why is membership services closed on weekends

[bicker]

Originally posted by GAIL HAYDEN
Online reservations, IMHO, are the way to go.

That would be an excellent, and money-saving enhancement.

 

[TnRobin]

These people who cannot make personal phone calls from work don't have lunch hours or are not at home on the night that MS is open? Next we will want Sunday hours too, cause we are too busy on Sat. to make the call.

While I no longer work for a place like this, it has not been long since I worked for an employer received a log of all phone calls made from our phones. We had to identify all calls made that were not to a known "work-related" place. This was regardless of the time they were made. Needless to say I don't work there anymore.

I agree that online reservations would be wonderful.

 

[timC]

With over 100 people manning phones

Wow. Is that true? I never knew it was that big. Check this out.

MS agents = 100
Assume 50 calls per day per agent.

= 5,000 calls/day
= 1,300,000 calls/yr
= AVERAGE 17 calls/yr per member (~75K members)

Now. I've got 420 points, and make 2 trips/yr, which is a little higher than average according to the polls on this forum... I make maybe 4 calls/yr.

What in the world is everyone making so may calls for?

 

[Bugeye]

I'm casting my vote with HBC. Put in a web-based reservation system and then look at ridirecting some of the existing resources to later hours or some weekend hours.

 

[Desperado]

Originally posted by Werner Weiss
One big advantage of the current, single-shift, Monday-Friday hours is that this arrangement allows Member Services to hire and keep good people.

Unlike typical call center employees — or most other service sector employees, for that matter — the MS CMs always have weekends off, and, aside from the slightly later hours once a week, they never have to work evenings or nights.

That's good for the CMs, and that's good for us — because we get to plan our DVC stays with experienced, committed, knowlegable, long-term employees.

I'll bet there are some experienced, committed, knowlegable, long-term employees who wouldn't mind 4 ten hour days and three days off in a row. There are many scheduling options they may well prefer. Adding some evening and reasonable saturday hours sounds like a great option.

 

[Desperado]

Originally posted by Werner Weiss
One big advantage of the current, single-shift, Monday-Friday hours is that this arrangement allows Member Services to hire and keep good people.

Unlike typical call center employees — or most other service sector employees, for that matter — the MS CMs always have weekends off, and, aside from the slightly later hours once a week, they never have to work evenings or nights.

That's good for the CMs, and that's good for us — because we get to plan our DVC stays with experienced, committed, knowlegable, long-term employees.

I'll bet there are some experienced, committed, knowlegable, long-term employees who wouldn't mind 4 ten hour days and three days off in a row. There are many scheduling options they may well prefer. Adding some evening and reasonable saturday hours sounds like a great option.

Originally posted by timC
Wow. Is that true? I never knew it was that big. Check this out.

MS agents = 100
Assume 50 calls per day per agent.

= 5,000 calls/day
= 1,300,000 calls/yr
= AVERAGE 17 calls/yr per member (~75K members)

Now. I've got 420 points, and make 2 trips/yr, which is a little higher than average according to the polls on this forum... I make maybe 4 calls/yr.

What in the world is everyone making so may calls for?

Great point. Maybe it is those recemmending that people call each day of thier vacation to get rooms they think may be difficult to get at the 7 month window. That practice would certainly seem to add to the workload.

 

[Johnnie Fedora]

I don't think that I agree with the comment that the only qualified staff that Disney can find work M-F, 9-5. Many CMs work hours other than 9-5, and still are able to be knowlegable and professional. Ever dine, visit the parks, eat in a restaurant after 5pm? How about call CRO or DCL after 5pm?

As far as members paying for extended hours, shifting some of the staff to some later or Saturday hours, won't necessarily cost more money.

 

[crisi]

Online self service would save money.....?????

It would cost millions of dollars to web enable the application. You would be getting rid of some (but not all) cheap employees. But you would also have to have the current MS employees perform "help desk" type functions when people couldn't use the online systems. And hire a number of expensive IT employees to support the system once its running (not to mention the developers who would design and build the darn thing). Then there is the cost of the hardware and software itself - the initial purchase, maintenance, etc.

Some of the functions that may not be currently built into the system, but the CM do as process (like linking reservations), would need to be reengineered for the system - or would be lost functionality. The user interface would need to be designed to handle people who have never been trained on the application and don't necessarily understand the rules (can you imagine banking and borrowing errors through a web interface? What a can of worms! "I didn't mean to borrow those points!") as opposed to the CMs who can be trained in the system, can be trained in a new process, and can be trained to understand the rules. It isn't that this couldn't be done, its just that doing this is what makes the system so expensive.

Nope, I doubt there is any ROI in web enabling the software.

(This is my husband's and my field - I don't do many end user web projects, but that is what he does for a living - they hemmorage money).

 

[GAIL HAYDEN]

Originally posted by timC
Wow. Is that true? I never knew it was that big. Check this out.

MS agents = 100
Assume 50 calls per day per agent.

= 5,000 calls/day
= 1,300,000 calls/yr
= AVERAGE 17 calls/yr per member (~75K members)

Now. I've got 420 points, and make 2 trips/yr, which is a little higher than average according to the polls on this forum... I make maybe 4 calls/yr.

What in the world is everyone making so may calls for?

I probably make 4 a year (and that is probably pushing it). I call to make reservations and then only call if I have to change something. In reality, I have probably called 3x's in 2003.

I, too, would love to know why the average is so high.

 

[GAIL HAYDEN]

Originally posted by Bugeye
I'm casting my vote with HBC. Put in a web-based reservation system and then look at ridirecting some of the existing resources to later hours or some weekend hours.

If you had a HBC, why would you need later or weekend hours?
You should be able to handle the vast majority of requests on the net.

 

[GAIL HAYDEN]

Originally posted by crisi
Online self service would save money.....?????

It would cost millions of dollars to web enable the application. You would be getting rid of some (but not all) cheap employees. But you would also have to have the current MS employees perform "help desk" type functions when people couldn't use the online systems. And hire a number of expensive IT employees to support the system once its running (not to mention the developers who would design and build the darn thing). Then there is the cost of the hardware and software itself - the initial purchase, maintenance, etc.

Some of the functions that may not be currently built into the system, but the CM do as process (like linking reservations), would need to be reengineered for the system - or would be lost functionality. The user interface would need to be designed to handle people who have never been trained on the application and don't necessarily understand the rules (can you imagine banking and borrowing errors through a web interface? What a can of worms! "I didn't mean to borrow those points!") as opposed to the CMs who can be trained in the system, can be trained in a new process, and can be trained to understand the rules. It isn't that this couldn't be done, its just that doing this is what makes the system so expensive.

Nope, I doubt there is any ROI in web enabling the software.

(This is my husband's and my field - I don't do many end user web projects, but that is what he does for a living - they hemmorage money).

In the long run, it saves money. Look around the net, just about anything you need is web based. Car rentals, airline rentals, hotel reservations, etc. As to your arguement about "I didn't mean to bank the points" there could be a prompt inserted asking if they want to continue with this transaction with a disclaimer. IE: Try shutting down your computer the normal without it asking if you really want to shut it down. Not a can of worms at all, it would acutally force people to read before they did something (amazing concept, eh?). My former husband does this also, and he love it and it is a top drug company and they do, indeed, hemmorage money. Dee also does this for a living. I guess that is why I am so pro web based anything. Add to that the fact I detest phones and I guess that is why I am so biased.

 

[crisi]

Car rental agencies, hotels and especially airlines have been able to get return on investment because they no longer need to pay travel agents commissions (or not like they used to). DVC doesn't have this expense to save money on. The only place they will save is in headcount.

There may eventually be a payback on this, but it would be years out with the size of the investment. By the time you start factoring in the interest on the investment, it may not be there at all.

I hate the phone, too. And I'd love a web interface. But I wouldn't pay more dues for it, and I doubt the ROI is even there. As we've discussed, it costs them an arm and a leg to clean a room - I can't imagine what it costs Disney to develop systems.

 

[Johnnie Fedora]

Having just the ability to look up your member account and see pending reservations, available points in various use years, pending waitlists, etc. would save many calls to MS.

How many DVCer track their points with post-it notes?

The telephone reservation system gives all members an equal shot at making premier season reservations. Can you picture the web based competition for New Years Eve. I picture DVCers poised at their terminal ready to click SEND at exactly 12:00am, Jan 1st...Forget the New Years kiss, you've got a trip to book!!!

Web based reservations after the 6 month window where there is less competition would likely work well.

 

[Desperado]

Originally posted by crisi
Online self service would save money.....?????

It would cost millions of dollars to web enable the application. You would be getting rid of some (but not all) cheap employees. But you would also have to have the current MS employees perform "help desk" type functions when people couldn't use the online systems. And hire a number of expensive IT employees to support the system once its running (not to mention the developers who would design and build the darn thing). Then there is the cost of the hardware and software itself - the initial purchase, maintenance, etc.

Some of the functions that may not be currently built into the system, but the CM do as process (like linking reservations), would need to be reengineered for the system - or would be lost functionality. The user interface would need to be designed to handle people who have never been trained on the application and don't necessarily understand the rules (can you imagine banking and borrowing errors through a web interface? What a can of worms! "I didn't mean to borrow those points!") as opposed to the CMs who can be trained in the system, can be trained in a new process, and can be trained to understand the rules. It isn't that this couldn't be done, its just that doing this is what makes the system so expensive.

Nope, I doubt there is any ROI in web enabling the software.

(This is my husband's and my field - I don't do many end user web projects, but that is what he does for a living - they hemmorage money).

Great point. Thanks for sharing the expertise. We're dreaming. Since DVC already has the front end investment there's no additional payoff unless it's cost savings from current expenses. And those are already built into the model.

 

[bicker]

Originally posted by Johnnie Fedora
I don't think that I agree with the comment that the only qualified staff that Disney can find work M-F, 9-5.

Me neither.

By the same token, I know I'm the best person at what I do (at least right now), and I know that I rather work M-F, 8-5 -- that there is very little my company could say me to get me to work later.

As far as members paying for extended hours, shifting some of the staff to some later or Saturday hours, won't necessarily cost more money.

I suppose if my employer offered me, say 30% more to work 12-9 instead of 8-5, I'd do it.

 

[bicker]

Originally posted by crisi
Online self service would save money.....?????

Yes.

It would cost millions of dollars to web enable the application.

I could do it for about $50,000. Disney would probably want someone to do it who would be able to treat it like a mission-critical application (I'm too old for that!), so let's say $100,000.

You would be getting rid of some (but not all) cheap employees.

Even if they only are able to reduce six positions, that'll be a savings of at least $200,000 per year, right, so even if they have to have one IT person, it'll break-even within the first year. Plus, the whole point was to offer services 24/7, so it'll save money AND result in the additional service some members want.

(This is my husband's and my field - I don't do many end user web projects, but that is what he does for a living - they hemmorage money).

Then, sorry to say, he's not doing it correct.

 

[JimC]

My preference is to invest in an online account management and reservation system before adding CMs to extend call hours. If the existing CM complement could be redeployed to prvide coverage over a greater number of hours, that would be fine as well.

 

[timC]

I manage projects for a big ecommerce site for a living, and I can tell you, unfortunately, that it would take a $$million budget to build and maintain a commercial grade capability. The trick would be in getting the budget, but I believe there would be substantial savings long-term.

If MS has a 100 agents today, if they don't do something soon, SSR and EP will drive this to 150. They simply can't keep status quo long-term. Automation and self-serve capabilities will be key to keeping our dues in check.... If not, the alternative (outsource off-shore) could be a highly undesired reality.

Also, they might consider cutting out some services. Why are people calling MS for dining ressies? There's a perfectly good dining line, which my dues don't have to fund.

 

[FriendsOfEeyore]

Tim,

People call MS for dining services for 2 reasons.

#1 it is a toll free call vs. the 407 #.

#2, When we bought into DVC, this is one of the Member Benefits that was presented and is listed in the guide book.

Honestly, the "hold time" at MS during the lunch hour is less than that of Dining Services.