Universal's guest service now rival's Disney's

Tom Morrow

Tom Morrow

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Title says it all. Seriously. They've improved so much. Just spent an entire day there, every single Team Member was friendly, approachable, helpful, and enthusiastic. In some ways they even surpass Disney - I hear more themed phrases used from Universal TM's than Disney CMs.

Everyone used to trash their guest service, but now, I honestly, truly feel that there really isn't a difference anymore between Disney CM's guest service level and Universal TM's.

Kudos, Universal. Kudos.
 
Captain Chaos

Captain Chaos

Well-Known Member
Tom Morrow said:
Title says it all. Seriously. They've improved so much. Just spent an entire day there, every single Team Member was friendly, approachable, helpful, and enthusiastic. In some ways they even surpass Disney - I hear more themed phrases used from Universal TM's than Disney CMs.

Everyone used to trash their guest service, but now, I honestly, truly feel that there really isn't a difference anymore between Disney CM's guest service level and Universal TM's.

Kudos, Universal. Kudos.
Click to expand...

I felt the same way in October when I went... Great attitudes, very positive... I think the TMs at Universal feel the excitement the theme parks and resorts are resonating... You can feel the difference in Universal.. And it is all positive...
 
HMButler79

HMButler79

Member
This is news? This has been happening as far back since Simpsons opened and Bill Davis came in. It is because UO is now full of old school Disney people who remember the Nunis years and are now writing thier orientation/training programs to be like WDWs old Traditions program from...like....15-20yrs ago. Also, Team Members at UO are not mistreated and found fault in everything like they are at WDW by management so thier morale is higher.
 
HMButler79

HMButler79

Member
Unfortunatly, some people think that passing out B-Day stickers, saying HAPPY BDAY!, saying "Have a Magical Day! (trademarked) 7,000 times a day, doing PACtivities in the middle of the street and in front of restraurants, painting chracaters in water with a broom, and singing the TGI-Fridays Bday song outside restaurants, and Merchantainment qualifies as "guest service"....... :ROFLOL::hurl:
 
crazydaveh

crazydaveh

Active Member
I do think Uni has upped their game lately with their customer service. My issue is that it's not consistent. It's not like that just at Uni, it's like that everywhere. You can have your good days and bad days anywhere.

I do appreciate that they're putting more of an emphasis on it at the Globe though.
 
Pioneer Hall

Pioneer Hall

Well-Known Member
crazydaveh said:
I do think Uni has upped their game lately with their customer service. My issue is that it's not consistent. It's not like that just at Uni, it's like that everywhere. You can have your good days and bad days anywhere.

I do appreciate that they're putting more of an emphasis on it at the Globe though.
Click to expand...

When you employ thousands of people in hundreds of different areas, you are bound to have inconsistency. You can't keep everyone perfect all the time in such large organizations, you can only motivate them enough to hopefully be that way.
 
Tom Morrow

Tom Morrow

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
If anything I feel that Disney is more inconsistant, not just with attitudes but with things like procedures and having correct information.

Disney's service has been slipping gradually for many years, but Universal's has improved drastically over the last two years that I feel it is noteworthy. They clearly made a huge effort to improve. I should have put this in WDW discussion so it would be seen more.
 
Tom Morrow

Tom Morrow

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Nothing in particular, I've just noticed an all around VAST improvement. I also didn't get any "canned enthusiasm" feel like one might often get from Disney CM's. Oh, I'm sure its still there, but doesn't seem as noticeable.

At Disney it is becoming more and more the norm to see CM's barking out orders (because, you know, efficiency!) and "policing" people to ridiculous lengths.

Don't get me wrong, overall the service standard at Disney is just fine. I just find it noteworthy that, like in several other aspects, Disney's product is slipping while Universal's is very noticeably improving.
 
ParentsOf4

ParentsOf4

Well-Known Member
Back when it was just MK and Epcot, WDW probably was able to maintain more selective hiring standards. I recall there once being a real feeling that WDW truly was 'The Happiest Place On Earth', not just an advertising slogan. A lot of people wanted to work for WDW but there were relatively (compared with today) few positions.

I've never had any problem with any CM at either WDW or UO. In fact, I think they are an amazing group of people. To me their jobs seem to be extremely difficult at times and I'm amazed they keep it going. (I know I couldn't survive in that environment, year after year.) However, (and it could simply be that I was a different person then) I recall discussing with my brother (we first went to WDW together in 1983) that the CM's at WDW seemed almost "insanely friendly". Since then, WDW has more than doubled in size, UO has opened 2 theme parks, SeaWorld arrived, and there has been numerous other smaller additions. I simply don't think there are that many "insanely friendly" people in the world who are willing or able to move to central Florida and work in the challenging theme park environment. As a result, UO has been able to land its fair share of good people who want to work in a theme park, resulting in a leveling of the playing fields between WDW and UO CMs.

Just my 2 cents.
 
Timekeeper

Timekeeper

Well-Known Member
I've also noticed these improvements. Glad to see so many variables for Universal that are each heading in the right direction :sohappy:
 
SyracuseOrange

SyracuseOrange

Well-Known Member
Tom Morrow said:
Nothing in particular, I've just noticed an all around VAST improvement. I also didn't get any "canned enthusiasm" feel like one might often get from Disney CM's. Oh, I'm sure its still there, but doesn't seem as noticeable.

At Disney it is becoming more and more the norm to see CM's barking out orders (because, you know, efficiency!) and "policing" people to ridiculous lengths.

Don't get me wrong, overall the service standard at Disney is just fine. I just find it noteworthy that, like in several other aspects, Disney's product is slipping while Universal's is very noticeably improving.
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So many of us have been begging for Disney to actually enforce rules - perhaps they just need to find a happy medium?
 
J

JayCricket

New Member
The Happiest Place on Earth is only Disneyland's tagline.
WDW tagline is "Where Dreams Come True"
MK's tagline is "The Most Magical Place on Earth".

I noticed the lowering of standards about 15 years ago.

While some jobs are in difficult environments, keep in mind that a good number of those people don't stay in those positions very long, it's a stepping stone.

I don't know what the ratio of back stage to on stage jobs are, but many are back stage jobs that don't require you to be overly friendly.

Disney doesn't rely on people moving to Florida in order to work at WDW.
The population in central Florida has grown tremendously over the years. There are lots of retirees that work part time. They also recruit from colleges and internationally.

Because of the benefits, opportunities to advance, and the Disney legacy, Disney is still the first stop for those specifically looking for a job in the theme park industry.

I think the fact that US is making great strides in the guest relations area is a good thing. It's a great theme park and so is SW.
Competition for quality people will benefit CMs, TMs and whatever SW calls their employees. A higher tide raises all boats.
 
Rozzie

Rozzie

Member
Our guest service is slipping a little bit in Custodial at MK. So much, that I put a transfer in. The thing that bothers me, is that we have managers tell us about the 4 keys (The Basics, 7 service guidelines) ALL THE TIME! It's like we are 3 years old and don't know how to perform guest service. I usually have managers just stand there and watch me for like 10 mins to make sure I am providing guest service, even though I watch them walk through the area, and don't even talk to guest.
 
J

JayCricket

New Member
Rozzie said:
I usually have managers just stand there and watch me for like 10 mins to make sure I am providing guest service, even though I watch them walk through the area, and don't even talk to guest.
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Rozzie, Rozzie, Rozzie, how unperceptive of you, assuming that the "Four Keys" applies to managers.

Here's my "Two Keys"
Do the best job you possibly can.
Treat everyone the way you'd like to be treated if you were a guest.

(I'll look for your tag.)
 
Disneydreamer23

Disneydreamer23

Well-Known Member
when i was there in oct/nov I thought the service at US was better than disney I was on my honeymoon and universal gave me pins and at 4 different rides simpsons MIB et and HULK the staff gave me a fast pass ticket to skip lines i thought that was so nice of them Disney didnt do much of any thing except HS the lady gave me a free churro and another at HS gave me a free wheezy breezy freezy lol but that you to those people who did do some thing it made me feel very special.
 
wendysue

wendysue

Well-Known Member
Tom Morrow said:
Title says it all. Seriously. They've improved so much. Just spent an entire day there, every single Team Member was friendly, approachable, helpful, and enthusiastic. In some ways they even surpass Disney - I hear more themed phrases used from Universal TM's than Disney CMs.

Everyone used to trash their guest service, but now, I honestly, truly feel that there really isn't a difference anymore between Disney CM's guest service level and Universal TM's.

Kudos, Universal. Kudos.
Click to expand...

I agree. A couple weeks ago, we went to Universal and to the Magic Kingdom, and Universal won hands down. Going back in September, and while we will still go to HS and Epcot, we have NO plans to go to the MK.
 

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