"Mean" Cast Members

[Merlin]

So Merlin - you train people for a living?

That means you don't actually work with guests/customers on a regular basis?

I know what you're implying...the ever popular, worn out adage, "Those who can't do it, teach it". I assure you I spend a tremendous amount of time on the so-called "front lines", dealing with guests. In fact, it's my belief that it's the only way I can truly have credibility on what I teach. And I must be doing something right. My training shows a tremendous success rate on all four levels of evaluating it's effectiveness. Also, it's worth keeping in mind that I have customers too. And these aren't people who are demanding because they've spent $50 to get into a theme park for the day. These are people who have spent tens of thousands for my services and have very high expectations of a return on their investment.

 

[Merlin]

Thank you! I have wondered when someone would ask the guru of guest service this question.

Hey I kinda like that title! :lol:

 

[mob308]

I know what you're implying...the ever popular, worn out adage, "Those who can't do it, teach it". I assure you I spend a tremendous amount of time on the so-called "front lines", dealing with guests. In fact, it's my belief that it's the only way I can truly have credibility on what I teach. And I must be doing something right. My training shows a tremendous success rate on all four levels of evaluating it's effectiveness. Also, it's worth keeping in mind that I have customers too. And these aren't people who are demanding because they've spent $50 to get into a theme park for the day. These are people who have spent tens of thousands for my services and have very high expectations of a return on their investment.

merlin, just out of curiosity, might I ask what type of business you work for? Consulting agency? A large corporation?

 

[mousermerf]

oh my god, i just died laughing...

"On all four levels of evaluating"

Oh, corporate must love you. Ha! *tries to get back into his chair*

 

[mousermerf]

I will not disagree with you, I have met a few of the people there, and will agree that most are. On a not consistent with the "mean", or more appropriately incompetent, cast member thread, she has told me of a number of the cast members in that room who, instead of dealing with a problem guest, will hang up on them and say "oops, lost the call.".

And those are the folks, who akin to Merlin, have "great stats" because their talk-time is low but their revenue is high.

Gotta love how numbers lie.

 

[Merlin]

oh my god, i just died laughing...

"On all four levels of evaluating"

Oh, corporate must love you. Ha! *tries to get back into his chair*

As a matter of fact, corporate DOES love me. And I'm pretty financially secure as a result. By contrast, I'm sure there's a lot of CMs who will never move beyond this point in their careers because they truly do not understand the "big picture". So while you're laughing as you're climbing back into your chair, I'll be laughing all the way to the bank. :lol:

 

[Merlin]

oh my god, i just died laughing...

"On all four levels of evaluating"

Oh, corporate must love you. Ha! *tries to get back into his chair*

By the way, do you even understand what "all four levels of evaluation" means?

 

[mousermerf]

*sigh* I understand the big picture - hence why merf is not a CM but rather a poor-poor college student.

Having integrity and not pandering to stupidity however is worth more than money and prestige.

 

[Merlin]

merlin, just out of curiosity, might I ask what type of business you work for? Consulting agency? A large corporation?

Both. If you're interested in details on the first one, PM me. I don't think the rules allow me to talk about it in the public forums.

 

[mousermerf]

By the way, do you even understand what "all four levels of evaluation" means?

I have an idea - i'm very happy i don't know the details. That would mean i'd be giving "unreality" some of my much needed brainpower which it doesn't deserve.

 

[Merlin]

I have an idea - i'm very happy i don't know the details. That would mean i'd be giving "unreality" some of my much needed brainpower which it doesn't deserve.

So you were laughing because it just sounded like a "corporate" term to you but you really were clueless about what it means? Gotcha! :animwink:

 

[mousermerf]

It sounded like a measurement system used to quantify crap for the sake of people keeping useless jobs. Typical of the corporate world.

In reality, versus unreality, those numbers are useless and show nothing.

 

[Merlin]

And those are the folks, who akin to Merlin, have "great stats" because their talk-time is low but their revenue is high.

Gotta love how numbers lie.

You're saying I have "great stats" because I hang up on people?? I don't think I'd be in business for long if I did that. :brick:

 

[mousermerf]

Along those lines..

I think in this thread someone mentioned that Fantasmic has the highest guest satisfaction ratings...

Hello! Thousands of people see the show and few interact with the Cast. That's going to skew their numbers high - people don't rate things poorly they've not had a chance to experience.

Case in point, Disney asked me about a stay at a delux resort and i rated it highly, until they started asking if in the port cocher that someone directed me to the valet properly (which they didn't, no one was doing anything) or if someone greeted me as i entered the resort (didn't, and i didn't know anyone was supposed to).

 

[mousermerf]

You're saying I have "great stats" because I hang up on people?? I don't think I'd be in business for long if I did that. :brick:

No, no, no - just that stats lie and don't really tell us much of anything.

 

[Merlin]

It sounded like a measurement system used to quantify crap for the sake of people keeping useless jobs. Typical of the corporate world.

In reality, versus unreality, those numbers are useless and show nothing.

You'll get much further in life, not to mention have improved personal relationships, if you avoid acting or commenting based purely on assumptions. That's what you did here. You're laughing because it "sounded" corporate and you thought I would be insulted by it. Nice try.

Read Evaluating Training Programs by Donald Kirkpatrick. Then we'll talk. Until then, enjoy whatever it is you're majoring in,...which I'm guessing (but not assuming) isn't in the business-related field.

 

[mousermerf]

So Donald Kirkpatrick is always right?

Edit to add:

Moreso, you've based you beleifs on someone else's beliefs which you were taught were right - probably in business school - and now use to justify your programs?

Did you ever question it...?

What if your program simply worked and didn't need stats to back it up?

 

[Merlin]

No, no, no - just that stats lie and don't really tell us much of anything.

Stats don't actually "lie", but it is true that human beings can use stats to skew data. The design of the evaluation instrument itself can be the culprit sometimes. Likewise, looking at only the parts of the data that help support one's case can be a way that stats are misused.

 

[mousermerf]

You are correct, stats don't lie, but certainly mislead.

 

[robynchic]

So, getting back to the original thread...

Merlin, have you REALLY ever worked for Walt Disney World? I know there are at LEAST 5 CMs that have spoken on this thread. We all know what the others are talking about.
You obviously don't know what we're talking about. We are trained to grin and bear it. But when we've taken too much ________ from too many people, we crack. You don't completely fall apart. But there's a little crack, where things start leaking out. We are trained to ALWAYS be smiling (unless you work in the Haunted Mansion). We are trained to ALWAYS have good body language. And sometimes, we can't take it anymore.

And I maintain my belief that you're one of the nasty people we talk about in the break rooms, and while smiling at you, think "G-d, what I would give to let them have a piece of my mind..." You are one of the people with the grossly unrealistic expectations that make us the hostile people we are.