Miserable CMs?! - My Experiences

[jloucks]

I've only ever seen one CM in the full blown cranky zone. She was working at the bakery and she seem super peeved about, who knows what. Lots of eye rolling and grunting. Obviously she was having a bad day about something. My bet is she didn't last long.

 

[Paper straw fan]

I hopped over a chain on an empty line queue before and got a very grumpy but brief admonishing from a CM, was a little much since it was late and they probably should have opened them already- still, I get it.

Now when I nearly ran over a parking attendant, that one I got completely (it was 4 am for a stupid 10k)

 

[KBLovedDisney]

The only miserable CM I have ever seen/encountered was during our Disneymoon. We were headed to CRT for our breakfast reservation and approached the front desk. The Lady working the desk looked at us and we told her our names, and her reply was "Oh look, two adults..." along with saying something else not nice under her breath she also did a very obvious eye roll.

 

[Paper straw fan]

The only miserable CM I have ever seen/encountered was during our Disneymoon. We were headed to CRT for our breakfast reservation and approached the front desk. The Lady working the desk looked at us and we told her our names, and her reply was "Oh look, two adults..." along with saying something else not nice under her breath she also did a very obvious eye roll.

The heck? I mean I'm not getting someone fired over that, but I would honestly assume that person did not last long there. That is a lot of guests initial point of contact to CM's, to have someone insult you like that right at the beginning is pretty bad. You know what? Yeah I am complaining if that had happened to me. I'm not going to run tattle on the CM in a Goofy suit getting kicked by kids, but this one I probably wouldn't have let go. Of course I'm passive aggressive, so I probably would have called from the room instead of in public.

 

[KBLovedDisney]

The heck? I mean I'm not getting someone fired over that, but I would honestly assume that person did not last long there. That is a lot of guests initial point of contact to CM's, to have someone insult you like that right at the beginning is pretty bad. You know what? Yeah I am complaining if that had happened to me. I'm not going to run tattle on the CM in a Goofy suit getting kicked by kids, but this one I probably wouldn't have let go. Of course I'm passive aggressive, so I probably would have called from the room instead of in public.

Yeah, it wasn't the greatest experience but meeting Cinderella afterwards in her castle kind of activated my inner 5 year old and that initial CM interaction subsided.

Edit: More like, after seeing Cinderella and getting to finally eat in the castle, I forgot...that is until we got back to the hotel that night and reminisced about the day.

Lady was just not going to let anyone else have a Magical Day.

 

[Tori]

I hopped over a chain on an empty line queue before and got a very grumpy but brief admonishing from a CM, was a little much since it was late and they probably should have opened them already- still, I get it.

Now when I nearly ran over a parking attendant, that one I got completely (it was 4 am for a stupid 10k)

You didn't get a rude CM. Don't hop over a chain and you wont get spoken to about it.

 

[jloucks]

That was probably out of concern (litigation) that you wouldn't break your head open on the concrete. Or whatever material.

I saw somebody fall HARD doing that not too long ago. Pretty much guaranteed to jack something up as one foot is not making it down. (this was @ Six Flags).

 

[WDWTank]

Can't say I have ever encountered a rude or grumpy CM, may be I have been lucky. Last visit I had my Vietnam vet hat on went to buy a coke at one of the stands CM said no charge thanks for your service. IMO they do an amazing job considering having to deal with the public and all their varied issues and the Florida heat. No CM complaints here

Indeed!

 

[LeighM]

Oh! I just remembered another grumpy CM story!!! It was one of the chefs at Port Orleans Riverside in the make your own pasta station. She was having a horrible day and I think it was made worse bc I think she may have been fired because of it. I was in the line waiting and she wasn't paying attention to what people were ordering. She was making the wrong orders and had major attitude when people told her that's not what they ordered. She would have to redo it and she was cursing under her breath. Finally she snapped and started saying the eff word, slammed a pan down on the stove but it was too hard and fell to the floor, food went everywhere, others working with her got angry, and she just walked off after shoving the door open.

 

[jaklgreen]

Yeah, it wasn't the greatest experience but meeting Cinderella afterwards in her castle kind of activated my inner 5 year old and that initial CM interaction subsided.

Edit: More like, after seeing Cinderella and getting to finally eat in the castle, I forgot...that is until we got back to the hotel that night and reminisced about the day.

Lady was just not going to let anyone else have a Magical Day.

CRT is too expensive to take little kids too anyway. LOL We ate there before we had kids, as well as Chef Mickey's, Crystal Palace and pretty much every other character restaurant.

 

[jaklgreen]

Oh! I just remembered another grumpy CM story!!! It was one of the chefs at Port Orleans Riverside in the make your own pasta station. She was having a horrible day and I think it was made worse bc I think she may have been fired because of it. I was in the line waiting and she wasn't paying attention to what people were ordering. She was making the wrong orders and had major attitude when people told her that's not what they ordered. She would have to redo it and she was cursing under her breath. Finally she snapped and started saying the eff word, slammed a pan down on the stove but it was too hard and fell to the floor, food went everywhere, others working with her got angry, and she just walked off after shoving the door open.

Sounds like she quit.

 

[The Mighty Tim]

Oh! I just remembered another grumpy CM story!!! It was one of the chefs at Port Orleans Riverside in the make your own pasta station. She was having a horrible day and I think it was made worse bc I think she may have been fired because of it. I was in the line waiting and she wasn't paying attention to what people were ordering. She was making the wrong orders and had major attitude when people told her that's not what they ordered. She would have to redo it and she was cursing under her breath. Finally she snapped and started saying the eff word, slammed a pan down on the stove but it was too hard and fell to the floor, food went everywhere, others working with her got angry, and she just walked off after shoving the door open.

Oh boy - dinner and a show!

 

[World_Showcase_Lover007]

Alright OP, I’ll come to your defense since everyone is seemingly ok with rude CM behavior or has always experienced stellar service somehow. The situation you encountered is unacceptable, and yes I’ve noticed that CMs are increasingly less courteous and sometimes rude in recent years. I’ve written about it in my trips reports.

Yes retail and the service industry suck and cast members deserve more money, but you can’t ignore the simple observation that rudeness is on the rise. Everybody has different experiences but some people here want to hate on the OPs no matter what and be haters. Or maybe I’m wrong and katiebug is my long lost sister lol...

 

[Tom Morrow]

My only gripe with CMs is at HM and ToT. I've seen a real lack of playing the part of creepy hosts and hostesses, and it's been a bit disappointing.

They've actually never been required to play the part. Unfortunately, as the parks get busier and busier and CM's are pushed harder and harder for efficiency with significantly more responsibilities than they used to have, playing up the part in roles such as these is not a very high priority anymore.

 

[DisneyDoctor]

They've actually never been required to play the part. Unfortunately, as the parks get busier and busier and CM's are pushed harder and harder for efficiency with significantly more responsibilities than they used to have, playing up the part in roles such as these is not a very high priority anymore.

Oh I did not know that. Interesting, that’s too bad.

 

[Hayley In Wonderland]

We visited Nov last year and the only "miserable" CM we experienced was at Guest Services at our hotel. We were given a time for our tragical express but received an additional letter a couple days later which changed our coach time to be about 2 1/2 hours before our flight departed. I went to request to be put on an earlier coach since this was pushing our time very short (if we hadn't changed we probably would have missed our flight - we were staying at CS and it was at least 45 minutes until we were actually on the road out of the resorts). She was very rude and condescending towards me, telling me that I would not miss my flight and not being very helpful. I suffer from anxiety so things like this are a big deal to me, I'm usually early for EVERYTHING just to make sure I have more than enough time to get somewhere otherwise I go into panic mode. Eventually another CM took over who was helpful and moved us to an earlier coach, and he agreed that the coach they moved me to would have been way to late to make my flight.

 

[LeighM]

Sounds like she quit.

Oh boy - dinner and a show!

All of us were in shock. While this cook was extremely unprofessional, I still couldn't help but feel sorry for her because it was obvious to everyone she was holding back tears and something was seriously wrong.

 

[Tick Tock]

Reading through pages of comments in this thread, it seems there are some who don't quite grasp what customer service / hospitality really is all about: Making people believe you like them, and making them feel at home. It's all about putting on an act and being darn good at it.

I have worked in tourism and convention operations for quite some time. There are very few tourists I have encountered over the years who I actually like or respect. Most of today's traveling public is undignified, overly gluttonous, overly sheltered, highly lacking in common sense for even the most simple of tasks, and give the all-around human race a bad reputation. There's no other way to say it.

YET, if you were to ask any of the people I've served or dealt with over the years, they would tell you I was their best friend who worships the very ground they walk on and will bend over backwards just for them because I love the thought of their very existence on this planet. THAT is what customer service is... making them feel that way when your internal thoughts & emotions are nowhere near. That is what more people need to practice on a daily basis. You don't have to like everybody. Chances are, you won't like most. But when you're on stage or anywhere in the public eye doing your craft in this industry, you had better put on a convincing act, or this type of work is not for you.

No matter what type of day you're having or what they may be flinging at you, when you're on stage there is one basic rule: Make the bastards believe you love 'em.

 

[MAGICFLOP]

It's good to know that doing this job is that easy.

Did not say it was easy.. did say that if they are unable to do it then don't... get another job.
They are paid to be nice, if they can't do that, then get another job..

You make it sound like I think CM's need to run errands for guests on their day off..

 

[MAGICFLOP]

While I agree that CMs should be as polite and friendly as possible, is there a friendly way to tell people they're being atypical a-holes and that they should correct their misbehaviour before you call Security on them?

YES and they do with the sarcastic 'Have a magical day' and that should be the extent of it..

I was never a CM and may be going out on a limb by presuming this, but CM's where not hired to be a-hole correctors. CM's need to deal wit people the best they can and if they can't then call in someone who can handle it ie. security. People with short fuses should not be CM's on stage, they need to take jobs back stage.

I have worked with volumes of people over the years and during a stressful time of their life.. and I have dealt with the real deal on a few occasions..
1 in 10 are a-holes
1 in 100 are major a-holes
1 in 1000 are the real deal a-hole

do the numbers and you will know how many are walking the parks at any given time...