Bad experience with Disney Dining Reservation

[JPVonDrake]

So I called Disney Dining today to see if there was any later reservations available for one of my dinners for my trip in three weeks. Margie was my reservations person, she answered the phone by telling me she should not have received my call as she had logged out of her computer and was now off work. I asked if she could transfer me to another reservations person, she said no and hung up. No sorry, Ic an't help, you'll have to call back. No nothing, just click. This took place at approx 12:02 central daylight time.

I found this infurriatingly rude. So I called back the reservations line, checked the possibility of changing my reservation and then was transferred to guest services to file a complaint.

Guest services reaction was " We are sorry that this happened." She was unable to find the individual that had taken my call as she can't search directly for dining reservations employees. She would follow up by trying to locate this person and making sure they were properly trained on how to logoff their computer. The guest relations then went on to explain that it is possible to logout and still recieve a call without being able to transfer it.

Needless to say, its been 4.5 hours now since this happened and I'm still a little peeved about it. Oh well, I guess I'll write a formal letter tonight. May not accomplish anything, but I guess it'll make me feel better. Anyone got an address to send it to or should I just deliver it in person when I check-in in 3 weeks?

Sorry for the rant, just venting I guess.

I do apologize you received poor guest service when you called Disney Dining today.

It is true that sometimes a challenge with the phone system will cause a call to go to an agent who is in the process of logging out. When this happens, the agent really is stuck as they are unable to re-start their phone software to be able to transfer the call, and sometimes are unable to re-launch their reservation software to help the Guest. The agent may have had no choice then to ask you to please hang up and call back. There is no excuse however for the agent not to be polite and apologize to you for the situation.

Also it is true that Guest Services is not able to look-up a Dine agent by name while on a call with a Guest. The GS Agent will however fill out a QC form (Quality Check Form) on your call. All Disney Reservation Agents have unique first names. Since you remembered the name of the Dine Agent you spoke with, that agent can and will be located. The call (if recorded) will be listen to and the agent will receive a coaching on proper Disney policy and procedure as well as Disney phone etiquette.

Unless the agent does an egregious action, they will no be fired for a first offense. If the agent was new, they simply may have panic as to what to do, and was not thinking on how they were recieved by the Guest.

I would like to thank you for calling back. By speaking to Guest Services, you will in fact be helping that dine agent to better themselves and provide better guest service in the future.

If you feel you still would like to write a letter, please direct it to:

Walt Disney World
Guest Communications
P.O. Box 10040
Lake Buena Vista FL 32830-0040

OR

wdw.guest.communications@disneyworld.com

 

[c133125]

well im happy to see that almost everyone believes that Disney cast members are supposed to be perfect in every single aspect. I hope all of you who are shocked at how the woman acted have horrible days at work and ________ off someone without knowing, and they write a letter to your superiors and you get fired. Lets see how you like it. And i guess nobody has ever been rude or annoyed a customer at your jobs...correct? give the woman a break.

 

[coastermaster83]

Im in the computer repair business and I know if I answered a call like that and treated a customer like that i would be written up for the 1st offence and fired for the 2nd. Treating anybody like that on the phone bad day or not is not acceptable in the customer service industry. You just dont do it. I say write the letter cus like my mom always says "the squeeky wheel gets the grease."

 

[JPVonDrake]

well im happy to see that almost everyone believes that Disney cast members are supposed to be perfect in every single aspect...

Well speaking as a Disney Cast Member..

Yes. The magic does begins with me.

 

[teacarissa]

Give me a Break!!!!!!!

:hammer: WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am sitting here reading some of these threads and blown away, first of all the person (which I'm sure is a die hard disney fan, aren't we all) had a bad experience with someone who was what I would call a B*tch, when I call disney I want happy I don't care what kind of day your having and I know everyone is human and we all have our bad days but not as a CM, and if any of us were in this position and someone complained about us you would not lose your job you would be spoken to and if it was a ongoing problem (meaning attitude and poor customer service) then you should be fired, no matter what your job is, disney or not, you provide the best customer service. Personally I wouldn't write a letter I would call again and again and again till I got through to someone who would be able to address this person and in every job especially that one they can find out who it was and address her, and I'm sure this indiviual who orginal wrote this thread wasn't looking for something free they were venting, isn't that what we should all be here for, support, not defending a CM who was rude and worry whether they will lose there job, PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[c133125]

Well speaking as a Disney Cast Member..

Yes. The magic does begins with me.

Oh, so are you one of the perfect cast members who always acts perfectly, or are you part of the rest of us who have our bad days?

 

[justducky78]

:hammer: WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am sitting here reading some of these threads and blown away, first of all the person (which I'm sure is a die hard disney fan, aren't we all) had a bad experience with someone who was what I would call a B*tch, when I call disney I want happy I don't care what kind of day your having and I know everyone is human and we all have our bad days but not as a CM, and if any of us were in this position and someone complained about us you would not lose your job you would be spoken to and if it was a ongoing problem (meaning attitude and poor customer service) then you should be fired, no matter what your job is, disney or not, you provide the best customer service. Personally I wouldn't write a letter I would call again and again and again till I got through to someone who would be able to address this person and in every job especially that one they can find out who it was and address her, and I'm sure this indiviual who orginal wrote this thread wasn't looking for something free they were venting, isn't that what we should all be here for, support, not defending a CM who was rude and worry whether they will lose there job, PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well said! This is exactly what I was thinking.

 

[bluefaery]

I have been reading this thread and am really shocked at some of the responces... Disney was built on customer service and in many ways has raised the corporate bar for other companies... it is not alright... it is not acceptable... and all it takes is one rude person like this to ruin someone's whole vacation... Disney cast members have always been held to a higher standard and ReallyBigKid should not just have to get over it... This person had a problem and is handling it as they think is best, but I'm sorry that I find it equally rude to tell ReallyBigKid to get over it... Disney is better than this, and if we allow it to slip, then we are equally to blame when it happens to the next person and their Magical Vacation is equally blimshed

I agree 100%.

 

[BwanaBob]

With all due respect, to everyone who believes Mgmt should throw the book at this CM...

This is one incident, one out of MILLIONS of customer service interactions that go on everyday.

One with extremely high expectations... and there are several thousands like this too.

TRUST in JP's response.

Trust that there is a system built and in place to handle situations like this. I believe, over these boards, we all have the same end result in mind... just not conveying our ideas as PC as they could come across if we were discussing this in person.

Thank-you for following-up with you're response. Trust that it WILL be handled correctly.

 

[wedway71]

Oh, so are you one of the perfect cast members who always acts perfectly, or are you part of the rest of us who have our bad days?

Yes we all have bad days.It is human nature.I have been in Retail mgt for 17 years and have had horrible days however I grin and bare it.Our issue isnt with someone having a bad day and being less than magical.Our issue lies with someone being totally rude and and hanging up on a guest.Her actions went far and beyond having a bad day.She hung up on a guest.Im sorry bad day or not that is not acceptible not only as a share holder with the Walt Disney Company but as a Guest.

 

[HokieDevil]

I don't think we know how bad customer service has gotten especially it seems in the last 10 years. I have had the fortune for working in cellular phone sales and I have noticed a major decline in the behavior of the customers we deal with. I have had phones thrown at me, been threatened, and numerous times we have had to call the police to deal with customers. It seems somewhere down the line people have gotten the idea that customer service means that people can treat you incrediblely awful. Yeah its really hard to always be cheerful and we have no idea what this poor person has dealt with. Its unfortunate you had to deal with them and I hope that you are compashionate enough to forgive her. I think the people that are angry with the CM are probarably the people who could never see themselves being mean to a CM, but we have to remember, the golden rule is rarely used by customers when speaking to someone in customer service.

 

[MMP]

I think she should definetly be reported and reprimanded in some way. As a CM myself I doubt she would be automatically fired for that, what would happen is she would get a reprimand and it would go on her record card, if she already had two such reprimands then she would be fired, but if that was the case then it would be pretty obvious that she needed to be let go. If she doesn't have any reprimands then it wouldn't really hurt her, it would just serve as a good warning not to treat a guest that way again. And then if she didn't get any more reprimands for a certain time period it would go off her record.
I realize that we're all human and we have bad days, but no matter what mood I've been in at work I know that I can't let it show because part of my job is always be kind to guests.

 

[tnchefbear]

I don't think we know how bad customer service has gotten especially it seems in the last 10 years. I have had the fortune for working in cellular phone sales and I have noticed a major decline in the behavior of the customers we deal with. I have had phones thrown at me, been threatened, and numerous times we have had to call the police to deal with customers. It seems somewhere down the line people have gotten the idea that customer service means that people can treat you incrediblely awful. Yeah its really hard to always be cheerful and we have no idea what this poor person has dealt with. Its unfortunate you had to deal with them and I hope that you are compashionate enough to forgive her. I think the people that are angry with the CM are probarably the people who could never see themselves being mean to a CM, but we have to remember, the golden rule is rarely used by customers when speaking to someone in customer service.

Customer Service does not mean customer punching bag... and I feel sorry for anyone who works in customer service who gets treated like that... to be quite honest, I was brought up in a very strick southern family and if I was rude to anyone, I would pay for it at home later... People seem to be losing their civility, and respect for others, but all this said, it does not excuse poor customer service, because you have to treat all people the same and with the same respect, until they have proven that they are not worthy of it, and then, in customer service, you must still try... and at Disney all this is under a microscope... I feel sorry for the people that throw fits and treat others like that... But it still does not excuse this cs operator

 

[Astronaut Jones]

Am I alone in thinking writing a letter is absolutley ridiculous?? I mean honestly what harm has come to you by being hung up on? If it happened to me I'd be annoyed and think that person was rude but so what? You call back, everything is taken care of, you've lost maybe 2 minutes time. The reason your day was ruined was not because a person hung up on you; it's because you focused on the fact that a person hung up on you all day.

On a side note, I think a great deal of the reason that cast members seem to be less friendly then in the past (other than a cultural shift with less focus on politeness and manners) is the fact that we expect so much from them. We are no longer surprised by the friendliness of the Disney staff, we expect it, and if anything is outside of those expectations, we (blanket statement) focus on it, about it and make it a harder place to be friendly in. I am always so taken back by the fact that people complain so frequently in the parks, all I can think is... you're in freakin' Disney World, be happy!

 

[coastermaster83]

the world at a whole is loosing our since of niceness and we have turned into a me first nation and thats our problem along with money and gas prices we are too self-centered, I try my hardest to be understanding with people but sometimes I get hot but thats when I just step away and try to regain my niceness. "think Happy Thoughts".

 

[wedway71]

Not only am I a Manager I am Consumer as well.Do I expect people to kiss my A@%? No I dont,however I do expect a civil person who is helpful.Just like I get paid to make sure the guests in my store are treated right I expect to be treated right also.There is a difference between someone who might not be all that chipper and someone who goes out of there way to be outright mean or rude to a guest.I understand guests can be just as guilty as far as being rude and sometimes abusive to CMS and Disney should not tolerate that behavoir towards there CMS as well.All said, I think those who say let it go are missing the boat.The guy made a simple request to be transfered and he was hung up on.In the world of cutomer service if you hang up on someone your basically saying"FU#$ You" and that type of behavior is not acceptable.

 

[niteobsrvr]

How many of you have worked in sales call centers?

It may be one of the more high pressure low paying jobs available. Everything you do is measured including trips to the bathroom and the amount of time spent there. The software systems monitor and control everything. Every item that the systems monitors either works for you or against you. Mostly against you.

A mere percentage point can separate you from attaining a bonus. 1 extra minute taking a phone call that you can do nothing about could cost you that bonus. Consider this: You are measured on how much time you spend on each call. If you are averaging a time greater than you the mark that is set for you, you will lose your job.

I am not defending anyones action here. Just providing an insight. As always, there are two sides to every situation. It is too bad "margie" can't tell hers.

 

[Astronaut Jones]

I think she should definetly be reported and reprimanded in some way. As a CM myself I doubt she would be automatically fired for that, what would happen is she would get a reprimand and it would go on her record card, if she already had two such reprimands then she would be fired, but if that was the case then it would be pretty obvious that she needed to be let go. If she doesn't have any reprimands then it wouldn't really hurt her, it would just serve as a good warning not to treat a guest that way again. And then if she didn't get any more reprimands for a certain time period it would go off her record.
I realize that we're all human and we have bad days, but no matter what mood I've been in at work I know that I can't let it show because part of my job is always be kind to guests.

Just out of curiousity are reprimands on your record taken away or reset after a certain period of time?

 

[niteobsrvr]

Customer Service was a great late 80's and early 90's marketing tool. It worked out right up to the point that it started costing companies too much money. It also didn't make a lot of financial since as business and production consolidated. Does a corporation really care if you buy brand x or brand y when they own them both?

As for consumers, we have lost sight of what is respectable behaviour and realistic expectations. I cant speak for eveyrone who has ever worked in customer service, but I can say that good customer service is a privledge and not a right. Bad customer service reps aside, if you show sincerity and respect to someone, then you have earned the priveledge of great customer service so long as the person can accomplish what you are asking within their guidelines. If you are asking for something outside of those guidlines, then you should get a warm and congenial explanation as to why your request is not possible. I would not however expect a warm and inviting experience from a customer service person if they have just become the receiver for a high speed cell phone or the like.

If you want some great results form your CSR, pretend you are the waiter trying to get the tip. By helping the CSR with your great attitude and congeniality, the tip you get in the way of a solution for your situation might be higher.

 

[Sledge]

Somebody could lose their job and though it's rude it's not worth getting somebody fired.

So? There's people that would love to have that job and would do it better. Incompetence is grounds for termination in my eyes. Write the letter not trying to get her fired, but to try and get her "fixed". That's inappropriate and anybody dealing with customers weither if it's actual Customer Service or just somebody working in McDonald's taking orders should know that's not acceptable.