SyracuseDisneyFan
Well-Known Member
I have encountered a few less than nice Cast Members, but I really only think of the ones who are nice.
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Miserable CMs?! - My Experiences
- Thread starter MileZXO
- Start date
My experience is treat them respectfully, have fun with them, and they'll return the favor 99% of the time. I've seen some looking a little grumpy, its real easy to turn it around. There is too many mean people out there.
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erasure fan1
Well-Known Member
No truer statement has been said. People are horrid in stores and they aren't paying thousands of dollars to be there. So now put people in a place as expensive as Disney and the ignorance just explodes. Cast members have gotten worse but since they can't really do anything about bad guests, it kinda makes sense.
StarWarsGirl
Well-Known Member
- In the Parks
- No
So how many of us here really just love our jobs and can't wait to go into work every day and never ever get frustrated with our jobs due to other people?
See, it doesn't make sense. These cast members are at work. Some of them probably love it and want to be there, and for others, this is nothing more than a paycheck. But even so, some days are just plain gonna suck. We may be on vacation, but the CMs are working, and the majority of them are doing a wonderful job. Even the best CMs though have bad days where their managers were in a bad mood, they're working a double shift because a coworker got sick, and they got yelled at by a guest who didn't understand that you've always had to park at the TTC for MK and you have to wait in line to see characters like everyone else even though you think your kid is a princess and shouldn't have to and that there was construction going on in the park because Disney doesn't have a staff of fairies who can magically fix everything overnight, and that was just one guest, not to mention the other who complained about the rain because obviously Disney has complete control over the weather. Cut them some slack. A nice smile for a CM appearing grumpy can have great effects.
See, it doesn't make sense. These cast members are at work. Some of them probably love it and want to be there, and for others, this is nothing more than a paycheck. But even so, some days are just plain gonna suck. We may be on vacation, but the CMs are working, and the majority of them are doing a wonderful job. Even the best CMs though have bad days where their managers were in a bad mood, they're working a double shift because a coworker got sick, and they got yelled at by a guest who didn't understand that you've always had to park at the TTC for MK and you have to wait in line to see characters like everyone else even though you think your kid is a princess and shouldn't have to and that there was construction going on in the park because Disney doesn't have a staff of fairies who can magically fix everything overnight, and that was just one guest, not to mention the other who complained about the rain because obviously Disney has complete control over the weather. Cut them some slack. A nice smile for a CM appearing grumpy can have great effects.
DisneyDoctor
Well-Known Member
No. We all have bad days, sure. But, if you're job is customer service at the happiest vacation destination in the world, you best figure your stuff out.
On the flip, what if a Make A Wish child is finally receiving her wish and that experience is ruined by a cast member having a bad day? Should we tell the kid and her family that it's okay, CM is just having a bad day? No.
If you can't handle unruly guests, pick a career outside of customer service.
DisneyDoctor
Well-Known Member
This attitude of giving everyone the benefit of the doubt is too soft. There should be certain expectations for CMs at WDW.
yaksplat
Well-Known Member
I did a 9 day trip the same time. I had the exact same experience. Fluke? Maybe, but maybe the lower crowds had something to do with it.Checks in the mail - Bob Iger
Raineman
Well-Known Member
Ummm...have you ever worked in customer service? Even the best customer service employees have their breaking point when it comes to dealing with rude, entitled, obnoxious people over and over and over. And most CMs are handcuffed by policy as to how they handle unruly guests.
DisneyDoctor
Well-Known Member
Yes I have...
It was expected that I maintain a certain level of professionalism no matter the situation. And, I did. I’m not sure why that’s so hard to fathom..
Club Cooloholic
Well-Known Member
We often talk about the rising prices of tickets to DW. The world is for sure making more profits than it did 30 years ago, yet how much have the wages of the grunt work CMs gone up? It's not like their jobs have gotten easier. If you want the best pay them like they are the best. I'm not saying $30 an hour, but let's do better than 8 to 10.
Dead2009
Horror Movie Guru
It's also expected that guests treat the employees with a certain level of respect. Theyre being paid minimum wage to ensure people are having the best time possible. I'm not so sure why that's so hard to fathom.
Goofyernmost
Well-Known Member
That could be because they only speak Japanese and don't have any idea just how vile Americans can be.Go over to the Japan retail areain Epcot if you want to see CM's with a "professional" work attitude
that someone is going to explain to me how they speak English. To those lacking in any form of a sense of humor... it was just a joke. Move along, nothing to see here.
DisneyDoctor
Well-Known Member
Guests are paying to attend WDW. Sure, it’s assumed we should never be jerks to other people under any circumstance. I’m not arguing that. But, when your job, that pays you, expects top notch customer service, there are no excuses for not meeting expectations.
You know, I would enjoy having you as a supervisor, though.
Dead2009
Horror Movie Guru
There's also no excuse for someone to berate a CM just because they asked to put a camera or phone away, regardless of how much money they spent.
I've noticed that some of these interactions are always presented from the guest POV and not the CM. Half of these stories could very easily be fabricated to make some of the stories seem true.
PrincessNelly_NJ
Well-Known Member
I had this exact same thing happen to me at MK. I was waiting to walk through the metal detector when the security guard said to take of my pin. I had a metal bracelet that I started removing as well when he walks back and yells "I told you to take off the pin! It can't go through the detector."
I just stood there in shock and replied I am going to take it off, I was taking off my bracelet first. And he smirks and walked off.
I was really offended. But then I thought maybe I was overreacting because I was really pregnant at the time but when I think about it, it still bothers me.
Club Cooloholic
Well-Known Member
So if these bad CMs all have managers....are the managers bad too, since they allow this slacking? And if the managers are bad, then their bosses are bad and we can follow this chain right to the top. Why does Disney allow this? Like you said it's their job. Oh because maybe the pay is so low that nobody else will do it. I worked for a disney owned property when I was young and it was awful. They took a lot but did not give much. Disney has a lot more competition for employees now too, maybe the better ones are headed where they are treated better too.
If you truly are a medical student, I can’t wait until you reach residency dealing with some patients. Especially after an 80 hour week and your last patient curses at you because you won’t change the order from Morphine 2mg IV push PRN q6h, to Morphine 4mg IV PRN q4h.
Even while maintaining the most professional attutide one can become short with “paying guests/patients/clients” from time to time. We are all human. Treat those how you wish to be treated. People act like CM’s are never allowed to show emotion, frankly its annoying.
donsullivan
Premium Member
Yeah, it's funny how it always seems to be the cast members fault; the guest (or the one before them) never bears any responsibility for these situations. People need to get over their attitude of 'I paid this much to be here, you should do whatever I want, the way I want it'. Every single guest in the park that day paid just as much (or more) as you and most of them aren't treating CM's in that fashion. And some need to leave that chip on their shoulder back home and not use it against a CM.
Are there occasions when a CM is having a bad day, sure, as I said earlier each and everyone of them are humans just like us. (If you have never had a bad day, even once at job I believe you are likely lying) However, in my experience (regular visitor since '81 and a local for almost 15 years) most frustrated CM behavior is triggered by rude, selfish, entitled and just plain unpleasant and/or unsafe guest behavior. I don't care how much they are being paid, they should not have to put up with that.
The bottom line is that the guests have just as much responsibility (if not more) for this condition as the CM's do and we all need to do our part to treat them respectfully no matter what is happening.