The cost of courtesy

[Maria]

Please please.... stay focus everybody! Let´s not start another long argument about Eisner!

As for Jim Hill.... has it occured to you that this is all MKT? I am sure all of us pay more attention to an article flaming against Disney than to a regular one talking good about it on the newspaper! It gives a lot more publicity! That´s why he still writes about it!

Just my two cents... :kiss:

 

[epcot71]

Originally posted by Fievel
Put simply - Jim Hill is an idiot........his name has appeared on anti-disney articles more than once and his journalistic integrity is in the crapper.

Second - Eisner is GOOD for disney....people are mad at him because he isnt' walt and isn't willing to try to put the company into bankruptcy to try something that MIGHT work and might not. If not for Eisner, JIYI would still be the crappy version, ad Alien at MK would be slapstick (thanks now) in comparison to what it is now. He has the final say on many things, and has brought disney into the 21st century. Walt Disney might have been able to do this too, but he was always trying to do stuff that always had the chance of wrecking the company. Without Eisner, WDW would not be where it is today.

Eisner is a figurehead...remember that....he is not making most of these decisions. There is a group below him that makes most of the decisions for him.

i agree 100%-i back eisner and have since 1984-
jim hill is a @#!hole-i just fear the day when eisner retires or has heart attack number 4-then who will run disney???????

 

[DisneyWorldGuru]

Originally posted by epcot71



i agree 100%-i back eisner and have since 1984-
jim hill is a @#!hole-i just fear the day when eisner retires or has heart attack number 4-then who will run disney???????

Well... You guys are right Eisner did help the Disney Company alot. Also, I agree Jim is an @$$ hole but if inside you are a true cast member you would help aguest even on your off hours.

 

[bearboysnc]

Quote "i just fear the day when eisner retires"

While I hate Eisner... at least he has the clout, and savvy to get things done.

Look at who's up to take his place....

 

[Fievel]

I predict a shakeup of some sort when Eisner leaves....possibly some Disney Trueblood coming back and helping to take over? At least the family would be in control again.

 

[DisneyWorldGuru]

Originally posted by Fievel
I predict a shakeup of some sort when Eisner leaves....possibly some Disney Trueblood coming back and helping to take over? At least the family would be in control again.

I wish a Disney would get back involved with the company. That is what they need, a true Disney!!!

 

[Fievel]

I think Roy wants control of at least the parks....

Speaking of Roy...I was in Pasadena for the rose bowl (few years back when he was grand marshall) and I got a chance to meet him, albeit briefly. He looks just like Walt...kinda creepy.....

 

[epcot71]

Originally posted by DisneyWorldGuru


Well... You guys are right Eisner did help the Disney Company alot. Also, I agree Jim is an @$$ hole but if inside you are a true cast member you would help aguest even on your off hours.

ok i agree with too-im not a cm but even when i see another guest in need i love to help-i know alot about disney and when i see a mother in need of a bathroom for her kid-ill walk over and tell her where it is.if i was a cast member even on my off time id still give disney service 100%-thats the difference between cms who have pixie dust and those who dont-the memo does not state to be rude or undisney like-it just states as a company disney cant make an off duty cast member offer assistance to a guest-even they are off clock they still must abide by disney guest service practices.they can be very polite and let a guest know they are off duty and can redirect them to a working cms in a very polite disney way

 

[DisneyWorldGuru]

Originally posted by Fievel
I think Roy wants control of at least the parks....

Speaking of Roy...I was in Pasadena for the rose bowl (few years back when he was grand marshall) and I got a chance to meet him, albeit briefly. He looks just like Walt...kinda creepy.....

Well I would think that Roy taking over the parks would be good. Only if the other Disneys' would get involved in the company. I mean there has got to be a little bit of Walt is in every Disney. LOL

 

[DisneyWorldGuru]

Originally posted by epcot71


ok i agree with too-im not a cm but even when i see another guest in need i love to help-i know alot about disney and when i see a mother in need of a bathroom for her kid-ill walk over and tell her where it is.if i was a cast member even on my off time id still give disney service 100%-thats the difference between cms who have pixie dust and those who dont-the memo does not state to be rude or undisney like-it just states as a company disney cant make an off duty cast member offer assistance to a guest-even they are off clock they still must abide by disney guest service practices.they can be very polite and let a guest know they are off duty and can redirect them to a working cms in a very polite disney way

Thank you. I to love helping other guests. It is so much fun when you can use your usless WDW info. LOL. I hlep people book their vacations here in Jersey and I am not even a travel agent. I just have the magic of Disney in me 24-7. That and it helps me get over that I am not able to go back to WDW for a year. Disney is like a drug, once you go off it you go into withdraw.

 

[mkt]

this is the FIRST Jim Hill article I'm agreeing with...

thank god I'm in the ONLY department that still gets a walk-time in a shift, regardless of location.

 

[Lhriangel]

I think it all depends on the cast member. Personally I love people and I love talking to guests that share my love of disney whether i'm off or on stage. LOL I've gotten wierd looks from my roommates / ex bfs / friends because I'm always talking to little kids when I'm in lines for rides, tell them useless bits of trivia and try to even keep them entertained. I just love people.. and I love Disney that's just me. It all depends on the attitude that people have I think...

 

[Invero]

Originally, I was going to write...
"Sorry... I'm off the clock... go ask someone who gives a flying patooie..."

But I want to comment...

Originally posted by DisneyWorldGuru
On April 12 he issued a memo in which he told WDW cast members they are under no obligation to be nice to the customers when they're off the company clock.

Gee Mr Hill... that's not what Lee said... maybe you need reading glasses...

Originally posted by DisneyWorldGuru
"Walktime" refers to that 10 to 15 minutes of paid time that the Mouse formerly tacked on at the start and end of each hourly employee's shift.

Monorails used to have walktime... personally, I thought it was a joke. What other company pays you to walk to your car? maybe it worked differently in other departments... but in 'rails... that's all it was... As for the start of our shift... if we punch in at 8:30... we're not required to be at our location till like 8:45-8:50... Coordinators and schedulers realize it takes time to get to your location... and yes, we're paid for it.

Busses works the same way... although, most of the time, either our bus is right there by the timeclock, or we have a shuttle bus that will wait for us near the timeclock... As for going home... I get broke usually 30-90 minutes before the end of my shift... so I have all that time to sit around, bring my car up to 30min parking (near time clock) or whatnot... all paid...

Originally posted by DisneyWorldGuru
Walktime also went out the window. Management apparently concluded it was dumb to pay people while they were in the park if they weren't actually standing at their post.

Personally... for my departments, I agree. Altough, I would word it that I find it dumb to pay someone to walk to thier car.

Originally posted by DisneyWorldGuru
He continues: "We do not require or expect our hourly cast members to perform any work activities while off the clock. This includes answering guest questions. All cast members should, however, be polite in interactions with guests at all times. Hourly cast members who are off the clock may politely redirect the guest to another cast member for assistance.

I don't see what's so wrong with this. All he is saying, is that if you are off the clock, you do not have to perform any job-related duties. For example, a housekeeper on thier way to thier car, being asked for extra towels or something. Like Lee said... if it's something that will take more than a quick answer, politely direct them to an on-duty cast member...

If it's just a quick question like, "where is the restroom" I don't know a single person in Transportation at least (including the bitter people) who wouldn't politely tell them where it is.

 

[niteobsrvr]

It all comes down to Federal and State Labor laws. As an employee who is paid hourly, your employer cannot expect you to do anything off the clock. It is just plain illegal. If you are salaried, you are never on nor off the clock. Your company can demand of your time whenever they feel it necessary. With hourly employees, this is not the case.

By writing this memo, Cockerell is simply emphasizing the law. I would hate to see Disney get wrapped up in a class action suit. Imagine a group of disgruntled cast members who get together and decide that answering questions before or after their shift was a violation of the law. This could happen even if a manger was not standing there tell the CM to answer the question. Now there is no longer a gray area.

I would also like to point out that some questions and situations just cannot be handled in a moment. A lady ran across me at the Ticket center one night as I was leaving wanting to know how to get to the Magic Kingdom for a priority seating (she was already late). I told her to take the Monorail or the boat. She proceeded 3 times to ask me "How are YOU going to help me?". Even if I was still on the clock, there would have been nothing I could do for her. But she still persisted as if I should go find a van and drive her to the Magic Kingdom.

 

[Dwarful]

well to me it seems like common sense...with the federal laws and all..but what do i know about common sense..working for USPS for 8 horrid years! I have seen super irate people at the end of the night at Epcot waiting for busses screaming at people...I would walk away from them as well if I weren't on the clock...people get incredibly rude for no apparent reasons except they arent getting exactly what they want the minute they want it..I can see paying people a bit extra when they have to walk through the parks etc..but not when they have to walk from parking lot to job!

 

[wannabeBelle]

I am in a management role at my company and I can tell you it is actually illegal to have an employee work if he is "off he clock" that includes lunches, breaks, and after hours. Maybe that is what the memo refers to. And for all you nice CM's THANK YOU!!!! For all the great service I have always received at Disneyworld!!:kiss: :kiss: :kiss: :kiss:

 

[PuertoRekinSam]

Originally posted by wannabeBelle
I am in a management role at my company and I can tell you it is actually illegal to have an employee work if he is "off he clock" that includes lunches, breaks, and after hours. Maybe that is what the memo refers to. And for all you nice CM's THANK YOU!!!! For all the great service I have always received at Disneyworld!!:kiss: :kiss: :kiss: :kiss:

I know what you mean. I have to tell my new hires at my work the same thing, even though I wind up working at all my jobs off the clock. I can't help it. That's how I was trained to be at Traditions. This memo is most likely used to prevent Lawsuits.

Now, what I'm about to say might upset some people, but let me explain it as best as I can. Some of you said 'Once Eisner leaves, a Disney True-Blood should take over.' I'm not sure if i completely agree on this. Roy is currently involved with motion pictures, if he can handle the job, and is qualified for the job, then by all means. But I do not see putting a Disney into office just because they are a Disney as being the best option for the business. Think about it, if you were highly qualified for a position, you worked for a company a long time, had the respect of your co-workers, and the business savy to work that position however; the bosses Nephew gets the job right out of college because he is the nephew, that would not be right. We need someone in office who will best improve the company and lead it into the future.

 

[WDWGarden]

To all of the "Disney Doomsdayers" who see this memo as part of the downward spiral in service at WDW...please note that the memo has changed NOTHING!!! There are and always will be cast members who come to work, do their job, and go home, just like if they worked in a factory or a bank. More importantly, there have always been and always WILL be those of us who are cast members 24/7 and will do what we can to help out a guest (or another human being for that matter) regardless of whether or not we're being paid. If a castmember would tell a guest, "Hey, I'm off the clock, I can't help you." it's most likely not because Lee Cockerell said so, it's because that's the kind of person they are.

I agree, this is most likely just a reitteration of the law...the company can not EXPECT you to spend your own time helping guests. If an individual chooses to go out of his way to help someone out on his own time, more power to him!

 

[figmentmom]

All I can say is just about every cast member I have ever had contact with has been terrific! Thank you, Maria, Erik, Tyler, Angelique, and everyone else who has contributed to the Disney magic for me.

 

[Dwarful]

I am curious...at USPS we have a 30 minute rule...all postal workers have 30 minutes from the time they clock off to be out of uniform. This keeps the public from thinking that the mailman is doing her grocery shopping on the clock, or banking, or going to the gambling casinos etc. Does Disney have any rule similar to this? I mean that would cut down on people getting confused in the parks...I can see where they wouldn't want CM"s walking the parks in uniform after they are finished working their day~ just curious