Surprised by DCL Customer Service Response

[jetskigrl]

I completed my 9th and 10th cruises in October this year. For the second time (unfortunately), I did not receive my CC gift after the cruise. Since it was the platinum magnet after the 10th cruise, I was really hoping to receive it so I sent DCL an email asking them if they could check on it. I also checked with my cruise group and there were others on our sailing that did not receive their gifts either.

The first time it happened (August 2014), I emailed them and they sent the card right away. But this is what I received this time:

"I was surprised to hear that you didn't receive the art cards again this year after your sailings in October. Upon receiving your email, I contacted our marketing team and they confirmed the cards were mailed on November 3, 2015 to XXXXXX(address removed) and we have not received them back as undeliverable. it (sic) seems like there might be a problem with the post office and you may wish to contact them to begin an investigation.

We appreciate your understanding."

All I could think of is "wow, what a blow off." I don't know if they think I'm trying to scam them out of extra postcards because it happened twice or what. But I was really shocked by that response.

I sent a follow up email letting them know that of course the post office has no way to track a letter that I have no proof was even sent and did this mean that I was not going to receive my platinum magnet at all (since future cruises would only qualify for an art card).

I received a second response from a different CM saying they would send the magnet but could not send an art card (even though I completed two cruises). Again...what the heck?? I feel like I have some kind of black mark against me on my account or something (I did send them an email expressing my disappointment about the alcohol policy so who knows). I know others have also informed them that they did not receive their CC gift and the response was that the replacements would be sent right out. So why am I being told to check with the post office?

I did receive the magnet in the mail but now I'm really not sure what to think. I don't really care about the missing art card, but I have doubts about DCL customer service as a whole. What happens if I have a serious issue in the future? Am I going to receive the same type of blow off response? I know I should just forget it and move on, but for some reason, my faith in them as a company is really shaken by this silly little interaction.

Has anyone else encountered this with DCL customer service?

 

[JW9DVC]

I would just move on and don't let it worry you. You are receiving the magnet, although it took some emails and unwanted time. I agree, it's not your job to track down something, especially for a non track able envelope. A response maybe should have been we are sorry and will send a new one right away the first time.

JW

 

[cruisehopeful]

Since it is impossible for you to track a package that you didn't send, I do not understand why they would tell you that.

I doubt it has anything to do with your complaint about a policy change, but it may have something to do with you asking for a gift that you didn't receive before. When I worked at a popular zoo, members would often lose their guest passes and ask for replacements. If they were ever issued a replacement, it would stay on their record forever. We were not supposed to issue replacements to anyone who had ever been issued replacement before. There were exceptions made if their house burned down, etc, but it stayed in their membership record forever.

 

[bceagle76]

I never got the CC magnet after my 10th cruise.

 

[aggiedog]

Not to put words in the OP's mouth, but I think it's more the casual blow off "It's not our problem, it's yours" in light of the much touted high level of customer service that Disney is known for. It does not create warm fuzzies with a company in which he has obviously invested a significant amount of time and money.

 

[jetskigrl]

I would just move on and don't let it worry you. You are receiving the magnet, although it took some emails and unwanted time. I agree, it's not your job to track down something, especially for a non track able envelope. A response maybe should have been we are sorry and will send a new one right away the first time.

JW

Yeah, I know I shouldn't let it bother me but for some reason it is. I just worry that a more important issue may come up in the future and they will just blow me off again.

Since it is impossible for you to track a package that you didn't send, I do not understand why they would tell you that.

I doubt it has anything to do with your complaint about a policy change, but it may have something to do with you asking for a gift that you didn't receive before. When I worked at a popular zoo, members would often lose their guest passes and ask for replacements. If they were ever issued a replacement, it would stay on their record forever. We were not supposed to issue replacements to anyone who had ever been issued replacement before. There were exceptions made if their house burned down, etc, but it stayed in their membership record forever.

Thank you - that could be it. Although, if that were the case, it would be nice if they would have told me that was the reason. It would explain why they could send the magnet but not the postcard. But the items are both such minor things (costing them pennies, at most) that I can't understand why they would just blow off a customer over it.

I never got the CC magnet after my 10th cruise.

It seems to be pretty common. A few people in our cruise group did not receive anything either (nor did my Mom who was on the second cruise with me, but different address).

Not to put words in the OP's mouth, but I think it's more the casual blow off "It's not our problem, it's yours" in light of the much touted high level of customer service that Disney is known for. It does not create warm fuzzies with a company in which he has obviously invested a significant amount of time and money.

Yes - exactly. It does make me question what type of service I would receive from them in the future should something else (more significant) arise.

Thanks everyone for letting me vent here. I guess with so many years of Disney (between the parks and DCL), I have just gotten used to superior customer service from them. Hopefully this is just a one-off situation. But I guess I won't know that for sure unless something comes up that I really need their help with.

 

[MagicMe]

I received my magnet but it was a good 6 weeks after my cruise. Don't remember anything about a card. Normally I never receive anything after I've returned home.

 

[jetskigrl]

I received my magnet but it was a good 6 weeks after my cruise. Don't remember anything about a card. Normally I never receive anything after I've returned home.

You are supposed to receive a Silver magnet after your 1st cruise, Gold after your 5th and Platinum after your 10th. For your other cruises they send you an Art Card (postcard with an artist's rendering of one of the ships, etc).

Since it was my 9th and 10th cruises (B2B), I should have gotten the art card for the 9th and the platinum magnet for the 10th. They are supposed to arrive about 6 weeks after the cruise, I think. I waited until 8 weeks after the cruise to ask them about it (and only asked at all because I have never received a magnet before and I wanted the platinum magnet).

But it seems like it is hit or miss if they actually send them out since quite a few people report that they never got them.

 

[Club Disney Chandler]

I can't believe they wouldn't send another one of those stupid cards out. Do they really think you're trying to scam them?

That's insane. If I were you I'd be upset based on principal.

 

[jxhide]

slight OT, for these magnets do you get 1 magnet per person or is it stateroom/cabin?

 

[iloverags2]

I did not receive my Gold magnet, and when I called they pretty much said "too bad...but we will send you the silver one to compensate." I was like WTH? Whatever. So when I hit platinum, I will receive that one, but the gold will still be missing.

 

[aggiedog]

You are supposed to receive a Silver magnet after your 1st cruise,

Well, that never happened after our cruise. I just had no idea I was supposed to look for it. We just finished our second. I guess I should have expected a post card of some sort for that?

The things you learn here.

 

[tinkerone]

i'd be curious to know which cruise in October as I to did a b2b and only received one item. there is no way i could tell which cruise it would have been for either. i wonder if they just missed one cruise completely. not sure how that would happen but who knows.
glad you sent an email, i wouldn't even know who to send it to.

 

[Hundredacre]

It's the post office. They have become completely dysfunctional. We do not receive a lot of our mail. And we receive a lot of other people's mail.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

slight OT, for these magnets do you get 1 magnet per person or is it stateroom/cabin?

Hard to say. When they started the program, we had been Gold for a couple years already, but they sent us 2 magnets. When we recently completed our 10th cruise we got 1 magnet.

i'd be curious to know which cruise in October as I to did a b2b and only received one item. there is no way i could tell which cruise it would have been for either. i wonder if they just missed one cruise completely. not sure how that would happen but who knows.
glad you sent an email, i wouldn't even know who to send it to.

The art cards (as well as the magnets) are really hit or miss. We did a Dream cruise followed by a Fantasy B2B (3 cruises total) last year, and we received 2 art cards (both the same picture). Don't know if they were considering the B2B as one cruise or not.

 

[JanMW]

We have cruised 6 times with DCL and this is the first I have heard of pictures or magnets. Which goes to say we have never received either and didn't know we were supposed to. Oh well.

 

[Trera]

We frequently don't receive the art cards!

 

[jiminyC_fan]

We've been platinum for a few years now and never received anything but the gifts in the stateroom. I don't let it bother me.

 

[mmouse37]

Ha....34 DCL cruises and I HAVE NEVER RECEIVED A MAGNET.....I get the Art cards after each cruise but since they started the magnets I have never got one. Granted I was Platinum long before they started sending the CC magnets but heck I want one!!! I think I earned it.

MJ

 

[anricat]

Art card? Huh. I'd like to have one of those.