Dealing with a rude CM

[figmentmom]

Guest and CM alike can get hot, tired, frustrated. There is not being magical and flat out rude. If a CM is behind a counter doing their job, but not really smiling much, that is not being magical. If they make a rude comment, well, that is rude. That rarely happens. But come on, fellow CM's...I know you can think of someone in your department who is negative backstage. You may not get to see them operate onstage, but you know they can't be that good with guests.

Now a guest can perceive something as rude that wasn't intended to be rude. Guests will often say you are rude if you don't give them exactly what they want. Guests will say you are rude if you are enforcing rules they don't wish to follow.

One afternoon around 3 PM at the Liberty brigde, a male guest pushing a female in a wheel chair, followed by the rest of the family, approached the bridge. The rope had gone up and everyone had to head either to Fantasyland, or over the bridge toward Crystal Palace. The man said he wanted to exit the park. I mentioned that the bridge was closed and pointed out the alternate route. He swore at me, and said that "she is disabled, you moron." He then stormed off. As he was storming off, I said: "then you'll appreciate that the alternate way is actually shorter." He really never heard what I said. All the guests gathered for the parade were watching me and smiling. I said: "someone's been at the MK a bit too long today."

I understood how the gentleman felt. He probably doesn't have the personality that it takes to wait in really long lines, in really hot weather, with crowded streets as well. Then I come along and block his path. I was the final straw. Yes, he was rude, but you could see the frustration in his face, bless his heart.

That can, indeed, happen. Last summer, I was working strollers in Fantasyland one very hot, crowded July night, when I saw a family padlocking their double stroller to a metal fence immediately next to the exit of Philharmagic. Number one, that's a fire exit, and no strollers are allowed there for safety reasons. Number two, you can't padlock your stroller there anyway because of security concerns. I politely and pleasantly said to the dad, "Sir, stroller parking is right this way...", at which point he cut me off, started shouting, and called me every four-letter word in the book. I think the point he was trying to make was that I had absolutely no right to tell him he could or couldn't do anything he wanted because I was simply a (his words) "minimum-wage peon." However, I wasn't about to get into a shouting match with a Guest, and certainly not with one who appeared to be short on reasoning skills that hot evening, so I suggested he speak with my manager.

Where things went from there, I don't know.

 

[jiminy.cricket]

Guest and CM alike can get hot, tired, frustrated. There is not being magical and flat out rude. If a CM is behind a counter doing their job, but not really smiling much, that is not being magical. If they make a rude comment, well, that is rude. That rarely happens. But come on, fellow CM's...I know you can think of someone in your department who is negative backstage. You may not get to see them operate onstage, but you know they can't be that good with guests.

Now a guest can perceive something as rude that wasn't intended to be rude. Guests will often say you are rude if you don't give them exactly what they want. Guests will say you are rude if you are enforcing rules they don't wish to follow.

One afternoon around 3 PM at the Liberty brigde, a male guest pushing a female in a wheel chair, followed by the rest of the family, approached the bridge. The rope had gone up and everyone had to head either to Fantasyland, or over the bridge toward Crystal Palace. The man said he wanted to exit the park. I mentioned that the bridge was closed and pointed out the alternate route. He swore at me, and said that "she is disabled, you moron." He then stormed off. As he was storming off, I said: "then you'll appreciate that the alternate way is actually shorter." He really never heard what I said. All the guests gathered for the parade were watching me and smiling. I said: "someone's been at the MK a bit too long today."

I understood how the gentleman felt. He probably doesn't have the personality that it takes to wait in really long lines, in really hot weather, with crowded streets as well. Then I come along and block his path. I was the final straw. Yes, he was rude, but you could see the frustration in his face, bless his heart.

Strangely, I find that if I could get guests to calm down and talked to them, some of them turned out to be pretty nice people who had a bad day (emphasis on some). Kinda makes you wish everyone could send files telepathically...although that could get kind of creepy and it would be easy for intelligence to slip out of the country.

I don't usually feel huge problems with the kind of situation you mentioned--just the ones in which people make huge deals over petty things. Or those in which guests would be verbally abusive about a so-called "problem" that didn't really make sense considering their actions. Luckily I have heard of rare instances in which some managers decided to stick up for the CM and had some guests removed from the parks. Most of the time, though, the managers felt or acted pretty powerless toward guests.

I would bend over backwards for guests sometimes in QSR and almost hurt myself sometimes but the people I was trying to please didn't care--after that and a conversation with another CM I decided I wasn't going to rush or try to break my back for any guests, at least for a while (I don't think I could resist for too long). In any case, I can't think of any instance in which I was overtly rude to a guest, although after getting to know some CMs in other areas, I was not surprised at their "magical handicap".

 

[kurros]

I know some of the graveyard front desk cashiers I've met can be a little crabby in the personality department, but I haven't seen that (and I never should!) come up when interacting with a guest. I can imagine it's even more interesting at the All Star with the number of rooms they have to process express checkout reports, Disney's Magical Express transportation vouchers, etc for. But this is certainly no excuse to affect the interaction with the guest in front of her.

For the pay comments, Front Desk cashiers are a higher labor grade than most roles and the cashier in the OP is making a graveyard premium on top of that. The level of service should not be impacted based on wage in any case.

I hope the rest of your vacation went well. It's not always everyones personality but please never feel awkward about seeking out a leader or concierge about your concerns. There is a "tattle-tell" screen in the system to be able to easily see who checked in your reservation, and it is common for cast members be coached by leadership for things like this.

 

[nelsonj3]

I have luckily had very few bad experiences with WDW CM's. The only recent bad experience that comes to mind happened when I was entering Epcot a couple months ago. The last time I had been at Epcot, all of the bag checking was done right in front of the turnstiles. However, as many of you know, now in the mornings (during crowded entry times), they have set up makeshift security checkpoints as well as an entrance for guests without any bags.

Since I didn't have any bags that day (my camera fits very well in my pocket), I was trying to find the "Guests without Bags" entrance. When I finally found a sign (it was poorly marked, and only separated by temporary barriers), I walked towards it. When I saw a security CM nearby, I asked, "Is this the entrance for guests without bags?" I was pretty sure that it was, but since this was new for me, and the barriers and signage were a bit confusingly positioned, I decided to go ahead and ask instead of get yelled at trying to enter the wrong way. After I asked, the security CM said "That's what the sign says, doesn't it?" I was obviously shocked by his rudeness, so I walked through the entrance without saying anything. I thought about going to Guest Relations to complain, but I decided not to waste my precious time at Epcot.

In retrospect, the security CM should have said, "Yes sir, right this way. Have a magical day!" or something to that effect. I'm sure he thought my question was stupid, but he still shouldn't have been rude.

 

[Mansion Butler]

I was working strollers in Fantasyland .

You poor dear!


Strollers are completely the bane of every CM's existence, though. People really don't like being told where to put their strollers, and they don't like having to find them if they didn't listen.

I'd say at least 75% of all guest-cast member altercations happen that way.


Then the geniuses at Imagineering decided to make a queue that could fit strollers at Animal Kingdom. :lol:

 

[Mansion Butler]

Strangely, I find that if I could get guests to calm down and talked to them, some of them turned out to be pretty nice people who had a bad day (emphasis on some).

That's pretty close to a Walt quote someone should find, where he basically said that there are no bad people, just people having a bad day.

Luckily I have heard of rare instances in which some managers decided to stick up for the CM and had some guests removed from the parks. Most of the time, though, the managers felt or acted pretty powerless toward guests.

Most of my managers are pretty good about taking you asside and saying (provided you didn't do anything wrong), "it's okay, it's just a jerk, blow it off, you did good." One in particular, though, is always there to back up his cast when a guest is being a jerk. You know, provided it's the guest being the jerk.

 

[ZapperZ]

Again this is a good point, YOU are our guests and you should be treated with respect, hospitality, and all the warmness of home. But if you are OUR guests, wouldn't WDW be considered OUR home? I know when I have guests come to my home I expect them to respect me, the rules of my home, and everyting else. This is the same idea when it comes to WDW. When guests come to WDW they should be ready to treat the CM's, all the CM's, with the same respect they would treat their neighbor, family memeber, or anyone else who opens their doors to them. I know there are alot of CM's on this forum that will back me on this and some guests as well.

Also why is it most, I won't say all because I will get burned at the stake here, most of the guests who come to the parks leave their minds at the gate? Do they even bring them from home? It gets old when guests cannot follow simple instructions like: move all the way down, come back at the time on your fastpass, please wear a shirt around the park, smoke where it says to, be nice to others around you. And when they are instructed to do this, the attitude begins to fly.

Now please don't get me wrong, I love guests. I loved the fact that everyday when I went to work I was able to make people smile. I was able to make people laugh. I enjoyed talking to the guests from countries that I know I can never visit. I liked the fact that I was able to make grandparents smile, I could take that best vacation picture for families. I was able to make a newley wed honeymoon extra special by saying "Congrats" and "Good luck." But most of all I enjoyed the fact that I as able to give back to the guests and Disney what Disney had already given to me for many many years.

But this thread isn't about rude guests. We have had many of those threads already, and I've participated in those a few times. Heaven knows, I've seen more stupid guests than I've seen rude CM, simply based on statistics alone.

In the OP, I believe his party wasn't being rude to that particular CM, unless you are seeing it differently. So a guest not respecting a CM isn't the issue. I certainly would never do that, especially when I have a couple of friends who are currently CMs and I know very well what they have to go through and what they have to put up with. Being a DVC member as well, I've never, ever, been treated even remotely bad at a DVC resort, and this incident happened at a DVC resort where CMs seem to be extra friendly there!

In the end, I'm not sure what exactly is the point you're trying to make. That just because CMs can have a bad day that if a CM went out of his/her way to insult you, that you should simply get over it because there are other guests who do not respect other CMs? <scratching head>

Zz.

 

[cheezedoodle20]

I am the one that started this thread. I was just saying I have been going to Disney since 1973. out of all the times this one still is the one that stands out about a rude cm. When you save for a long time for a great trip and get greeted this way, the first person you see and deal with it makes you wonder if anyone else ever had a bad experience at asmusic. It really must not have ticked me off that bad because I am staying there again 7/13 for 9 days. These cm's must know they are basically the very first person you actually deal with. They are the window to Disney.

 

[MickeyTigg]

I'm glad it happened at the end of the trip, or it would have ruined the whole week.

Ruin the "entire" week with one bad CM interaction? Maybe the moment or the meal.....possibly even the day....but the whole week? Deal with it, report it and move on....life is too short to let something like that ruin a vacaton.

You admitted you had a nice meal so it couldn't have bothered you all that much and you didn't report it right away

 

[erasure fan1]

I work with customers every day. Do I have bad days? yes. Does that mean I can take it out on customers? No way. Last week in the MK in fantasyland we got into the 20min stand by line for peter pan, it turned out to be 45-50 min. When we got to the front the people before us complained to the CM about the fastpass to stand by ratio. It wasnt in a rude way but the CM said in a very nasty tone "Im only doing what Im told so dont tell me how to do my job" and she kept jawing at these people. Yea she probably has to hear that all day with such a bad policy, but thats still no excuse. You just say something like Im sorry I will let my boss know but you can talk to guest relations at the front. The point is, sometimes you have to just suck it up.

 

[JustPlainBill]

First of all it sounds like you don't care if a CM was nice or not, you just want to get something for nothing and you will use a CM as an excuse to get that. I guess if a CM burps by accident in your presence you will call up Bob Iger and demand a free trip! :brick:

Nothing could be further from the truth here. Are you sure you're responding to the correct post. I reread my own post again and I don't see your point. I would never do what you say here. I have better things to do on my vacation than to hassle CMs to rustle up some freebies. I shelled out close to 10K on this past vacation, I'm not as cheap as you make me out to be. I do expect to be treated courteously, especially if I was nice to begin with, I don't see how you can condone or defend poor behavior. Maybe your one of those types that like to play devil's advocate just to spark an argument to agitate.

 

[JustPlainBill]

Can I steal it too?! I love it!

Feel free, always happy to contribute in a positive way.

 

[figmentmom]

You poor dear!


Strollers are completely the bane of every CM's existence, though. People really don't like being told where to put their strollers, and they don't like having to find them if they didn't listen.

I'd say at least 75% of all guest-cast member altercations happen that way.

Tell me about it. :ROFLOL:

 

[jiminy.cricket]

I have luckily had very few bad experiences with WDW CM's. The only recent bad experience that comes to mind happened when I was entering Epcot a couple months ago. The last time I had been at Epcot, all of the bag checking was done right in front of the turnstiles. However, as many of you know, now in the mornings (during crowded entry times), they have set up makeshift security checkpoints as well as an entrance for guests without any bags.

Since I didn't have any bags that day (my camera fits very well in my pocket), I was trying to find the "Guests without Bags" entrance. When I finally found a sign (it was poorly marked, and only separated by temporary barriers), I walked towards it. When I saw a security CM nearby, I asked, "Is this the entrance for guests without bags?" I was pretty sure that it was, but since this was new for me, and the barriers and signage were a bit confusingly positioned, I decided to go ahead and ask instead of get yelled at trying to enter the wrong way. After I asked, the security CM said "That's what the sign says, doesn't it?" I was obviously shocked by his rudeness, so I walked through the entrance without saying anything. I thought about going to Guest Relations to complain, but I decided not to waste my precious time at Epcot.

In retrospect, the security CM should have said, "Yes sir, right this way. Have a magical day!" or something to that effect. I'm sure he thought my question was stupid, but he still shouldn't have been rude.

Yeah; I've had slightly unpleasant experiences with security at Epcot...and cast security at DMGM...I like MK security, though!

 

[jiminy.cricket]

---

 

[figmentmom]

Stroller issues are tricky; they require great tact and patience. I do my best.

 

[mousebymarriage]

We were in WDW in April and the "nurse" at the first aid station in the Magic Kingdom wasn't really rude just lazy and condescending. The first night we were on vacation I sprained my ankle really bad and (chipped the bone in it which I did not know until I arrived home), We returned to Pop Century and my husband went to the desk and stood there for 10 minutes while the 2 CM's finished their conversation (they saw him standing there and he even said excuse me , they just ignored him until they were done joking around). Anyway, he explained the situation to them and asked if they had a first aid kit with an ace bandage in it. They told him "No, but we can give you a band-aid", he again told them it was a severly sprained ankle and they replied with an attitude that the only thing the would do is call 911 for an ambulance. After that whole saga I just figured O.K. I can get it wrapped at the first aid station in MK the next morning. After renting a little scooter thing I made my way to the first aid station, the "nurse" was nowhere to be found. When she finally made an appearance from the back room (15 minutes later), I explained my situation and told her I would like to get it wrapped, her sarcastic response was " WOW, that looks really swollen, I wouldn't walk on it if I were you", I told her I couldnt even if I wanted to. She then handed me an ace bandage and proceed to go sit down. She never offered any advice or assistance with wrapping my ankle. Even though I know how to do it, it still is not that easy to wrap your own ankle especially when it is more than double the size it should be and is a really interesting shade of purple. I spent the remainder of my vacation in either a wheel chair or in one of those scooter things. Don't even get me started on how RUDE people are, they bang into the chair , walk in front of it, hit it with strollers, etc.
Sorry, I just needed to vent!

 

[jiminy.cricket]

We were in WDW in April and the "nurse" at the first aid station in the Magic Kingdom wasn't really rude just lazy and condescending. The first night we were on vacation I sprained my ankle really bad and (chipped the bone in it which I did not know until I arrived home), We returned to Pop Century and my husband went to the desk and stood there for 10 minutes while the 2 CM's finished their conversation (they saw him standing there and he even said excuse me , they just ignored him until they were done joking around). Anyway, he explained the situation to them and asked if they had a first aid kit with an ace bandage in it. They told him "No, but we can give you a band-aid", he again told them it was a severly sprained ankle and they replied with an attitude that the only thing the would do is call 911 for an ambulance. After that whole saga I just figured O.K. I can get it wrapped at the first aid station in MK the next morning. After renting a little scooter thing I made my way to the first aid station, the "nurse" was nowhere to be found. When she finally made an appearance from the back room (15 minutes later), I explained my situation and told her I would like to get it wrapped, her sarcastic response was " WOW, that looks really swollen, I wouldn't walk on it if I were you", I told her I couldnt even if I wanted to. She then handed me an ace bandage and proceed to go sit down. She never offered any advice or assistance with wrapping my ankle. Even though I know how to do it, it still is not that easy to wrap your own ankle especially when it is more than double the size it should be and is a really interesting shade of purple. I spent the remainder of my vacation in either a wheel chair or in one of those scooter things. Don't even get me started on how RUDE people are, they bang into the chair , walk in front of it, hit it with strollers, etc.
Sorry, I just needed to vent!

That's just horrible! It's so horrible I almost can't believe it! So sorry you had that experience!

 

[BuzzComplexCM]

But this thread isn't about rude guests. We have had many of those threads already, and I've participated in those a few times. Heaven knows, I've seen more stupid guests than I've seen rude CM, simply based on statistics alone.

In the OP, I believe his party wasn't being rude to that particular CM, unless you are seeing it differently. So a guest not respecting a CM isn't the issue. I certainly would never do that, especially when I have a couple of friends who are currently CMs and I know very well what they have to go through and what they have to put up with. Being a DVC member as well, I've never, ever, been treated even remotely bad at a DVC resort, and this incident happened at a DVC resort where CMs seem to be extra friendly there!

In the end, I'm not sure what exactly is the point you're trying to make. That just because CMs can have a bad day that if a CM went out of his/her way to insult you, that you should simply get over it because there are other guests who do not respect other CMs? <scratching head>

Zz.

I was simply pointing out the relation between guests and their expectations of the CM's and CM's and their expectations of the guests.

I too am a DVC member, former CM and before working at WDW I would go three times a year, and not once did I ever experience a bad CM experience that made me feel like my while trip was ruined. But I have also come across CM's that were having a bad day and I could sense it and did my best to make their job as easy as possible. Isn't that ehat everyone in every job wants after all?

I know the OP was not about rude guests, all I was doing was saying that guests have to realize that to CM's this is our home. Some CM's are at WDW more than they are at their own homes and when they see guests "disrespecting" that in anyway possible we get offended.

 

[BuzzComplexCM]

We were in WDW in April and the "nurse" at the first aid station in the Magic Kingdom wasn't really rude just lazy and condescending. The first night we were on vacation I sprained my ankle really bad and (chipped the bone in it which I did not know until I arrived home), We returned to Pop Century and my husband went to the desk and stood there for 10 minutes while the 2 CM's finished their conversation (they saw him standing there and he even said excuse me , they just ignored him until they were done joking around). Anyway, he explained the situation to them and asked if they had a first aid kit with an ace bandage in it. They told him "No, but we can give you a band-aid", he again told them it was a severly sprained ankle and they replied with an attitude that the only thing the would do is call 911 for an ambulance. After that whole saga I just figured O.K. I can get it wrapped at the first aid station in MK the next morning. After renting a little scooter thing I made my way to the first aid station, the "nurse" was nowhere to be found. When she finally made an appearance from the back room (15 minutes later), I explained my situation and told her I would like to get it wrapped, her sarcastic response was " WOW, that looks really swollen, I wouldn't walk on it if I were you", I told her I couldnt even if I wanted to. She then handed me an ace bandage and proceed to go sit down. She never offered any advice or assistance with wrapping my ankle. Even though I know how to do it, it still is not that easy to wrap your own ankle especially when it is more than double the size it should be and is a really interesting shade of purple. I spent the remainder of my vacation in either a wheel chair or in one of those scooter things. Don't even get me started on how RUDE people are, they bang into the chair , walk in front of it, hit it with strollers, etc.
Sorry, I just needed to vent!

I feel you pain. Fourth of July weekend in 2005 I was working Stitch greeter and I as turned to put up a chain I tripped over a child and popped, twisted, and cracked my ankle pretty badly. It was LOUD! I was unable to get up, I had to literally crawl from Stitch to the breakroom behind Stitch. As I get to the breakroom my managers tend to me me and call for Reedy Creek. When they arive they wrap it up in ice and tell me that I need to drive myself to Epcot for health services. When I explained to them that I had just brokedn my driving ankle they said, "well we can lend you a wheelchair and you can take the monorail over." So I saked for an ambulance and they said, "well we only have two here today and we need those incase a guest gets ill."

What was I? Chopped liver? I know I was not a guest but I was their employee that was injured. Finally, someone from City Hall drove me over in a van. To say I was disappointed in WDW would be a lie. I was upset but quickly got over it when I got to health services and my father showed up with a slurpee for me! :ROFLOL:

Another funny part was that the guests saw me get hurt and just kept walking by. But they were able to point out the fact that I yelled the F bomb when I broke my ankle. Woops!