Has anyone ever gotten angry over CMs doing their jobs?

[sissa216]

As someone said earlier, the biggest problem I had to deal with was telling parents that their kid was too short, and when they gave me problems I gave a whole spiel about how it was for their own safety. Some people were cool about it, others were upset but understanding, but I'd say about half of the parents got hysterical and called me all kinds of names. One father called me all sorts of names and used plenty of profanity that Walt would not have approved of and said that I ruined his and his family's vacation.
Then he grabbed my shirt, twisted me around, yanked on my nametag, and announced to the crowd "Hey everybody!! Look at this (w)itch Carissa! She's going to Hell!! F*** You, Carissa" and threw me away against the wall and spit at me. That was it. I cut the chain, ran inside, and started balling to the CM who had just come out for rotation. Only seconds after he was gone I realized I should have called security.
I don't think I was rude with him or gave him any reason to be angry, outside of the fact that I politely but firmly explained that his child couldn't enter the building. And offered to give him a riders switch pass. And tried to give his child a "future mountaineer" certificate. Some people are just like that, I guess.



p.s. this and mannnnyyyy more instances like this is why I came to Disney as one of the most optimistic people you'd ever find who always found the good in people, and left bitter about the condition of human race. I still am at a loss as how people, guests in a Disney park who have so much to be thankful for and appreciative of, can be so evil and full of hate.

 

[barnum42]

p.s. this and mannnnyyyy more instances like this is why I came to Disney as one of the most optimistic people you'd ever find who always found the good in people, and left bitter about the condition of human race. I still am at a loss as how people, guests in a Disney park who have so much to be thankful for and appreciative of, can be so evil and full of hate.

I know what you mean. I got a similar taint on life from a few years in retail. The evil monsters that people become when they think they can pick a fight with someone who can't fight back is very depressing. It's something that seems to get worse at Christmas. I lost track of the number of people whose Christmas "I had ruined".

 

[sissa216]

It's something that seems to get worse at Christmas. I lost track of the number of people whose Christmas "I had ruined".

I know!!! I couldn't believe it!! I thought that of anytime, the holidays would be the best time to work because people would be, um, joyful and maybe happy? NO!! That was the worst!!!
Especially because everyone thought the parks were too crowded. And everyone kept wondering why they let so many people in the parks. I finally resorted to saying "everyone thinks its too crowded, but nobody wants to be the one turned away. If you weren't here right now, there would be a little more room for somebody else to enjoy themselves"

One lady on Christmas day was so mean, I broke down and told her "Ya know, if some of you would just stay home and enjoy the holidays with your family, maybe some of us could have done the same thing. But no. We're here working sixteen hour days so you can be here on Christmas. And I'm sorry we are, because you are the most unappreciative person I have ever met". I was scared I'd gone too far, but everyone around her applauded me, because they were sick of her too.

 

[antoinebusby]

Ok in order to be professional I will not go into it, but practically half our day as researchers we get guests mad at us just for doing our jobs. But hey that's how it goes, and we just take deep breaths and smile an even bigger smile. It is personally amazing some of the things people say when we ask for zip codes. It is just fascinating sometimes, and it is really great when other guests witness how the other guests act. We just learn to let it go and realize that it just comes with the teritory and if you can't handle it then you may need to rethink having a job in hospitality.

Okay, I will tell you mines now. It is 70810. Now, you don't have to stop me as I am making a mad dash for my favorite attraction. LOL!!!! :lol:

Just messing with ya', Pixie!

 

[tigsmom]

I can't understand anyone getting angry with a CM (or anyone else ) for just doing their jobs. Having worked in retail where people treat you like crap and as a nurse (esp in a nursing home where one dear lady insisted on calling me "maid") I have seen the ugly side of people many, many times. I'm sorry but there is just no excuse for it. Have we been disappointed after waiting in long, hot lines? Yes, but thats life. As a parent I have to set an example for my kids so they learn to respect others and how to deal with the many disappointments to come.

One CM at the valet desk in the WL went right over to my little one when he saw her crying (we we shut out of BB). He gave her a hug, some stickers and promised her if she was there first thing in the morning she would get in & have a great time (and he was right).
He told us when to head back in the afternoon if we still wanted to try (we didn't...we hit the pool instead). These CMs are what I prefer to remember. :wave:

 

[barnum42]

One lady on Christmas day was so mean, I broke down and told her "Ya know, if some of you would just stay home and enjoy the holidays with your family, maybe some of us could have done the same thing. But no. We're here working sixteen hour days so you can be here on Christmas. And I'm sorry we are, because you are the most unappreciative person I have ever met". I was scared I'd gone too far, but everyone around her applauded me, because they were sick of her too.

:sohappy: Encore! Well done for that.

I guess you may be one of the few people who can appreciate why I HATE Christmas.

 

[barnum42]

One CM at the valet desk in the WL went right over to my little one when he saw her crying (we we shut out of BB). He gave her a hug, some stickers and promised her if she was there first thing in the morning she would get in & have a great time (and he was right).
He told us when to head back in the afternoon if we still wanted to try (we didn't...we hit the pool instead). These CMs are what I prefer to remember. :wave:

I'll drink a Diet Coke to that

 

[phlydude]

Surveys cannot be done in Spanish, it is not allowed. Oh well, it is not my job to really be a watchdog. Thanks for everyone's empathy and sympathy. Ya the diary studies are fun for us :lol:.

Just an FYI the only researchers that work durectly for WDW as a WDW CM are the ones with the logo on their shirts. The rest our 3rd party vendors.

I think that is why people are rude to the surveyors, because they could be 3rd party people and folks just don't trust where that info is going to be used or if it will be sold (although I doubt Disney would sell off their info).

My story comes from AK park. My wife and I were headed out of the park when she voiced her need to use the restroom. I sat down on a bench and waited for her. As she cam out of the restroom, I saw her and got up to go greet her when a LARGE (not to make fun because I'm a big guy) woman CM well past her best days in life started yelling at my wife. Aparently, there is a no bathing suit policy in the parks, which is fine. However, be nice and ask first instead of yelling. It turns out that my wife took off her shorts because the bathroom floor was soaked with god knows what so my wife left her shorts off because she didn't want them getting soiled. As soon as she got outside, she was working to put them back on but the CM must have been doing door patrol and started in on her immediately. My wife barked back and I kept quiet (I bite my tongue because I will tear someone a new hole if I get going).

On the way out, we were greated by a surveyor and I GLADLY gave the info that they requested so I could vent the frustrations with this un-happy and very un-Disney-like CM!

 

[tigger248]

Ok in order to be professional I will not go into it, but practically half our day as researchers we get guests mad at us just for doing our jobs. But hey that's how it goes, and we just take deep breaths and smile an even bigger smile. It is personally amazing some of the things people say when we ask for zip codes. It is just fascinating sometimes, and it is really great when other guests witness how the other guests act. We just learn to let it go and realize that it just comes with the teritory and if you can't handle it then you may need to rethink having a job in hospitality.

I would gladly participate in a survey. I've never been picked to do one and I think it would actually be kind of fun. I tried to strike up a conversation with a surveyer when entering the studios last week, but he just asked where I was from and left it at that. He was a nice guy. I definately know how you guys feel sometimes because I've spent a few days doing surveys before and they're not all that fun. Last fall, I had to help do surveys at the Six Flags park I work at a couple of days. They're usually done by college interns, but they end up going back to school in the fall so help is appreciated. So, when I come back home in November, if anyone asks me to do a survey, I'll happily stop and give a few minutes of my time.

 

[TTA Traveller]

Ok in order to be professional I will not go into it, but practically half our day as researchers we get guests mad at us just for doing our jobs.

This is branching off a little bit from the topic, but I can understand getting angry at researchers if they push too much. Though, I have certainly never seen this at Disney. However, when I visited Universal just last month during my trip we encountered a sales-woman (wanting people to apply for a credit card to recieve a free bag!) who was a maniac. We were in a hurry to get in and get on some rides (doing Universal and IOA in one day) so we were zooming past a HUGE crowd of these sales people. This one woman took her clip board and rammed it into the chest this man infront of me and said, "Sign up". When he brushed past her she nearly slammed it into my dad's chest next. He dodged her I know sales people and researchers are two different groups...but never have I seen someone so pushy and horrible. I'm glad Disneys researchers are much more fantastic people.

 

[phlydude]

This is branching off a little bit from the topic, but I can understand getting angry at researchers if they push too much. Though, I have certainly never seen this at Disney. However, when I visited Universal just last month during my trip we encountered a sales-woman (wanting people to apply for a credit card to recieve a free bag!) who was a maniac. We were in a hurry to get in and get on some rides (doing Universal and IOA in one day) so we were zooming past a HUGE crowd of these sales people. This one woman took her clip board and rammed it into the chest this man infront of me and said, "Sign up". When he brushed past her she nearly slammed it into my dad's chest next. He dodged her I know sales people and researchers are two different groups...but never have I seen someone so pushy and horrible. I'm glad Disneys researchers are much more fantastic people.

Shove a clipboard in my chest and see where it winds up! :lol:

At the very least, it would be on the ground with the apps blowing in the wind. Worst, in the water or on a roof!

I hate the "enter to win a free Humvee by filing out this survey". I argue with them about them selling the info they collect and how no one ever wins the car until they've racked up 100k miles on it driving it all around to gather signiatures.

 

[crazydaveh]

I would say 99% of the CM's I have encountered have been awesome! There's always one or two that are not on their game, but if one is rude to me, instead of getting mad, I think of what that CM has to deal with.

Example: Saturday night, we were at the Magic Kingdom. Around 8 PM, we headed over to Splash Mtn and Big Thunder Mtn. We had fast passes for both, and as we headed over, we noticed that Splash wasn't running, and water wasn't flowing down the fall.

We ventured over to Big Thunder and the same there. There was a CM at each entrance, with a lot of people wanting answers the CM didn't have the answer to. People get so irate sometimes, when life could be worse. It's a ride that has mechanical problems every now and then. They shut it down for safety reasons, not to upset the thousands of people who want to ride it! I waited in a line to speak with the young woman CM and asked if it would open up later that night (it was almost 9PM). She said she hoped so, but if not, we could use our FP the next day, or on our next visit, and to tell the person at the FP entrance the deal. She wasn't the happiest person talking, but I understand why! People were yelling and screaming and it was hot! I thanked her and told her to have a good night. She smiled and said thank you!

Just my two cents!

 

[TTA Traveller]

Shove a clipboard in my chest and see where it winds up!

I told my dad a couple of thing I would have done with her clipboard after we walked by her! :lol: I also mumbled a couple of nice names for her as well... :lookaroun

 

[DispatchInhibit]

Here's my two cents from a cast member point of view...

recently at space mountain there has been a slight change in the fastpass merging areas on busy days, instead of in front of the control tower it is now done on the side of the tower after fastpasses have been collected the CM at the merge point stops the standby line and lets fastpasses through. The standby guests get SOOOOOOOO angry at the CMs at the merge points! It's worse than how it was before. I try to tell the guests about the ratios we have to do but they don't care they just want in, and half the time when I ask how long they have been waiting, it is far less than the posted wait time!Yet, they still scream and try to push past you. Sometimes i wish they would just realize that I am forced to stand there and keep the ratio and it is just my job and that they also had the option of getting a fastpass...yea.

Also, small children are always and issue, my "FAVORITE" experience was when I was grouping and I had a group of four and I measured their two children and one was not tall enough. The father threw a HISSY fit and called me a B with an ITCH a few times, among other things, and was yelling to his wife and telling his children what a bad person I was, meanwhile holding up the ride when eventually I just had to go up to him and say "Sir, you're holding up the ride, are you going to get in or what?" Because honestly if he would have thought about what he was getting upset about, he would have realized it was his childs safety....great DAD.

 

[tigger248]

honestly if he would have thought about what he was getting upset about, he would have realized it was his childs safety....great DAD.

Many people are just too stupid to realize this. Just the other day (again at Six Flags) I had a guest get really upset about this. He even accused us of having measuring sticks that weren't right, even though ours are giant rulers with each inch clearly marked. It just kills me, the people who complain about height limits even after you explain to them that it is set for safety reasons. Part of what adds to our problem is King's Island in Cinncinatti has different height requirements for practically the same rides because each state sets its own restrictions. Unfortunately, Ohio sets theirs lower than Kentucky apparently. That doesn't help us very much, but oh well. It just never fails to amaze me how people can honestly want to risk their children's lives by trying to put them on a ride that the child is definately too short for (and many times the parent knows it).

 

[sissa216]

They shut it down for safety reasons, not to upset the thousands of people who want to ride it!

oh poor, naive little crazydevah. Little do you know that its all a conspiracy. :lookaroun Yes, in fact, that is why we break down the rides, just so we can upset thousands of people. Safety? HA! Disney could care less about safety. Actually, when you interview for Disney, they test you to make sure you are ruthless and willing to make thousands of people miserable with the touch of a button. Oh and then the training comes. You learn little tricks of the trade, like how to read people's minds so you know exactly what they want, and use it against them by refusing to let them have their way. Its a fun little game really.

And then the best part is that which you spoke of. We get to stand there and play dumb: "I'm sorry, we are not operating right now due to technical difficulties. No, I do not know what is wrong. No, I do not know when we are going to be running again."
But, really, you do know. There is nothing wrong, its just part of you job as a Disney cast member to let everyone down. :drevil: You are secretly laughing inside at the misery and unhappiness you're spreading to all these innocent, unknowing people.

oh goodness i'm going to bed :snore: . the sad thing is, some people actually believe that. :veryconfu

 

[sissa216]

Oh come on DispatchInhibit, you don't like merge a and b? I thought that was your favorite!!! hehehe See, working those two positions are kinda like a game. You just gotta measure up the standby line, and figure out who won't complain, then cut the line before them.

Here's one of my favorite stories from Merge B: this lady in standby who kept asking, even after I explained about ratios, why I kept her waiting. And why people with fastpasses had special priveledges. So I tried to explain to her that she could have gotten a fastpass herself. She said she knew that, so I kept asking, "well why didn't you just get a fastpass---?"

So she threated that if I asked that one more time she would injure me in some way or another, i don't really remember (i got threatened so many times they all kinda ran together). Then, with perfect timing, Claudia comes up for rotation, the lady complains to her, and Claudia asks "well, why didn't you get a fastpass?" The lady got so mad and screamed at her, I thought I was gonna die.

Then she asked where she could complain about the both of us, to which we answered "city hall". And she kept saying "no, for real, don't be a smart@$$, where can I report you?" And we just kept saying "city hall, city hall, we're telling you go to city hall." I couldn't figure out what was so hard to understand, until I realized she thought we meant city hall in Orlando. But I didn't correct her, I thought it was funny.

But here's the best part. I went to redeploy, and got greeter. Meanwhile the lady finally got on the ride. A few minutes after I get out to greeter, the lady comes out to complain to the greeter (which was me) about the CM inside (which was me). When she realized who I was, she screamed some profanities--not really at me, but just in general---and security happened to be there for some reason, and came and asked if she needed anything. She was so mad!! She stormed off.

 

[Senderella]

But here's the best part. I went to redeploy, and got greeter. Meanwhile the lady finally got on the ride. A few minutes after I get out to greeter, the lady comes out to complain to the greeter (which was me) about the CM inside (which was me). When she realized who I was, she screamed some profanities--not really at me, but just in general---and security happened to be there for some reason, and came and asked if she needed anything. She was so mad!! She stormed off.

hehe thats hilarious!
Do some people NOT know about FP and thats why they're still in the long old line? It kind of confuses me... if a lot of rides have FP then why is there even still an old line?

 

[TheDisneyGirl02]

I know that when I was working as a character greeter, people would get mad at me all of the time. That was the part of my job I didn't like. I'm the kind of person who would let everybody through the line if I could, but it was my job not to. It always (well most of the time) helped me to tell the line what was happening for instance, "Chip and Dale only have 5 minutes left. I cannot make any promises that everyone in the line will have a chance to see them. If you don't have the opportunity to see them, please visit them at _______ at 4:15." Something like that.

One time I was making announcement after announcement about Goofy going in to check on Max and when the time came, I was cornered by three guests. They yelled at me telling me I was a horrible person and that I had not said anything about Goofy leaving. The worst part was the he was coming back in 5 minutes. Finally an older gentleman told them to knock it off and I made it backstage sobbing to my friend. I ended up sitting in the office for over 30 minutes sobbing because of what happened.

I know it's hard for people when they get cut off right before a character, but at the same time, the character greeter is just doing his or her job! And 9 chances out of 10, the character will be appearing later and the greeter (if the greeter is a good greeter) should announce that!

TheDisneyGirl02

WOW...that allowed me to vent all of my frustrations over my work computer out! :hammer:

 

[sissa216]

Yeah, I've always thought that was one job I could not do. Character greeter. Props to all you greeters out there, I know its gotta be tough. And no matter how well you do your job, some people choose not to listen and turn their brains off the minute they enter the park. Along with those who refuse to follow rules or policies----I mean, those guys are working hard, they gotta take a break (the characters).