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The cost of courtesy
- Thread starter DisneyWorldGuru
- Start date
cm1988
Active Member
Seems inconsistent with the truth
I think the Sentinal has taken something out of context (again). It is more than implausible that an executive who --- week after week, both in person and in writing --- encourages going the extra mile for guests... would say otherwise.
Maybe this all stemmed from a few of the 50000 cast members asking to be paid for courtesy shown 'off the clock'. Good grief! If I help my neighbor trim their hedge, or pick up trash I find at Florida Mall's food court... should I ask Disney to reimburse me? When do you 'punch the clock' on being nice? Just because the person needing help happens to be in a theme park I walk through on the way to/from work... should I shunt them off to someone else? Again... good grief!!!
I know a heck of a lot of WDW cast members, and am delighted to say that their niceness comes from inside, not from the green envelope they receive every Thursday.
I think the Sentinal has taken something out of context (again). It is more than implausible that an executive who --- week after week, both in person and in writing --- encourages going the extra mile for guests... would say otherwise.
Maybe this all stemmed from a few of the 50000 cast members asking to be paid for courtesy shown 'off the clock'. Good grief! If I help my neighbor trim their hedge, or pick up trash I find at Florida Mall's food court... should I ask Disney to reimburse me? When do you 'punch the clock' on being nice? Just because the person needing help happens to be in a theme park I walk through on the way to/from work... should I shunt them off to someone else? Again... good grief!!!
I know a heck of a lot of WDW cast members, and am delighted to say that their niceness comes from inside, not from the green envelope they receive every Thursday.
niteobsrvr
Well-Known Member
LOL, the weekly payroll distribution question: "Blue or Green?"
Irrawaddy Erik
Well-Known Member
Blue ....
RobFL
Account Suspended
Green still myself... I hav the form I just haven't bothered to ask where to turn it in. Plus, If i'm going there to make sure i don't miss out on free buttons (I love those things!) then why not just get the check?
About walking through the park...
From UoE.. Say it's Thursday, and I am opening Theater 1. I had to be at the Ops trailer at 8am even though my shift doesn't start until 8:15. Going to the Ops trailer means skipping the bus, and so i scoot in through Dome. It's not a big deal, doesn't bug me to wander around and pick things up because I'm normally early because I want to avoid traffic anyways.
But remember.. it's Thursday. I have to get back to Cast Services sometime today unless I want something in my checkbook to bounce. ( I knew i should of waited to buy the SE monorail accessory till next week!)
So, during my lunch, I'm going to run the gauntlet.
The Dome shortcut is out of the question during operating hours - one wrong turn and you're onstage (Yes, i still get lost from time to time...), and walking the back roads from UoE is scary and unpleasent.
So, i've gotta tip-toe through the tulips (literally) and scoot out over by TT.
If i get changed, I would of had to somehow pack a shirt into my lunchbox... and it would zap another 10 mins from my already decreasing lunchtime (Double breasted shirts.. feh..)
So I make a run for it. I have my lunch cooler thingy over my shoulder, I make no eye contact, and I walk brisky with a determined look.
95% of the time, I make it through without any problems and occasionally just point on a park map or gesture to the restrooms.
No biggie. I can spare 30 seconds.
I have seen so much worse though. Just yesterday, a woman practically assaulted a CM wearing a costume. She didn't have the nametag on and was obviously trying to get to work on time, but the guest started screaming at her when she tried to refer them to the workers right there at TT. She started ranting "No! I'm not walking anywhere!!"
I have also seen a CM just blow off a guest off and say "I'm not on the clock" and keep on walking.
Who is at fault? Not the memo or the policy. The Guest was being irrational in the first instance and the CM wasn't being polite in the second. The memo says be polite, so the second CM wasn't doing what she was supposed to, and is there any way to safeguard against irrational guests?
A "Guest Courtesy" policy would be nice but then the parks would be empty some days.....
So, in the end.. Some CMs are rude, but they don't last long. Some guests are irrational - and they then write nastey posts on the Internet because they know lots of other irrational people will back them up.
They don't realize that CM's are human beings. We have feelings and we don't like to be yelled at or accousted any more than anyone else. I don't mind helping a friendly guest when I'm off the clock. I know almost every other CM I work with is the same way. Its when they cross that line to rudeness/irrationality that I realize "I'm not getting paid for this" and send them off to someone else (though i always feel bad for whoever gets stuck with them).
I know, i'll get a lot of flack for saying this.. but sometimes the Guests are not right - and of course they never realize this - and i think it's the same guests who aren't right who think that this memo is the end all of Disney. They're the ones who believe that money affords them anything regardless of who it is inconviencing - be it a CM trying to get their paycheck/lunch or other Guests.
-Rob
About walking through the park...
From UoE.. Say it's Thursday, and I am opening Theater 1. I had to be at the Ops trailer at 8am even though my shift doesn't start until 8:15. Going to the Ops trailer means skipping the bus, and so i scoot in through Dome. It's not a big deal, doesn't bug me to wander around and pick things up because I'm normally early because I want to avoid traffic anyways.
But remember.. it's Thursday. I have to get back to Cast Services sometime today unless I want something in my checkbook to bounce. ( I knew i should of waited to buy the SE monorail accessory till next week!)
So, during my lunch, I'm going to run the gauntlet.
The Dome shortcut is out of the question during operating hours - one wrong turn and you're onstage (Yes, i still get lost from time to time...), and walking the back roads from UoE is scary and unpleasent.
So, i've gotta tip-toe through the tulips (literally) and scoot out over by TT.
If i get changed, I would of had to somehow pack a shirt into my lunchbox... and it would zap another 10 mins from my already decreasing lunchtime (Double breasted shirts.. feh..)
So I make a run for it. I have my lunch cooler thingy over my shoulder, I make no eye contact, and I walk brisky with a determined look.
95% of the time, I make it through without any problems and occasionally just point on a park map or gesture to the restrooms.
No biggie. I can spare 30 seconds.
I have seen so much worse though. Just yesterday, a woman practically assaulted a CM wearing a costume. She didn't have the nametag on and was obviously trying to get to work on time, but the guest started screaming at her when she tried to refer them to the workers right there at TT. She started ranting "No! I'm not walking anywhere!!"
I have also seen a CM just blow off a guest off and say "I'm not on the clock" and keep on walking.
Who is at fault? Not the memo or the policy. The Guest was being irrational in the first instance and the CM wasn't being polite in the second. The memo says be polite, so the second CM wasn't doing what she was supposed to, and is there any way to safeguard against irrational guests?
A "Guest Courtesy" policy would be nice but then the parks would be empty some days.....
So, in the end.. Some CMs are rude, but they don't last long. Some guests are irrational - and they then write nastey posts on the Internet because they know lots of other irrational people will back them up.
They don't realize that CM's are human beings. We have feelings and we don't like to be yelled at or accousted any more than anyone else. I don't mind helping a friendly guest when I'm off the clock. I know almost every other CM I work with is the same way. Its when they cross that line to rudeness/irrationality that I realize "I'm not getting paid for this" and send them off to someone else (though i always feel bad for whoever gets stuck with them).
I know, i'll get a lot of flack for saying this.. but sometimes the Guests are not right - and of course they never realize this - and i think it's the same guests who aren't right who think that this memo is the end all of Disney. They're the ones who believe that money affords them anything regardless of who it is inconviencing - be it a CM trying to get their paycheck/lunch or other Guests.
-Rob
wannabeBelle
Well-Known Member
hey Rob I happen to agree with youand I am only a Guest!!! There are some damn nasty, rude people who think that just because they are screwing up, that every person in the world has to stop and help them NOW!!! I appreciate all the help the CM's have given me over the years, specialy when I lost my parents in AK!!! Granted I was 35 and quite capable of finding my way back to the Coronado Springs resort by myself but the people at the It's Tough to be a Bug attraction helped me by just looking out for my Mom and Dad!! A nicer bunch I couldnt have imagined and when my Mom found me by coming back to the attraction entrance, she wondered why she bothered to find me as I was having such a good time with the CM's(One of who was exceptionally good looking!!) Kepp on goin the way you are!! Sounds like it works to me!!
dalton30720
New Member
I've learned a lot just by reading this thread. I already think highly of you CM's. But now, I respect you even more for everything you have to put up with.
cm1988
Active Member
For the non-cast members out there (if any are still reading these posts:snore: )... paychecks come in green envelopes dotted with miniature Mickeys. People who use direct deposit get a pay 'stub' in a blue envelope... also dotted with miniature Mickeys.
Huh??? Is it the fear of being hit by a speeding pargo? I guess I could understand that.
Something of a challenge to make a magical moment, in that instance.:brick: Once in a while... if you can possibly keep trying... you can turn anger like that aside and suddenly you are seeing tears of gratitude where the moment before you saw nothing but rage. That... is magic.
But I surely understand all the things you've said there. Occasionally, the win-win just doesn't happen and you walk away thinking... 'is there any way I could have possibly turned that around?' Been there fairly recently, myself.
Invero
Well-Known Member
Mine's blue... but the best part about it... I get my money on Tuesday... :sohappy:
Personally... I agree with you 100%. Sometimes the guest isn't right. And when you try to either show them how they are mistaken, or help them correct the situation, they get even more furious and take out thier problem on you... even though you had nothing to do with it, and are just trying to help. Thankfully... this only accounts for a select few guests, and most have enough common sense to work with you, instead of against you.
When a guest approaches me with a problem... and they explain it to me nicely, and treat me with the respect I do deserve... then I will do everything in my power to help them out, and I will go above the standard to do it. However, if on the other hand, the guest aproaches me with an attitude, and starts giving me attitude... I will still smile, and I will still help them, because that is my job... however, I won't go out of my way.
For example... A while ago, when I was still in Monorails full time... I had an older couple approach me at the TTC, asking where the bus to the Boardwalk was. I explained to them that it was at the Magic Kingdom. The then told me that they had been sent back and forth twice between the Magic Kingdom, and TTC for that bus, and that they needed to get there to meet thier kids and grandkids. Normally, I'd just send them back with directions, but since we were plenty staffed, I got permission, and took them to the bus. I got them in the front of the Monorail back to the MK, and from there, I walked with them, and waited with them a few mins till the bus got there, just to make sure they got on the right one. While walking, they told me how this was thier 50th anniversary, and that their kids were taking everyone on a Disney Cruise the next day... They even tried to tip me... and wouldn't take it back. So I gave it to my manager, and it probably went into the Chik-Fil-A Fund... lol *shrug*
But at any rate... they were really nice to me about thier problem... and in turn, I went out of my way to help them out.
Another example of the other kind... this didn't happen to me, but rather my friend... It was his last run of the night, and he was dispatched to drop some guests off at the Swan... being his last run, he put "SPECIAL" on his marquee. When he pulled in, he noticed that there was a large crowd there... being nightime, he knew that they were waiting for a Downtown Disney bus. He opened his doors to let the 5 people out, and this guy sticks his head in the door, and says, "What's so ******* special about this bus?!"
My friend responded, "Well sir... it's my last run, and I get to go home now. Have a good night." and he closed the doors. After he said that, the crowd kinda cheered... as if the guy had been mouthing off all the while... and now was stunned.
Now... had that guy not been such a (insert non-disney word), my friend would have picked them up, and taken them to DTD before shutting down the bus to go home. (If it were possible for him to take everyone but that guy, he would have done that too)
The lesson/message... Being friendly, understanding, and respectful will get you a lot further...