Tensions rise at Disney Reservations Center!!!

[Got Quattro?]

This is solely a management problem.

If I could book a AAA discount online like EVERY OTHER hotel in America...I wouldn't have had to even make the call.

If their employees were adequately trained, I bet the call would have been shorter than 30 minutes (I was put on hold for about 8 minutes after I told her I needed two double beds, the woman came back and told me "mam, those rooms come with two queens, not doubles. ". This is fairly basic stuff - of course two queens was just fine...the point was I needed TWO beds...I don't think it should have taken her 8 minutes to get that straight.

Sorry, just ranting.

Also, management should know that a happy employee is a more productive employee. They should give them adequate breaks - it will also cut down on workmans comp cases for carple tunnel syndrom and eye disorders (from staring at a computer screen constantly.)

Untill you actually work in a call center, please do not comment. your ignorance upsets me.

Do not flame me, but the average call center employee is near the bottom of the us work force food chain. Just above janitor and hotel maid. The good ones who show promise and apply themselves, are quickly promoted up the chain.

The people who are left on the phone, get plenty of break time, and plenty of off line time for training and moral events. The fact is, they are un educated past high school, and have little or no self motivation to do a good job above the minimum that is required.

That is why most US call centers are closing. You can go to india, malaysia, afriica, and have a college educated worker NON UNION mind you, you will do the same job for 25% of the pay as our US employees. In out telcom it was US $1.23 cost per minute, versus INDIA $.04 cost per minye. Do the math at 10 minutes x 100 calls a day......x x # of emplyess.

Even if the indian person does a bad job, and you the consumer has to call back a second time, it is still a win situation for the company.

Even though people say they want to speak to an american call center rep, they would put up with an accent before they would put up with higher rates for what ever product it is.

So give the CRO management team a break.

 

[Laugh O. Grams]

Untill you actually work in a call center, please do not comment. your ignorance upsets me.

Holy smokes!!! Got Quatro, if the flames start to burn...remember...Stop, Drop, and Roll!!!! I'll be standing over here with a bucket of water and a first aid kit!

 

[BostonRob]

Dare I say the U word. They need a union to protect the basics ~ food , bathroom , benefits etc. QUOTE]

Why, would you like to pay even more for your hotel rooms?

 

[zagafi]

They do have a system - they announce them when they see the need for discounts, and not before.

I don't necessarily agree with that. Historically, codes are released at the same time each year for a given block of dates. There's no way they're waiting to see "the need". If they were, the releases would very likely be far more erratic.

 

[poohluvrs]

Guess I've been lucky, we've called 2 or 3 times to book our trip which is several months away, and the 1st time had a gentleman who was very enthusiastic, friendly, knowledgable, just plain super (reading this I wish we'd gotten his name so we could let his supervisor know how impressed we were...) and the other 2 times we had women who were both friendly and efficient (these calls were only regarding ME and room questions...) but no complaints..I believe a lot of your experience is what you give on your end as well as far as expectations and attitudes...had I seen this board before I booked I may have been expecting a hard time from CRO CM's and may have prejudged them....but they have all been great IMO!

 

[Puffy2]

So give the CRO management team a break

Oh, excuse my ignorance, I should have been grateful to wait 30 minutes while this moron tried to make a reservation for me that should have taken her 5 minutes, tops. And kudos to the management team who trained her so well before letting her loose to book those over priced reservations.

If Disney didn't have a reputation for having the highest in customer service, we might not expect so much from them. But they pride themselves on being the best of the best; or they used to. Perhaps the Disney dream has faded.

 

[Got Quattro?]

Oh, excuse my ignorance, I should have been grateful to wait 30 minutes while this moron tried to make a reservation for me that should have taken her 5 minutes, tops. And kudos to the management team who trained her so well before letting her loose to book those over priced reservations.

If Disney didn't have a reputation for having the highest in customer service, we might not expect so much from them. But they pride themselves on being the best of the best; or they used to. Perhaps the Disney dream has faded.

Less than half of the general disney call volume is taken by an actual disney employee. They have outsourced to external call centers. that's why you sometimes get people on the phone who act as if the have no idea that a mono-rail is.

It cost far too much money to ramp up additional volume support for calls. the cheaper and better buisness option is to higher an external agency to do overflow. But you do suffer on the customer service issues.

 

[Gymbomom]

I have a VERY hard time understanding why it takes a CM 10 minutes to book a hotel room, with all my requests, etc.
And it takes another one over 45 minutes???
Even if they were talking to me, telling me, I am sorry our computer is held up, slow, whatever.....I could understand and not have a problem with it at all!
But do not disrespect me by putting me on hold for 32 minutes to "check" my resort????
I do not get upset by much, I always try to work from the standpoint you get more with sugar than vinegar...but I still can have the opinion that this is one area where Disney has failed for me. JMO

 

[Lewisc]

The airlines give you incentives to booking on-line. Disney is the opposite, you have to call to get some of the better rates.

You can use a DU link on this website to book S/D. It'll book AP, Entertainment card and most other discounts. You can book fan club and AP rates on the Universal website. Disney doesn't do any of this. I'm sure one of the reasons is to have an opportunity to up sell packages: tickets and dining.

 

[momof2inPA]

Do not flame me, but the average call center employee is near the bottom of the us work force food chain. Just above janitor and hotel maid. The good ones who show promise and apply themselves, are quickly promoted up the chain.

The people who are left on the phone, get plenty of break time, and plenty of off line time for training and moral events. The fact is, they are un educated past high school, and have little or no self motivation to do a good job above the minimum that is required.

Unfortunately, this is the business model that Disney seems to be striving toward. Where Disney formerly would "hire" quality employees, train them well, and treat them decently, now they are the capitalistic status quo and it shows. Unfortunately, like the car companies of the 1980's, they won't see the light until business diminishes and judging from the crowds that isn't happening.

Personally, I would gladly pay a few more buck for a room if the service were better and the employees nicer.

Bring on the "Disney is a Business" posts.

 

[Sammie]

Of course if folks didn't call 12 times a day for codes life would be easier LOL! (And you KNOW at least a few callers get mean when they don't get the code)

I agree completely. I never call until I am ready to book something. I get all the code info I ever need right here at the DIS.

 

[EEyorelover22]

They do the same thing with the catalog and non-Disney employees answer their phones at times. The op about firing people doesn't surprise me either. I can't remember the time frame, but one morning they came in at the catalog call center and told all the night time employees..."bye, you're fired." No notice. I have known many people who have worked for Disney and Disney is not known for treating it's employees very well...at least not the minimum wage/lower paid ones. The push to book dining doesn't surprise me either. There are time limits for the catalog employees that they can talk with a call and they are told to keep their calls under a certain time limit.

 

[WendyinNC]

I thought you might be interested to know that WDW is sending out postcards to log in and complete an on-line survey regarding your experience with the Reservation Center. I just received one today. I booked my vacation about a week or two ago. Did anybody else receive this?

 

[CaipiraBob]

I had my "experience" today with someone who seemed pretty surly. I was trying to add another day to our stay. I understand why they may have not been in such a "magical" mood.

That didn't stop me from making up a quick excuse and hanging up when I heard the tone in their voice. I'm sorry they have a problem but I refuse to make theirs mine.

 

[disnutt]

The airlines give you incentives to booking on-line. Disney is the opposite, you have to call to get some of the better rates.

You can use a DU link on this website to book S/D. It'll book AP, Entertainment card and most other discounts. You can book fan club and AP rates on the Universal website. Disney doesn't do any of this. I'm sure one of the reasons is to have an opportunity to up sell packages: tickets and dining.

Don't try to book online for Disney then call with a question. The CM can't find the information half the time even with the reservation number. I had 2 CM who were very kind while looking for the ressie but I got one who couldn't have been more clueless. I finally asked her if she wanted me to hang up so I could call and get another CM. She didn't even seem to know how to pass my call through to anyone else or ask for help. I hope they taped that one for training purposes.

 

[blueeyez]

TwingleMum, just remember a union is only as good as the leaders. I don't think that's always the answer.

 

[momof2inPA]

TwingleMum, just remember a union is only as good as the leaders. I don't think that's always the answer.

A union is also only as powerful as the resolve of its employees, and sometimes it's the ONLY answer.

 

[Got Quattro?]

A union is also only as powerful as the resolve of its employees, and sometimes it's the ONLY answer.

Unions are no longer needed in todays world.

gone are the days of 14 hour work days and 5 year old children working the line.

unions now only cater to the status quo, giving no incentive to go above and beyond.

"my union contract gives me 5 paid sick days a year. I am taking off the week of christmas because I never get sick"

The above is the mentallity todays union fosters.

 

[momof2inPA]

Unions are there to counteract management who, despite their inability to spell or type coherent responses, treat their employees as chattel.

 

[SleepingUgly]

Every complaint issued here about Disney can be said for just about every other corporation in the US today. Look around you -- customer service is a thing of the past. You go to Best Buy -- there are bratty teenagers standing around, chit-chatting with each other instead of helping customers. You go to Walmart -- the cashier is talking on the phone and doesn't greet the customer. You go to McDonalds -- the cashier doesn't know the product she's selling, and if you ask a question that requires her to think "outside the box," she gets all flustered and confused.

What's amazing to me these days is most times, after I make a purchase at a dept store or a grocery store, I am the person who says "Thank you" to the cashier, instead of the other way around.

Perhaps it's not Disney with whom we should be upset. Perhaps it's the overall work ethic the average employee these days.

But like someone said, if the demand is there, it does not really matter (sadly) the lack of customer service. People will still go to Best Buy and Walmart because the products are cheaper than their competitors. People will still go to McDonald's because it's fast food at a decent price. For every disgruntled customer who has hung up on Disney, there are 10 more patient enough to wait and be on hold and to spend their money. Disney has no worries. Even if it loses the magic, it will always have a client base. The Disney name sells itself.

Linda