What CM's really think!

[Debbie H]

This is snippits from an email I got from a CM. Not pretty!

At OKW a manager will check a room to make sure it's okay if the guest is a VIP or if the guest is "requiring a lot of attention." The level of service there has gone wwaaaay downhill.
I know they're building DVC at animal kingdom lodge and at the contemp. (but I didn't tell you that). They just redid the whole contemp and are in the process of redoing the Grand. The problem with the vacation club is getting to be that they're making it so big (everyone is a member now) that there's nothing special about it. You dont get the perks etc. because half of the people that come to disney are members. And in all honesty i dont think it's worth it because you could get much much better service at the Grand for instance than at OKW. You want extra coffee? absolutly! You want us to run out and get you godiva chocolate - it would be easy! Free! Its service. And in all honesty DVC resorts has bred bad members...and so when members go to cast members no matter what the situation is, the cast member feels that they're trying to milk the situation. Probably because members have been there so often that they know what they should be getting and so cast members feel they have to work harder.

 

[calypso*a*go-go]

Probably because members have been there so often that they know what they should be getting and so cast members feel they have to work harder.

Maybe this was just phrased wrong -- but why shouldn't members get what they're supposed to? Plus, CM's don't have to work harder...they just need to do their jobs.

I'm sure there are some members that try to milk a situation for all it's worth, but you can't tell me that none of the guests @ non-DVC resorts don't have the same attitude/mentality. Evidence of that is on these boards everyday!

 

[Chuck S]

This is snippits from an email I got from a CM. Not pretty!

At OKW a manager will check a room to make sure it's okay if the guest is a VIP or if the guest is "requiring a lot of attention." The level of service there has gone wwaaaay downhill.

uhhh...has there ever been a time when a manager would check each room? Doubtful, isn't it? Imagine the time and delay to get in to our rooms if each had to be inspected by a manager, and the $$ that it would add to our dues.

You dont get the perks etc. because half of the people that come to disney are members. And in all honesty i dont think it's worth it because you could get much much better service at the Grand for instance than at OKW.

For what the GF charges, I would hope so. As far as "perks", I haven't noticed a major decrease since 1992, have you? And far fewer than half the folks at Disney were DVC members then. It also isn't true that half are members today. There are far fewer DVC rooms than CRO rooms, then add off-site guests and locals.

 

[Anthony1971]

I do understand there are a lot of people that are on the not so cheery that go to Disney.....they are better off staying home and complianing about???? more so lately.
On the same note CM's are paid for customer srevice and a high level at Disney if you can not be nice to people quit.
There is still a majority of people that go to Disney and work for Disney that go out of thier way to be nice to fellow guests and CM's.
And that is what makes DVC and cash payers alike have that special time Disney is famous for.

 

[Debbie H]

I need to clarify a few things. First, this email was sent to me off property, not on Disney's email. The cm gave me permission to post what I thought I wanted to. I had a PM stating that they thought I should not post something like this, I could get the cm in trouble, etc. Again, I had permission and no one, except me, knows who this cm is.

I posted it because people are complaining about the service, etc. We are not alone in our thoughts. Apparently some cm's feel it as well.

Chuck, I was told on our trip in June, before we could get in our GV that a manager has to check every room. I know that isn't true and so do you, but that's what we were told.

As far as GF, the cm was talking about members staying there on points. I guess I should have clarified that.

 

[spiceycat]

there were definitely some atitude problems at OKW. not from the guests from the CM.

I was trying to cash American Express cashier checks - first I was told not possible - by two of them.

had to demand a manager, she cashed them - then tried to imply that I asked for the wrong thing?????

sorry folks I see that - as not proper training probably by her.

yes, we had more benefits in 1992/1993. the bus drivers were friendly (and didn't get lost). the gardeners would give you flowers that they were cutting. nothing really big - but little things - that say alot to me anyway.

liked the book in the units that descripted everything. more pillows.

and the best benefit - passes were free! okay that was very much advertise for a limited time.

Disney training has gone down. they use to be the best. Now they certainly are not.

also the manager of the housekeeping takes advantage of his position. He took a maid who was cleaning my room and told her to clean another one. Sorry that is just WRONG.

plus for some unknown reason - housekeeping and front desk refuse to exchange notes. the front desk knows who is arriving early. either they have called or are on DME. for some unknown reason these are guests that ALWAYS get the 'sorry your room is not ready'.

now housekeeping knows which rooms needs to be ready. they send housekeepers to do it. they know which rooms will be ready first. So why can't they tell the front desk. this is not majority work or study.

also telling them that they don't get a room until 4pm - doesn't work when others come in and get a room immediately.

so glad someone here told me about 'room ready' - it worked like a charm!!!!

will definitely use it in the future.

 

[CarolAnnC]

I guess I missed the boat - I have never had a CM run out and get me Godiva Chocolates, LOL!

With 44 million visitors last year to the Orlando area, DVC members are hardly half of them. And I certainly wouldn't call them "bad". JMHO.

 

[jarestel]

Just as there are bad DVC members, there are certainly bad CMs. Being a CM requires no more of a character check than being a member does. So the CM who forms prejudical attitudes about all DVC members based on the actions of some is just as foolish as the DVC member who attributes the shortcomings of a few bad CMs to all of them.

I wouldn't trust the opinion of anyone who made broad, sweeping statements about any group of people. But that's just me. YMMV.

 

[wildernessDad]

The title of this post is what CM's think. I wonder if this ONE opinion is shared by the majority of CMs.

 

[goofy4dvc]

so glad someone here told me about 'room ready' - it worked like a charm!!!!QUOTE]

Could you explain "room ready"? I thought that meant that you just took whatever was ready when you got there. Is there something that guests need to request or do? Thanks!

 

[Donna]

I guess I missed the boat - I have never had a CM run out and get me Godiva Chocolates, LOL!

With 44 million visitors last year to the Orlando area, DVC members are hardly half of them. And I certainly wouldn't call them "bad". JMHO.

i think the wording was "half of the people that come to disney are members" not orlando area which would make the pot alot bigger. It certainly does seem that it's gotten that big to me and it certainly doesn't seem as special as it once was because of that size and because of the untrained CMs including MS CMs.

 

[calypso*a*go-go]

As far as GF, the cm was talking about members staying there on points. I guess I should have clarified that.

Do that many members really stay there on points? I'm thinking it must be a fairly small percentage and not a true sampling of DVC members.

 

[marcybear]

I am presently staying at various DVC resorts for 45 days--yes we own way too many points. Staying this long has entailed a great number of room as well as resort changes. This has given mea unique perspective on the check in process now and the attitude of some of the CM's.

Upon checking into OKW at 8:00 AM we were told the room was not ready--no problem, we'll be back at 4:00. At 4:00 room still not ready. 5:30 we were told our room (which they had given us the room number) was still not clean and they were going to give us a different room. Went to new room and it had not been cleaned--beds not made and dirty towels and trash all over. Called front desk and was told to stay in that room until original room was clean and someone would bring us new keys. At 6:30 we saw someone else checking into the room that we had been waiting for. Called front desk and after much begging was given the manager who gave us a new room. To me this is just not acceptable--waiting 11 hours to get a room and the CM's with one exception could have cared less. Their standard answer was that it is stated that the rooms would not be ready until after 4.

A week later checking into SSR the desk CM was very helpful and friendly, but when she had a question and went to the desk manager for help the woman was downright nasty to both me and my husband. We were not demanding anything--just hoping to get my split stay in a 1 bedroom and a studio booked into a lockoff so that moving my luggage would be easy. She was so hateful and told me "Look, we are very busy this month and we wouldn"t be able to do anything like that. We don't have time for these kind of questions" This at 7:30 AM on a Tuesday--not a real busy time. Again unacceptable behavior.

Another check in as SSR took 45 minutes and at the end of that time I was handed room keys with names that had nothing to do with me. Again attitude was oh well.

Today's checkin was great but way too often the experience and the CMs attitude start a great vacation on a very bad note.

Sorry this was so long--just had to vent.

 

[starbox]

Well, not to sound like a Polyanna, but we've had really great experiences across the board when staying at DVC - and I've stayed everywhere but BCV and stayed at SSR and VB more than once. The interaction with CMs has been a big part of what has made it special.

There are a few CMs that I've even heard from after our trips. I love the CMs. They are the magic.

 

[Sammie]

The only thing I can agree with is that DVC is getting too large to provide quality service.

 

[JimC]

...Chuck, I was told on our trip in June, before we could get in our GV that a manager has to check every room. I know that isn't true and so do you, but that's what we were told.....

I believe all rooms are supposed to be checked by a housekeeping supervisor before being released. Maybe the use of the term manager was imprecise?

 

[JimC]

... Being a CM requires no more of a character check than being a member does.....

I am not sure that is accurate. Disney screens its CMs before and after hiring and has a fairly efficient process for doing so. The problem is more likely the labor force shortage for low wage service jobs. This is clearly a Central Florida challenge, not just Disney.

 

[Donna]

The only thing I can agree with is that DVC is getting too large to provide quality service.

BINGO! and this is why i would think twice if i were doing it all over again. Had i known then what i know now, not so sure about being a member of such a large group. I've already had 10+ yrs of great vacations and with the exception of one stay at BWV, i never had any problems at check in or nasty CMs at the resorts. One thing i've noticed is that you felt more special back in the old days...now it seems you're just another guest wanting to get in your room and they barely make eye contact with you when you're standing there. thats not treating you bad, it's just not that special feeling that you got back when it meant something (to them) to be a dvc member.

 

[Sammie]

I am not sure that is accurate. Disney screens its CMs before and after hiring and has a fairly efficient process for doing so. The problem is more likely the labor force shortage for low wage service jobs. This is clearly a Central Florida challenge, not just Disney.

Definitely and its not getting any better, yet Disney keeps building. This is an issue I wish DVC would address.

 

[DVCconvert]

Being a CM requires no more of a character check than being a member does.

That's not likely exactly correct.
DVC would not likely refuse to sell a contract to someone like Jeffery Dahmer -- but he'd (or someone like that) would be alot less likely to get a job as a Cast Member.