That Famous Disney Service

[Mouseaholic!!!]

I'm probably too close to this to discuss it rationally because I have a couple of dear friends who are castmembers.

I know how hard they work, how much they sacrifice and how much the job actually means to them personally and professionally..

I've witnessed so many instances of CM's I don't know going way above and beyond ...

And while it doesn't always happen everytime you'd hope it would -- it happens way more there than any other corporately owned entity I've ever been a customer of.

I do remember in 1995 on my first trip to Disney, we stayed at All Star Music. I remember returning from the parks one day and all of our clothes were folded neatly and stacked in a tidy fashion! I was shocked, cause we sure hadn't left 'em that way.

That hasn't really happened more recently - but then I'm sure there was probably someone who claimed 'such and such' article of clothing is missing and it was here this morning or who knows.. and now they're not allowed to do such things.

Who knows..

I'm still amazed with each trip to Disney and there are precious few places I travel these days where that holds true.

Knox

Want to see service like it used to be at WDW....try a cruise. We are always so pleasantly surprised when we cruise. Last summer we were married onboard and no one....absolutely no one could have done more to make our day special than the crew of the Radiance of the Seas.

We said it for two weeks - week on land at Princess Resorts and a week on the Radiance.

Again, competition. There is so much competition in the cruise industry they use service as one way to set themselves apart.

I remember, seems like a lifetime ago, when the Disney Magic first arrived. I was in the Travel Industry and the first few months on the ship were beyond rough in comparison to other ships. Disney decided they were going to do it THEIR way and oh my gosh was that beautiful ship panned. I cruised twice in the first 6 weeks....the food was sub-standard and they just didn't get the concept of service. I will give Disney credit - they learned very fast.

Knowing folks on the inside, Royal Caribbean has continual training for it's onboard staff of each cruiseship and shoreside staff who come in contact with customers and agents. This makes a difference.

We were traveling in Alaska with other Castmembers who ALL said........this is the way Disney USED to be.


I know the castmembers at WDW work very hard and their situations are not always filled with Pixie dust. I do not discredit them at all. They just need more training and they need more help (payroll cutbacks have not made it easier).

Disney will have competition soon when Four Seasons and the new moderate-level hotel rooms start opening in 2010. With on-site competition they will have to face the music like they did on the Disney Magic and hire more staff and train them better and we will ALL enjoy the differences....castmembers and guests.

 

[eliza61]

We were traveling in Alaska with other Castmembers who ALL said........this is the way Disney USED to be.
I know the castmembers at WDW work very hard and their situations are not always filled with Pixie dust. I do not discredit them at all. They just need more training and they need more help (payroll cutbacks have not made it easier).

Disney will have competition soon when Four Seasons and the new moderate-level hotel rooms start opening in 2010. With on-site competition they will have to face the music like they did on the Disney Magic and hire more staff and train them better and we will ALL enjoy the differences....castmembers and guests.

The only problem I have with comparing the "good ole days" is that we can say that about EVERY thing.

I remember when you used to have gas pumped for you, plus your windows cleaned.

I remember when Department stores use to give you boxes and shopping bags for Free. I absolutely hate that some stores actually charge you for bags or boxes.
Heck, don't even get me started on customer service at the mall, we're lucky if the teenager behind the register gets off her cell phone.
Is it fair to continuely compare things to 1980's, or 90's standards?

 

[Jenvenza]

I have also always had outstanding service from Disney, and do think they are "World Class" when it comes to entertainment, hotels and service. I always go there expecting a lot, and I have never been disappointed. I hope it stays that way. I think the CM's do an outstanding job and deserve praise for what they do.

 

[hannaconda]

I have to noticed a change. In 06 we went and while riding the buses it was fun. We had several drivers interact with the guest to make the time go by faster. Now I will admit that at 12:00 at night when they try to cram you in a small bus like sardines I got testie but she started it and I was tired and kindly explained to her that I would wait for another bus and she snapped at me but left me alone when she saw I was not happy with her. In 07 was different. You get on the bus and they now play a tape. No interaction. I was speaking to one of the drivers about the change and he said it was to the high turnover rate. After futher conversation I found out why and like some of you have stated is low pay. How sad I thought. Now I know that Disney does alot. A company like Disney who bases its business off of cs jsut might need to go back revamp a few things. Will that ever happen I doubt it. But all in all my trips have been good. Last year I had trash to be taken out and instead of just leaving it out in the open I asked where the dumpster was and the responce from house keeping was I no speak english. All in all I have enjoyed my stays and will continue many more.

 

[Tink888]

I have to noticed a change. In 06 we went and while riding the buses it was fun. We had several drivers interact with the guest to make the time go by faster. Now I will admit that at 12:00 at night when they try to cram you in a small bus like sardines I got testie but she started it and I was tired and kindly explained to her that I would wait for another bus and she snapped at me but left me alone when she saw I was not happy with her. In 07 was different. You get on the bus and they now play a tape. No interaction. I was speaking to one of the drivers about the change and he said it was to the high turnover rate. After futher conversation I found out why and like some of you have stated is low pay. How sad I thought. Now I know that Disney does alot. A company like Disney who bases its business off of cs jsut might need to go back revamp a few things. Will that ever happen I doubt it. But all in all my trips have been good. Last year I had trash to be taken out and instead of just leaving it out in the open I asked where the dumpster was and the responce from house keeping was I no speak english. All in all I have enjoyed my stays and will continue many more.

We noticed the new tapes they play on the busses on our last trip in Nov. I thought they were horrible. Hands down, some of the very best CMs at Disney are the bus drivers. There have been so many bus drivers who added to the magic of my trip with their interaction. There was one driver who had the entire bus sing happy b-day to me (and then I had to sing back to them). Made me feel like a little kid again and one of the highlights of my trip. Another, her name is Sonia, I think, who was from Brazil - she was just fantastic lightening everyone up on a crowded bus after a long day at the parks. Need to know something? Ask a bus driver. I really missed the special something they brought to the rides to and from the park. Disney, if you read these posts - PLEASE GET RID OF THE TAPES. And if there are any drivers out there who might see this - THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU! YOU GUYS ROCK! Keep talking during the rides - you make us laugh, you make the ride fun, you guys are the best!

 

[brergnat]

I recall as a child in the 70s going to Disneyland. At any hour of the day or night, one could have eaten off Main Street. The park was that clean. Those days are long gone. Why? It costs more than ever, even in inflation-adjusted dollars, for a family to spend a day at a Disney park.

The hotels are outrageously expensive and the deluxes offer a product that can't even remotely compare -- on any level -- to a non-Disney deluxe resort.

I chalk it all up to corporate greed and our willingness to keep paying, even as the overall product declines steadily.

Just wanted to point out, DisneyLAND is still like that. It is immaculately clean all the time, from Main Street down to the bathrooms. I know. I go there every week with my kids. My youngest son is 2 and will pick up garbage from the floor and put it in his mouth...I never have to worry about him doing that at DL...there is never garbage on the ground. There are still street sweepers all over the parks, picking up everything the second it touches the ground. Every bathroom at DL and DCA ALWAYS has an attendant in it. In fact, I didn't realize until reading this post that the ones at WDW don't. Who empties the trash cans and wipes down the sinks? I suppose those bathrooms get messy. I was just at WDW in 2007, but I really didn't notice super disgusting bathrooms. But I digress...

As for the Deluxe resorts/outrageous prices. You said it yourself...it is "our willingness to pay" that keeps the prices up there. Disney needs to make money. They will push the prices as high as they can, and as long as people keep paying, they have no incentive to lower them. You can be assured that if society as a whole decided to boycott the deluxe resorts and stay off property, Disney would change their prices if their occupancy dropped off by enough to hurt them. It's all a balancing act.

I agree that the price of the Disney hotels is ridiculous, BUT I AM willing to pay it. It's not so much the actual room, it's the experience tied to staying "in the middle of the magic". You can't compare that to ANY outside hotel, I don't care how nice the view from the room is.

As for customer service, at Disney and elsewhere, you get out of it what you put in. If you are nice, courteous, polite, and friendly, people will be that way back to you. I see it everywhere I go. I used to work in retail management and it was amazing to see how nice people would be to you when you helped them with something, and it was always my pleasure to change a customer's bad mood by being friendly and offering to help in any way I could. What we learned where we worked was to use the phrase "what do YOU think is a fair way to solve this problem?" When you turn things around on the customer, the "gimmies" tend to go away. They realize that they are being ridiculous and demanding, and they tend to get humbled by being asked "what is fair?" I can't tell you how many times we dealt with problem customers this way, and they always left happy and were return customers (after they swore they would never come back).

I don't think the problem lies with the CM's...I think the problem is within our society as a whole. Too many people are just downright mean these days. Unfortunately, sometimes Disney hires these types of people too.

 

[morgy827]

I don't think that the problem has to do with Disney service or the CM's...at least not the entire problem anyway. I can't count the number of times that I have held a door or elevator or some other polite gesture for someone...at DIsney and elsewhere...and don't even get a Thank-you in response. Or how many times does someone bang in to you and not say sorry?? This happens to me all of the time. I was raised to say "please, thank-you, sorry, etc" I can't imagine that the majority of people are any politer to the CM's than they are to the average person walking around in a theme park. If everyone followed the "you treat others the way you want to be treated" rule...that we ALL learned at a very young age...I think in general all service industries would be much more pleasant and willing to go out of their way to make you, the customer, happy.
Just my $0.02.

 

[mickey&minniealways]

It is hard not to go back to the addage do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Then there is those who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones. Or my grandfathers favorite, this is how he told me I should live my life, the Lord will give back to us tenfold what we give to others. My grandmother explained it a different way. Smile at others and be pleasant. They are more likely to smile back and every once in a while you might even get a hug. Maybe at Disney more people are expecting those hugs and a bit to often without offering up the smile first.

 

[Glenn]

I first visited WDW in 1985. Yes things are very different. Lots has to do with the guests i think. Back then people wanted to forget the world. No cell phones, no newspapers. Only 2 parks & yes there were line cutters but nothing like now days. I remember sing alongs on the busses, jokes and more people being a laid back mood. Now days that seems to have vanished for the most part. Seen pushing maches, almost a fist fight over a picture & lots of rude behavior. The parks are not as well maintained, dirty streets (yes more slobs), dirty bathrooms. Ive seen overflowing trash cans that hadnt been emptied for awhile (same broken upbrella on top).
I feel sorry for many of the CM. Poor wages, lack of training, co workers in some cases that dont care, rude public. I wonder what the turn over is now compared to the 80s & 90s. With what Disney charges you would think they could pay more to the CM without denting the bottom line much. Lots of companies that have tried to charge the most but pay out the least have self destructed. I know 2 couples that have stopped going over the last 3 yrs because they feel its not worth the money any more. Sorry about bein long.

 

[stemikger]

On my last trip I overheard a guy talking on his cell phone saying that the Disney customer service is not what it used to be.

I do find small changes in service, but I still think they are the best in the industry when it comes to making people happy.

 

[Uncleromulus]

For the enomous amount of $$$ you are paying for the DIsney experience, Disney Service SHOULD be top-notch at all times.
No--today's service isn't quite up to what it used to be. Disney struggles with the manpower pool in filling positions and more and more "average" CM"s continually slip in.
And for many of those ,the Disney Traditions course they give at Casting (do they still give that??) goes in one Mouse ear and out the other.
But I do agree with the change in guest behavior too--that's gone steeply downhill over the years and certainly can bring out bad "feelings' in even the most loyal and well trained CM.

 

[hogwartsdropout]

Yes they still do traditions.

I have had great guest service at POR which is the resort we always stay at. Everytime we go back, it is still fantastic service. Last time, we had a CM who went all out and got us the best water view room that he could, just because he felt like it!

 

[RJD]

I don't think the service is what it used to be although we've never had any bad experience with a CM and alot of good ones. But in general, the parks don't seem as clean, I've noticed things looking a bit more rundown (not everywhere in the World, just things here & there). And we've occasionally had grouchy bus drivers. But for the most part, I still think the service is way above average and I always have a magical time in the World.

 

[DJ Disney Kid]

Its just too big. Back in the day you only had to staff the Magic Kingdom. Theres just too many parks with castmembers to make sure that everyone is above and beyond expectations. I don't think people give Disney enough credit for getting as many positive happy people as they currently have.

 

[JB2K]

I have to agree -- my first visit to WDW was in 1978.

Back in those days, you had three main groups of people who went to WDW:

1. Locals (Florida residents)

2. Those who lived within a day's drive

3. The "elite" who could afford to fly, there.

Enter airline deregulation -- suddenly, we had lower prices across the board, and a lot more people from far away places who couldn't otherwise afford to get there, were traveling to WDW.

And with more people comes a lot more demand -- Epcot in '82, and later-on, DHS and AK -- and a lot more hotels/resorts (from the original two plus what is now Shades of Green)!

Of course, the Walt Disney Company grew, too -- in the 70's, their main line of business was still movie-making (DL and WDW were still small-enough to play second fiddle to the feature film business as the other forms of media -- Cable Networks, Radio Stations, and ABC wouldn't fall under the Disney umbrella until the 80's and 90's).

By the 1990's, the WDC became a top-three media conglomerate (#3 to News Corp and Time Warner).

I'm sure in the bigger scheme of things, trying to juggle different forms of media and multiple resorts can be a challenge for the head of any large corporation (of the "big three", the WDC is the only company to run large theme parks/resorts).

Back to the subject, at hand, I do agree with an earlier post, DL (as of 2004) was still as clean as ever -- and WDW was still in good shape, given the HUGE number of visitors that pass-through those gates, every day.

In other words, WDW may not be quite as "perfect" as it once was, but, IMO, it still sets a pretty high standard...

 

[mickeymousemom]

Maybe its guests expecting too much? I go to Disney a lot and only expect what I purchase. I'm nice to them and they're nice to me. If I smile they smile, if there's a snafu then I try to figure out what happened and we fix it. I say "hello", "please" and "thank you". Its amazing how many CMs say "no one says hello or makes eye contact." It can be a real downer to be happy all the time and be grumbled at, or ignored.

Everyone has an off day, even at Disney. We don't know if that CM has a sick parent or child or had a fight with their significant other. Most of these people make magic for us for about seven bucks an hour. I think they do a pretty good job.

So say hello to your bus driver and the fastpass screener, and the person putting on the wristbands during EHM. It might just brighten their day and make them feel like they are appreciated too.

ITA!

We aren't picky when we're at DIsney. Sometimes we might notice a grumpy CM but it IS rare. Mostly its the guests that we notice.
And we always say thank you to the bus driver as we get off. I do it without thinking. The magic is there. Some people just look too hard for it.

 

[maxiesmom]

I think Disney is just an extension of our society. We as a general public have gotten more rude, short tempered and impatient, the people at disney are hired from the general public. I see it all the time in retail, customers will stay on the cell phone, never even stopping to thank the sales clerk, nobody says excuse me any more when they bump into you and since we want every thing cheaper, customer service is the first to go.

I live with this every day, as does every other person who works a job waiting on the general public. And you are so right! It is noticable that people are becoming more rude and more demanding, while less inclined to offer a hi or a thank you. Part of my job is to smile and say hi to customers, and you wouldn't believe how many people can't even be bothered to say hi back. I can't tell you how many times someone has bumped me or stepped on me, and can't even say I'm sorry. It is hard to be Susie Sunshine when you deal with that day in and day out. No amount of pay makes treating someone badly ok.

Having said that, I do think Disney made a big mistake when they cut down on training time for their CMs. But with the low unemployment they have in Florida it might be because they are in such a hurry to get people in positions NOW!

Also boards like this one do seem to give some people high expectations. Look at all the complaining when room requests are not met. Or when someone's birthday button does not net them instant goodies. Some people have such high expectations that they are bound to be disappointed.

I was at Disney in October, and never ran into a CM that was rude. They may not have made it rain sunshine and pixie dust, but I still had a great vacation, because I was excited to be at Disney World and I had the happiness in me to begin with. If you are grouchy going and look at the CMs to make you happy, you are not going to have a great vacation.

 

[fla4fun]

Yes they still do traditions.

However, it's a much, much shorter version than they used to do. It used to be about two weeks, then it went to one week, to a few days, and now down to a half a day. You obviously don't get the same amount of training in a half a day as you would in two weeks. You also don't get immursed in the WHY things are the way they are - the company history and "traditions" that made the Disney parks special from day one. With the announcements from the "other" parks about the new thrill rides they are adding to their parks, Disney needs to be on it's toes in all areas - including the training and treatment of CM's.

 

[colleen costello]

While most of the CMs I have encountered are WONDERFUL, there are quite a few more stinkers than there used to be, too. I have repeatedly seen CMs neglect their duties and chat while guests went ignored. My most notable examples involve the monorail, where I have watched CMs while waiting for the next train. I have seen them ignore people in wheelchairs, leaving the wheeled guest to get "trampled" by the rude rush of people, and I have seen them ignore the waiting guests to the point of safety issues. One time while waiting at the Contemporary, a man with a toddler in his arms walked out onto the platform while the incoming train was still MOVING. He got close enough to touch it. It scared the heck out of me... It looked as though the child this idiot was carrying would be squished... This incident was able to happen because the CM who should have been readying the crowd to load was down at the other end of the platform chatting with the 2nd CM... My husband I could not believe it! I told him Walt was probably rolling over in his grave.

I know the sad story of a friend of one of my friends. His lifelong career goal was to work for Disney, and he did for quite a few years. He finally left about two years ago, wooed by a rival company. He left with regret but could no longer stand the poor work environment in Orlando. His pay was terrible despite his professional training. He never knew what his schedule was from week to week. He tried to plan a family vacation and they would never let him know if he could have the time off. So many people had quit in his department that he was doing the work of 3, and with so few employees things just got worse for the remaining few. He finally just gave in and left. He misses being a CM but his current employer has treated him with respect and already promoted him to a job that is a better fit for his skills. My friend and I see his situation as an example of Disney's current inability to properly manage their greatest asset -- PEOPLE. Knowing his story always makes me look at rude CMs and imagine how hard it must be to perform at 100% for the public when you work for such an employer.

 

[*NikkiBell*]

Quite honestly, there *IS* a difference in service and few can deny that fact. I 100% attribute it to their hiring more part-time workers and decreasing the Traditions training.