Starting to hate calling for ADR's

[nbodyhome]

Most of the CM's at Disney are decent - often excellent, some not as good. Just like anywhere else!

Just remember also that you very often will know more than the agents do. Some are Disney fans, many are there to work (just like working anywhere else).

If you get someone who you don't feel is being very rude, ask for a supervisor. I call Disney many times on most days, and only get a few a year who are bad enough to ask for a supervisor on. I make MANY compliments however - and if you do get a great CM, you can ask them to send you to the compliment line. It only takes a minute, and they get a nice write-up.

 

[Lorelai]

I guess I feel that it's NOT okay, and it IS a problem to be solved. And I'd just like to say again that I'm not adressing the OP, or you, or any one particular incident- just a general attitude and set of behaviors that cause problems- for me, and for everyone.

You said that "The OP just needed to be heard." I have no idea what the OP was feeling, or why he/she posted. But I do read dozens of threads a day that follow this line:
Someone posts "This bad thing just happened to me!"
Someone responds "That's awful! I would have called a manager immediately!"
Someone else responds "Yeah, me too! Complain! Vent! Follow up on this issue!"
It's very possible that in a lot of these OPs just wanted to vent their frustrations. However, given the frequency of these types of threads (do a search on something like "room with an Epcot Fireworks view" and you'll see what I mean), and the responses that are given, these threads- and this board- are simply reinforcing that type of behavior, and those sets of expectations.

It's just another example of the "me first" attitude that can be so annoying in public, like:
"People throw their towels on the best chairs by the pool, even though they won't be swimming for hours. Sure, many people go without chairs. it's not WRONG- if Disney had a problem with it, they would do something about it (like add more chairs)."

"Yeah, I was waiting in line at the counter service restaurant for 10 minutes, but I didn't feel like looking at the menu then. Now that I'm at the counter and have the CM's attention, I think I'll stare at the menu for 10 more minutes, and hold up the line for everyone else."

"I'm on the Disney Dining Plan, so I'm going to order the most expensive thing on the menu. I don't even LIKE calamari, but hey- I paid for the Dining Plan, I'm going to use it!"

Fr those of you who don't visit the DVC forum, check it out. You hardly find ANY threads like that there. If someone posts a comment like "I switched rooms three times because the view didn't match all of my requests", someone else will respond "You changed rooms three times? That's three more room cleanings! That's all coming out of my maintenance dues!" People's actions at WDW, even when they seem small and insignificant, affect many other people. It's your option as to whether you CARE about that or not, but it's true.

I agree that a misguided sense of entitlement is a very ugly thing. I think that the original post had to do more with being spoken to rudely, rather than taking Disney for all it's worth.

I have only had positive experiences w/ Disney. I wouldn't assume, nor would I want, CMs bending over backwards to kiss my ***. But I don't need to be treated like I'm inconveniencing someone by asking a question.

As for the people in the parks who eat food that disgusts them to get their money's worth, torture their kids with crying, sleep deprived fits while brawling in line with their spouse - man, I've never seen anything like that. Yeah, I've seen kids have tantrums, and parents fight, that's not specific to Disney. Then again, we're not night park people. My kids are in bed by 9. So maybe I'm missing the night time debauchery & abuse while sleeping.

Ponder where this reputation for quality customer service came from in the first place. Did the 1st vacationers to Disney bring an expectation with them that they forced employees to uphold. Or was it management's goal from the get go to deliver a vacation experience like no other? Maybe the blame should rest with whomever came up with this idea of superior customer service in the first place. They use the phrase "magic" like it's in the air over there. It's not too hard to figure that people expect something out of the ordinary.

 

[Texa]

I make MANY compliments however - and if you do get a great CM, you can ask them to send you to the compliment line. It only takes a minute, and they get a nice write-up.

That's a great idea! I'll have to remember that one.

I mean the idea about the compliment line.

 

[Anna114]

Denise,
Thanks for that info I never knew about it. I had one CM who was just the greatest. He was getting excited for me. I wrote his name down and haven't as of yet send out a letter. Now I know I can call and use the compliment line.

Have a magical day,
Anna

If you get someone who you don't feel is being very rude, ask for a supervisor. I call Disney many times on most days, and only get a few a year who are bad enough to ask for a supervisor on. I make MANY compliments however - and if you do get a great CM, you can ask them to send you to the compliment line. It only takes a minute, and they get a nice write-up.

 

[hollandopolis]

OK, first off...we do get paid hourly BUT we also get paid extras....ok for example: a waitress has 10 tables for one night....NONE of the table tip her. rude yes but none of those people realized that servers get tips..SAME kind of thing. We make reservations and those reservations add up and...yeah it's kinda like the tip. If you call in asking questions and taking time and make NO ADR's...thats JUST like not tipping the waitress. So even if you call to change around a couple reservations, if you move one to the next day..you are still givings us tips, if you will. make sense?

and to comment about the Raglan Road post, I'm sure everyone knows Disney CONSTANTLY changes thing..and I'm sorry to say the the CM's you are talking to obviously are either not paying attention to the changes or just don't care. BUT the people in charge don't really tell us properly about the changes to begin with. So not all of that is the cm's fault. and also there are now cm's that work at home so they don't really get alot of information that the other cm's do.
And about the comment before about the cm's sounds robotic...cm's HAVE to say certain things, that's just the way it is. we get call monitored and yes...we read lots of things while in the call...*I* try to personalize everything, I hate sounding robotic but it seems some agents don't mind.

They are encouraged by their supervisor to quickly get the guest off the phone, don't make small talk, and answer another waiting phone.

That's true, however...most dine cm's don't ONLY do dining, they also do all recreation and tickets..so supervisors tell us not to start a convo but ask certain types of questions. but yes, quickly and to the point.

Sorry for the long post but I felt I needed to say stuff

 

[Anna114]

Well I just called Disney Dining and they switched me to the compliment line, it's a voicemail system. I left a compliment for a conversation I had had on Feb 12th (he made that much of an impression on me) We are all quick enough to complain I try to be quick enough to compliment. Anywho, here's the email address I was given if you don't want to call long distance.

wdw.guest.communications@disneyworld.com

I haven't used it yet but there it is. Thanks again Denise for the info.

Have a magical day,
Anna

 

[Lorelai]

and also there are now cm's that work at home so they don't really get alot of information that the other cm's do.
And about the comment before about the cm's sounds robotic...cm's HAVE to say certain things, that's just the way it is. we get call monitored and yes...we read lots of things while in the call...*I* try to personalize everything, I hate sounding robotic but it seems some agents don't mind.

Thank you for offering a first hand point of view. It's good to hear how the actual CMs feel.

So then, as long as people actually make, or change, their reservation while on the phone with you, you still get compensated?

And also, I'd be interested in hearing if the reservation CMs are all offered the chance to work from home, or is it considered a comp for those who have been working in reservations for a long time? I didn't even realize that working from home was done in relation to the reservations.

Thanks again!

 

[Texa]

That's great info Hollandopolis! Thanks for that. I too would like to know if they got "tips" from changes as well as new reservations. I would feel better if I knew that my calls were helping a CM out!

 

[shasess]

OK, first off...we do get paid hourly BUT we also get paid extras....ok for example: a waitress has 10 tables for one night....NONE of the table tip her. rude yes but none of those people realized that servers get tips..SAME kind of thing. We make reservations and those reservations add up and...yeah it's kinda like the tip. If you call in asking questions and taking time and make NO ADR's...thats JUST like not tipping the waitress. So even if you call to change around a couple reservations, if you move one to the next day..you are still givings us tips, if you will. make sense?

and to comment about the Raglan Road post, I'm sure everyone knows Disney CONSTANTLY changes thing..and I'm sorry to say the the CM's you are talking to obviously are either not paying attention to the changes or just don't care. BUT the people in charge don't really tell us properly about the changes to begin with. So not all of that is the cm's fault. and also there are now cm's that work at home so they don't really get alot of information that the other cm's do.
And about the comment before about the cm's sounds robotic...cm's HAVE to say certain things, that's just the way it is. we get call monitored and yes...we read lots of things while in the call...*I* try to personalize everything, I hate sounding robotic but it seems some agents don't mind.



That's true, however...most dine cm's don't ONLY do dining, they also do all recreation and tickets..so supervisors tell us not to start a convo but ask certain types of questions. but yes, quickly and to the point.

Sorry for the long post but I felt I needed to say stuff

I'm sorry but I have to disagree with part of your statement. If Disney only wanted CM's to book ADR's and not answer any questions then they might as well use an automated service which would save Disney alot of money. It could easily be done if you think about it. Actually in alot of instances I wish they had an automated service or allowed people to make ADR's online. It would actually be alot quicker for me because I dont generally ask alot of questions when I make ADR's or any Disney reservations. I'm willing to guess that alot of people would prefer to book online or use an auto. service. Just as there are alot of people who have a million questions and change their ADR's a million times and would never use an automated service...that's one reason why Disney has a live person on the other end of the phone....to answer questions.
You know what I worked for a company that converted to an automated service and alot of people lost their jobs. I'm sure no one wants that.
Also I have to agree with you 100% that management does not always provide their employees with up to date info and that's not the CM's fault.

 

[nbodyhome]

Denise,
Thanks for that info I never knew about it. I had one CM who was just the greatest. He was getting excited for me. I wrote his name down and haven't as of yet send out a letter. Now I know I can call and use the compliment line.

Have a magical day,
Anna

Hi Anna!

You can also write to Disney - but I prefer just to make sure that it's done when I call DRC (so that the email doesn't have to be channeled, I can just leave a voice mail).

It is really great when you compliment a CM - and I always think that maybe it will help the good ones stay longer.

 

[nbodyhome]

I'm sorry but I have to disagree with part of your statement. If Disney only wanted CM's to book ADR's and not answer any questions then they might as well use an automated service which would save Disney alot of money..

Disney does encourage more booking online, and I'd not be surprised that at some point, everything will be bookable online. And really, I'd not be surprised if it's in the not-so-distant-future.

Disney is not looking for agents to have protracted conversations with guests. When I worked there, I had a higher call length than most agents, because I could talk in detail about pretty much everything. That wasn't something that was looked well upon. They want efficiency - to sell the product. That is the main reason that those agents are there. I do believe they grade the agents on friendliness and such as well, but it IS a sales job.
It is nice when you can get someone who is both efficient, friendly, and especially interested in Disney - and there are many agents who are all of those.

 

[shasess]

Disney does encourage more booking online, and I'd not be surprised that at some point, everything will be bookable online. And really, I'd not be surprised if it's in the not-so-distant-future.

Disney is not looking for agents to have protracted conversations with guests. When I worked there, I had a higher call length than most agents, because I could talk in detail about pretty much everything. That wasn't something that was looked well upon. They want efficiency - to sell the product. That is the main reason that those agents are there. I do believe they grade the agents on friendliness and such as well, but it IS a sales job.
It is nice when you can get someone who is both efficient, friendly, and especially interested in Disney - and there are many agents who are all of those.

And they cant "sell the product" without answering questions!

 

[hollandopolis]

And also, I'd be interested in hearing if the reservation CMs are all offered the chance to work from home, or is it considered a comp for those who have been working in reservations for a long time? I didn't even realize that working from home was done in relation to the reservations.

No, the people who work at home are the handicap people or something, it has nothing to do with how long you've been with Disney..

And they cant "sell the product" without answering questions!

I never said they don't want to answer questions, my goodness. Read my post again..I said we DO ask questions. why ask when we can't answer any..

 

[mistydoodles]

Really, I don't mean to be a troll. I'm trying to be honest here.

I think many of you expect too much from Disney.

Just reading the posts here:
1) you know that these Cast Members make far less money than you do.
2) You expect them to not only answer your questions, but be EXCITED about a trip they're not going on.
3) You expect them to deal with rude people (and sometimes, that rude person is YOU), and yet always be super happy to talk to you, 100% of the time.
4) Disney training fixes everything- it gives you immediate, unlimited knowledge of everthing Disney, an infinite supply of patience, and a love for you that surpasses your dog's.


I'm not saying that you should expect bad service. I'm just saying that it's unreasonable to expect ALL of the above 100% of the time.

Why not? Disney COULD get the people you're looking for- people who have eaten in every restaurant, who get paid enough to put up with every rude remark, who give 100% great customer service every time because it's ingrained in them as human beings.

But they can't, because it would cost too much. It's like leaving your shopping cart in the grocery store parking lot, instead of putting it back in the cart corral. Every one of you who calls back 20 times to change your reservation is costing Disney money. If each call lasts 10 minutes, and you've called 12 times, you've just used up TWO HOURS of cast member time! What are they making, maybe $8-10 per hour? You've just wasted $20? Then add in the extra costs of health care and other benefits- if you just look at the restaurants alone, you've already caused Disney to LOSE money!

"BUT I PAID FOR IT!!" You say. Yes, you paid hundreds or thousands of dollars on your trip, and you're going to get your money's worth! Fine. But by spending Disney's money frivolously- by spending far MORE than they expect the average person to spend- you are RAISING their costs.

And when they raise their costs, they have to raise ticket prices, food prices, hotel prices, and everything else.


I'm not saying that you can't go on rides, or eat dinner, or anything else. Just think about letting go of the "It's my right!" attitude, and be REASONABLE. Because when you're not, you're raising the cost of MY vacation.

And that's what bothers me.

AMEN!!!!!!

I work in customer service and I have to tell you that no one can be happy 100% of the time. We are all real people and have things going on in our lives that maybe make us have a bad day once in awhile just like everyone else.

I have never yelled or been down right rude with a customer but I know that there have been times when I would just complete their request with little conversation or without any care in the world of what the weather is outside. I have completed the transaction and then wished them a nice day and waited to move on to the next demanding customer.

99% of the time I will be extremely friendly and go above and beyond what the customer expects but there are days that I may just not be at my best.

Another thing I want to point out about our society - Why is it that we all think it is okay for us to yell or be rude to the customer service representative but the moment the rep doesn't meet our high expectations we want to know their name and supervisors name.?????? I understand if the person curses you out or something but if they just aren't overly friendly then I don't think we need to try and get them fired.

Just my opinion.

Thanks.

 

[Fionasmommy]

Actually in alot of instances I wish they had an automated service or allowed people to make ADR's online. It would actually be alot quicker for me because I dont generally ask alot of questions when I make ADR's or any Disney reservations. I'm willing to guess that alot of people would prefer to book online or use an auto. service.

I totally agree! Actually, when I first started planning our trip I was really surprised to learn that there wasn't an online system in place for booking dining ADR's or activities. Not that I have anything against calling - I'm just the type that does everything online, often times after hours, and I always appreciate it when businesses provide online tools.

Like you, I don't usually have a lot of questions that I need to ask a CM - I get those answered on the DIS! And I also think it would be incredibly helpful to be able to access and print a complete list of your ADR's - with location details, confirmation numbers and any notes attached to specific reservations. Just print out a copy the night before you leave and you're good to go! I would love that!!

That said, I don't think it should replace the phone CRO by any means, as it's very helpful to be able to call them with questions and I'm sure just as many people prefer to make plans that way.

 

[KJHawley]

Another thing I want to point out about our society - Why is it that we all think it is okay for us to yell or be rude to the customer service representative but the moment the rep doesn't meet our high expectations we want to know their name and supervisors name.?????? I understand if the person curses you out or something but if they just aren't overly friendly then I don't think we need to try and get them fired.

Just my opinion.

Thanks.

I AGREE!! I don't know if I read this anywhere in this thread or not, but I've seen this response here many times: "I'm generally a nice person, but if someone's rude to me then I bite back!!" To me, that is the DEFINITION of being rude. Chances are, 90% of the time the person you're talking to was not rude on purpose- maybe they're having a bad day, maybe you interpreted their actions differently than what they meant, etc.

I handle complaints like this every once in a while- someone says "Your employee was rude, and should be fired!" I try to take the focus OFF the "rude" employee- "trust me, we will deal with the employee. But now that the incident is OVER, what can I do to make YOU feel better?" I sometimes even suggest things, like discounts, free items, you name it.

The amazing thing to me is that it almost NEVER works! The ONLY thing these customers want is for me to call the employee back, berate him or her in front of the customer, and then fire them on the spot! Once I tell them that we'd like to focus on THE CUSTOMER and making THE CUSTOMER happy, they really have nothing else to say!

Why is it that some people's happiness depends on making others miserable?

 

[KJHawley]

As for the people in the parks who eat food that disgusts them to get their money's worth, torture their kids with crying, sleep deprived fits while brawling in line with their spouse - man, I've never seen anything like that. Yeah, I've seen kids have tantrums, and parents fight, that's not specific to Disney. Then again, we're not night park people. My kids are in bed by 9. So maybe I'm missing the night time debauchery & abuse while sleeping.

Ponder where this reputation for quality customer service came from in the first place. Did the 1st vacationers to Disney bring an expectation with them that they forced employees to uphold. Or was it management's goal from the get go to deliver a vacation experience like no other? Maybe the blame should rest with whomever came up with this idea of superior customer service in the first place. They use the phrase "magic" like it's in the air over there. It's not too hard to figure that people expect something out of the ordinary.

As to the first part- I see that kind of behavior all the time, but it is usually at night. It must be because it is late at night, and many of these families have been going nonstop all day. I guess they just don't know when to quit.


As to the "magic" in the air. I think it has a lot to do with Disney being one of the original theme park companies. Back in the 50's, if you wanted to be successful you had to give great customer service. Labor was cheap, so you hired lots of people and had them bend over backward to help everyone. Gas stations were full service- someone pumped your gas, checked your oil, and washed your windows. I can't imagine a gas station attendant even being pleasant now!

I was reading an article by Jay Leno in Popular Mechanics recently (he's a car nut, so he writes there often). As a collector of old cars, he was talking about how labor-intensive old cars are to repair. Back then, it was cheaper to pay someone to put 32 screws in than to have a machine do it. Now, robots put whole cars together. As he summed up, "Back then, labor was cheap but technology was expensive. Now, technology is cheap but labor is expensive."

So, Disney's customer service has been "labor intensive" since it began. It was a wonderful idea 50 years ago. Undoubtedly, Disney wants to keep a reputation for being customer friendly, but they just can't afford the "full service" they used to give. No one can.

 

[mistydoodles]

Why is it that some people's happiness depends on making others miserable?

I think it is because it makes them feel more powerful.

All they care about is that they felt they weren't treated right so now that person must pay. They don't care that what they are requesting is an outrageous price to pay.

Obviously if the rep is down right rude then they do deserve to go, but if they are just trying to complete the transaction and don't ask you about your kids or what the weather is like outside then I don't see the reason to demand to speak to their supervisors.

That is just my opinion.

 

[Disneynut25]

[/QUOTE]I never said they don't want to answer questions, my goodness. Read my post again..I said we DO ask questions. why ask when we can't answer any.. [/QUOTE]

[/QUOTE]If you call in asking questions and taking time and make NO ADR's...thats JUST like not tipping the waitress.[/QUOTE]

No but you implied that the only thing CM's are there to do is to book reservations not answer questions....You can not have one without the other...Maybe you need to read your post again...

 

[Lorelai]

So, Disney's customer service has been "labor intensive" since it began. It was a wonderful idea 50 years ago. Undoubtedly, Disney wants to keep a reputation for being customer friendly, but they just can't afford the "full service" they used to give. No one can.

The management is swimming against the current. Disney is trying hard to maintain that "magical" experience in a very jaded time. Not an easy thing to do.

Everyone just wants to complete the task and move on. There is a serious decrease in face to face human contact today. I say this as I type my opinions onto a message board - how weird is that?? Technology is amazing, but some of it's effects are sad.

As for my local gas station, I actually know my attendant. We make small talk while the tank is filling. l try and put real effort into the human contact I make every day. If someone is stand offish, or rude - it makes me more determined to make a connection. I'm sure that half of those people just want me to leave them alone, but the other half come around - and a connection is made.

Maybe when you try and put the focus back on your customers, rather than their fury against your employees, you are turning the mirror a bit. Maybe even though they still complain, they leave you and think - boy, I was a real jerk, why did I do that?? Maybe not. But at least you tried to make a postive turn for them.