SSR Nightmare!!!

[Deb & Bill]

You got nearly $1000 in compensation for about $160 you paid for the villa. You were overly compensated. Ranting and raving made you look like one of those DVC members we all hear about.

 

[cheezNE1]

You got nearly $1000 in compensation for about $160 you paid for the villa. You were overly compensated. Ranting and raving made you look like one of those DVC members we all hear about.

 

[MouseHouse71]

I agree with all of your comments and I admit it was not the end of the world. Had I known it was going to be close to or after 4pm, I would have gone to MVMCP and checked in afterwards. My beef is the whoe text thing and the coment the CM made about the room possibly being ready when I checked in. I understand it is a busy and hectic time at DW, but I am just important as the next guest and at no time was I treated as such. They did exactly what they needed to do to get me off the phone. That is truly how I felt.

My ranting and raving consisted of me letting the CM know that having someone wait outside a particular building was unacceptable. None of you would have been happy with that situation I'm sure.

Again, this was no big deal until it happens to you.

 

[MouseHouse71]

By the way I never asked for a points reduction or passes. This was offered to me by the desk manager for the less than magical time my travel party experienced. FYI

 

[cel_disney]

It seems like the OP was happy to come back closer to check in time for the room, but the issue was how the CM handled that meeting at 3:50.

I am not sure if you asked for the park tickets or the points back for the room or if the manager 'gifted' those to you.

I think that I would have spoken or written to a manager to let them know what happened so that they could instruct future guests differently, but I dont think I would have expected/asked/demanded for compensation at that level.

Then again, I didnt ask for compensation when our winter coats were lost when my DH had to bring all of our stuff from BLT to bell services because the bellman assigned never showed up (after almost 70 minutes and it being 11;30 and the rest of us being at CM for breakfast without him, my DH walked it all over and somehow lost our winter coat bag)...When he got to bell services, he found that the person that was assigned to us had been signed out on lunch break for the entire time we were waiting (despite them saying he was on his way over). GOOD TIMES!!

 

[MouseHouse71]

My expectations were fairly simple...Be able to check in to my room by 4PM. I don't think that is unrealistic! Do you?

 

[DVC SSR Owner]

Primadona much? Just kidding. They compensated you plenty. Hopefully next visit will be better!

 

[MouseHouse71]

Absolutely!! I was greatful for what they offered!

 

[edk35]

I think you got A HUGE CHRISTMAS GIFT and should be extremely happy. I don't think it was a nightmare, but a nice gift really. You got free park tickets and some of your points added back. It wasn't like you got back to your room after the party and it was not ready. No I don't think this was a nightmare at all... and no you should not be angry in the least. I can see being a little inconvenienced..but not angry.

 

[pb4ugo]

My expectations were fairly simple...Be able to check in to my room by 4PM. I don't think that is unrealistic! Do you?

i think it is totally unreasonable since we all know that rooms are not available until after 4pm. compared to my experiences at the world resorts - your 100+ visits have been covered in pixie dust. my room has never been ready at 4pm; i have twice been put in a building i specifically asked not to be in [and told i could move in two days and be charged for the move]; have had keys that don't work; yada, yada, yada. the only request we get at the world is first floor - because of medical reasons! now, my experiences at the hilton head resort have been flawless!!! when in florida i have had to accept just being grateful that i am at disney and will have a bed somewhere for the night!

 

[MouseHouse71]

I think you are wrong. First, I have never checked in after 4 because my room wasn't ready. Secondly, I asked at SSR what time check-in is, *** (SSR desk manager) said rooms are to be ready for checkin by 4PM. Thank you

Edited - A reminder that we do not allow specific CM names to be included. - Chuck S

 

[cheezNE1]

I don't expect my train to be on time every morning going to work, nor do I expect there are no delays at airport everytime I fly.... Things happens and it is what it is. Had my morning train be late every morning or more than once a week... then I would be going nuts. After 100+ pleasant visit, just take this one with a grain and salt and go to the park and enjoy. I'm sure the CM doesn't want this to happen also, cut them some slacks sometimes.

 

[Honor]

Uhm, "nightmare" is when someone gets seriously hurt, a child is diagnosed with a serious illness, your grandmother has a heart attack, patrolling Khandahar province on foot and watching for IEDs is a "nightmare." Waiting outside your hotel room in Walt Disney World (a place that most people NEVER EVER get to visit even once) and being inconvenienced while you wait for a text message that doesn't come is simply that, an "inconvenience." You were overly compensated.

This has happened to us before and you just roll with it. Life's too short and imperfect to call this a nightmare or to go to the front desk and "rant and rave." In the big picture of life, this was not a nightmare. Sorry, but your reaction was over the top and out of perspective.

 

[jlewisinsyr]

I think you are wrong. First, I have never checked in after 4 because my room wasn't ready. Secondly, I asked at SSR what time check-in is, *** (SSR desk manager) said rooms are to be ready for checkin by 4PM. Thank you

What time is check-in and check-out?
Check-in is anytime after 4:00 p.m. (please notify the Front Desk, or Member Services if you're planning a late arrival), and check-out is by 11:00 a.m. For the consideration of all guests (as well as our busy housekeeping staff), we ask that you please do your best to respect these timeframes.

There is no specific guarantee that a room will be ready AT 4:00, just anytime after.

 

[csharpwv]

Our experience at Saratoga Spring in January 2009 invovled an AC unit that had frozen up in 80+ degree weather, front desk staff that actually didn't note the problem on either one of my two phone calls, wet carpet, hair in the showers, credit card confusion on KTTW cards, in the end they had to replace our KTTW cards a total of 5 time - for a party 6! That's 30 KTTW cards over a 7 night stay!

AND this was our very first DVC stay! So were we questioning becoming members?? I seem to remember doing such!

I have found that Front Desk CM's are not always up to par on correct information, correct procedure, and proper social protocol.

On our most recent trip I over heard a front desk CM revealing some very personal information about a guests financial situation in a not so 'library' voice.

When we checked in at AKV in December 2009, the CM spoke very broken english and had a very had time giving us directions to our room.

In the end - the question we all have to ask ourselves is this -
Have I ever made a mistake at work?

Not a single soul can say that they have NEVER made a mistake at work. It's inevitable - we are all human. We are all going to make mistakes.

I don't know how many of you have ever checked to see how much the average Disney CM makes - but it's isn't much folks! Some people spend more in a week at WDW than some CM's make a YEAR! Most CM's work for minimum wage - or barely above.

It's the Disney Difference that seperates the Disney employee from the local gas station attendant.

The only time I have ever been upset with a Disney CM was about the AC unit at Saratoga. I told the original CM what was wrong - and he swore that housekeeping had just cleaned the carpets - that's why they were wet. It took 5 phone calls to get all that worked out - and finally - around 2am our villa temperature fell below the 80 degree mark. We had a maint. guy in our room for 3+ hours that night! He even worked over so we would have to be disrupted again when the shift change happened.

So at the end of the night - it wasn't the Maint. guy's fault - it was the Front Desk CM who thought he knew more at the Front Desk than I did in the room that was over 90 degrees!

As compensation, we got FastPasses for our party. While not a HUGE thing - it definitely made up for the time we wasted.

I have also dealt with a rather incompetent Disney Cruise Line Guest Service CM as well - but that's for another time.

At the end of the day - policies are policies - people are people - and we all make mistakes.

I think the OP's compensation was sufficient considering the face value of a 1Day Park Hopper (7 of them!)- and half points returned to your account!

BUT - let's all remember - we all make mistakes - even at work!

AND - let's not forget - we all make mistakes - even at work!

Tread lightly on the CM's - they are just like us - humans - people - who make mistakes..... sometimes even at work!

 

[livndisney]

All 7 of us were excited to get to SSR to start our 1 night getaway to MVMCP on Sunday, Dec 19th. We arrived at about 1:30 to check in and room was not ready. We gave cell phone number so they could notify us when room was ready. Sounds great! We stopped back by lobby at about 3:50 to see if we had a room update. They said to go over to a certain building and we should receive a text any minute telling us which room was ours. Great, finally getting to check in. Then comes 4:10, 4:20, 4:30. At this point I had had just about enough. We went back to the lobby and after some ranting and raving got a 2-br assigned to us. We drove back to the room and our keys don't work!!! They sent someone over and finally got the keys straightened out and we got to MVMCP at about 7 PM. The thing that bothered me the most was acomment made by the CM. She said that they didn't know when my room was actually ready and it may have been ready on my initial check in.

In all the 100+ times of going to Disney, I have never had a bad experience, but this one was in front of my family. I was made to look like a fool waiting outside the building for a text that never came. HAHA!!

I did speak to a manager and got half my points (16) credited back to my account and seven 1 day park hopper passes.

Should I have gotten angry?

Should you have gotten angry? No. You arrived at the party at 7pm (the starting time). You got half your points back, a bigger villa and 7 1 day passes. All because you were asked to go wait for a text. As far as being made to look like a fool...........


Mistakes happen, even Disney is not perfect. You have had 100 great trips and now this one little "bump". Let it go.

 

[MouseHouse71]

If you tell me that I can check "anytime" after 4PM, then it seems taht rooms should be ready at 4PM. Do you agree?

 

[cutakenta]

I could not last one day in customer service.

 

[jlewisinsyr]

If you tell me that I can check "anytime" after 4PM, then it seems taht rooms should be ready at 4PM. Do you agree?

Notice, that it doesn't say that all rooms are available for check-in at 4:00 PM, rather it says it is anytime after 4:00 PM. It leaves flexibility on both the guest and Disney's part (note the busy housekeeping staff part).

 

[Sammie]

No I would not have been angry. But then I know how hard they work, they don't try to make people unhappy, but they are human and things happen.

The system is undergoing a lot of new changes and sadly Disney rushes this stuff out without properly training those having to deal with it.

Also any time Disney makes a change to the computer system it never works properly.

They are short handed, resorts are packed.

I would not have been upset and definitely think the points returned and passes was very generous.

As to what time check in is, read your confirmation, it says check in is "after" 4pm. I never expect mine until after 4pm, and usually it is later. And actually it does not say anytime, it simply says check in after 4pm, it does not say room ready after 4pm.

So techinically we all should not even try to check in until after 4pm. Be glad you have been given rooms many times before that. Most timeshares do not allow early check in. If it says after 4pm, they make you wait till them to even come to the desk.