Customer Service in the 00's

The training at Disney is intense. They call it Disney University and like to say they are just "sprinkling pixie dust" on new cast members. It is more like borderline brain washing.

I believe I had six days of training before I went solo in the Jungle. Three of those days aren't even at the work location. I think we first got a lecture on the Disney way. Then we learned more about the Disney corporation than I ever knew or likely wanted to know. We got a history of the Florida property. We took a bus tour of the property. We did many exercises (learning to give directions without pointing AT someone). We went into the parks (in shirt and tie) and did some observation. All along we took tests.

Once at my ride location I spent another three days learning the script, learning how the boats worked, going to other rides we might have to help in the event of an evacuation (in fact, on my last day of training we had to assist in the evacuation of Pirates...quite an experience). We spent time deep in property learning how to use the guns (which are sadly no longer there).

When all was said and done an Area Manager took a ride with me to make sure I was ready to go and then gave me her blessing. By that point, I was institutionalized.

To this day I still bend down and pick up trash while walking through a public place. I look like a fool but it is just a part of me now.

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...a *self-described* Republican...

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Hey now!

Like most people, I'm relatively moderate in political stance. However, if having to choose a side I'd probably lean towards the Republican side - even with Bush as our current representative...sigh.

Liberal on most social issues, conservative on most political & economic issues - that's Gonch :)

More on topic, I think it's finally being steered in the right direction. Location, job market and hiring pool.

Since we're talking parks, ever notice how the smaller, more rural parks tend to have beter CS. I believe it's the direct result of the people they have to choose from.

The parks near major metro areas have to compete with the Wal-Marts, fast food places, and convience stores of the world. Not just a few like you'd find in a rural location, but tons. You're not going to find many kids eager to work for $6.50 and hour when they can simply go to Wal-Mart and make $9 an hour for stocking shelves with little or no responsibility and pressure. A hiring pool of good solid kids who want to work gives you a head start right out of the gate.

Paula said it herself (in a roundabout way):

"It helps to have lovely, rural folk to choose from each year--sometimes a little shy, but usually quite caring and with a strong work ethic."

Cornfed, hard working, Midwestern kids eager to help.

I'm sure the potential difference in this hiring pool are obvious when compared to the more jaded, hardened kids of L.A. that SFMM has to choose from, or the blue collar kids KW has to choose from, or the college students WDW picks from, or whatever. It starts at that level without a doubt.

What's done by management with what they have to work with is the next step.

HW's excellent leadership combined with their excellent hiring pool creates a park experience that very few would deny is the best out there.

But without that hiring pool it'd much more of an uphill battle for management. That's what many parks are forced to face and it's not always (though it *can* be) management's fault.

Which just kind of argues my original point. I have sympathy for the managers who must try to make that proverbial crap out of gold, not the employees who expect to have their hands held and blame their superiors when their performance is subpar.

LOL, Gonch...just for the record I'd like to say how nice it is to be able to have an ADULT discussion, without judgment....it's an excellent intellectual exercise, and I would LOVE to sit down wit' ya and have a cold one sometime....PPP perhaps? :)

I didn't thinik Republicans were allowed to have such goofy hair. Might be mistaken for some tree-hugging, bed-wetting liberal! :)

I'm an enigma ;)

EDIT- ...and I'm not nearly as charming in person, Gator :)

*** Edited 7/1/2004 4:50:38 PM UTC by Lord Gonchar***

No, you're an enigma wrapped in a puzzle ;)

mOOSH [would also really like to meet The Gonch!]

An enigma wrapped in a puzzle wrapped in a mystery.

Maybe I'm just schizo?

I do believe I had the chance to meet you (Moosh) when we headed out west, but I kind of shot you down. I've always felt bad about it, but I knew it was a once in a long time chance and wanted to bust out the parks and get photos on top of a hectic schedule that got us to LAX just in time to get home.

Not the laid back situation I'd prefer to meet someone in. Essentially, my apologies a year and a half later.

I had fun at BeastBuzz, I may try to make a conscious effort to get to a couple other events. I'm sure I'll catch up with you guys somewhere along the way.

Enough about me. It's even too much for even my ego. Back to the topic at hand.

Ummm, yay corporations - boo apathetic workers! (that ought to piss someone off ;) )

No worries, Gonch...it'll happen. In the meantime I'll just continue to stalk you via Cbuzz ;)

$9.00 an hour at Wal-Mart? Not if you female...;)

Wow...that was a lot to read through.

My department at the University is customer service oriented, and I've been working in this deparmtent for 28 years.

Yes, there IS a huge difference between the students we hired to work in our labs from the students we hired 10 years ago. We've raised our wages as much as the U allows, and, frankly, are one of the highest paying departments on campus, but that doesn't make a darned bit of difference in the quality of employees who apply for a job here.

10 years ago, almost every single student employee showed up to work on time, were courteous to the users, and put forth their best effort to assist our users and the only extras they got were a holiday party.

Of our current pool of 15 odd lab monitors for two labs, I would say there are 5 that I would consider valued employees who really care about customer service. The others are just there for the money and no matter how we try to train them, what extras are provided, and how sensitive we are to stress issues, they simply do not care. They dislike being interrupted while studying or playing a game, or chatting with friends online to help a user in the lab.

At the beginning of the fall term, they are required to attend a full staff meeting (with food and beverages suppied) for training/and or refresher information. During the rest of the year they are treated to staff appreciation luncheons, and holiday parties. They get more from this department than the monitors did 10 years ago, but their attitudes are much worse.

Even the attitude of the normal student who comes into my office is noticeably different. There is no more "asking", but much more "demanding".

I see it in the fast food industry as well.

So, I agree there has been some change in attitude, at least in the larger cities and suburbs, and it makes a difference in the kind of service provided to customers. Management can try to turn these kids around, but as Gonch says, it's an uphill battle to do so.

Ooh ooh. Where's the "meet Gonch" line start?

I don't think "rural" parks have better CS because of their employee pool. I think it's because they have no alternative. SF can (could, for a while) convince itself that dumping ride after ride after into a crappy park will draw the crowds. HW, KG, etc. don't have that option so they make sure that the whole experience is the product, not just the rides.