Disney Survey - Not a fan of people on "vacation" forums...

[Lucky]

It's common for one part of a large organization to design a survey with the intention of making it look good to other parts of the organization. Ask the right questions to the right set of respondents, and you get the outcome you want.

 

[copcarguyp71]

That's not really true. Again, going back to medical research, patient reported outcomes are used as endpoint all the time. They are gather by the same people taking care of the patient. As long as the survey is administered correctly the data should be sound.

I understand that...but this is not a healthcare situation. This is a case (at least it seems) of seeking to reinforce their course in lieu of truthful responses. The only way to truly get an accurate accounting would be a third party in which the survey results would be fair and accurate. Somewhat I guess like the Neilson Ratings would be to television.

 

[jloucks]

Over the weekend I received an email from Disney asking me to complete a survey about my July, 2014 trip. I started to take the survey, and they went through their normal questions to establish my demographics and such. Then it came to a page that asked me if I participated in social media (i.e., facebook, twitter), and I said yes that I read and posted on facebook. It also asked me if I blogged, and I said I read blogs but didn't blog myself. But, then it asked if I participated in forums specifically about vacationing or vacation destinations, to which I replied that I both read them and posted on them. After that...it said I was no longer eligible for the survey.

Hmm....makes me wonder what they are surveying that they don't want the likes of me responding to??

Anyone else had a similar experience?

From both a customer service and a data value standpoint, that is a weird move. I wonder if the survey is broken.

Customer Service - You don't tell a customer to off. You certainly don't eat up their time and then without explanation summarily dismiss them. Disney knows customer service. I think this survey is simply broken.

Data Value - If you get somebody willing to spend their valuable time jumping thru hoops and 'free' spewing information, you go ahead and gather some information. Information is expensive and valuable. You are, simplistically stated, generating money. Certainly there are multiple facets of information they are after. I cannot see how a single facet disqualification would nix an entire survey. Again, I think it is broken.

Now, keep in mind I am talking about a post vacation survey. Always going to be useful information in there about the vacation. I am not talking about a blind survey.

 

[French Quarter]

And nothing...NOTHING will change until that happens. I have chosen the be part of the solution by taking my money elsewhere...as I suspect others have hence the deep discounts for foreign travelers and the incessant outbuild of DVC trying to lock in long term amortization of the american dream to reinforce their false profitability. While it may look good right now to shareholders at some point this balloon will inflate far too much to survive even a blunt object and *poof* the thin veil of profitability will be replaced by a very real reality that they can no longer pull the wool over vacationers or the shareholders eyes. Boy...do I hate feeling this way. I am not a doom and gloomer...but I find myself more and more disenchanted with the WDW that is versus what once was. I understand things (and times) change but for this guy I find it all too much to bear.

And your money is really your only bargaining chip. I get a kick out of the people who complain incessenantly about WDW but then spend large chunks of money there once a year or more. When you spend your money there, you are supporting the status quo. Complaining is going to change nothing.

Now, I happen to enjoy the experience and have very few complaints so I will spend my money there. But the day that the negatives start to get to me is the day that I stop vacationing there.

 

[Stophie]

Over the weekend I received an email from Disney asking me to complete a survey about my July, 2014 trip. I started to take the survey, and they went through their normal questions to establish my demographics and such. Then it came to a page that asked me if I participated in social media (i.e., facebook, twitter), and I said yes that I read and posted on facebook. It also asked me if I blogged, and I said I read blogs but didn't blog myself. But, then it asked if I participated in forums specifically about vacationing or vacation destinations, to which I replied that I both read them and posted on them. After that...it said I was no longer eligible for the survey.

Hmm....makes me wonder what they are surveying that they don't want the likes of me responding to??

Anyone else had a similar experience?

I got this survey today and I don't think posting on forums like this has anything to do with it. The survey stated that they were specifically asking questions from our December 2013 trip and I only got two questions in before it booted me. It asked if I had since traveled to WDW and after answering 'yes', it prompted me for a month and year of our trip. After that, it kicked me out and said that I was not eligible to participate in the survey. I'm assuming they are not looking for repeat visitors to answer these questions? I don't know...I just found it quite odd.

 

[prfctlyximprct]

I was so excited when I got the survey! I was thinking, oh my gosh! disney has probably been reading all my banter here on the WDWmagic forums and actually values my opinion. I then got booted off. Was so upset! Glad I wasnt the only one! Guess im not the average disney guest. How rude!

 

[alissafalco]

Disney seems to be on a survey kick because I just got my 4th invitation for a survey within 2 weeks!!
1) A survey about the Halloween party I attended on the 1st
2) A survey about my latest hotel stay
3) A survey about Disney's website/app
4) A survey about being a valued passholder

I only did survey's for 1 & 2

 

[allgiggles]

I got the tiered pricing survey this past weekend. Even though I indicated that I do participate in message boards, it still allowed me to complete the survey.

 

[disney4life2008]

How much do those "Disney Research" CMs get paid?

 

[Bairstow]

I just got kicked out of the survey at the same point OP did, but I took a screenshot of the last question I got to:

 

[TP2000]

Ive said it many times as I was told it many times from company friends: Disney simply does not care what our opinion is, as long as we open our wallets.

No sane business would. If there's a group of customers that keeps showing up and buying the product regardless of any changes made or not made, why would a business care what they think? Those types of customers will keep buying the product, so why waste company resources to pander to them?

 

[yedliW]

No sane business would. If there's a group of customers that keeps showing up and buying the product regardless of any changes made or not made, why would a business care what they think? Those types of customers will keep buying the product, so why waste company resources to pander to them?

You wouldn't want to completely ignore them.. because eventually, a change will be made and they won't come back.. but they don't need to be front and center on every decision made. As a business.. the main (or a large) goal is growing your customer base. As a customer, the mindset might be more towards rewarding loyalty. The $1b question is where do you draw the line between keeping long term, loyal customers happy, and finding new ones. Often the CoA of new customers is a lot higher than placating existing ones.

 

[TP2000]

You wouldn't want to completely ignore them.. because eventually, a change will be made and they won't come back.. but they don't need to be front and center on every decision made. As a business.. the main (or a large) goal is growing your customer base. As a customer, the mindset might be more towards rewarding loyalty. The $1b question is where do you draw the line between keeping long term, loyal customers happy, and finding new ones. Often the CoA of new customers is a lot higher than placating existing ones.

Valid points!

And yet some folks act as if Disney's Parks & Resorts division is the only business in the Free World that would discount the opinion of a customer demographic that buys the product regardless of what the company does. That's a business principle that can be found in many companies across many industries, as it's only human nature and sound business decisions.

Why waste company profit and resources on a group of customers that continue to buy the product? Or worse, those who have entered into long-term time share contracts with DVC? Why even ask them their opinion, since they'll be back to give Disney more money by Christmas regardless? They'll rant online about the Frozen ride, and then scramble to get a FP+ for it on their next visit.

 

[G00fyDad]

My statistics professor started the semester off with this statement "Numbers can be manipulated to give you the answer you desire". End of the lesson.

But only 6 out of 10 professionals agree with that.

 

[yedliW]

Why waste company profit and resources on a group of customers that continue to buy the product? Or worse, those who have entered into long-term time share contracts with DVC?

I'm in a similar boat locally. I have been a season ticket holder for a local sports team. It is a small league that struggles to break even and it is rare for the same 9 teams to be in the same 9 cities 2 years in a row (2 teams relocated this past off-season, 1 the year before). It is frustrating to see 'groupon' type specials for single game tickets that make it cheaper than making the season long commitment. Same thing with the DVC. (and I have had this argument in the DVC forums here so I won't re-hash everything) When you see people getting 'free' dining plans and luggage tags that match their magic bands that we, who stay on DVC points, can't/don't get it seems like they are taking DVC people for granted. I understand on paper that DVC is separate from the parks and the other resorts, but to a customer, why not make little concessions to DVC people (unique magic band colors/designs.. etc..) to make people feel they made a good investment.

 

[TP2000]

I honestly don't know how, or why, the DVC folks put up with it. And I get your frustration.

There was a funny AT&T ad a few years ago where the phone company was giving out fabulous perks and freebies so long as you "were new". But if you were a longtime customer you didn't get anything but a bill. Cable TV works the same way; I'd been with TimeWarner for years and years but they never upgraded my aging DVR or old modem or my cranky remote. A nice guy from AT&T Uverse came to my door a few months ago to tell me Villa Park just got upgraded to Uverse - after a 15 minute conversation I jumped ship and got a boatload of shiny new equipment that works much better at a slightly cheaper price. Buh-bye TimeWarner, you obviously didn't value my business.

The tough thing is there is no real competitor to Disney theme parks in Central Florida (at least not yet), and TDO knows it. So there's no need for them to do much when the spending hordes descend on the parks in increasing numbers every year, and even the online critics keep coming back to buy more every six months or less.