Rude Cast Members?

[maelstrom]

In February I encountered a cranky CM at the Living Seas. She was working in the gift shop and I asked her how long the ride had been closed (I hadn't been there in years and didn't know about places like WDW Magic yet) and she seemed so annoyed that I even asked. Like she didn't even want to be there.

 

[blue_dragon_192]

I have never met a rude CM at Universal, but I have heard many conversations that should not have been in public. Two girls were commenting about how clean the streets in Uinversal looked, and the second girl said that the cleaning crew did a better job than usuall. I also has a CM at Univ. tell me all about how this person was late, and how this person should be fired, and how her wrists hurt....blah blah blah....I guess I should not have asked.

I think we all "expect" the great Disney magic from all of the CM's, forgetting that they are human like us.

I got into a huge fight on a tram ride out of MK. We were at the near front of the line to get on to the tram. There was a huge (30+) family trying to get on the ram from all rows. They were pushing people and kids out of their way and such. My wife (6 months pregnant) and my 6 year old son and I get on the tram. They three other guys get on with my wife, with a 4 foot cooler. They shove the cooler on and slam into my wife. I lost my head, and reamed these three guys out (with a clean, but very very loud voice)(I am a cubmaster, so I know how to yell). They goit up in my face and it went bad from there. I came within an inch of throwing they cooler and all three of them off the tram. Then my wife started on them, and I sat down to watch the show. She was merciless, and by the time we started moving, everyone on the tram was clapping at her. We got off and they followed us off the tram. 5 college kids got off and and walked with us, to make sure they did not do anything stupid to us. The college kids were parked on the other side of the parking lot, but still made sure we got to the car with out incident. I have been to the WDW area over 70 times in my life (I am 35, and a Florida resident) That was the worst I have ever had to deal with.....I love all of the CM's at WDW. Some of the guests are a different story...but hey, we are all human.


Blue

 

[SpongeScott]

I have never had a rude CM. And for those of you that have, remember that they are human, they are tired, they get mad and angry about things just as you do. No one is perfect. Try to think of all the pleasant experiences you've had with CM's instead of remembering the negative few you might have had.

 

[JLW11Hi]

I have never had a bad experience with a CM at Disney or Universal. I mean, ok, sometimes I encounter a Cm who's having a bad day (like one who was trying to move everyone who was standing in the "walking zone" for the parade on Main Street) but you have to realize how hard it can be woking at a busy and hectic place like Disney, especially those that have to deal with the crowds.

I think everyone who has had experience working with customers anywhere should know this. I work with customers at my job, and it can get pretty frustrating sometimes, especially when it comes to things that you can't control, and the customers take it out on you. Seriously, people can overeact waaaay too much sometimes, and employees should try to do their best to stay calm, but sometimes stuff just happens. Unless a CM openly comments that I suck or tells me to shut up, or worse, then I really have no problems with them. There is no need to get defensive when a CM just rolls their eyes or "talks with a tone". I realize that they go through extensive training and stuff, but training or not, stuff happens. In fact, I bet most of the time a CM is acting rude it is a very rare occasion on their part, and maybe they were just having a bad day or something. Maybe a friend of theirs wound up in the hospital, or maybe their parents got divorced, or something? You have to put yourself in their shoes sometimes.

You can either let a bad experience bug you and go off on someone because of it, or you can brush it off and enjoy the rest of you day. I mean, come on, its Disney! Don't worry about it!

 

[aim]

Well, one year we had a really rude bus driver. We were getting off the bus, and I guess he was in a hurry and shut my sister in the door. :lol:

 

[Merlin]

Originally posted by JLW11Hi
I have never had a bad experience with a CM at Disney or Universal. I mean, ok, sometimes I encounter a Cm who's having a bad day (like one who was trying to move everyone who was standing in the "walking zone" for the parade on Main Street) but you have to realize how hard it can be woking at a busy and hectic place like Disney, especially those that have to deal with the crowds.

I think everyone who has had experience working with customers anywhere should know this. I work with customers at my job, and it can get pretty frustrating sometimes, especially when it comes to things that you can't control, and the customers take it out on you. Seriously, people can overeact waaaay too much sometimes, and employees should try to do their best to stay calm, but sometimes stuff just happens. Unless a CM openly comments that I suck or tells me to shut up, or worse, then I really have no problems with them. There is no need to get defensive when a CM just rolls their eyes or "talks with a tone". I realize that they go through extensive training and stuff, but training or not, stuff happens. In fact, I bet most of the time a CM is acting rude it is a very rare occasion on their part, and maybe they were just having a bad day or something. Maybe a friend of theirs wound up in the hospital, or maybe their parents got divorced, or something? You have to put yourself in their shoes sometimes.

You can either let a bad experience bug you and go off on someone because of it, or you can brush it off and enjoy the rest of you day. I mean, come on, its Disney! Don't worry about it!

It's great that you have that attitude and don't let rude CMs get to you. However, I've been a corporate trainer for 11 years, specializing in customer service (3 years of which were for Disney, by the way) and there are a few points you (as well as others who are defending rude CMs) may want to consider:

1. For any of you who currently work for Disney (or have ever worked for Disney), have you ever had a guest ask you, "Do they pay you to be this happy?". If so, you may have responded with something to the effect of, "Of course not. I'm this happy because of the magic", and have sincerely meant it. But quite literally, the truth is this...they DO pay you to be that happy, at least outwardly. You're playing a role, and that role is one of a happy, pleasant person. It is NOT the role of someone who is experiencing problems in his/her personal life. Guests pay a LOT of money to visit Disney parks, and one of the things that Disney promises them is that they will have positive experiences from CMs, not be treated like nuisances.

2. Being able to deal with an annoying guest, or an unbelievably irate guest, or a stupid guest, etc. is a SKILL that Disney (as well as many other companies) hires and trains for. If you are an employee anywhere (Disney or otherwise) and dealing with customers (guests) is a part of your job, then it is something you need to be able to do. It doesn't mean you are a bad person if you fail at that. But it does mean that's a SKILL that you lack. This is not about being "just a human being". It is about either possessing a skill or not.

3. Anyone defending rude employees on the basis that it is okay to be rude because they "are having a bad day" or "are just human", needs to watch a training video called "The Fish". It is by Charthouse Productions, and it is about the employees at Pike Place Fish Market in Seattle. That video gives some of the best examples of why it is unacceptable to treat guests rudely.

4. People who complain about rude CMs are actually doing us all a favor in the long run. Disney is paying these people to treat guests politely (And no, rolling your eyes and using a rude tone is NOT considered polite). If they're paying CMs to behave this way, and CMs are not doing their job, Disney should know about it. Likewise, just letting it go is not fair to those of you CMs who DO work hard and deal with difficult guests.

 

[mkt]

Originally posted by bigbadwolf
I heard they can get fired for being rude.

they can... unfortunately, people are very quick to say something is rude...


...otherwise I'd still have my job.

 

[mkt]

Originally posted by NemoRocks78
Excuse me, but I have never, ever ran into a rude CM at the great Universal Orlando (or Hollywood if you want to get technical). Universal has the nicest employees of them all!

i walked in on a Universal Employee at Ralph's who was on her cellphone and would not take my order till she was done with her call. When I attempted to she gave me the "EXCUSE ME! CAN'T YOU SEE I'M ON THE PHONE?"

I should have pointed out that I was a coordinator of entertainment there and cellphones are prohibited for regular hourly employees... but I wasn't. It's hard to find a job right now, and as rude as she was, she probably needs the job. If jobs were easy to find... then I might have had her booted.

 

[mkt]

and my last comment..

when you have to hire 55k people and have cut back on training... you can hardly expect perfection. To a lot of CM's Disney is a job and nothing more.

 

[Woody13]

Originally posted by Merlin
After trying to get his attention, we just moved to a row for the front seat.

As a guest, I really dislike this sort of behavior from other guests. You created a disruption.

 

[shuflemstr]

The only rude CM that I encountered happened in early October at EPCOT. I was just taken back at this CM attitude.

 

[Merlin]

Originally posted by Woody13
As a guest, I really dislike this sort of behavior from other guests. You created a disruption.

Well, had you actually been there and seen the incident firsthand, I think you would have been pretty much alone in that thinking. As I mentioned (in the part of my post you did NOT quote), some other guests gave up their place in line for us because of what happened. There were also several others who appeared to be quite shocked by the CM's behavior. And I failed to mention that the guests who rode in the same rocket as we did, offered to stick around and back us up when we spoke to the manager (I decline their offer by the way. No sense making EVERYONE wait around).

 

[Merlin]

Originally posted by mkt
i walked in on a Universal Employee at Ralph's who was on her cellphone and would not take my order till she was done with her call. When I attempted to she gave me the "EXCUSE ME! CAN'T YOU SEE I'M ON THE PHONE?"

I should have pointed out that I was a coordinator of entertainment there and cellphones are prohibited for regular hourly employees... but I wasn't. It's hard to find a job right now, and as rude as she was, she probably needs the job. If jobs were easy to find... then I might have had her booted.

I'm not sure I'm following your story here. Was it a Ralph's employee or a Universal employee? If she was a Universal employee who was in Ralph's, what do you mean by "take my order"? I'm not being sarcastic, just trying to understand your story.

In any event, regarding your comment about it being "hard to find a job now" and that "she probably needs a job", that again is my point. With it being as hard as it is to find a job these days, one would think that would provide more incentive to employees to take their jobs more seriously. If you were fired because a guest overreacted, then I'm sincerely sorry about that. But again, that's my point. Clearly you were working hard and actually DOING your job. Do you think it is fair that you lost your job but someone who actually is being rude to guests gets to keep theirs'?

 

[DisneyFan 2000]

I've never seen or bumped into a rude CM.....
But I must say that some of the employees at universal don't seem very happy.... Not rude or anything, just not happy...........

 

[Marijil]

Originally posted by mrtoad
I have to say for 99.9% of them, I have had no problems. But I have had the occasional CM who seemed not to fit in, almost disinterested.

Ditto, when u do find one...it stinks

 

[RogueHabit]

Originally posted by mkt
and my last comment..

when you have to hire 55k people and have cut back on training... you can hardly expect perfection. To a lot of CM's Disney is a job and nothing more.

And that, I believe, is the crux of it. This was not how it laways used to be...

 

[mkt]

Originally posted by Merlin
I'm not sure I'm following your story here. Was it a Ralph's employee or a Universal employee? If she was a Universal employee who was in Ralph's, what do you mean by "take my order"? I'm not being sarcastic, just trying to understand your story.

at Universal Studios Florida, there's an ice cream fountain place named Schwabs (Which at the late night hour I posted this had confused as Ralphs). That's where she worked. Just a mistake.. lol

Originally posted by Merlin
If you were fired because a guest overreacted, then I'm sincerely sorry about that.

I was fired because of a guests false accusation/mistaken identity/a whole big ordeal I'd rather not get into at 6am

 

[mkt]

Originally posted by Catch 22
And that, I believe, is the crux of it. This was not how it laways used to be...

that's correct... it's also hard to find that many people willing to provide quality service while being paid menial wages and being treated like garbage.... the word respect means little in Disney (it's been replaced with Seniority). I was actually going to take a leave from Disney after the holidays had fate not intervened.

 

[bigbadwolf]

Originally posted by aj_macack
My family and I experienced the WORST case of rudeness that March... we had been in line for the Jungle Cruise for nearly and hour (even though the line wait time said 45 minutes) and had moved only about half way. We were actually at the part where it wraps once more and we were standing right in front of the loading zone.
Very uncool!!!!!!!!!

very creepy but we might of been there the same day. it was a woman and yes the line was damn long as hell. She was mocking off to people in the line how long it was going to take them to get on the ride! She was having too much fun... I do knw some castmembers who drive the boats try to be funny. But she was trying to be funny in the most negative way ever. People where waiting in line for like a hour. So she was yelling at them saying that they have a very long time togo, and that the people just entering the line should turn back now. oh my mom had a complant. The ride manager said to my mom "We will deal with the problem as soon as we can." Oh and they did... she was brought back away from the ride and told she was fired.

 

[pepsistar]

MKT/Rob So sorry to hear you are not with Disney anymore? Could it be true??? Now what? Any chance you may be able to be reinstated? Offered something in another area?


Sorry for the thread drift-- I too have noticed that several of the CM's seem to have lost their magic-- this last year. It was especially noticable at Riverside last time I was there-- Not rude just not interested.

For example we went into the store which I love, I asked one CM if theywere staying open late as the park was open for an e-ride night and she said of course not we always close at the same time. I said I thought you might be open a little later in case the guests needed anything since it had been so busy and she said we never!! stay open any later and she walked away--

Not so much what she said but the tone of her voice and attitude, Oh well-- the CM at check-in was the same way. We asked about another choice or location and were told nothing else was available. We went and did not like the room under the stairs!! Went back to the front desk spoke to someone else and she found several others to choose from. Like I said just no Disney magic/interest I guess? If we had not been there before I would have been very, very dissapointed in the service. :lookaroun especially as this is your first contact, impression.

My daughter had a problem at Space mountain also! My grandson, who is 6 and short, finally made the height requirement and they went on the ride two times. When they came back around to go again the CM said he was to short!?? That he could not go on! My daughter explained that he had just been on, she still would not let him through-- Now he is about to cry-- Why can't he go when he just went!! still NO!!! The CM said it must have been a mistake? He is to short! WHAT!!??

My daughter asked for a manager- After about 1/2 hr!! Someone came and and said they were sorry. That it was for safety-- Ah, hello-- he just went!! They finally let him go and she spoke to another person/manager after they got off. "WOW!" that was awful!

They offered her something-- she did not take it just wanted the CM to be talked to! really how to spoil the magic for a child! If he was to short the first time then he could not go, he new that, BUT after he had gone two times-- really!!!!:fork: :veryconfu