asinine CM's in WDW today (12/31/04)

[niteobsrvr]

We have disgruntled former employees.
We have disgruntled current employees.

We have a zillion guests wanting "special" treatment.

How does all this work out? Well a few people get stepped on whether it be a CM or a guest is just luck of the draw. We all know that on one of the busiest days of the year, trying to issue everyone the dose of magic which they demand becomes, well, secondary to just just keeping the place running all day long.

I could go on here for a while in several tangential discussions but lets just suffice it to say that CM's all want to be special and guests all want to be special. Disney even advertises this way to each respective group. But, its just that, Marketing. Disney is a corporation whose goal is to extract the most work for the least dollars from its employees and the most dollars for the least effort from its guests.

Special? Sure, its the only company with Disney characters and the Disney legacy.

New Years eve Special? Sure ifyou like packed crowds with attitude, CM's who have been worked to death in the preceeding couple of weeks, and strollers biting at your heels.

My Mom always said how you spend New Years Eve and Day along with your attitude would be apparent in the events of the year to come.

 

[Tramp]

on behalf of those who work on the walt disney world property:

SHUT THE *%@! UP YOU WHINEY $*%^!!!

cast members are people too. they make mistakes. they have bad days. they are forced to deal with the populations of small cities insisting that they each get treated like a princess no matter what the circumstance.

we're all doing the best we can. even on new year's eve.

are you?

-billy

Exactly where do you work, billy? I'd like to know if your boss thinks you best represent the attitude of Disney employees.

I'm sure 100s of CMs performed their job magnificently and will never be properly acknowledged or rewarded. Defending those who ruin the efforts of dedicated employees serves only to contaminate the proud Disney image so many CMs strive to attain. Thank God these good CMs far outnumber those encountered by Rob! :sohappy:

 

[se8472]

Exactly where do you work, billy? I'd like to know if your boss thinks you best represent the attitude of Disney employees.

I'm sure 100s of CMs performed their job magnificently and will never be properly acknowledged or rewarded. Defending those who ruin the efforts of dedicated employees serves only to contaminate the proud Disney image so many CMs strive to attain. Thank God these good CMs far outnumber those encountered by Rob! :sohappy:

I think a problem that people run is when "good" CM don't even do anything wrong...but crazy guest come along and file all kinds of complants.

 

[HennieBogan1966]

I don't think there's any doubt that there are thousands of great cms employed by Disney, and probably just hundreds, if that, poor ones. But is it me, or does Rob seem to encounter all the poor ones?

 

[colliera]

Booklet?

I'm wondering now if it would be worth the hassle picking up a new AP ticket booklet on Sunday... with the new biometric machines causing problems. One of the new machines creased my ticket in one spot the last time.

A point of information please, why would a CM want to see the booklet that came with the AP? All it has is a list of the benefits and a small 1/4 sleeve to store the AP. I've only had my AP since last Sept. and haven't ever had anyone request it. I do understand now that I need to bring a photo ID. When I went to the park to purchase it at Guest Services I didn't carry it with me so the CM put a message on the strip of the card to let me in that day w/o my ID. I have carried ID since then. But carry the booklet?

I'll be going back the last week of this month but the benefits in the booklet expire today making the booklet useless. I undersand a new set of benefits begin tomorrow. The way it reads it appears benefits are based on a calendar year. Shouldn't a CM (parking or otherwise) know the associated benefits attached to an AP?

 

[Pixie Duster]

Billy, I hope I find you in the parks. I bad repped you and told you my name and where you could find me. I hope I get the chance to meet you so that I can maybe teach you a thing or two about guest service. We are called Cast Members for a reason. The reason is this is all a show. We are actors. Most human beings cannot be this nice and helpful, but if you really are a good employee and good person you will have the aptitude to step and be the bigger person. Yelling and cursing at someone who is upset with you and the way they have been treated is not going to teach them anything. It is only going to prove that they are right for making their complaint. If you want to prove MKT wrong you have done everything in the book to prove him right. As I said before, I am ashamed to say that you are a cast member. i pray to God that you are not, and that if you are you will wise up and realize your job as a cast member is to be nice and be understanding, be patient no matter how incompitent or out of wack a guest may be. If you can't handle that, if you feel you have the right to argue with a guest and sum it all up to being human you need to leave the company. We get paid nothing, so if you are not happy leave and work somewhere else away from the public and get paid more.
Now I must go to bed since I have a day of serving others in a few hours.

 

[BwanaBob]

Not for nothing, folks...

but I'm tired of the bashing.

To all of you who may not know "MKT"... look around this place before the vegetable throwing starts. Last time I checked, he's been here longer than over 80% of the members...and has gained some respect from the knowledge he has. (Only his ex-room-mate can officially bash him on these boards! :lol: :lookaroun )
Although I don't put it past him from time to time to get a little miffed at people, (reminder>) he would still be a CM right now if it were up to him.

This stupid thing called a 'keyboard' has a terible reputation of not expressing a persons true emotion or intent. Put an "!" on the end of something, and others think you are yelling or ed-off.

He DID NOT treat the CM's the way you may be implying from the post.
Was it an arguement?...well, have you ever argued face-to-face with Rob?
Give me a break!

(no offense, partner. You can get 'hot' when you want to...)
just not with the everyday CM.

 

[Thrawn]

I think a problem that people run is when "good" CM don't even do anything wrong...but crazy guest come along and file all kinds of complants.

Whats so very funny about this post is that you described the exact reason mkt got fired.

 

[HennieBogan1966]

Well alrighty then Pixie!! I must agree with you in all cases. It's a societal issue that isn't getting better unfortunately. Somewhere along the way, a generation came along that thinks the world owes them a living. I can assure those of you out there thinking this way. IT DOES NOT OWE YOU ANYTHING. So, all I can say is you need to change your attitude. Yes, guests can be rude, inconsiderate, and sometimes even ignorant. That's human beings for you. I'm sure those of you bashing guests have NEVER made a mistake have you?

Again, Disney has set the standard, and it is far above any other company I have EVER worked for, or come into contact with. So, if you don't want to rise to that level, do as Pixie suggests, and work elsewhere.

 

[ghostygreeter]

I agree with the above post. Mkt has been around quite a loooong time here. I have as well, but I usually just pop my head in from time to time. As a current CM, I see things that I don't agree with. The worst being CMs who gossip on the job... onstage. You can tell they don't care, and I usually stay away from an attraction where I see this. As for my job.. character greeter (now attendant) when I see an entertaining greeter I go in that line, usually no matter who the character is. I can't stand a quiet greeter who doesn't talk to guests. But anyways, either Mkt found a lot of bad CMs or they were having their bad day... Or maybe a midlife crisis on NYE.

 

[Merlin]

First of all to MKT:

Please watch your language. While I usually don't get easily offended, what with all of the personal attacks I have had to endure on here, the offensive language we can do without. No one needs to do that to make their point.

Secondly, I think that what we are all discussing here is the STANDARD for which Disney is famous. Yes, we all have raised expectations when it comes to Disney, as that is part of how the company was built to be different from other companies and competitors. So it's not unfair to expect that standard to be maintained at ANY and ALL times. I didn't make this rule, WALT DID.

Yes. We're all human, have bad days, and make mistakes. But I knew when I was hired by TDS, what the expectations were, and that rude/unprofessional behavior would NOT be tolerated. In fact, one of our asst. mgs. was summarily dismissed when he was rude to a guest, and he had been with the company for 7 years.

Do I know that guests can be rude too? Absolutely. And if you'll look at my previous post here, you'll see that acknowledgement.

However, I still believe that Disney sets the standard in guest service of all areas of business, and that standard should NOT be relaxed.

Very, very, very well said!!! :sohappy:

I get so annoyed when I read posts that defend unacceptable CM behavior. For starters, a person shouldn't apply for, and accept, a job in the service industry if he/she can't deal with crowds, angry guests or even unreasonable guests. I believe this is true of ANY job where you're being paid to deal with the public and provide guest/customer service. People who use excuses like, "Well, they're human too" or "They don't get paid very much" would really benefit from reading a book entitled "Peak Performers". http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/0380703041/ref=sib_dp_pt/103-1724788-1684602#reader-link

Secondly, the standards for Disney SHOULD be higher. As HennieBogan1966 so eloquently put it, it was Walt who established this standard. Countless books and articles have been written about the Walt Disney Company's unique standards of service, as well as their top notch training programs over the years. Sadly, I think the Disney of today tends to ride on it's previously established reputation as opposed to living up to it. I doubt many business analysts would look at today's Disney as being all that unique in terms of high service standards.

There was a time when it was very difficult to get hired by Disney. Their hiring process was fairly grueling because they wanted to ensure they got the best people. Then and investment was made in those people in the form of an outstanding training program. These days, it seems they'll hire just about anyone who's got a pulse. And if the training is still being done, for some reason, the lightbulbs just aren't going on in some of the trainees.

By the way, before anyone attacks me for saying all this, please know that I DO realize it's still a minority who are the "bad apples". But honestly, that minority does seem to be growing more and more each year.

Oh, and to the person who defended the act of being rude to a guest just because there were five other groups who'd been difficult....YOU need to watch a guest service training video called "The FISH". It is about the employees at a fish market in Seattle who manage to still be friendly to every single customer, despite having what for all intents and purposes is a pretty lousy job.

 

[Captain Hank]

:sohappy: Bravo Pixie, Bravo!

 

[BwanaBob]

Ah yes...the "fish training" seminar and video.

Great video.

Intended for the upper sector who want to inspire others.

Not intended for the 'shleps' who couldn't give a rats.

(definitely a target audience)

 

[Merlin]

Billy, I hope I find you in the parks. I bad repped you and told you my name and where you could find me. I hope I get the chance to meet you so that I can maybe teach you a thing or two about guest service. We are called Cast Members for a reason. The reason is this is all a show. We are actors. Most human beings cannot be this nice and helpful, but if you really are a good employee and good person you will have the aptitude to step and be the bigger person. Yelling and cursing at someone who is upset with you and the way they have been treated is not going to teach them anything. It is only going to prove that they are right for making their complaint. If you want to prove MKT wrong you have done everything in the book to prove him right. As I said before, I am ashamed to say that you are a cast member. i pray to God that you are not, and that if you are you will wise up and realize your job as a cast member is to be nice and be understanding, be patient no matter how incompitent or out of wack a guest may be. If you can't handle that, if you feel you have the right to argue with a guest and sum it all up to being human you need to leave the company. We get paid nothing, so if you are not happy leave and work somewhere else away from the public and get paid more.
Now I must go to bed since I have a day of serving others in a few hours.

Wow! I'm starting to get the hang of this "giving rep points" thing!! That's because people like YOU, Pixie Duster, Mkt and HennieBogan1966 are providing me with opportunities to practice!!

Pixie Duster, your post was incredibly well put!! And it also helps to restore some the faith I've begun to lose in many CMs over the past few years. Thank you for reminding me there are still some great ones out there (the MAJORITY, in fact!). And just as you hope that you'll run into Billy some time, I also hope that I run into YOU when I go to WDW this June!! You seem like an awesome person who truly understands the standards, as well as YOUR role in upholding them!! :sohappy:

 

[Merlin]

on behalf of those who work on the walt disney world property:

SHUT THE *%@! UP YOU WHINEY $*%^!!!

cast members are people too. they make mistakes. they have bad days. they are forced to deal with the populations of small cities insisting that they each get treated like a princess no matter what the circumstance.

we're all doing the best we can. even on new year's eve.

are you?

-billy

What you see here, folks, is a fine example of some of the poor quality CMs that Disney really needs to weed out of their system.

Mkt, I gave you a rep point (and paid for it by taking one away from Billybluenose)!

 

[mkt]

He DID NOT treat the CM's the way you may be implying from the post.
Was it an arguement?...well, have you ever argued face-to-face with Rob?
Give me a break!

It wasn't an argument... but rather, I gave the Cast Member a solution to a problem, and they didn't want to accept it.

Funny, that for a company that insists on Immediate Service Recovery, Disney hasn't taught CM's to look for ways of creative compensation, and just throw out the book.

But hey, what do I know. It's not like I'm a Guest Service Manager somewhere in Orlando... or am I :drevil:

 

[disneydata]

on behalf of those who work on the walt disney world property:

SHUT THE *%@! UP YOU WHINEY $*%^!!!

cast members are people too. they make mistakes. they have bad days. they are forced to deal with the populations of small cities insisting that they each get treated like a princess no matter what the circumstance.

we're all doing the best we can. even on new year's eve.

are you?

-billy

OK, if you don't like it so much, then why do you still work for Disney? I started the College Program out of respect for the company because EVERYWHERE in the world Disney is known for their high level of customer service and respect. I'm still working there because I enjoy it and am proud to work for such a company.

Yes, we are people and people do make mistakes, but it is my JOB to make sure that everyone I see is treated like a prince or princess and has the most magical time possible. Sometimes you can only do so much, some requests can be a bit extreme, but I always do my best, no matter what. Of course, safety comes first, but courtesy comes second. The fact of the matter is that mkt is the guest, the guest who is paying your paycheck. He is paying a LOT of money for tickets, food, souveniers, etc and deserves to be treated like gold. If the guest has a horrible time, they won't comeback. No guest = no job.

I think you need to either 1) take traditions class again, 2) realize why you are working here, or 3) get a new job.

So here are the facts: APs, if demaged, should be let in with a valid ID. Anything that does not fit in a Disney locker MUST be stored at Guest Relations. Anything of that size would pose a safety hazard to those in the park. Exits from parking lots NEVER change. There is usually only one or two ways to exit the parking lots and to change that would pis$ off Reedy Creek for evacuation plans.

Only one man can say it right:

"Anything that has the Disney name to it is something we feel responsible for."
"My business is making people, especially children, happy."
-Walt Disney

If you want to look me up, my name is Nick. I proudly wear my costume at Disney's Animal Kingdom main entrance.

 

[mkt]

oh, and to the person who negrepped me, thanks for that little red present. The favor has been repayed

 

[se8472]

Oh, and to the person who defended the act of being rude to a guest just because there were five other groups who'd been difficult....YOU need to watch a guest service training video called "The FISH". It is about the employees at a fish market in Seattle who manage to still be friendly to every single customer, despite having what for all intents and purposes is a pretty lousy job.

I never said I was defending a rude CM....in fact I said I wasn't defending them. All I am saying is that there are many MANY people in the world. To expect everyone to be able to handle being attacked by guest is simply unrealistic.

For some reason I might be that guy in "the fish" video. Space has a 200min wait? HAHA put me in there! I look forward to working the crazy times at WDW. Why I don't know...but I know other CM's who have broken down and cried infront of guest while the guest is still yelling at them. Then I watched managment yell at the CM for crying on stage. That one I really don't understand.
:lookaroun

Really not everyone is cut out to be continuously verbally attacked by a guest and be able to rebound within seconds. I know I can but the CM I just talked about earlier....you should see the magic she creates everyday for our guest. This just stand by what I said before, and I see that you made fun of my statement but I stand by what I said before, CM's are humans too.

Maybe I should write a book titled, "It takes all kinds ot make a CM"

Whats so very funny about this post is that you described the exact reason mkt got fired.

I know this, that is why I don't dought that these events went down. How that is funny I do not know.

 

[GymLeaderPhil]

A point of information please, why would a CM want to see the booklet that came with the AP? All it has is a list of the benefits and a small 1/4 sleeve to store the AP. I've only had my AP since last Sept. and haven't ever had anyone request it. I do understand now that I need to bring a photo ID. When I went to the park to purchase it at Guest Services I didn't carry it with me so the CM put a message on the strip of the card to let me in that day w/o my ID. I have carried ID since then. But carry the booklet?

I'll be going back the last week of this month but the benefits in the booklet expire today making the booklet useless. I undersand a new set of benefits begin tomorrow. The way it reads it appears benefits are based on a calendar year. Shouldn't a CM (parking or otherwise) know the associated benefits attached to an AP?

Oh, I simply want to pick up the new AP booklet. The 2004 one I have right now got soaked, creased, bent, scuffed, and a number of other interesting surprise "magical gatherings" while in the parks.

Some CMs who work the parking booths just quickly look at the booklet, some want to see the information on the back of the APs/PAPs when you're parking at one of the parks. I personally would like them to just nod me on when I flash my AP booklet, some do, so that's why I find it to be of some use. The information contained within it isn't as important: the booklet has little use to me outside of passing through the parking gates quicker. Hope that clears some things up for you. :wave: