Disney's Phone System

[captainkidd]

Really sucks, at least compared with Universal's. Not just the wait time, but the automated system. They ask you about 10 questions before you get to a live person, which the automated attendant can never make out, then you just have to repeat all this information to the live operator.

Universal just gets you right to an operator after about 20 seconds.

Sorry. Just a gripe.

 

[englanddg]

Well........Yeah, I won't go there.

Hah, too funny. I know a guy who works for NICE who works on their systems. We had great fun poking through recordings of my reservation calls last year (ever called for an ADR when you are shipfaced and realized that you really need to do your ADRs RIGHT NOW?...yeah, well, I had a gracious cast member on the phone with me)...

NICE has some great systems, but IVR isn't all that easy to do...and call routing and volume management are a huge part of it. Gripe all you like, but until you manage a call center, you really can't understand why some of these decisions are made.

In an ideal world, a person would always answer, but if that person barely speaks english (i.e. outsourced cheaply overseas), is that any more frustrating than the IVR? I don't think so...

 

[G00fyDad]

all you have to do to speak to a live person is hit zero as soon as the automated system starts. it's how I got to make all my adrs with abs NO wait what so ever

I feel bad for all of you guys! I've only had to call them twice this year (to book hotel and the about two weeks ago for ADRs)
literally just hit zero ONCE when the system started and it automatically took me to a live person. No wait, No hassle.
I've been doing this for 8 years now.. never had a problem

Exactly. Most automated systems are this way. Hit zero or # a couple of times and you'll be talking with a human.

 

[englanddg]

As to those who hijack the system, you have no idea what turmoil you play on the internal routing systems...

Please, give the IVR a try, and if it's no good, fine, move on, but hijacking the system with ############# or pressing 0 really doesn't help anything at all...unless you want another ticket hike to pay for what it costs to run a distributed call center with 100% voice answers.

 

[G00fyDad]

Hah, too funny. I know a guy who works for NICE who works on their systems. We had great fun poking through recordings of my reservation calls last year (ever called for an ADR when you are shipfaced and realized that you really need to do your ADRs RIGHT NOW?...yeah, well, I had a gracious cast member on the phone with me)...

NICE has some great systems, but IVR isn't all that easy to do...and call routing and volume management are a huge part of it. Gripe all you like, but until you manage a call center, you really can't understand why some of these decisions are made.

In an ideal world, a person would always answer, but if that person barely speaks english (i.e. outsourced cheaply overseas), is that any more frustrating than the IVR? I don't think so...

I'd rather speak to a foreigner. I can usually understand them, and I have far better patience for them than I do a voice recog system that goes:

VR: "Please say Yes, or No."
Me: "Yes."
VR: "I'm sorry. I heard you say burrito. Is that right?"

 

[G00fyDad]

As to those who hijack the system, you have no idea what turmoil you play on the internal routing systems...

Please, give the IVR a try, and if it's no good, fine, move on, but hijacking the system with ############# or pressing 0 really doesn't help anything at all...unless you want another ticket hike to pay for what it costs to run a distributed call center with 100% voice answers.

It gets my call answered faster than 40 minutes. I seriously doubt that me hitting # or a zero and skipping the VR garbage is going to hike ticket prices. That is a bit of a stretch.

 

[englanddg]

I'd rather speak to a foreigner. I can usually understand them, and I have far better patience for them than I do a voice recog system that goes:

VR: "Please say Yes, or No."
Me: "Yes."
VR: "I'm sorry. I heard you say burrito. Is that right?"

As I said, IVR isn't all that easy to do! And, I'm not defending their systems, I've had my own headaches with the IVR they use!

 

[englanddg]

Does this sound familiar? People seeing you on the sidewalk screaming YES....YES.....YEEEEESSSS! into the phone?

 

[G00fyDad]

As I said, IVR isn't all that easy to do! And, I'm not defending their systems, I've had my own headaches with the IVR they use!

I understand what you're saying. The technology idea is amazing. However, the practicality of the tech is just too far off right now. Of course, if they ever get it just right then I'll be expecting it to go back in time and kill Sarah Conner.

 

[G00fyDad]

Does this sound familiar? People seeing you on the sidewalk screaming YES....YES.....YEEEEESSSS! into the phone?

Yeah, but only to 1-900 numbers.

 

[englanddg]

I understand what you're saying. The technology idea is amazing. However, the practicality of the tech is just too far off right now. Of course, if they ever get it just right then I'll be expecting it to go back in time and kill Sarah Conner.

If you see what's coming down the pike, it's scary.

 

[G00fyDad]

If you see what's coming down the pike, it's scary.

I know. We're headed for a robot uprising or a zombie apocalypse.

 

[englanddg]

I know. We're headed for a robot uprising or a zombie apocalypse.

I get to spend my time automating jobs...it's fun in many ways, but it's also terrible.

I've cut out at least 30 jobs last year with my last piece of work. I have no idea where they went off to after the update. More value to shareholders, less management liability and concerns, and as long as the electricity works, people use it.

<shurg> No real point, but that's what IVR is, another extent of that. As a society, perhaps we should think about that (even though I profit off doing it)...

 

[englanddg]

Here's how it works. Management comes to me and complains that after analyzing reports, 30% of their employee's time is taken on the phone taking payments, and this is a bad investment of time, as employees should be focused on sales. So, I built out four other payment options (online, Android, iPhone, and through the phone) since this is limiting the employees from producing new sales.

Then management sees how much free time those employees have, and fires 1/3 of the workforce.

Welcome to automation.

 

[agorna]

As to those who hijack the system, you have no idea what turmoil you play on the internal routing systems...

Please, give the IVR a try, and if it's no good, fine, move on, but hijacking the system with ############# or pressing 0 really doesn't help anything at all...unless you want another ticket hike to pay for what it costs to run a distributed call center with 100% voice answers.

I'd hardly call it hijacking the system simply because I'd rather speak to a person then a machine that can't even understand me. I have a slight accent from my childhood and quite honestly the system literally cannot understand my responses.

 

[englanddg]

I'd hardly call it hijacking the system simply because I'd rather speak to a person then a machine that can't even understand me. I have a slight accent from my childhood and quite honestly the system literally cannot understand my responses.

When you have to direct calls to specific individuals with access to specific systems, yes, I would call it hyjacking the system.

 

[agorna]

When you have to direct calls to specific individuals with access to specific systems, yes, I would call it hyjacking the system.

that's nonsense. if I sat there and tried to tell the system what I wanted three times.. all the while it still doesn't understand me, it would direct my call to the operator, but that would also be a lot if wasted time.

not to mention.. it ppls jobs to answer the calls.if you rely on simply an automated system you put ppl out of a job and that's a problem I'm not even going to get into.


heck I wouldn't even have to call If they would fix their website

 

[Gabe1]

It's not just the fundamentals of the system. It's how it works, which is horrible. Most large companies have an automated attendant, but Disney's is just really bad at understanding the caller.

Just like Disney's entire tech system. Now with Cells it isn't as bad cost wise, but back a decade you can rack up quite the phone bill trying to get a live body, but phone guest service is only a fraction of Disney's tech issues.

They have never had a search engine that actually gives you what you search, the system just crashes and dies when too many guest try to access, thing special preview for FlE for AP holders.

Now the entire My Disney Experience can't get up and running as projected along with WiFi that can't handle busy seasons. Disney just needs to stay away from tech. Don't you wonder who casts their tech CMs. Oy.

 

[Gabe1]

that's nonsense. if I sat there and tried to tell the system what I wanted three times.. all the while it still doesn't understand me, it would direct my call to the operator, but that would also be a lot if wasted time.

not to mention.. it ppls jobs to answer the calls.if you rely on simply an automated system you put ppl out of a job and that's a problem I'm not even going to get into.


heck I wouldn't even have to call If they would fix their website

I like that sentence. I don't do online check in, last trip the walk up was shorter than the online queue, made me giggle. It isn't just Disney though, I avoid all self service, at grocery, home depot, etc. Want unevmployement to drop, let someone wait on you. I look at DVC and the lack of housekeeping, they get you to clean up after yourself, we are a crazy society, pay dearly and wait on yourself, brings new meaning to be our guest.