Spoke to a Cast Member at the Polynesian yesterday

epcotisbest

Well-Known Member
Back on topic, @DisneyDebNJ we went over to the Poly on our trip last week and the construction, to me seemed very disruptive. I am sure those cabanas are going to be lovely, but they are not right now. The GCH with the waterfall gone is sad. You cannot make your own Dole Whips anymore. I just hope people understand it is not the fault of the CMs and treat them accordingly instead of taking their dismay out on them.
 

DisneyDebNJ

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Back on topic, @DisneyDebNJ we went over to the Poly on our trip last week and the construction, to me seemed very disruptive. I am sure those cabanas are going to be lovely, but they are not right now. The GCH with the waterfall gone is sad. You cannot make your own Dole Whips anymore. I just hope people understand it is not the fault of the CMs and treat them accordingly instead of taking their dismay out on them.
I was on the phone with a Poly CM for 45 mins yesterday. I truly understand, alot will be upset... but I travel during the Fall for Food and Wine and rarely used the Volcano Pool. Yes, the lobby is not what it once was, yes the Volcano Pool may be a thing of the past, yes, there are blockades.. but... people aren't forced to stay at the Poly. The mere fact that guests visiting for dinner only, and rake the CMs over the coals, is not fair. I stay at the Poly, and wish they did things in stages rather than all at once... but, not once did I, or would I, berate a CM. The Dole whip station at Capt Cooks was being abused by many. Foot high dole whips... c'mon, is that necessary? Now here's the clincher.. I never got a dole whip from Capt Cooks LOL. I understand change, as well as understand those who don't like change (to each their own) but I just don't see the necessity of taking out frustrations on CMs I guess.
 

epcotisbest

Well-Known Member
I was on the phone with a Poly CM for 45 mins yesterday. I truly understand, alot will be upset... but I travel during the Fall for Food and Wine and rarely used the Volcano Pool. Yes, the lobby is not what it once was, yes the Volcano Pool may be a thing of the past, yes, there are blockades.. but... people aren't forced to stay at the Poly. The mere fact that guests visiting for dinner only, and rake the CMs over the coals, is not fair. I stay at the Poly, and wish they did things in stages rather than all at once... but, not once did I, or would I, berate a CM. The Dole whip station at Capt Cooks was being abused by many. Foot high dole whips... c'mon, is that necessary? Now here's the clincher.. I never got a dole whip from Capt Cooks LOL. I understand change, as well as understand those who don't like change (to each their own) but I just don't see the necessity of taking out frustrations on CMs I guess.
Agreed, except for the foot high Dole Whips. If mine were only a foot high I would feel it was wimpy!
 

NiarrNDisney

Well-Known Member
Our annual Food and Wine trip is coming up, and with the construction at the Poly, we received a phone call yesterday regarding our longhouse requests. I spoke to a fabulous CM who handled my requests with the best of care. He apologized over and over for minor inconveniences due to Poly's upgrade, and when I informed him, it's not a big deal, it was time for the Poly to get a facelift, he couldn't have been more thankful. He told me how CMs are being berated and actually yelled at (some aren't even staying at the Poly but dining at Kona or O'hana) WHY?!?!?! I can understand first time guests, who aren't aware of the construction (how is that possible????) These CMs are doing the best they can, they did NOT make these choices for refurbs at the Poly. Can I ask that visitors keep it in check? I know many are upset, but please, don't take it out on the CMs. You can always write a nice post to guest services... Just keeping it real :)

Well said! I wish more people would just take a minute to relax, inhale and realize how you can catch more bees with sugar than with vinegar!
 

BigRedDad

Well-Known Member
Unfortunately, this is the new American way. People are going to berate the only person talking to them. The decision akers are NEVER customer facing. They are the ones sitting back collecting 6-, 7-, 8-figure incomes, stock options, and megabonuses. The CMs in the trenches are the ones that face the brutal assaults from the customers. This is the new American way in business. As an example, call your ISP or cable company when there is an outage. The first 2-3 people you get to are not technical support to fix the issue. Once you spend an hour getting to the right person, it is really only a 2 minute fix.

I am not 100% sure what they are refurbing. However, the best way to do it is in sections. Work on one longhouse at a time. As each completes, move to another. When you are refurbing the common area, close the resort and get it done quickly.
 

epcotisbest

Well-Known Member
Unfortunately, this is the new American way. People are going to berate the only person talking to them. The decision akers are NEVER customer facing. They are the ones sitting back collecting 6-, 7-, 8-figure incomes, stock options, and megabonuses. The CMs in the trenches are the ones that face the brutal assaults from the customers. This is the new American way in business. As an example, call your ISP or cable company when there is an outage. The first 2-3 people you get to are not technical support to fix the issue. Once you spend an hour getting to the right person, it is really only a 2 minute fix.

I am not 100% sure what they are refurbing. However, the best way to do it is in sections. Work on one longhouse at a time. As each completes, move to another. When you are refurbing the common area, close the resort and get it done quickly.
While walking around DTD last week I thought, "Why don't they just close this whole place down, come in here with all they've got and get this redo knocked out in a few months instead of a few years?" Same could apply to resort redo.
 

dreynolds1982

Active Member
As a former CM I can safely say that guests will complain about most anything, of course that is true of people just about anywhere, not just Disney. I worked retail (gift shops) at ToT and Coaster. One time, on the 4th of July, I had a guest come up to me while I was at Coaster photo sales complaining that she waited 2 hours to ride and had only been able to ride 3 rides all day because of the crowds and demanded a refund. First, not really sure what about Rockin Rollercoaster Photo Sales indicated that I have the power to issue full park refunds ha, and second it's 4th of July and you're complaining about crowds...really?

Also, I worked Fantasmic pre and post-show vending (glow carts) a bit. More than once when weather forced F! to cancel, I had guests demand a refund on their park admission...from me. Again, not sure what about my tray of $13 glowing plastic toys indicates that I have the power to issue full refunds ha, but give em credit for trying. Oh and of course a full refund after spending ALL day in the parks makes sense, right?

CMs do get abused quite a bit, but at least during my time, there were far more happy, grateful and pleasant guests than mean, bitter and unpleasant ones, and if anything, the mean ones made me appreciate the happy ones even more!
 

mickey2008.1

Well-Known Member
We went to Ohanas last week, the POLY is a wreck, and we knew that before hand. It needs a lot of work, carpets in GCH stairwells buckling. Ohanas food got way worse, as did service. No salads, only one time did some one ask us for a drink, burnt meat. They should have just closed the resort for six months and done it without customer interaction. Sorry for those staying there with full pricing. No need to be mad at cm's, but what an embarrassment on WDWS point.
 

alissafalco

Well-Known Member
We went to Ohanas last week, the POLY is a wreck, and we knew that before hand. It needs a lot of work, carpets in GCH stairwells buckling. Ohanas food got way worse, as did service. No salads, only one time did some one ask us for a drink, burnt meat. They should have just closed the resort for six months and done it without customer interaction. Sorry for those staying there with full pricing. No need to be mad at cm's, but what an embarrassment on WDWS point.
Don't be sorry for the people staying there paying full price, they know full well about the construction, they are the fools!
 

Figaro928

Well-Known Member
OK this is not a Disney story - but it is my favorite customer relations story EVER . I was at a McDonalds on line being my normal fatty self when guy BARGED in bright red and ed off. Evidently he had gone through the drive thru, had a specific request and they had gotten it wrong. He cut right up to the front of the line throwing his order, screaming, "I specifically asked for no cheese & you morons gave me cheese" He insisted he talk to a manager. A kid at the register said he was the assistant manager and was in charge at thtat time. The asst. manager kid was polite, respectful and apologetic. The angry customer screamed louded, "I don't want to talk to some kid with a clip on tie! I want to talk to the real manager! Who's really in charge here?!?!" (it got a lot nastier and much more R-Rated, but bear with me) Without missing a beat the kid took off his clip-on tie and said in the calmest voice ever, "I am who is in charge here, but if you'd like i could try to contact Ronald McDonald for you, but last i heard, he and the Hambugular had a late tee time at the Early Bird's country club." The ENTIRE McD's gave the kid a standing ovation - it was amazing. The guy left cursing with his new order.
 

NormC

Well-Known Member
Just last week we witnessed two ladies at AKL Kidani being exceptionally rude to a CM at the front desk because the hallways are too long. Not kidding...because the hallways were too long. Yes it is a long hike through those hallways if you are toward the middle to end, but yelling at a CM will never make the hallways shorter. Perhaps they got moved closer to the lobby, but I hope their room smelled or something.
Good grief those hallways are long! I won't stay there again. I get enough walking in the parks. Don't need to hike to my room as well. We were on Pembe and it was a long walk to the lobby and then a van ride to Mara for food. We did a lot of walking that week.
 

Courtney6682

Well-Known Member
Our annual Food and Wine trip is coming up, and with the construction at the Poly, we received a phone call yesterday regarding our longhouse requests. I spoke to a fabulous CM who handled my requests with the best of care. He apologized over and over for minor inconveniences due to Poly's upgrade, and when I informed him, it's not a big deal, it was time for the Poly to get a facelift, he couldn't have been more thankful. He told me how CMs are being berated and actually yelled at (some aren't even staying at the Poly but dining at Kona or O'hana) WHY?!?!?! I can understand first time guests, who aren't aware of the construction (how is that possible????) These CMs are doing the best they can, they did NOT make these choices for refurbs at the Poly. Can I ask that visitors keep it in check? I know many are upset, but please, don't take it out on the CMs. You can always write a nice post to guest services... Just keeping it real :)


People are animals...plain and simple...I work at a bank and the way people behave is dusgusting...rude, nasty, and dumb lol...lethal combinations;)
 

rnese

Well-Known Member
Well, I was at the Poly and man oh man was I disappointed! Ate at Ohana...and my water was WAY too wet! Much wetter than before the refurb. After that, I went outside...and it started RAINING! Where does Disney get off?!?! So as I'm outside...needing to pee because the water from the restaurant was too wet and clearing my glasses of the mist from the inconvenient rain, a bird comes along and flies directly...I mean DIRECTLY, within my view of the castle from the beach! Totally ruining the moment for that brief second! I paid a lot of money for that second too! Who do these CM's think they are? Where do they get off? Some nerve! Who do I complain to? ;)
 

DisneyDebNJ

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Yes there is. It is a generic statement, "This resort is currently undergoing refurbishment" or something similar. It is written in red.
This ^^^^ also, Disney sends out letters to people staying at the Poly giving a brief synopsis of what's being worked on. I just got mine a few days ago.
 

DisneyDebNJ

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Don't be sorry for the people staying there paying full price, they know full well about the construction, they are the fools!
Well I wouldn't say I'm a fool LOL (gullible at times, maybe) and I'm paying less this year than I have in past years. Don't get me wrong, the Poly isn't in her best shape right now, but us *die hards* still return :) My point in my original post, was how CMs were being treated. How/where/why people vacation, is their business (and I wish them all a fabulous trip!) I just can't understand why CMs are being treated so poorly...
 

alissafalco

Well-Known Member
Well I wouldn't say I'm a fool LOL (gullible at times, maybe) and I'm paying less this year than I have in past years. Don't get me wrong, the Poly isn't in her best shape right now, but us *die hards* still return :) My point in my original post, was how CMs were being treated. How/where/why people vacation, is their business (and I wish them all a fabulous trip!) I just can't understand why CMs are being treated so poorly...
I agree 100%, that's terrible if people staying there are treating the CM's poorly. Those people are the fools, not people like you obviously.
 

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