What is Going On with Disney Dining????

[Terk-1]

Excuse my language, but what the heck is going on down at Disney Dining & CRO??? I called this morning and made a PS for Thanksgiving weekend. The CM booked the PS by taking my phone number and said I was all set. I did not give him my name, my arrival date and I did not receive a confirmation number from him. I was tied up all day, but just called DD to retrieve the confirmation number. After waiting on hold for 10 minutes, I had mentioned to the CM about what had happened earlier. The answer I got from her was "so you actually want the number"? I told her that yes I did, which was why I was calling. After taking a few minutes, she was able to locate the reservation and gave me the number. Since this reservation was for a very busy weekend, I did not want to go without it. Plus, the fact that the reservation was made without me giving my name, concerned me.

I think what threw me off and angered me more was not the original phone call, but rather the follow-up call. The tone that the CM used to me was like "how dare you question us and how we do our job." I know people have bad days sometimes, but considering that we, as guests, are spending our own money calling down to DD (no 800 #) to make reservations, I guess I was just expecting a little better service.

My suggestion to WDW would be to allow guests to make their PS online, rather than on the phone. I think this would allow guests the flexibility of making the reservations when it is good for them, cheaper (not having to pay to call and sit on hold for 10-20 minutes sometimes), and would ease up CM's to focus on CRO. This would also allow the guest to confirm what PS they have online and make changes/cancellations. Just my thought, but coming from someone who uses PS alot, especially during busier times of the year, it would just make the planning process a little easier.

 

[disney queen]

that is odd no confirmation number. they always make sure i get it. i do agree about making them online. that would be great!!

 

[n2mm]

I called just this weekend and didn't encounter anything like that. They asked the usual question and gave me my times and the confirmation number for 7 priority seatings I was making for my trip in a couple of weeks. Strange!

 

[georgina]

Even though my Disney Club membership expired in August, I'm still using the toll-free number for my dining calls. I wonder how long that will still be operational.

 

[MikeWazowski]

I've encountered the same type of CM's the past week. It's like we caught them on there lunch break. But, I did have a few extremly friendly and great CM's.

There must be somthing going on at Disney DIne that we don't know about.

I know at my job that somtimes I can be short with people on a bad day. But, it seems like everyday is a bad day for disney dining.

 

[Fooboy]

I, for one, agree with you about being able to make PS's online. It would be much easier than calling (a long distance number) and then having to deal with humans that wanna just get off of work. I also had a rude experience with a CM on WDW-DINE as well has waiting for 15 or so minutes and then the line cutting off. whats up with that. ugh. so frustrating sometimes. I swear. planning for a Christmas trip, like myself, is a fulltime job!

 

[jaysue]

They have always given me the confirmation numbers and if they did not I would certainly ask

 

[Donald's #1 Fan]

I agree with Terk-1. It would be extremely helpful to be able to book online. If the rest of the world can use the internet, then why not Disney. To get a booking for breakfast at Cinderella's Royal Table I waited on the phone for 55 mins. Yes five minutes shy of one hour, before someone answered. Prior to that I had waited for 30 minutes, before hanging up. As we had never had breakfast at the Castle and had been planning the holiday for over a year I decided the second time around just to hang on. I was phoning from Scotland. Don't get me wrong, I am not complaining, but would appreciate being able to book online.

 

[rasnlms]

Being able to make PS' online would be great.

I guess we have been lucky with our calls. We have gotten very nice CMs - very helpful and pleasant.

 

[zulaya]

I think Disney will avoid online PS. How many restaurants to you know that allow you to make reservations online? I don't know of any in my neck of the woods.

My thinking is this:

1. They want CMs answering the phones, not so much for those of us who know what we are doing because we are either obsessed or have been so many times we know the ropes, but for the newbies or less experienced who just don't know about how Dining and PS works. The CMs can answer questions and provide that person to person customer service a Disney novice will be impressed with.

2. Do you really think Disney wants to put itself in the news by going online and laying off all those CMs? The economy is still shaky as it is. I don't know how many people work at Dining on the phones, but I'll bet you it's not a mere handful.

And as much as online would be great - don't get me wrong, I'd love that option as much as the rest of you - I just don't see how it can't get by snarled up everyday at 7am when all the people are trying to get Cindy's Or when you go to choose your time, and get to the final page, someone else has already beat you to it. Just seems like that could be a PR disaster waiting to happen.

On topic...I have never had a CM who hasn't been professional. I have had CMs where I know more than they do.

 

[CindyAnn]

Wow Terk-1. Sounds like you had TWO bizarre phone calls. It's strange enough that the first person didn't give you a confirmation number, but why couldn't the second person understand that it might be just marginally useful for you? You absolutely need to have those numbers with you! We've had several mess-ups over the years - right PS attached to the wrong name and sometimes attached to the wrong phone number. Even with our confirmation numbers it's taken a while to sort out the mess when I've called in advance to confirm all our PSes, or at the restaurant podium. I've been lucky I guess - all the dining people I've spoken with have been friendly and helpful.

 

[CarolA]

While this is not an excuse keep in mind that this is an INCREDIBLY busy time for them. It is the 90 day window for the busiest time of the year at Disney and unfortunately, I am sure that some guests have not been so nice when calling Disney. (Personally I would HATE to work the 7 am shift when 10,000 people call for CRT and 90% of them are denied. I am sure at least 10% of the denied get irate!)

Now I have never had anything but professional service (I did have to remind the last girl that she forgot my CC# for XMAS however. I think that was just because XMAS day is different and she usually did not need a CC#)

 

[timC]

Newbie CM's can make mistakes and miss important steps like providing a conf#. I've made enough PS ressies to know what info I want back, like: have the CM repeat the ressie details, date/time/location, and give me a conf#. I'll ask then for this infor, if it's not provided.

Online would be excellent. In response to zulaya's comments, above, I think Disney dining is a classic example of a business that can and should be moved on-line.

- No other restaurant chain I know of other than big pizza chains and WDW actually require a full blown call center to take ressies.
- Most "on-line" capabilities started out as telephone call centers. Call centers are either being coverted to on-line applications or outsourced to India. Paying a agent to take call all day long, is simply too costly.

I'd love to be able to double-check my ressies, while lounging by the pool, with a drink in one hand, and a wireless PDA in the other. Life is good.

 

[Disneyolic]

They could go to online status and still keep their CMs. First have the traditional dial ups for people w/o computer and/or internet service. Second, the online PSs could be handled by live CMs, such as when you need live technical help. You might start off just entering from "choice" boxes all the restaurants you want PSs along with the dates. Then you could go "live" with a CM with a screen that could pop up with a conversation box and maybe listing possible open times for PSs. Everything would still need to be done by the CM but you could save yourself money and still have info right before your eyes. Did I think this out enough???

~DawnMaree

 

[crisi]

I have up front a personal experience with "web enabling" customer applications - and Disney Dining would be an expensive nightmare. No ROI - you'd still have to keep a lot of CMs because not everyone has web access - and now you need to support the web interface. Web apps don't handle limited availability real time well at all (what happens with a thousand people press enter at the moment Cindy's reservations are released each day)? It may negatively effect guest behavior (i.e. "we don't know where we'll be that eveing, so we will book PSs at Boma, SciFi, Chef Mickey's and Beirgarten" - I'm sure people do this now, but it takes guts and/or multiple calls) And it opens you up to external scrutiny (i.e. people gaging Disney's theme park business by the pace of bookings at Chef Mickeys).

Nope....cool from a guest point of view, but I wouldn't hold my breath - and if they do, expect policy changes to accompany the roll out.

 

[jann1033]

while it would be nice to have online PS i can picture the disasters waiting to happen...like typing in every 15 min. increment to get aps for CRT ect. I'd rather talk to a real person and have someone I can question...like what is the latest seating I can get, so on. maybe they have cut back on CMs hence the 55 min wait which is crazy! how many are not calling long distance (even if not as far as Scotland..) they really need a1800

 

[timC]

I have up front a personal experience with "web enabling" customer applications - and Disney Dining would be an expensive nightmare.

Not if they build it right... I manage development teams for a major global web-site for a living. Adding certain on-line capabilities would reduce the volume of phone calls, and make it easier to get those tough ressies. The web-site would not eliminate the call center. Rather it would suppliment it. The reduced call volume could justify the cost of the on-line capability.

 

[CRSNDSNY]

I think being able to verify a PS online would be good. I just can't imagine making a PS online....do you know how many people would make too many just to be able to have a choice of dining? I think too many people would take advantage of this and ruin it for everyone.

 

[Belle5]

The faster your computer connection the more likely you are to win those last minute ebay bids. Wouldn't it be the same with CRT ressies and other big catches--the fastest computer will always win?

 

[Disneyolic]

Probably just as much as the fastest fingers, speed dial, etc.

~DawnMaree