Aggressive Cast Members.

[The Mom]

I am not working currently,but both both my husband and I work in the medical field. I think all of you would be upset if we brought our "home life" into work and let it influence how we treated you! Would you really accept "He's having trouble at home " as an excuse for malpractice? I might have complained to my co-workers, but any problems were left at the nurse's station!

I'm not saying that CMs should be perfect, but should still be expected to be courteous when dealing with guests...not perky, just polite.

 

[cymbaldiva]

Originally posted by The Mom
I am not working currently,but both both my husband and I work in the medical field. I think all of you would be upset if we brought our "home life" into work and let it influence how we treated you! Would you really accept "He's having trouble at home " as an excuse for malpractice? I might have complained to my co-workers, but any problems were left at the nurse's station!

I'm not saying that CMs should be perfect, but should still be expected to be courteous when dealing with guests...not perky, just polite.

Good Show Mom!

Very good point! You have (as always) my total respect!

 

[The Mom]

Originally posted by cymbaldiva


Good Show Mom!

Very good point! You have (as always) my total respect!

I don't mind if you disagree with me, as long as it's done respectfully.

And I must admit, I wasn't very polite or respectful to the patient who sucker punched me and broke a tooth...but I did forgive him (later)....and I didn't hit back.

 

[JLW11Hi]

Originally posted by niteobsrvr
I seem to hear, or should I say read in this case, the following statement a lot.

"When working with the public, you should leave your homelife at home"

I don't know where people get this from because it doesn't hold true in any work setting in which I have been a participant. Not only have I been FAT in my life, but I have also had the opportunity to work in a variety of settings in my time as an adult. These inlude being and hourly cast member for Disney as well as holding higher level management positions in other Fortune 500 companies.

I can tell you, and many will agree, that very few peope leave their homelife at home regardless of where they work or there status in the company. I have observed first hand everyone from the janitor to the President discussing their personal life with fellow employees and using it as an excuse when their behaviour was inappropriate.

So let me ask, why do so many people on here expect different behaviour from hourly cast members from what goes on in their own place of employment? Instead of worrying about a few cast members at a theme park in Florida, each of us should begin practicing in our own workplace what we preach.

That is a good point. Many of the CMs are just teens with part time jobs from the area. Yes, I would bet they like the job for the fun of it and like to play "roles" in the theme park, but no, they will not act like they "live" at Diseny World or Universal. I know that Disney and Universal have employees go through extensive training to pick out the best for the job, but to be honest, I would not be surprised if once the manager's back is turned, that "quality" CM will start acting their own way, whether it be ignoring guests to talk to their friends, or just being noticably bored with their job.

Once again, this goes for ANY job. Be it a CM at Disney, Universal, working at a gas station, a janitor, a bus driver, a donut maker, ANYthing.

And I am not accusing everyone of this. I am just saying there are those people out there. And I am sure they just go through the training with a happy face, but in reality just need to get a job and hate it there, and dont care. Now I am sure that Disney and Universal go to great lengths to find the CMs that act this way, and give 'em heck when they catch them. But remember, they can only do that when they do something wrong first, and that would account for all those bad experiences with CMs.

Also, jost for the record, I dont think it matters if they work at Disney or Universal. Today there will be a ton of complaints about CMs at Disney. Tomorrow there will be a ton from Universal. Some days both will be fine, and some days both will not be so fine. It is about the people, not the companies.

 

[cymbaldiva]

Originally posted by JLW11Hi


That is a good point. Many of the CMs are just teens with part time jobs from the area. Yes, I would bet they like the job for the fun of it and like to play "roles" in the theme park, but no, they will not act like they "live" at Diseny World or Universal. I know that Disney and Universal have employees go through extensive training to pick out the best for the job, but to be honest, I would not be surprised if once the manager's back is turned, that "quality" CM will start acting their own way, whether it be ignoring guests to talk to their friends, or just being noticably bored with their job.

Once again, this goes for ANY job. Be it a CM at Disney, Universal, working at a gas station, a janitor, a bus driver, a donut maker, ANYthing.

And I am not accusing everyone of this. I am just saying there are those people out there. And I am sure they just go through the training with a happy face, but in reality just need to get a job and hate it there, and dont care. Now I am sure that Disney and Universal go to great lengths to find the CMs that act this way, and give 'em heck when they catch them. But remember, they can only do that when they do something wrong first, and that would account for all those bad experiences with CMs.

Also, jost for the record, I dont think it matters if they work at Disney or Universal. Today there will be a ton of complaints about CMs at Disney. Tomorrow there will be a ton from Universal. Some days both will be fine, and some days both will not be so fine. It is about the people, not the companies.

I've read this response and actually pondered upon it for a bit...the only response I can honestly give is that I've said on many different threads that CM's most certainly deserve a raise- I don't know what they make, but the good ones deserve at least 3 times as much!

In the meantime, since I don't see CM's or anyone else in the customer service field (like me ) getting a raise anytime soon, we are still being paid to do a job. I was raised to always do anything to the best of your ability, so that's what I do. I hope the CMs at Disney and Universal do the same.

 

[STGRhost]

So let me ask, why do so many people on here expect different behaviour from hourly cast members from what goes on in their own place of employment? Instead of worrying about a few cast members at a theme park in Florida, each of us should begin practicing in our own workplace what we preach.

IT'S. THEIR. JOB.


No offense, of course. I just mean that we expect it because they/we are SUPPOSED to be "onstage", meaning that whatever our problems are should be left at home, or in our breakroom, or wherever we need to leave them so they don't interfere with our JOBS. For me, it's unacceptable to see a CM being rude, lazy, or noticeably bored with their jobs. Age is no more an excuse than anything else. If you CANNOT seperate your personal life from your job, than you need a different job. And I ~DO~ practice what I preach at work, and I expect my fellow CMs (ESPECIALLY the ones I train!) to do the same...

I spend a good part of my day dealing with guests with situations like these. Often, we find that there is more to the story, but there are certainly instances (like Mom's, and many others in this thread) where the cast member was out of line. I can defend the Company, and the CMs, to a point but I draw the line at letting anyone be an excuse for themselves: "Oh, that's just [insert name]...it's how s/he is..."

 

[niteobsrvr]

I see this comment on the boards from time to time and just want to take a moment to clear it up.

Most cast members at Disney are not teens and in many cases not even near thair teenage years. I can no longer remeber the exact figure but the average age for cast members inside the parks was somewhere near the mid to late 20's.

That average age goes up as you move to different departments around the property. Take buses for example the average age there is in the mid to late forties.

Also, for many people DIsney is a full-time job 52 weeks a year.

They dont pay that well but they dont pay that bad with pay ranging between 6.50 and 20 dollars per hour depending on length of service and type of job.

 

[niteobsrvr]

Originally posted by STGRhost


IT'S. THEIR. JOB.


No offense, of course. I just mean that we expect it because they/we are SUPPOSED to be "onstage", meaning that whatever our problems are should be left at home, or in our breakroom, or wherever we need to leave them so they don't interfere with our JOBS. For me, it's unacceptable to see a CM being rude, lazy, or noticeably bored with their jobs. Age is no more an excuse than anything else. If you CANNOT seperate your personal life from your job, than you need a different job. And I ~DO~ practice what I preach at work, and I expect my fellow CMs (ESPECIALLY the ones I train!) to do the same...

I spend a good part of my day dealing with guests with situations like these. Often, we find that there is more to the story, but there are certainly instances (like Mom's, and many others in this thread) where the cast member was out of line. I can defend the Company, and the CMs, to a point but I draw the line at letting anyone be an excuse for themselves: "Oh, that's just [insert name]...it's how s/he is..."

First let me state that no offense is being taken.

As I have stated before on these boards, the number one reason I left the company several months ago was because of the cast members and not the guests. The negative attitude by many of my coworkers off stage was appalling. Some of the things my fellow cast members did to guests were also unbeleiveable. I beleive you control your life and if you dont like something, you change it. I cant change hiring practices or managers at Disney so I changed my employment.

I would also like to point out to the guests that read these boards that there are many many good cast members who do their jobs by the book and uphold the highest standards.
Of course, even that becomes trying when a guest is screaming at you for something that is totally beyond your control.

I implore all of you to not scream at the cast members and immediately request a manger. As STGRhost stated, dealing with guest situations everyday is their job. In many cases, at least in my former department, it was a management decision that upset the guests. The cast member just happen to be the apparent delivery method for that decision. And might I add, just because someone is a manger doesnt automatically lead them to only making "Correct" Decisions.

 

[Maria]

Originally posted by STGRhost


IT'S. THEIR. JOB.


No offense, of course. I just mean that we expect it because they/we are SUPPOSED to be "onstage", meaning that whatever our problems are should be left at home, or in our breakroom, or wherever we need to leave them so they don't interfere with our JOBS. For me, it's unacceptable to see a CM being rude, lazy, or noticeably bored with their jobs. Age is no more an excuse than anything else. If you CANNOT seperate your personal life from your job, than you need a different job. And I ~DO~ practice what I preach at work, and I expect my fellow CMs (ESPECIALLY the ones I train!) to do the same...

I agree with you... it takes a certain kind of person to be able to work in the service industry. Let it be a theme park, a hotel, a convention center, a restaurant, etc. I also find rudeness, boredness, lazyness, etc to be unacceptable in the service industry. I graduated in Tourism Business Administration and have always worked in the indeustry, so I´m really strict with that and always strive for the best quality in service, which I also demand when travelling or going out.
If you don´t like smiling and being nice to people, then you are not good for the service industry, because you will have to serve no matter what...
:animwink: :animwink:

 

[STGRhost]

Maria and niteobsrvr, I agree with what you BOTH said (especially about agreeing with me!...j/k)..thank you.
It DOES take a special kind of person to work in a guest service field (hospitality, retail, etc..) It doesn't make us better, or worse, than anyone else, just different. My fiance is an engineer, and when he talks about work,my eyes roll into the back of my head and I begin to drool...it makes me feel THAT stupid. But when ~I~ talk about work, he just cannot believe what I deal with day-to-day (good AND bad), and he almost always ends up saying "I could NEVER do your job...I wouldn't last a day without yelling at someone, or saying something horrible...". It reinforces, for me, the fact that even though I'm not saving lives or even programming computers, I AM doing something special, something that not everyone can do. And it makes it that much harder to accept the CMs that refuse to do their job the right way.

 

[PaisleyMF]

Good Cast Members

On my trip (the same with the "Goofy" the was this lady over Tomorrowland on the Ice Cream shop (where there is also the custom air brush robots painting souvenirs) I bought first 2 Ice creams, then went back and get another for my sister, and one more trip for my brother (the first 2 where for me and my mom) when I finished mine, there were so good (the best soft chocolate Ice Cream I ever tasted) I went back and get one more and actually the nice lady wish also was making great jokes with all the costumesr didnt charge me for the last one.

there are some GREAT ones and there are some Jerk (can I say Jerk?) ones IN MY HUMBLE OPINION

 

[RobFL]

The only times I've had serious confrontations with guests and I nearly lost my cool was when a guest was doing something they weren't supposed to and then became very defensive.

That always miffs me. If you do something wrong and get caught, admit it and move on, don't like throw barbs and try to get out of it.

Along those lines, other problems I've had are when people made a mistake that made them feel "stupid" (for lack of a better term) and they decided they needed someone to blame it on rather than themselves. I've actually had someone come up to me, ask me the way to the exit very politely, I responded with simple directions, and then they proceeded to chew me out because the exit was farther than they expected or something and I got screamed at multiple times in a rant involving how he was diabetic and "Don't tell me that!!!" "I'm sick of you people!" and such when all I did was truthfully tell him where the exit was. Ever wanna scream in terror and run away? I did :hammer:

Some CM's are "crazy people" magnets. I think i'm one of them.

About wheelchairs, yes people do rent them to try and avoid lines. There's no denying that. I've seen threads on other forums about how to get to the front of the line and the first "tip" is to rent a wheelchair.

However, at work, we don't have time to pass judgement. We just know a wheelchair is a wheelchair, and I've gotta push it up a steep ramp without falling, tipping over, and hurting myself or the passenger. Wether or not someone requires a wheelchair doesn't cross my mind because I just really don't care. I'd have to load them regardless anyways, so why bother feeling put out if that's the case? I can honestly say I don't "enjoy" to load wheelchairs, because it a physically draining activity, but I don't mind it, it's part of my job, I do it and move on.

A tip: If you're gonna leave a wheelchair behind and get into a non-accessible vehicle, leave it outside. Stroller parking isn't the worst place in the world to be, though for some rason guests try to avoid putting things there like the plague In most rides, which have special accessible seats, we don't have anywhere to put the chair while you ride, so it will probably dissapear while you ride and then that will be a problem when you unload.

I guess what I'm saying is: For the convience of everyone, wait for the accessible seats in the rides that provide them if you're going to bring the wheelchair into the building. Otherwise, please leave it outside and join the standby/nonaccessible seat line. It saves everyone a big headache.

-Rob

 

[Jonnyboy]

Aaaah I predict a thread drift
Agressive CM's = Obese People

 

[Yellow Shoes]

There is no excuse for rude CMs, but it is easy to see how they can lose their cool and their enthusiasm for their jobs.

Have you taken a really good look around at what unconscionable JERKS some people are?

I feel sooooo sorry for the Norway CMs when people run out of the theater instead of spending an additional 5 minutes in the attraction. I think that is just plain rude.

What about the people who just flat out refuse to do what the CM says?

"Please go all the way to the end of the row"
"Please remain seated until the ride stops"
"Please stand behind the yellow line"
etc

and my personal favorite:

those who crowd the waiting areas of theaters for what is, IMHO, no apparent reason.

I always try to say (too loudly) to my children, "There is no need to be a jerk and push and shove. They have counted us and everyone will get a seat."

It would soon move me to homicide....

 

[homer424]

Originally posted by Yellow Shoes
There is no excuse for rude CMs, but it is easy to see how they can lose their cool and their enthusiasm for their jobs.

Have you taken a really good look around at what unconscionable JERKS some people are?

I feel sooooo sorry for the Norway CMs when people run out of the theater instead of spending an additional 5 minutes in the attraction. I think that is just plain rude.

What about the people who just flat out refuse to do what the CM says?

"Please go all the way to the end of the row"
"Please remain seated until the ride stops"
"Please stand behind the yellow line"
etc

and my personal favorite:

those who crowd the waiting areas of theaters for what is, IMHO, no apparent reason.

I always try to say (too loudly) to my children, "There is no need to be a jerk and push and shove. They have counted us and everyone will get a seat."

It would soon move me to homicide....

I know it is that classic thing when people feel like someone else might get something better than/closer to/before you. I have a 2 year old so I always hang back and wait until the throngs who are foaming at the mouth get in then we will follow. The worst was this tour group we encountered in April. We were online for Haunted Mansion and we were almost up to the covered area where they make you crowd together. There were 4 people in front of us and a woman and a man came up and asked if they could join their friends. Sure I said. What a dope. About 15 people rushed in in front of us-all older people too not the typical "teenager" thing. Then they proceeded to push and shove through the crowd when the CM said to move forward. My grandmother was getting mad but I told her not to worry because they can push and shove all they want because once they get inside, depending on where they stood in the stretching room, they could be at the back of the line. And what do you know-we were the first people out and on a doombuggy while they weren;t even near the front of the line!

Goes to show you don;t have to act like jerks-everyone will get on the ride!

I really do feel for the CM's when they encounter people who feel they owe them the world-I know I could never do it I would have a meltdown the first day.

Donna

 

[Maria]

Originally posted by Yellow Shoes
There is no excuse for rude CMs, but it is easy to see how they can lose their cool and their enthusiasm for their jobs.

Have you taken a really good look around at what unconscionable JERKS some people are?

I feel sooooo sorry for the Norway CMs when people run out of the theater instead of spending an additional 5 minutes in the attraction. I think that is just plain rude.

What about the people who just flat out refuse to do what the CM says?

"Please go all the way to the end of the row"
"Please remain seated until the ride stops"
"Please stand behind the yellow line"
etc

and my personal favorite:

those who crowd the waiting areas of theaters for what is, IMHO, no apparent reason.

I always try to say (too loudly) to my children, "There is no need to be a jerk and push and shove. They have counted us and everyone will get a seat."

It would soon move me to homicide....

You are so right! :sohappy:
Personally, when I was a CM, I always tried to avoid doing crowd control for Tapestry of Nations. I was in GR at MillVill, and we took turns to do crowd control in the UK pavillion for the two shows. It was a nightmare! I was always "lucky" to get the little aisle that we had to keep clear next to the entrance of the shop there. Some of you may know what I´m talking about. You get yelled, insulted, pulled, pushed, etc etc etc... and there is really nothing you can do about it but to nicely ask them to moooooooove! People would simply park there and then others were stuck around. The best part of the parade for me, was when the last character came out and we all walked dancing behind of them! (I truly enjoyed that.)

For me, crowd control was always the hardest part of the job to do, specially when it was at night, when everybody is tired and rushing to finish seeing things.
:animwink:

 

[RobFL]

In theater shows, I aim for the middle of the crowd. At the Haunted Mansion, I always get the good spot by the door unwittingly.

Probably because I move all the way across when I'm told to

Every CM has a meltdown, but that's followed by free ice cream. So, if you stay long enough to get free ice cream, you're probably gonna be around for a while.

-Rob

 

[Testtrack321]

From personal experence, I have learned to let go and roll with the flow. I have never had a bad CM (at the FIRST party this past April at Epcot, over 10,000 kids converged into Future World West. Every CM was happy and chierful, despite 10,000 kids, rap music blaring, and a fireworks show over The Land.)

Also, MKTigg, I want to hear some more tales from the USF and WDW storybook!

 

[mkt]

Originally posted by Testtrack321
Also, MKTigg, I want to hear some more tales from the USF and WDW storybook!

fair enough... I have bashed UO first, now for WDW. I'm gonna repost here a trip report that I posted July 2001 on another site

<POSTED JULY 16, 2001 ON INTERCOT>

This one will be quick. Last night my friend and I went to watch Spectro. We both work at Disney, and it was her first time watching it. I arrived at 6PM to get a spot. We sat for 8 hours in the hub. Around 8 o clock, a kid comes from the wheelchair section and starts talking to us. We spoke and joked around for about 30 minutes. He invited us to come sit with him and his party during the parade. We politely declined, since we didn't have a wheelchair. But the kid insisted. Finally we gave in and sat down.
This is where it gets interesting. If any of you have read my previous posts in theme parks, news and rumours, and the water cooler, you'll know that I used to work in tomorrowland OPS. Well the crowd control cast in that area came from tomorrowland.

back to the story.

One of my old managers comes up to me and tells me that me and my friend have to leave. I ask why. I was invited by guests to sit w/ them, so I was in their party. Also, given the fact that I was a guest at the time, this was very rude. He wouldn't answer.

Finally he pulls me to the side and causes a scene on main street. I brush him off and tell him that

A- I was a guest and he had no right to make me leave,

B- I've been waiting for 3 HOURS to see this parade,

C- By causing a scene, he was ruining the other guests' experience.

I walk away and sit back down with the family.

10 minutes later, it's 9pm and the parade is starting. The manager send 2 of the more physycally imposing CM's to escort us away from the parade route.

Needless to say, we quickly filed a complaint in guest relations.

I hope something is done about this, because I no longer feel like coming to the MK on my day off.

 

[cm1988]

Please give feedback

Originally posted by wdwmagic
Out of 55,000 Cast Members at WDW, there will be a few that are not up to the Disney standard. Hopefully they are retrained or removed.

Agreed. And if an incident bothers you, rather than let it put a damper on the rest of your day, just remember that nametag, then have a word with the next manager you see... even if the incident seems minor... anything less than complete courtesy and friendliness. Or if you're a little more outgoing, ask the cast member directly... something like "Excuse me, but do the words 'good show' have a particular meaning to you?"

In my experience the majority of Disney CMs are head and shoulders above the majority of the staff at Universal or any other themepark, and really do make the whole Disney experience. Of course there are always examples of employees at any park that are above or below the averages.

I don't know about any comparisons (but it's nice to hear those kind words!), still I'd give kudos to our Orlando neighbors for making guests feel welcome and showing them a good time, wherever they are.