The One Bad Apple in the DDP Bunch!

[bicker]

It sounds like the waiter didn't realize the cards were from different rooms.

Oh, this makes a lot of sense. I could just imagine some guests handing the servers two room keys for the same reservation and thinking that the guest was trying to pass them off as room keys for different reservations, even though it would be relatively easy to tell by just looking more closely. I suspect many of the restaurants are becoming over-sensitized to these possibilities, because of how much abuse the auditing of the Dining Plan must be showing.

 

[bicker]

Was the server able to verify that there were not enough adult credits left on the card?

Unfortunately, the system doesn't have that capability. So the only way they can do their job is to guess who is and who isn't abusing things. It really is a bad situation, for all concerned, and that's why there is so much concern about it from both sides.

However, he should not raise an issue until the card is declined.

Again, that doesn't address the abuse issues. They have to raise the issue based on the numbers on the cards. This server should have looked at the cards more closely, and/or done better math.

 

[BlindTyldak]

Unfortunately, the system doesn't have that capability. So the only way they can do their job is to guess who is and who isn't abusing things. It really is a bad situation, for all concerned, and that's why there is so much concern about it from both sides.

Again, that doesn't address the abuse issues. They have to raise the issue based on the numbers on the cards. This server should have looked at the cards more closely, and/or done better math.

So you admit then, that the server was in fact in the wrong, because he did not do his job correctly in checking first to see if they were in fact covered even at the most obvious level.

Have you ever taken one of those employment personality tests where you have to rate statements? Most tests incluse a variant of the following statement:

"I believe that most people will be dishonest if they feel they will benefit."

The potential employee is to rate how much they agree with that statement. And know which answer most employers are looking for? One that leans toward disagree, because people who agree with it are very likely to give good customers a hard time for a few bad ones, and assume everyone is trying to get away with something.

I for one would be incredibly upset if I was questioned about my use of the DDP at the parks, where we are fully planning on paying OOP for some meals and using the plan for others, and on some days will likely split it up as to some of us will use it and some will pay cash. Not because I want to rip off the plan, but because I may want to order my DD an adult appetiser for her meal, which her credit will not allow, and save her credit for another day, or I may not be hungry and again, want to save the TS credit. If a single waiter gives me an attitude about the possibility of using a child credit for an adult meal, which I have no intention of doing, I will immediately be asking for their manager to discuss their implication that I planned on being dishonest on no proof. I get the feeling that you advocate this, and all I can say is, thank goodness you don't work in the parks, I think we'd have your job within a week.

 

[bicker]

So you admit then

Admit?

that the server was in fact in the wrong, because he did not do his job correctly in checking first to see if they were in fact covered even at the most obvious level.

As Lewis indicated, it could be that the server assumed the cards were for the same room. They shouldn't be making assumptions like that, but rather looking at the card numbers to ensure that they are for different reservations. (They must differ in digits prior to the last two digits, which are just sequence numbers.)

I for one would be incredibly upset if I was questioned about my use of the DDP at the parks

I wouldn't be upset at all. They call them questions, so they can be answered, and thereby issues raised can be resolved. If folks address such questions in an honest, unfront and cooperative manner, they'll surely have much better results than taking such questions personally, objecting to being questioned, or being uncooperative. Guests who confront rather than cooperate not only make their own trip less enjoyable, they make the CM's jobs less enjoyable, and that in turn, makes everyone else's trip less enjoyable.

It's very similar to the relationship between passengers and TSA officers at airports, these days. Passengers should be cooperating, not confronting the system.

 

[katiedid0801]

Unfortunately, the system doesn't have that capability. So the only way they can do their job is to guess who is and who isn't abusing things. It really is a bad situation, for all concerned, and that's why there is so much concern about it from both sides.

Are you saying that the system can't tell how many credits have already been used? If that's the case I would think there could be all kinds of abuse of the DPP.

 

[bicker]

The system can tell how many credits have been used, but that's not enough information to address the abuse, unfortunately. Rumor is that they're working on system changes in that regard.

 

[ExPirateShopGirl]

Sounds like the OP was trying to use credits appropriately. It's too bad the waiter didn't really look at the cards before spouting off. It's not his business to know or ask why all 7 weren't using credits. As far as policing goes, his only responsibility was to determine whether there were at least the same number of adults listed between the two cards as were present at the table and dining. End of Story.

 

[Uncleromulus]

That's about right. Too many arguments going on here. End of story.