I'm paying how much a night and I can't take a shower? My recent poor service experience.

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mgentry210

Mouseketeer
Joined
Oct 7, 2014
Just back and wanted to share my recent experience from last week. Below is the email I sent to guest relations and have yet to receive a reply. Sorry its so long but I really wanted them to know about the terrible service I received.

"It is with a heavy heart and disappointment that I write this email. I apologize in advance for its length and I appreciate anyone who takes the time to read it in its entirety. I do believe it is worthwhile feedback that will benefit other guests travelling with similar disabilities.

Here is some quick background on us. In 2013 my husband proposed to me after Wishes at Narccoossee’s, we married at the wedding pavilion, honeymooned at the Boardwalk and have renewed our annual passes the last 3 years. We take an average of 3-4 trips per year and routinely bring family members or a niece or 2 with us. In other words we are die hard loyal Disney World nuts. I have spreadsheet for dining, read the blogs daily, post on the message boards, I plan all my friends reservations. We love Disney.

About 6 months ago I woke up unable to walk – very scary! I spent 28 days in the hospital and have been diagnosed with a nerve disorder that effects my balance and stamina. I’m learning to walk again, but it’s a process. So once all the craziness of the hospital was over I needed a break. The first place we thought of was Disney. 1. Because we love it and 2. Because I know Disney is renowned for the accommodations for disabilities.

We took at “test” trip for a long weekend at the Poly at the end of September for the Halloween party. We stayed club level (we almost always do) and it was flawless. They delivered a toilet riser and shower transfer chair right away. The equipment was of great quality, sturdy and worked like a charm. In fact I almost bought that shower seat for my home. It was also my first time renting a scooter (harder to drive than they look!). The entire weekend was great. Disney more than exceeded my expectations regarding the accommodations and really helped me feel like I was almost normal again and able to have a bit of fun. In fact this was the deciding factor in renewing our passes again this year with the knowledge that as I recover at least we can go to Disney.

Fast forward to this most recent trip and where the problems begin. This was a tough year for our family and we wanted to treat everyone for their support and hard work. So of course, Disney! My favorite resort is the Wilderness Lodge and there is nowhere else on property more beautiful at Christmas than the lobby. This was our 4th or 5th stay there. We have always stayed club level there in the past. The staff there is wonderful! – they were no way involved in these problems. I feel confident that if we were on club level that these problems would have been resolved. So we took our entire family all expenses paid, deluxe dining plan checking in 12/27/15 and checking out 1/2/16.

Confident from our last trip to the Poly I ordered a shower chair and toilet riser when we checked in. What I was delivered was in no way similar to the equipment at the Poly. I could have gone to Walgreens and purchased the cheapest equipment and it would have been comparable.


Here is the important part that someone needs to read because there is a liability suit waiting to happen. Not kidding.


The toilet in the room is an elongated toilet. The seat riser that was delivered was for a round toilet. So it does not fit. There is no way to lock it. If you put your weight down on the arms with more force on one side than the other it will tip. Anyone with less balance than I could certainly tip over and hit their head on the tub or wall. Not to mention trying to apply equal force in the dark, in the middle of the night. Wrong seat, no big deal. We call down and ask for another and they bring the same one. At this point I was tired and said I would deal with it for the night. We went down to concierge in the morning and explained the problem. They will send up another seat. So I waited in the room and waited. Keep in mind I have all of my family with us so I just sent them off not to hold up their vacation. They brought another round seat with NO arms. I tried to explain to her again that it won’t lock and she proceeded to show me that there is a lip on the bowl so it may slide back and forth. She clearly had no training or experience with this equipment so I gave up trying to explain and simply asked if this was the only model they had to which she replied yes. Knowing I could deal with it by being careful I gave up the fight.

Now on to the shower chair. If you thought the toilet seat was bad, these are downright dangerous. The chair I was delivered was a small flat seat. No swivel, no ability to adjust height or width. As simple and cheap as you can buy. If you paid more than $10 for this at Walgreens, you got ripped off. On to the dangerous part. There is no way to safely transfer to the seat. If you hang it over the side of the tub it tips because the floor is lower than the tub. If you place it sideways so you could slide on to it, the tub is curved on the edges and wobbles. The only way to safely use it is to put it lengthwise in the middle of the tub. I can’t transfer to that safely and I doubt most people who are requesting a chair can either. Back down to concierge to explain. No problem we will send you another chair. Not wanting to spend another day waiting around I left for the parks. When we got back the exact same seat was there. It’s late and I’m tired so I took a bath in the sink to get the park grime off me. Back down again in the morning and I was more careful to explain I wanted the model that I had used at the Poly 6 weeks ago. Ok they would look into it. Home again that night – same chair and another sink bath for me. Starting to feel like I am back in the hospital… Down again the next morning and the manager was called out. Apparently they called the Poly and they do not have those chairs anymore. This is the only model. So I asked – how am I supposed to take a shower? I thought a reasonable question when you are paying $450 per night. She shrugged. At this point I was about to cry and with all my family around I chose to walk away. Should I have stayed and pitched a fit – probably. But we had everyone there and I did not want to ruin their one week of vacation because I can’t take a shower. So I dealt with it and made a note to call when I got back. Surely Disney would want to know what drastic differences there were between stays. So I paid almost $20,000 for a vacation and I never was able to use a toilet safely or take a shower. I cried as my husband balanced me over the shower while I was hanging off the toilet to wash my hair. It just felt like a loss of dignity when I am on a path of recovery.

So now I’m back home and I want to let Disney know my experience to help prevent these problems for other guests. Plus these are downright safety issues. And as I stated before, the Wilderness Lodge is my favorite. I want to be able to return without any anxiety of problems. After all its Disney and you guys have the best service and make everything right. Right… I called with the main goal of ensuring that the issues were going to be addressed and if they wanted to offer some compensation it was certainly warranted given the circumstances. I called disability services directly thinking that would be the most logical place to tell my tale and I met Audrey (no last name, no employee number, no manager). When I asked how to identify her when I called back she said to use my reservation number. I own a service business now and was a manager for 7 years at USAA in the call center that is also renowned for their customer service. I took the time to explain my story she said what she has clearly said too many times in the past with zero empathy in her voice, “I apologize for your troubles. I will forward your information to the manager at the Wilderness Lodge.” I know because she said it in response to almost every question I asked. So I inquired when would I hear back from the manager? I won’t. They don’t respond to complaints. Then how do I know it has been addressed? You guessed it: “I apologize for your troubles. I will forward your information to the manager at the Wilderness Lodge. At this point I am losing my patience so I asked for compensation. If I can’t get resolution, might as well ask for a refund.

This is where I go from losing my patience to angry. She had the audacity to say that no compensation would be give because I should have asked for an accessible room. I calmly explained that 6 weeks ago I stayed at the Poly in a regular room and it was fine. Why would I request a room I do not need? Plus I don’t even have a wheelchair to go into a roll in shower. Her reply was that I should have asked for one at the front desk. I replied that if one was available it should have been offered as a solution – not the shrug I was met with. She then stated it was up to ME to ASK for it because offering could be considered discrimination. REALLY? I’m standing there begging for a solution and because I as a guest did not come up with the idea for a handicapped room (which probably wasn’t available anyway and unhelpful to my needs) that I cannot have any compensation. That is the most backwards absurd customer service reply I have ever heard. So I asked, how am I supposed to know that I was supposed to ask? She stated that because I had stayed there so many times I should have known that it was an option and asked for it. At this point I have had enough. I asked for a manager. Guess what – they are all in a meeting. Very convenient. I supposed to get a call back, but that has yet to come. No surprise.

Here is the kicker. So to end the call I told her that I would be writing this email, posting it on every Disney message board tonight. Hang on let me put you on hold – She comes back. I have been talking to my peers (notice not my manager) and we can offer you 2 free nights at the Wilderness Lodge. What? Where is this change of attitude? OK- I guess I’ll take it. I have a trip planned at the end of February for the Yacht Club can I use them there? No only the Wilderness Lodge. You mean the Wilderness Lodge where I can’t take a shower or talk to a manager to know if the problems are resolved. I did not say the last sentence because frankly I was tired of going round with her. So how do I get these magic nights and how long are they good for? I don’t know, but guest relations will call you. So if I don’t have your last name or employee number how to I guarantee this offer? Its in the notes. Honestly I suspect she was just trying to placate me and get me off the phone. I doubt a supervisor was notified at all. This call was placed today 1/5 around 2:30 CST.

Overall most every other employee was great save one bus driver who was too lazy to use the lift and claimed it was broken. Little did he know (although he should have guessed by the matching shirts) that my family was on the bus and watched him load someone at Ft. Wilderness. So I was left behind on the curb and took the next bus. Not a big deal and definitely not worth mentioning alone, but I thought I would throw it in.

So that’s my tale. Thank you for your time if you read this far. It means that you are the type of Disney employee that we have known in the past and can count on to provide some resolution to the issues above. I’m going to wait until tomorrow before I splatter the message boards to see if I get a response to this email. I do want to give you a chance to have a positive outcome in the post. The DisBoards can get brutal and this is the kind of post that they love to trend. We trust that someone cares enough to reply to my message."

Follow up after this email. Audrey herself called me back. Her supervisor is still unavailable and told her that she didn't need to process the free nights. Guest relations will call me in 3-5 business days!
 
That's an awfully long letter to send to customer service. I worked in customer service for 20+ years, and no one wants to read all that non-pertinent information. It shouldn't matter to a company whether it's your first time as a customer or your millionth. Good luck getting whatever it is you want resolved resolved.
 
That's an awfully long letter to send to customer service. I worked in customer service for 20+ years, and no one wants to read all that non-pertinent information. It shouldn't matter to a company whether it's your first time as a customer or your millionth. Good luck getting whatever it is you want resolved resolved.

Agree. Very poorly written letter. Not sure what you are looking for in this thread. If it's validation that you've handled this well (either live or in the letter), I'd have to say not the case.
 
Agree. Very poorly written letter. Not sure what you are looking for in this thread. If it's validation that you've handled this well (either live or in the letter), I'd have to say not the case.
I am overwhelmed with your empathy. Not looking for validation at all. This was my experience and I felt it was worth sharing. Simple as that. If you don't want to read it, don't!
 
:rolleyes1:rolleyes1:rolleyes1 and away we go!!!!

So that’s my tale. Thank you for your time if you read this far. It means that you are the type of Disney employee that we have known in the past and can count on to provide some resolution to the issues above. I’m going to wait until tomorrow before I splatter the message boards to see if I get a response to this email. I do want to give you a chance to have a positive outcome in the post. The DisBoards can get brutal and this is the kind of post that they love to trend. We trust that someone cares enough to reply to my message."

Quoting some of your post. I am not sure posting your complaints on the Disboards will get you any response from Disney????
 


:rolleyes1:rolleyes1:rolleyes1 and away we go!!!!

So that’s my tale. Thank you for your time if you read this far. It means that you are the type of Disney employee that we have known in the past and can count on to provide some resolution to the issues above. I’m going to wait until tomorrow before I splatter the message boards to see if I get a response to this email. I do want to give you a chance to have a positive outcome in the post. The DisBoards can get brutal and this is the kind of post that they love to trend. We trust that someone cares enough to reply to my message."

Quoting some of your post. I am not sure posting your complaints on the Disboards will get you any response from Disney????
I doubt it will get any response but the point is that I haven't gotten any response at all from them.
 
I doubt it will get any response but the point is that I haven't gotten any response at all from them.


Oh I am sorry but it sounds like you are giving Disney an ultimatum: respond to my email or I am going to post bad things about you on the disboards. Good Luck.

And part that you put in bold, about a liability or lawsuit waiting to happen. I would guess if I was a CM I would stop reading your email and immediately forward to a supervisor for legal purposes.
 
So sorry for your experience.

I have to admit I'm shocked they have toilet raisers and allowed a shower seat in a non accessible room. Seems like a liability lawsuit waiting to happen.

The OP clearly should have been in an accessible room. I'm really surprised that neither side came up with that obvious conclusion at any point along the way.
 
They've always responded to everything I've ever contacted them about, even when I wrote an email to tell them how awesome one of their restroom attendants was. But I never heard back from them immediately, it usually took a couple of weeks I think. And your experience happened during their busiest time, so it might take longer.
I also try to remember that the person I'm dealing with is not the person I had the issue with and I try to make sure I'm not still emotionally plugged in before communicating - it seems to get a more cooperative response.
I hope you continue to recover and that Disney can help you regain the love you used to have for them. Sounds like this is one bad experience out of countless trips filled with magic ... Even Mercedes sells a lemon now and then.
 
So sorry for your experience.

I have to admit I'm shocked they have toilet raisers and allowed a shower seat in a non accessible room. Seems like a liability lawsuit waiting to happen.

I agree. It is beyond nuts they had no way to accommodate you so that you could shower, or use a toilet safely.

I do have to say though, that all of the wisdom I have ever heard says to keep your e-mails short and to the point. You don't want the reader to start and think to themselves "Blah blah blah, give me money, blah blah blah." You have every right to complain, and I do think they need to do right by you. But short and sweet is the way to go. Good luck!

I do think you should ask for an accessible room next time. Better be safe and secure than trying to use equipment that doesn't really work for you.
 
The OP clearly should have been in an accessible room. I'm really surprised that neither side came up with that obvious conclusion at any point along the way.
Why is that an obvious conclusion? I stayed perfectly fine at the Poly 6 weeks earlier in a standard room. Their adpative equipment was more than adequate and safe. This was not. In fact I have poor balance so I walk in shower would be more dangerous for me.
 
Why is that an obvious conclusion? I stayed perfectly fine at the Poly 6 weeks earlier in a standard room. Their adpative equipment was more than adequate and safe. This was not. In fact I have poor balance so I walk in shower would be more dangerous for me.

It was obvious that their adaptive equipment was not sufficient for you. You have now stated in this thread both that you have good balance and that you have poor balance.
 
The OP clearly should have been in an accessible room. I'm really surprised that neither side came up with that obvious conclusion at any point along the way.

This ^^.
Don't get me wrong, I feel for you I really do...But as soon as I started reading I'm wondering to myself why you wouldn't have asked for an accessible room to help with the situation and I'm shocked that someone at the front desk didn't suggest it.
 
I think you should have shortened the letter to make it more readable. I understand that you were trying to provide a lot of detail, but frankly, how often you stayed and how much you spent is totally irrelevant. Unsafe and unserviced is unsafe and unserviced and it doesn't matter if you stayed one night at an All Star or a month in a poly bungalow.

I understand, to a point, what Audrey was saying about not offering you a handicapped room. You could have been offended or angry that the desk clerk is "assuming" you have a handicapped and since you didn't ask for or book an accessible room, it's possible they were afraid to overspeak, especially if you were emotional. When I worked in customer service, I did have leeway, but suggesting to an already upset customer that they might be happier with handicap accommodations is something I'd have had to carefully consider because it wasn't guaranteed to be helpful to either me or the guest. That is really a darned if you do and darned if you don't situation.

I think you make a fantastic case about the seat fitting unsafely onto the toilet and the chair not fitting into the tub. I also think this thread would be very helpful on the disbilities board because so many people who use that board would need to be made aware of this information.
 
I believe the OP has every right to complain , of course the solution should have been just to change the room...
Keep in mind her travel dates. I doubt they had a room to move her to. I think I would have lodged my complaint and then resigned myself to taking baths.
 
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