various resorts. They do it now in fact. They hire role hoppers to work different roles depending on the demand.

But they are meeting MY expectations - they appear adequately staffed for that - they aren't meeting YOURS. Whose expectations do they need to staff to meet - and who is going to pay for the increased staffing costs?

My brother in law is a squeaky wheel. I guarantee if they staff to meet exceed his expectations you need one person on staff just to handle him (my sister is a saint).

 

[tjkraz]

I never said anything about being wasteful. I never said anything about being overstaffed. I simply stated that resorts should be able to meet expectations for its guests. Disney meets and exceeds expectations. To do that you need to be properly staffed.

We appear to have different definitions of "properly staffed."

Again, if the average number of inquiries in a given hour is 3 (or 5, or 10, or whatever the number may be), resorts should be staffed to handle that average. But if they are staffed to respond to 3 issues and they get 5 calls within 30 minutes, wait times will be longer than normal.

Staffing for 5 calls per hour when you normally get 3 is wasteful and our dues would fund the waste.

 

[wdwdano@yahoo.com]

We are not talking about hiring a whole workforce to help out with doing the basics like a working, clean hotel room. Those types of things are and should be standard. I am talking about basics here that some of us expect like pillows, refrigerators, hair dryer, a nice wave hello and how are you.

Simply put, here are the guidelines



1. Make eye contact and smile!

2. Greet and welcome each and every guest

3. Seek out guest contact
It is the responsibility of every cast member to seek out guests who need help or assistance.
Listen to guests’ needs
Answer questions
Offer assistance ( For example: Taking family photographs )

4. Provide immediate service recovery
It is the responsibility of all cast members to attempt, to the best of their abilities, to immediately resolve a guest service failure before it becomes a guest service problem.
Always find the answer for the guest and / or find another cast member who can help the guest.

5. Display appropriate body language at all times

6. Preserve the “magical” guest experience
Always focus on the positive, rather than the rules and regulations.
Talking about personal or job-related problems in front of our guests is unacceptable.

7. Thank each and every guest
Extend every guest a thank-you or similar expression of appreciation as he / she leaves your area.

Once you stop getting these "Your Expectations", you might as well just head down the road to Harry Potter land and enjoy the other parks service.

 

[wdwdano@yahoo.com]

It doesn't say take as long as possible to solve guest issues.

It doesn't say lean on things when you are tired.

It doesn't say give crappy attitude to each and every guest.

And it doesn't say since the guest is already paying, we can dummy down our service over time.

 

[wdwdano@yahoo.com]

...

 

[tjkraz]

We are not talking about hiring a whole workforce to help out with doing the basics like a working, clean hotel room. Those types of things are and should be standard. I am talking about basics here that some of us expect like pillows, refrigerators, hair dryer, a nice wave hello and how are you.

With all due respect, your arguments seem to have changed so many times throughout this thread that I'm not even sure where you are coming from anymore.

We began discussing a perceived diminishing of perks. Personally I disagree with that. In the 7-8 years that we have been members the perks have increased considerably. Granted not all of them are things I am interested in using (Cirque discounts, Broadway ticket discounts), but we do take advantage of many perks which save us hundreds of dollars per year--most notably the AP discount and free Internet.

Later you spent a page-and-a-half on the 45 minutes it took to get a pillow. Again, this is an entirely defensible timeframe and does NOT immediately suggest that Disney is understaffed. Any number of higher priority maintenance emergencies, or simply a higher-than-expected volume of requests from other guests could have lead to such a delay.

Finally we've come to cutting and pasting Disney customer service guidelines. On these points, we are largely in agreement. I DO expect Disney employees to make eye contact, to thank me and to try and go the extra mile.

That said, I also realize that Disney Cast Members are people, too. People who deal with a whole lot of crap other from guests who make ridiculous / unreasonable / insulting / belligerent requests which they feel are necessary in order to make THEIR stay "magical."

And I'm certainly not going to look down on a CM who took 45 minutes to deliver a pillow when he/she may have just come from cleaning up a child's vomit or teaching a guest how to close the blinds in their room.

 

[jodifla]

Perks are changing, but they are not being "stripped."

I hate some of the changes, and like the others. Bottom line for me is I still feel I come out really far ahead, particularly since I bought 14 years ago.