unhelpful CM

[Britt7]

I just called to book our room only reservation for January and got a very unhelpful CM. I could barely hear her to start with and then she did not answer any of my questions. I asked a question about making ADR's and she acted very confused - I realize she is not in this department, but she just said "Oh I don't know - just start calling in August". I then called the ADR line and found out that I can start making my ADR (CRT and Chef Mickey only) in two days!! I would have missed it and DD3 will be so upset if she does not get CRT. ANyway - I was very upset about the total experience and still had tons of questions. I called back got a different CM and she was GREAT. She answered ALL my question and even offered info about ADR's without me asking. I am now able to relax and countdown the days until WDW!! Just wanted to vent!

 

[AJKMOM]

These days, some of the people who answer the phines don't know anything. I would bet some have never even been to WDW. The best advice from DIS'ers would be to hang up and try again, that's what you did, that's what I would do. You hope you don't get the same person twice, although I read here that it happened to some poor soul.

 

[larryz]

I've had a few instances where I've had to ask the CM if they could hear me -- because I could hardly hear them. I suppose they had their boom mics pulled up out of the way, 'cause I could hear them make an adjustment and - BAM - I could hear them like they were in the same room. As for our latest resort ressies, our CM taking the list actually prompted me to make reservations, and I'm super glad she did, 'cause last night in the MK was a ZOO! If we hadn't had TS ressies (at Tony's, by the way, which was GrrrrrrEAT!) we'd a been sittin' for an hour or two waiting for a no-show.

Anyway, like a true DISer, you knew to call someone else, and got what you needed. Isn't this board GrrrrrEAT???

 

[kaffinito]

I had a lady too who was really hard to hear, and one who had a very heavy accent that I had trouble understanding. I just got off the phone with them and called back. But on the whole, the CM's at CRO have been incredibly awesome! Especially "Tucker" and "Passion" - they were the best!

 

[WickedWench]

Make sure you take the time to compliment the CM's who are good so that they can be rewarded for a job well done.

 

[GSLand]

I called to add days to our December trip. I was very disappointed with the lack of helpfulness of the CM. I made reservations for the extra days with an on-line TA. Got MUCH more help, and wondered why I had not used this service for the whole trip!

 

[Amy&Dan]

This is why I will not deal with Disney directly. I use Debbie Lasher at Dreams Unlimited. She is a Disney travel specialist, she makes the ADR's for you, is extremely prompt and I have used her for mulitple trips and a Disney Cruise Line trip as well.

If you like, pm me and I can give you her email address.

I just get way too tired of having to deal with people who don't know as much as I do at CRO, don't speak English and it takes too much time, all on my nickle!

I emailed Debbie very late on Thursday night (like past 1:00 a.m.) to make a room only reservation for October. By lunch on Friday, she had gotten back to me with pricing (the room was on hold) and my reservation was all set.

 

[mbanks21]

...

 

[tiger4me2]

By chance did you take the survey after the call? Did you get her/his name. If so call back & asked to speak to a supervisor. I made two dining ADR & the person didn't understand English very well & she made them in a phone number was not even close to mine except for two numbers. Found this out when I called back to cancel one of them & the CM asked for my phone number & she couldn't find it. Then I gave her the number presto it was under another phone number. She changed it & said let check all your ADR's for your upcoming trips in case. They were fine but she ask who I talk to & I gave her the name & asked if I did the survey I said no. She said she would talk to the supersivor about it as she knew the person & she said the person doesn't speak English very good or understand it. Sad state of affairs if you ask me.

 

[zefyr]

I'm not surprised...I called the dining reservation line and told the CM I wanted to change a few of my ADR's...he said 'what are ADRs?' I thought he was kidding so I said "ya know...dining reservations." He replied "Oh, I've never heard them called that." And he was serious....I know Disney changes the 'term for dining reservations' but I know in the last, what, two years they've been referred to as ADRs.

Lesson learned...some CM are well informed and other, well, aren't. If you don't get a good CM hang up and call again. Thankfully I've only encountered a handful of clueless or less than helpful CMs.

 

[kaffinito]

Make sure you take the time to compliment the CM's who are good so that they can be rewarded for a job well done.

Is their an e-mail address I can use to contact Disney to praise the really outstanding CM's at the CRO? I seem to remember seeing something like that a while back....

 

[maj42169]

Had the same experience myself..........the CM was hard to hear, lots of background noise going on..........she just kept asking me if she could help with a dining reservation. I think I told her yes three or four times before she asked for the date and place........I told her 1900 Park Fare for dinner on Nov. 23 and she told me I couldn't book for that yet.........I told her I already booked all of my other ADRs in May and she said again.......yes, but you can not book for that yet.....She was clueless. I just thanked her and hung up, called back and got another CM

 

[kaytieeldr]

These days, some of the people who answer the phines don't know anything. I would bet some have never even been to WDW.

And you would be 100% correct. Many don't even live in the Orlando area.

 

[jerseygal]

A friend of mine 2 weeks ago called 3 Different Disney Resorts....
She kept asking for the Front Desk and Told the Person(I guess it was at the Call Center) to check because she really needed the correct answer!

Anyway, as recent as 2 weeks ago, she was told by the "Front Desk" at 3 different resorts, that the refillable mugs were "Resort Specific" and were NOT GENERIC MUGS! That info was important to her because she was contemplating a split stay! They emphatically told her that the Refillable Mugs were NOT GENERIC AND WERE RESORT SPECIFIC! Sadly, future guests make certain decisions based upon erroneous information!

Misinformed?????????????????

 

[disnut8]

I'm not surprised...I called the dining reservation line and told the CM I wanted to change a few of my ADR's...he said 'what are ADRs?' I thought he was kidding so I said "ya know...dining reservations." He replied "Oh, I've never heard them called that." And he was serious....I know Disney changes the 'term for dining reservations' but I know in the last, what, two years they've been referred to as ADRs.

ADRs is an abbreviation used on here. It's not a Disney term. Believe it or not, the percentage of DISers who call Disney World is very small.

 

[TheRustyScupper]

1) CRO employees go through six weeks of training.
2) Your CM probably just wanted to get you off the line quickly.
3) Ressie people have an average monthly hourly sales quota to maintain.
4) If their monthly hourly quota dips,
. . . they will miss their up to 2x hourly pay bonus
. . . three monthly quotas missed during one year can mean termination

NOTE: Ressie people used to have a nice job, but with the quota system, their job has become very stressful. Some hurry the guests a little too much, but such is human nature.

 

[mbanks21]

...

 

[Luv2Roam]

I don't know that anyone would really get a front desk if they asked for it. (Imagine all the calls a front desk would get.)
Most likely the "front desk" was just another call center. Just judging by the Dis and what I see, the mugs are generic, but there is signage they are only good during that specific resort stay. (But let's not start THAT debate! )

 

[livndisney]

I have had several "interesting" calls with CM's at CRO. The funniest was the dining CM who wanted to know WHICH castle at WDW I wanted to eat at.

 

[Luv2Roam]

I would answer -- the pink one at the Studios. (ToT)