Disney Service

[Donald Duck888]

In light of my most recent trip to Disney and the thread about the girl being knocked down I was wondering about peoples opinions of Disney customer service lately. Do folks think it is better, worse or the same as it used to be?

My take is that it has slipped. Case in point on my recent trip to Disney I lost something in a park. Now I do not hold Disney responsible at all for that fact as it was my resposibility to keep my possesions safe and I obviously did not do a good job there.

My problem is when I went to guest services the treatment I recieved was sub par in my opinion. Basically I waited in line 45 mins, got to a person, they looked out back, came back and said nope not here but feel free to stop back during the day. Then proceded to give me a card to call central lost and found the next day.

The part that bugged me was they didn't even bother to take my info so perhaps they could contact me if it was found, they left it to me to come stand another 45 mins in line if i wanted to re check. Also they did not give me a number to call that park directly during the day and when i went back to my room and found the right number and called it i got a message saying they were too busy to take the call and to leave a message and someone would get back to me. Well I left a detailed message and no one ever got back to me.

Now I am not saying they are terrible for customer service but what I am saying is at least in my opinion they are not what they once were.

 

[KorbensMomma]

I went earlier this year and didn't have hot water for three days. So it was a ruff trip but they were very nice.
Also in Epcot I needed a band aid so I stopped by first aid when my friends went to the baby care center. They were so nice, very helpful, they gave me extras and different shapes in case in needed them.

I think the customer service is great, everyone is so nice. Even with the water problems they were nice and professional.

As for the little girl getting knocked down, accidents happen. They should have done something about it then. It says they left and went home, and it later turned purple.

I saw a video once where Tigger mowed down a kid when he turned to walk, limited visibility. He stood the kid back up and have hugs and made a big production of dusting him off. It was an accident.

 

[tsme]

I haven't had any issues with Disney's customer service. Everytime there's been an issue, which hasn't been often, everyone at Disney has always been very nice and helpful. I think sometimes because we've all come to expect such wonderful service from Disney that when we happen upon an employee who doesn't exactly have the "magic" in them, it really stands out.

 

[Donald Duck888]

I went earlier this year and didn't have hot water for three days. So it was a ruff trip but they were very nice.
Also in Epcot I needed a band aid so I stopped by first aid when my friends went to the baby care center. They were so nice, very helpful, they gave me extras and different shapes in case in needed them.

I think the customer service is great, everyone is so nice. Even with the water problems they were nice and professional.

As for the little girl getting knocked down, accidents happen. They should have done something about it then. It says they left and went home, and it later turned purple.

.

I am glad to hear that it sounds like they took good care of you. Sorry to hear about the water situation though.



As to the little girl I totally agree that it was an accident and that accidents happen. My only point is that Disney should have been proactive in that situation. I know where I work if someone falls even if they trip on their own feet we are all over it with offering to send them for a medical check. Now perhaps Disney did this and it was refused and that is not in the article but what i read was that dancer spun, hit girl, girl fell, dancer appologized and then went back to dancing. I did not see any mention of girl was offered medical attention. From the video you can see he got her pretty good in the head so at least to me that warrented some concern by his employer.

 

[Donald Duck888]

I haven't had any issues with Disney's customer service. Everytime there's been an issue, which hasn't been often, everyone at Disney has always been very nice and helpful. I think sometimes because we've all come to expect such wonderful service from Disney that when we happen upon an employee who doesn't exactly have the "magic" in them, it really stands out.

Perhaps, but all I was looking for was for them to put at least a little effort into letting me know if they found the item. Take my contact info give me a way to contact them without standing 45 mins in line each time, return my call. I did not get that from either the person at the park or from who ever listened to my message if they even did.

 

[pfalcioni]

I'm sorry you didn't get a call back from Lost and Found, but the reason they told you to call there rather than direct to the park in question is because all lost items get taken to one central lost and found the following morning, then is cataloged in.

They do not take your information and call you because unfortunately there's just so many things reported lost at Disney parks throughout the day and it would not make sense to have staff specifically to look at a found item, then look through all the reports of lost items handed in to see if they have a match, then call all the guests who's item seems to match what the CM has in hand.

It makes much more sense for the guest to call Lost and Found, describe the item, and the cm can then look in their database for any potential match.

 

[TTA Rider Matt]

i don't think you can make a statement one way or another in generalizing your experience or one bad or good experience to an entire population of cast members. my first trip in 1995, i was 11 years old in the tomorrowland speedway. my dad was behind me and at the end of the ride where people are getting out of their cars, he kept bumping me as a joke. when i was a few cars behind when i would be getting out, my dad bumped me again, and i bumped into the car in front of me. the cast member pointed to a sign that said something like "do not bump the car in front of you", and said to me "CAN YOU READ!?!?". even at a younger age, i just laughed this off because i knew i didn't do anything wrong, and it became a long-running family joke (still is today).

my point is, in my 18 years of going to disney world, some cast members i have come across have been fantastic, others have been atrocious, it's the nature of the beast when you're dealing with such a large company with so many employees.

 

[Hopefully]

Perhaps, but all I was looking for was for them to put at least a little effort into letting me know if they found the item. Take my contact info give me a way to contact them without standing 45 mins in line each time, return my call. I did not get that from either the person at the park or from who ever listened to my message if they even did.

Personally, I think your expectation of them being able to call you if your item was turned in is not reasonable. I have seen (but don't remember exactly) the number of items lost and found daily. It is staggering. Their published practice is that everything is transferred nightly to the central location. They gave that number to you to call. I think it was your responsibility to follow up, not theirs to track you down.
I have had 2 experiences with lost items at Disney and I have been more than satisfied with their process.

 

[Donald Duck888]

I'm sorry you didn't get a call back from Lost and Found, but the reason they told you to call there rather than direct to the park in question is because all lost items get taken to one central lost and found the following morning, then is cataloged in.

They do not take your information and call you because unfortunately there's just so many things reported lost at Disney parks throughout the day and it would not make sense to have staff specifically to look at a found item, then look through all the reports of lost items handed in to see if they have a match, then call all the guests who's item seems to match what the CM has in hand.

It makes much more sense for the guest to call Lost and Found, describe the item, and the cm can then look in their database for any potential match.

All good points, I guess it just would have been nice if someone could have taken 3 mins to return my call and tell me that instead of just not returning my call.

 

[pfalcioni]

I agree, not getting a return call is frustrating - whether it's Disney or some other company. I've always wondered why some places put in complex voicemail systems only to have their employees ignore their messages.

 

[Donald Duck888]

Personally, I think your expectation of them being able to call you if your item was turned in is not reasonable. I have seen (but don't remember exactly) the number of items lost and found daily. It is staggering. Their published practice is that everything is transferred nightly to the central location. They gave that number to you to call. I think it was your responsibility to follow up, not theirs to track you down.
I have had 2 experiences with lost items at Disney and I have been more than satisfied with their process.

I agree it was my responsibility to check just as it was my responsibility for losing the item. I did call however and could not get through to a person. So I left a message as i was asked to do on the recording that said "leave a message and someone will return your call". My problem is that no one returned the call. If they get so many lost items why not have an automated call back that tells people that when they call in to check on it intead of just not returning the call?

I am not saying that this is a big huge deal just that I expected a bit more from Disney.

 

[goofy4tink]

I think that, basically, the customer service is still good. Is it what it was 10 years ago? No. I think that 'most' CMs are good and trying to give great service, but when you come across the CM that really doesn't give a flying fig?? It tends to color the entire trip.
Let me give an example. I was at AKL a few years ago. It was just for one night...we had found a great airfare so arrived a day before our BWV stay started. I was with a friend who hadn't been to WDW in about 9 years!! Well, for some reason, my friend put her bag of chargers, cords, etc, in the dresser drawer for safe keeping while we were gone that day. The next morning, we packed up and had our bags transferred over to BWV. Great. When we got to our villa, about 4:30ish, we called for our bags to be brought up. Again, great. But when my friend opened her bags, she realized that she had left the charger baggie behind, at AKL. So, we called down to Bell Services at BW to see what they suggest we do. They made a call over to AKL but the lost and found area had closed so they left a message. They told us to call first thing in the morning. We did....and left messages. But by noon we hadn't heard anything, so we left the park and took a bus to AKL to talk to them in person. Walked up to the counter and politely explained what had happened The CM put the phone down..she had been talking on the phone....and told us to fill out a lost item report and when/if it was found, it would be sent to my friends home address. No, I told her, we needed the bag to be found and given to us now...all her chargers (phone and camera) were in it. She heaved a huge sigh, picked up the phone and said, and I quote..'I guess I'll talk to you later...I will have to miss break. I have a guest who needs something right now!!! Gotta go." Are you kidding me??? In front of a guest??? I told her, somewhat nastily, that we needed to speak to someone in housekeeping. We had the room number and the time we checked out...shouldn't be too hard to figure it all out. She told us someone would be with us shortly...again, rolling her eyes. My friend sat down in the lobby, I excused myself and went to the ladies room. I was horrified that a CM had treated us that way!! And I wasn't sure I was going to be able to remain somewhat calm if I stayed in the area. I returned to the lobby about 10 mins later and took a seat. Well...about 5 mins later, a gorgeous woman rolled up on a Segway! It was the housekeeping manager!!! And she had the baggie in hand. Said it had been turned in the day before. It had the room number and the time it was turned in....around 2pm. She apologized for the miscommunications. It seems that one person thought we had been called while another person thought that person A had called us.
My point? That first CM was miserable. She was more concerned with getting to her break than she was about making something right for a guest. She just kept telling us that the procceedure was to mail the lost item home!!! She sure didn't seem to be too concerned with the fact that we had just arrived the day before and had our entire stay ahead of us...with no phone or camera!!! That was the first time I ever sent an email to Disney about a bad CM experience. And the really funny thing?? The only other time was with a housekeeper at...you guessed it....AKL!! A few years later.
So sure, some CMs aren't so wonderful...but the vast majority seem to want to help the guest have a wonderful time in WDW.

 

[bleeps]

And for what it is worth (which is probably nothing), overall we live in a society where kindness/thoughtfulness are not particularly valued nor practiced on a day in, day out basis. We expect Disney CMs to be much, much better than what we experience almost anywhere else (and yes, I am saying that we expect it -- we pay a premium and it is supposed to be the foundation of their brand) -- but where are the role models, and where else is the standard being set or met?

Just as we can't generalize about CMs, we also can't generalize about guests -- but if we think about it, we may have 1 (or maybe 2) CMs during a course of a trip who are substandard or poor. But how many difficult/rude guests does a CM encounter on a daily basis? Yes, I get the dynamic of the person who is paying for the service and the person who is supposed to be providing the service, but if the vast majority of guests behaved magically, my guess is that service would go up because it would be that much easier for CMs to provide magical service in return. If CMs finished their shifts and went grocery shopping, or to the mall, and encountered fabulous service, they'd think "wow -- that person was really great and helpful; I hope I make my customers/guests feel as good as that person just made me feel!"

I'm perhaps not making my point well, but we can all be a part of the solution.

 

[maxiesmom]

Perhaps, but all I was looking for was for them to put at least a little effort into letting me know if they found the item. Take my contact info give me a way to contact them without standing 45 mins in line each time, return my call. I did not get that from either the person at the park or from who ever listened to my message if they even did.

That has been standard operating procedure for lost and found items for years. Trust me, I unfortunately speak from experience.

Other than their lost and found division, I still think there service is great. Especially when you think about all the mean, needy, crazy, impatient, ignorant people they deal with on a daily basis. Many of who forget the CM they are speaking with is a live human being, and not a Disney animatronic.

 

[BlueStarryHat]

I was once yelled at by a CM in the Haunted Mansion. I got confused and nearly followed him into a "backstage" area. He yelled at me to stay in the room with the fireplace. "The place! With the fire!" I turned around and slunk back to where I belonged. This was, in 20 years of WDW trips, the only time a CM was less than polite to me.

I think that's a pretty good record, certainly better than customer service almost anywhere else in the country.

 

[Kay1]

I was once yelled at by a CM in the Haunted Mansion. I got confused and nearly followed him into a "backstage" area. He yelled at me to stay in the room with the fireplace. "The place! With the fire!" I turned around and slunk back to where I belonged. This was, in 20 years of WDW trips, the only time a CM was less than polite to me.

I think that's a pretty good record, certainly better than customer service almost anywhere else in the country.

Something very similar happened to me at Space Mountain. I did report him to Guest Services. That CM had me fill out a report and thanked me. He said some of the younger CMs just need a little counseling on how to act.

I almost always get good service at Disney but it's no better than what I get at Publix or the dry cleaners.

 

[Magpie]

I haven't noticed any difference in the eight years I've been visiting Disney. I don't think Western society has gone to heck in a handbag over the last eight years and I don't think CM attitudes have worsened, either. They're the same people they were eight years ago. Some are having a magical day and passing that on to us, others... not so much. Happens to all of us, sometimes.

I don't worry about it. By and large, my interactions with CMs are delightful. It's what keeps us coming back to Disney!

And this year, I even made up a bunch of buttons with my new button maker, so I can give a little of the magic back to the CMs I meet. We're leaving on Sunday. I can't wait to give the first button away!

 

[vicki_c]

I haven't noticed any difference in the eight years I've been visiting Disney. I don't think Western society has gone to heck in a handbag over the last eight years and I don't think CM attitudes have worsened, either. They're the same people they were eight years ago. Some are having a magical day and passing that on to us, others... not so much. Happens to all of us, sometimes.

I don't worry about it. By and large, my interactions with CMs are delightful. It's what keeps us coming back to Disney!

And this year, I even made up a bunch of buttons with my new button maker, so I can give a little of the magic back to the CMs I meet. We're leaving on Sunday. I can't wait to give the first button away!

Agree with this 100% and we've been going as adults for the last 17 years. I don't notice any difference in attitudes or anything else.

 

[anonymousegirl]

I think the service is still great. I have experienced two instances of extra-ordinary service.
The first time, I slipped on some hidden water in Everything Pop. I fell heavily onto one knee but was more embarrassed than hurt. A CM came over, asked if I need help, and helped me to my feet. Although I felt fine at the moment, I worried about issues that might not present until the next day. The CM filled out an incident report and the next day I got a call from management asking if I was alright, or would I like to be checked out by a doctor. Luckily I was fine, just a bit bruised.

The second time, I decided to throw away an old pair of tennis shoes instead of packing them home. I left them behind the garbage can in my room since they were too big for the pail. A week later I received a surprise package in the mail- with my ratty shoes inside! I had a good laugh before I threw them away. Last December, I did the same thing, except this time I wrapped the shoes in a discard plastic bag and threw the shoes away in a large outdoor can!

In both instances, CMs went above and beyond. Of course, I have encountered less than stellar CMs but in a much smaller number than in the real "World"

 

[WDSearcher]

In light of my most recent trip to Disney and the thread about the girl being knocked down I was wondering about peoples opinions of Disney customer service lately. Do folks think it is better, worse or the same as it used to be?

My take is that it has slipped. Case in point on my recent trip to Disney I lost something in a park. Now I do not hold Disney responsible at all for that fact as it was my resposibility to keep my possesions safe and I obviously did not do a good job there.

My problem is when I went to guest services the treatment I recieved was sub par in my opinion. Basically I waited in line 45 mins, got to a person, they looked out back, came back and said nope not here but feel free to stop back during the day. Then proceded to give me a card to call central lost and found the next day.

The part that bugged me was they didn't even bother to take my info so perhaps they could contact me if it was found, they left it to me to come stand another 45 mins in line if i wanted to re check. Also they did not give me a number to call that park directly during the day and when i went back to my room and found the right number and called it i got a message saying they were too busy to take the call and to leave a message and someone would get back to me. Well I left a detailed message and no one ever got back to me.

Now I am not saying they are terrible for customer service but what I am saying is at least in my opinion they are not what they once were.

I think your post is interesting in that there was one instance that you found to be frustrating regarding customer service, and you've extrapolated that to conclude that all Disney service is slipping.

My question is ... if you hadn't lost an item on your vacation and hadn't had to deal with GR or L&F about it, would you have still come back from your trip and posted that Disney service is slipping? That is, have you been thinking this all along -- trip after trip -- and this was just the straw that broke the camel's back, or are you just mad about this one thing, this one time?

I get that "one bad apple can spoil the whole bunch", and if this is the last thing that happened to you, it's what you're going to remember most. But you also don't mention how long you went without a call back. Did you leave a message at the end of the day and expect a call by morning? Or did you leave a message on Tuesday and still not have a callback by Friday? What your expectation was makes a difference.

It's hard to know if Disney service as a whole has slipped based on your example because we don't have any context. If you'd related a story about how, ten years ago, you lost something and Disney went the extra mile and really went over the top to reunite you with your lost whatever, and used that in comparison, then it would be easier to understand your reaction here.