very OT: Doesn't this just read like the Disney of today?


I got this from Clark Howard's website (a consumer/customer advocate). I just wanted to post it up and share.. It reminded me so much of the WDCo of this new century..
__________
Customer no service costs
Clark gets so many calls from listeners about ?customer no service.? The term is now universal, because more often than not customer service representatives do the opposite of what they are supposed to do. A story in the Financial Times of London talks about how dumb it is for companies to deliver poor customer service. They conducted a study of some of the largest companies and determined that treating customers poorly cost the companies $22 billion a year in extra expenses and lost revenue. The reality is that it costs much more to provide no customer service than it does to provide good customer service. It costs much less to keep a customer than to attract a new customer. And, the best companies romance their workers, who then romance customers because they enjoy what they are doing. Companies get so large they loose touch with their customers. In 75 percent of large companies, there is no direct customer contact at all. Two-thirds don?t even think about what they could do improve customer service. On occasion customers complain and they?re trying to get something for free. But 99 percent of the time, people have valid complaints that need to be addressed.
__________

Gee I wonder if the "What Would Walt Do?" pins will help the corporate brass to readjust? :mad:

Yeah right!

Jeff

sorry if this offends...
and sorry for my absence..(like you guys miss my lies!!) I just miss the email updates.
See ya real soon Mouseketeers

RIP Disneyland Forever. :(
 

SharonKurland

Active Member
Geez Jeff, I have to go to bed in a little while and there ya go, first getting me excited cuz you wrote a message, and then you go and make me THINK.

Unfortunately, the problem that Disney has is the problem that most of Corporate America has. And those small few places that didn't USED to be a huge part of Corporate America, now are (so said the Healthcare Worker).

But puting all of that aside, yes we DO miss you around here. A LOT. Don't be such a stranger, huh?

-Sharon-
 

will

Member
One thing I remember from retail is:

A good customer will tell 1 - 2 friends of the experience they had;

An unsatisfied customer will tell 5 - 10 friends of the experience they had.

I guess I am an unsatisfied DISNEY customer.
 
It's like Walt said...

Spend the money now, as it's going to cost you ten times that amount to get them back if you lose them.

Or something like that...
 
Re:very OT: my rant for the spring

It?s frustrating isn't it? We are mostly here for Walt?s legacy that was. Searching through the morass of sequels and reissues for confirmation of a genius that used to exist. It enthralled us and lifted us up and bedazzled our youthful eyes. Now and then we find a Randy or a John Lassiter that confirms the dream, it keeps us coming back, .. but the junk we have to put up with in the meantime is discouraging.

I don't want to sound bigoted or crass here but have you noticed how the quality of guests has spiraled down over the last few years along with the quality of entertainment. I am all for Disneyland being available to all walks of life, but if you stick to Barnum's philosophy (a sucker born every minute) and you build cheaply and hurriedly to "sucker" them in, that?s who you will get..The suckers. (I am NOT speaking of other languages and cultures... one of the best parts of Disneyland for my wife and I is meeting worldwide travelers. And I have seen princes and fools in every color, race, creed and nation. My personal goal is not to be one in my public and personal life)

My sweeping misguided judgments (you may say) doesn?t apply to everyone. It may be true that the crowds of rude, noisy and ignorant are growing from where I sit. It used to be that EVERYONE from all walks of life used to come to Disneyland. If you wanted just cheese fine. But if your tastes went to brie and fine wine, it was still satisfied. Now it seems that Kraft processed singles is being pushed as an exclusive!
[a cheesy illustration to be sure]

But the fact remains if you try and dupe the public enough, those intelligent enough to see the scam will keep their funds tucked away. The problem is that there aren?t enough of them to matter yet. [i.e.: There are still to many people still engaging telemarketers and buying their crap. That keeps our phones ringing at dinnertime! Will you guys stop buying this stuff! If you need it your brain will tell you, not some stranger on the phone!]

And, to add to the frustration, out of the other side of the mouth, Disney reveals it wants to appeal to a higher tax bracket by sporting 4 star restaurants and hotels out pricing the masses. But then there is little for the ?bucks up patrons? to do that isn't "tired" or makes it unique to a Disney experience. [Wasn?t it great, back in the day, when we all used to be just ?guests?? Now we are consumers.. ugh!]

Disney entertainment used to be about, Family, Values and Fun. It had subtext and detail that was rich and plush like a forest. The trees could entertain you, but if you looked harder you found even more detail revealed. (?Hey look at all of the cute furry critters!?) Now it seems the harder you look at Oz, the more you see the man behind the curtain.

Not to turn this thread into "WesternCultureSureHasDumbedDown!" But what do you think? Am I off base? Am I ranting? [of course I'm ranting.. but is it with out merit?]

JNOC

PS My apologies to the youth on the board who don?t know anything else than the current WDisneyCo. I find many of you educated and wise and more than just passively interested in Walt the man. I just wish there were more of you at Disneyland lately.
 

mazden

New Member
We visited you guys in the states last summer have been to sunny florida before and visited the parks. However this time round we didnt bother with the Disney parks the price really has gone up. Back home people couldn't believe that we went to florida and didnt bother to visit the 'Kingdoms.' I love Disney and am sold with the dream of pixie dust, cast members and guests, but am slowly losing interest as here in the UK the company is watering down the magic by creating sequels, soundtracks etc.. that prove lacking in that special something that Disney usually provides. It would be a great shame if Disney continue to market and distribute in this way instead of providing family, affordable magical items. One failure that has to be stopped is the release of 'classic' films that are not deservant and their dire sequels. Disney is seems at least in the UK are trying to hard to prove that their company is trustworthy by allowing us to see 'behind the scenes' this removes the mystery and false images we all have. If they want to make mega bucks then thats fine but dont show the public that image. I want to believe, that we can all live a fairytale and be united as a world through the company however naff and cheesey that may sound. The very word disney is special and the only way it will remain special is if it remains exclusive. Disney must not chase after the ideals of other companies but instead grind its teeth through troubled times and keep pretending that its guests are part of the magic and are owners of the exclusive world of disney.
I live in South Wales UK and love everything american form Cracker Jacks to Walmart. Great!
 

SharonKurland

Active Member
Mazden-

The "watered down" image of Disney that you see in Europe is just a small piece of the pie that has been spoiling for years and years.

At WDW, they have cut down on quality EVERYWHERE. Those little bits and pieces that cost next to nothing in the whole scheme of things, but made you feel like you were in a very special place, have been chipped away, bit by bit, over time. Like rock candy swizzle sticks (or even plastic swizzle sticks!) in drinks. Having to wait over 45 minutes for someone to come help me bring my wedding gown and wedding "stuff" downstairs so I could get married (I told them on the phone I was on my way to my wedding...talk about freaking out!). Even routine painting of walls, poles, etc.

The lack of cleanup is horrible. Last Saturday I went to Pleasure Island and the ladies room was disgusting...besides several stalls in need of toilet paper and the garbage cans overflowing, there were also not one, but TWO stalls with used...um..."feminine things" on the floor. Now we're talking about cost cutting that causes a biohazard. A medical facility could get CLOSED DOWN for a public bathroom in this condition.

It's just sad.

-Sharon-
 

SharonKurland

Active Member
Bill-

Ten years ago, my dream was to work at WDW. Living in NY at the time, the commute would have been a royal pain , so in 1996 I did the next best thing and got a job at TDS. That alone "cured" my want for working at the parks, even now that I live in FL (I'm actually still too far away...Tampa...but if I REALLY wanted to, the 90 min. drive could work).

The 6-to-10:30 shift usually kept us until well after 11pm (I had to wake up at 6:50am in those days). Demands for "more" from us was constant...be it the push for more guest service, faster transactions at cash wrap (the registers), constantly watching for shrink, how much you could entice the guests to buy, etc.

I wanted to work at TDS because I wanted to immerse myself in my hobby of enjoying nearly all things Disney. And as time went on, it became less and less of a hobby and more and more of a job. I already had 2 other careeer-type jobs. So after nearly 2 years, I quit.

Disney is a company based in fantasy. The fantasy is ONLY for the Guests, and nowadays, the guests who don't know "how it used to be." Never, ever forget that Disney is a COMPANY whose main goal is to make money. As a CM, your job is to help them make money. Not to be treated like a guest.

I'll stick to being a guest.

-Sharon-
 
Jeff, you're absolutely correct. I, for one, am here because of Walt Disney. When I hear his voice, it still transports me back to lazy summer evenings, gathering over a fortunate friend's house--fortunate enough to have a color TV set to view Walt's latest incantation. I am here because of creative wonders like Walt's Nine Old Men, Eyvind Earle, Thurl Ravenscroft, Buddy Baker, George Bruns, X. Atencio, Sam Mckim, and on and on--what a TRUE TEAM that was! You're also correct in crediting the enthusiasm of individuals like Randy Thornton and John Lasseter for keeping that now smoldering fire burning--it certainly seems like much of the "magic" is now in John's hands. I suppose my relationship with Disney is somewhat analogous to what happens in an abusive relationship--you keep coming back for more, hoping the good times will someday return. Mike.
 
Micheal/Sharon,

Maybe we should start a shelter? "The Abused Disney Nut Foundation" or the"Shelter for the dashed hopes of the dream"..

But, I guess that s what this board is for!
 

SharonKurland

Active Member
Jeff-

Fortunately for me, I tend to go back and forth with my love and dislike for Disney and what they've done. my messages of the other day were (quite obviously) when I was in more of an anti-Disney mood. Yet here I am, looking forward to this weekend all week because I'm planning to go to WDW. And despite my heart knowing that everything is not a great as it used to be, my brain will still have a damn good time .

-Sharon-
 

Scott

Member
I know, I know. ;) And obviously, I still read it, or I wouldn't be in here to comment.

If he had just said "this thread", I'd have left it alone...but since he said "this board", I had to be a smart-ass :D
 

will

Member
as a stock-holder, I tried to vote the bums out, unfortunately there are more stock-holders that think Eisner is still doing a great job!

BUT, for those of you that do not like the direction the company is taking, you can buy a share of stock for under (at this time) $25, then vote your feelings.

Eisner is now trying to spend his time to rescue ABC, you know, the network that relied heavily on WHO WANTS TO BE A MILLIONAIRE, 4 times a week to beat FRIENDS, ER, CSI, RAYMOND, etc.

So note to related "heads": cut back on DVD catalog releases; cut back on soundtrack releases (spending on expanded releases); cut back and sell Vault Disney titles to ENCORE (because we want to be more like Nickelodeon) and make people that want to see THE LOVE BUG on cable (without commercials) buy ENCORE to see them uncut, and unedited. Lets face it, VAULT DISNEY isn'taking money from the "tweener" so trim back on the "vault" and show the 18 episodes of Boy Meets World or whatever on heavy-rotation, (Sorry, but I feel a need to vent).
 

SharonKurland

Active Member
Chris-

Oh yeah, I had completely forgotten about how they have "improved" things (ack!) when they've explanded or renovated them.

The Emporium is an excellent example. I just don't get it...if you haven't bought that T-shirt or snowglobe (with the "thing" on top so you don't see the air bubble [which will grow and grow as the years go on...don't EVER buy a snow globe with an air bubble!]) in the 14 OTHER places before the "new" Emporium, what makes them think people will buy them there?

Thanks to the "new and improved" bakery shop, the glass shop is half the original size.

Going over to Epcot, did they REALLY have to change the Centorium to Mouse Gear? Centorium was a REALLY cool store, with multi levels, and upstairs were some items that were hard (albeit not impossible) to find collectibles. What is the difference between Mouse Gear, Emporium, World or Disney and the big shop at MGM on the corner on the left (name escapes me), besides theming?

Unfortunately, this trend has been going on for a LONG time. Anyone remember when some of the stores at Disney Village Marketplace DIDN'T sell Disney stuff? There was a bath shop and a place that sold really cool wind chimes, and I don't remember what else. Live-action shows are replaced by movies. The area of 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea has been left to rot (oh sorry...the queue is now a meet and greet. Woo hoo!). Bonfamilles was arbitrarily closed down, leaving a only food court for Port Orleans. Port Orleans and Dixie Landings were combined to save on staffing. Sit-down restaurants are converted to buffets. Buffets are converted to character meals to charge an extra $5 to $7 per head. And my favorite...instead of designing new rides, they now use pre-fab whenever possible. I wonder when a "dumboesque" ride will come to Epcot so every WDW park will have a pre-fab attraction.

So let's start taking bets...when Who Wants To be A Millionaire is cancelled from TV, what do you think they're going to go with the WDW and DL versions on the show? Keep them running at less and less capacity (dunno about DL but at WDW, you don't even NEED a Fast pass anymore because the attraction NEVER fills up all the way...the last 3 rows are nearly always empty), build a cheap theater-style attraction based on the newest and hottest "Disney thing" or keep the place dark, like they've done with the Doug space?

Sigh.

-Sharon-
 

chris

Member
Oh! So that's why that thing they call the "finial" on top of the Snowglobes started showing up! To hide the air bubbles! Sharon, a while back when I had ordered a Disney snowglobe that was only available through the Disney catalog ( the Cathedral globe from Mary Poppins ), I had to send it back twice because I kept getting ones with air bubbles. Then when I received the 3rd snowglobe, sure no air bubbles, but the water was full of dust particles and some floating fuzz. So I gave up! I figure, what the heck, my Poppins globe will look vintage! Ha! Each time I spoke with the wonderful customer service department they said that I could send the globe back (at my expense), but they could not guarantee that I would not get one with another air bubble and that I should turn the globe upside down for a couple of days so the bubble would hide under the base! LOL.

I had forgotten about the glass shop on Main Street being seriously reduced because of the expansion of the bakery area. Another bummer! One of the things I had loved about Main Street was that the stores had more of an individual feel to each. Now it's like everything just runs together. Like each side of Main Street is nothing but two big, long stores with hardly any separation inside anymore. Boy, I remember the days when the Emporium had a wider variety of Disney items. Now practically everything is a clothing store. Gotta buy that T shirt! :)
 
Gee it's almost as if the parks are being run by someone used to operating The Disney Stores! ;)

RIP Storybok Store (my DL favorite...even the little train is busted)
 

mouskapilot

New Member
This is a very timely topic, even though it doesn't pertain to music. In today's (Mon, May 6) Orlando Slantinel business section was this article:

http://orlandosentinel.com/business/touris...lines%2Dtourism

Talks about a memo that was sent around in regards to how a cast member should respond to a guest if they are in costume but off the clock. An example would be if you stop a cast member in Animal Kingdom to ask a question and they are on their way to the parking lot. There's no utilidors there, so they walk through the park to get to cast member entrance/exit. B/c of the bad feelings about losing the pay they previously got to spend time walking (sometimes as much as a 1/2 mile or so) to the work area and getting dressed/undressed, many (those bitter people Sharon alluded to) have taken to stopping, looking at the guest and telling them to go ask someone else b/c they aren't getting paid to answer questions at that moment....

Yes...corporate it is, but headed into the ground if management and labor can't find some sort of middle ground to preserve the magic. You can't keep telling the cast members to smile and provide great guest service when they are so stressed about even just paying rent/mortgage and the utility bills b/c of either low pay or lack of hours. When I've been in the park as a "guest" from time to time and struck up conversations, almost every single time, the conversation has turned to how ordinary the place is becoming.
 

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