Grouchy CMs low quality standards and other things from our trip...

fosse76

Well-Known Member
No, but then again why should working for Disney exempt customer facing positions from the same sort of daily engagements that are common in all such sectors? Or to have to deal with punters in a polite and courteous way even when you don’t feel like it. Is this part of the mystification of the role?
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No one was saying that. The problem is, theme park employees deal with a lot more people on a daily basis than even someone who works in a casino. And there will be days where everyone seems nice, and then there will be days where everyone seems intent on making you miserable. And unlike most other customer service jobs, the theme park employee can't just walk away and take a minute to recover. It's not the same as being a nurse, or a phone service operator, or a waitress, etc. You and others seem to think it is. The average park employee probably deals with 10,000 guests per day. The odds that you are going to have to deal with a large number of angry guests are high, particularly when you take into account that it's hot and they may be demanding something that is against park policy. No, it's not an excuse for a CM to be rude, but it certainly makes it understandable why they may be less-than-chipper on a holiday.

Everyone has bad days at work. If I go home and complain about a miserable day that I'm having, no one tells me that I should just suck it up and find another line of work. That's ridiculous. Just because I had a bad day doesn't mean I: a) can't handle the job and b) should find another line of work. Same goes with CMs. Perhaps if you don't want to see an unhappy CM then you shouldn't treat them like crap. And I'm pretty sure that's what the "rude CM" complaints are about. They aren't rude, they just aren't smiling. And that is absolutely no indication of whether or not a CM can handle the job or is unhappy to be there.
 

Pumbas Nakasak

Heading for the great escape.
So I was correct, CMs think they are special and operate in an environment unique to anywhere else on the planet and want to be treated accordingly. Well it would explain a few things.



And 10,000 guests per day at 10 seconds to deal with each guest, isnt that a 27.7 hour day, no wonder they are all crabbit. :drevil: Id go work for McDonalds.
 

sublimesting

Well-Known Member
I actually ran into this about 15 years ago at the Magic Kingdom. I guy probably in his mid/late 30's was giving a CM a hard time about something. My family and I was walking by and this guy was getting really aggressive. He was 6 foot plus and the CM looked to be a 16-18 year old teenage girl that weighed about 100 pounds. She was trying to be nice and the guy started poking her and pushing her. When I started to turn back towards them, my ex-wife (one of the many reasons she is my ex) said to just keep walking. When I said something to the idiot he just turned and swung at me. I probably should have had time to mention the extensive martial arts and hand to hand combat training I have but by that time he was on the ground with a broken arm and didn't looks so good. Disney security and the police were there soon after. I thought I would be in trouble but the Disney people were amazing, offered us free dinner etc. and explained how not many people would ever stick up for a CM. We didn't accept any of their offers but it seemed like we were treated extra special the whole trip.


You expect me to believe this little CM broke this guys arm and put him on the ground....:rolleyes:
 

CBug88

Member
No I'm pretty sure that it was the person telling the story who broke the persons arm not the CM. and yes I will agree I wish there were more guests like you around.


Agreed!! Its SUPPOSED to be the Happiest Place on Earth, then you get 'out-of-line-people' like.... infuriating!:sohappy: Applause for a job well done on putting that man in his place!
 

raven

Well-Known Member
And 10,000 guests per day at 10 seconds to deal with each guest, isnt that a 27.7 hour day, no wonder they are all crabbit. :drevil: Id go work for McDonalds.

That would be during the off season. Normal day operations can see 25,000 or more.


Amazing story!

As a CM, I just want to say that I wish there were more people lie you in the parks!:sohappy:

A year ago on New Years Eve I was working outside of Epcot in the bus loading area sweeping up trash. The week before I lost a close family member and I was also in a very difficult finacial bind. Needless to say that the holidays weren't so cheery that year and being placed completely out of the festivities area on NYE didn't help the matter. I had been withing people a happy NY all night as genuinly as I could. In any case, a group of guests were walking to their bus stop and one woman broke away from the others and walked over to me and sincerely said "Happy New Year." That nearly brought me to tears. She didn't have a clue about my situation but her comment came at the perfect time. I walked on water for about a month after that.

The next time you experience a cranky employee (Disney or anywhere else), try and turn the matter around yourself with a simple complement and see what happens. God knows we all need a little more of that in our world today.
 

LucyintheSky

Active Member
A year ago on New Years Eve I was working outside of Epcot in the bus loading area sweeping up trash. The week before I lost a close family member and I was also in a very difficult finacial bind. Needless to say that the holidays weren't so cheery that year and being placed completely out of the festivities area on NYE didn't help the matter. I had been withing people a happy NY all night as genuinly as I could. In any case, a group of guests were walking to their bus stop and one woman broke away from the others and walked over to me and sincerely said "Happy New Year." That nearly brought me to tears. She didn't have a clue about my situation but her comment came at the perfect time. I walked on water for about a month after that.

The next time you experience a cranky employee (Disney or anywhere else), try and turn the matter around yourself with a simple complement and see what happens. God knows we all need a little more of that in our world today.


Yes, exactly. I used to be a CM in Fantasyland, and I, like anyone else, had days where I was having personal problems that made me less than chipper, though I tried not to let it show to the guests. I remember one such day I was busy arranging the strollers outside Small World, (this was before there was the stroller area down by the Skyway station, and keeping the walkway between small world and pan clear was a full time job)... and this older man came up to me and said, "um, excuse me. You're not smiling. You'd better smile!" He didn't say it in a teasing or funny way, but in a demanding, slightly demeaning sort of way. Like even though I was just dealing with the strollers and not doing anything with guests at the moment, he felt the need to approach me and criticize me because I wasn't grinning as I fought the never ending battle with the strollers. :mad: I paused, gave him the biggest, fakest smile I could and continued with my work. It just really made my mood even worse.

That actually happened a few times, to me and others, even when we were doing our jobs and being perfectly polite, friendly, and helpful. Some people seem to think that CM's aren't doing their jobs unless their faces are plastered with a permanent smile.

However, there were other days when I was not feeling my best, when a guest would go out of his/her way to say thank you, or some other such gesture of kindness, and it would just make my day, and really improve my mood. I guess it's the feeling of being appreciated. Knowing that there are guests that really do care about the CMs and who know how hard they work.

I never realized how much anger and frustration gets dumped on CMs on a daily basis til I was one. A bit of gratitude and kindness thrown in there sometimes can go a long way.
 

Darth Guinness

New Member
Yep. They're trash. I can, and will, do whatever I please to them because they're there to please ME!

You can't be serious. If you are, your status here should be revoked. No employee should ever be treated with anything but respect. Just because a person is emplyed in a service industry doesn't change the fact that they are humans. Just like you.
 

kerrie

New Member
im not putting anyone down here but as I am reading everyones post I am just wondering do we all put alittle too much pressure on the cms. I mean yes they work at disney and should be nice and smile as they are with people. But they are people too. they have off days and sometimes on on off day and you get a snotty rude adult being disrespectful with either comments or what have you it can make the day worse. lets face it Guest arent the easiest people to please. we all are different and i think if everyone was alittle nicer to each other in general it would be better for everyone. How many times have you thanksed a cm for doing a greatr job or helping out? I know evry time i talk to a cast member i found if I say please thankyou and wish them a nice day it makes for a much better visit .. Like I said im not pointing fingures Its just my thought
 

draybook

Well-Known Member
I don't put any pressuse on CM's, and I always say thank you and please to just about anyonre I encounter in life.

That being said, thank you very much to the CM's on this site, you guys really do a wonderful job and it is appreciated. Also, does anyone here know Jessie from the Haunted Mansion? If so, tell her that the Mexican guy from the cheerleader incident says hello and thanks for the awesome experience !! :wave:
 

Main Street USA

Well-Known Member
You can't be serious. If you are, your status here should be revoked. No employee should ever be treated with anything but respect. Just because a person is emplyed in a service industry doesn't change the fact that they are humans. Just like you.
Wow. Yeah.....um.........ugh.

I shouldn't even have to type this, but yes, it was a joke. It was an intentional overreaction to a ridiculous statement made by "raven."
 

Main Street USA

Well-Known Member
Just checking. Inflection and typed words do not go hand in hand.
:king:
This is true. I didn't mean to sound harsh, but I figured I typed something stupid enough for it to be obvious, but....now that I think about it, I know a few people on these boards that are capable of something that selfish and ridiculous.

So, again, my apologies.
 

raven

Well-Known Member
I shouldn't even have to type this, but yes, it was a joke. It was an intentional overreaction to a ridiculous statement made by "raven."

For the record it was a question, not a statement. But then you were provoking members for a negative response in your comments.
 

Main Street USA

Well-Known Member
For the record it was a question, not a statement. But then you were provoking members for a negative response in your comments.
Yeah, uh, you're wrong. I wasn't provoking anyone. It was sarcasm that was obviously aimed at those that truly feel they are owed something by CMs at the parks. This, in turn, shows I'm on the CM's side. Which just happens to be YOUR side, but it's clear you WANT resistance so you can try to post something clever in an attempt to sound like the smartest person on the planet.

Proof of my lack of intent is shown in my apology to the one person who responded to me seriously.

Read, put the facts together, use a little logic, then respond. Things are better that way. ;)
 

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