The mysterious phone call on check out day

[Mommy of Two]

We got the call at 9:45 yesterday morning at the Wilderness Lodge yesterday as well. Picked it up and there was no one there. Hmmm, pretty suspicious huh?

 

[Chuck S]

I don't think I've ever gotten one of these calls. Are you checking out on a high volume day? I mean, if ALL the housekeepers had to wait until 11am to get into the rooms, I dount they'd be ready by the semi-guaranteed 4pm check-in time. I really wouldn't mind a call, however, rather than just hanging up, they could ask about when we had planned to vacate so they can work out a cleaning schedule. Or maybe you'd like our dues to increase, so we could hire MORE housekeepers to get all the rooms cleaned between 11am and 4pm, or they could make all check-out times 9am.

I don't mean to offend anyone, but complaining about a 9:30 am call on a day you have to be out of your room by 11am seems awfully petty.

 

[Granny]

Looks like this is a topic that resurfaces every couple of months.

My only problem with not tipping the housekeeping is that I think anything that is done this systematically must be done at MANAGEMENT direction. So we would be punishing the person who may just be "following orders".

I figure that most housekeeping is a pretty low wage job. If they do a crummy job, then I have no problem leaving no tip, and in fact reporting them to management. But in the "case of the mysterious knock", I'm just not sure they are doing this on their own.

 

[Figaro30]

From what I understand these phone calls could start as early as BEFORE 8:00 am!!!

Now I don't know about you....but we DRIVE to Florida from NEW YORK. So that last day....if I'm not ready to get up and I keep getting disturbed by unknown knocks and hangups I'm going to be a little more than miffed. Especially since we have to start our 19 hour ride back home on that day! The point is that I shouldn't be disturbed until I'm ready to check out at 11:00AM!!!!

I'm sorry if I sound petty... but I definitely do have a problem with this on our last day there. If it happened any other day...I probably wouldn't care so much....but on my last day...I need as much undisturbed sleep as I can get before we start our long haul home.

PS...for Granny....That's why I plan on telling the front desk....that way they can relay it to the guilty party!!! And hopefully it won't come to me not tipping. But I sure do plan on making myself VERY clear at check-in with that threat.

 

[Chuck S]

If you don't want to be disturded before 11am, maybe we should change our guaranteed check-in time to 5 or 6 pm. Then, after driving a long drive down, we wouldn't be able to relax when we got there, you wouldn't be happy. If we changed check-out to an earlier time...say 10 am...you wouldn't be happy. If we raise our dues to cover the costs of additional housekeepers, you wouldn't be happy. Housekeeping is between a rock and a hard place, and work for low wages...give them a break!

 

[GAIL HAYDEN]

Figaro,
Again, don't bother telling the Front Desk, they don't have anything to do with housekeeping and your "threat" may get lost.
Call Housekeeping directly.
BTW, all calls before 8am are silent calls only(the only way you will know about it is the message light shows up), except for specifically requested wake up calls.
BTW, I would not make it a threat either. I would ask nicely that I not be disturbed by a phone call or a knock. Issuing threats only puts people on the defensive and is a negative thing to do.
It may work in NY, but NOT the rest of the country. Personally, I would laugh at a threat like that and have the attitude of " and your point is?". Sorry, but, that is the way of the world these days.

 

[Mommy of Two]

Chuck:

I wasn't complaining just indicating I'd noticed what others had mentioned on previous posts.

I was awake at the time anyway and so were my kids - it wasn't a huge deal to me.

I really don't appreciate being called petty however.

 

[Chuck S]

Mommy of two, did I specifically call anyone petty? No, and if you took it that way I apologize. I was referring to the idea of "I'm on vacation, do NOT disturb ME...ME...ME. " as being petty. You must admit, that overall, a call to see if you're still in the room just isn't something to get so worked up about.

Also, I was still typing my post when your post hit the boards, so I could NOT have been responding to you specifically.

 

[Figaro30]

Chuck.....If it is virtually impossible for the resorts to not make up all rooms by 4:00 then they need to make check out time at 10:00. I would be perfectly HAPPY with that. Much rather than having them call me at 8:01am and hang up on me. AND I don't consider being on vacation don't disturb ME ME ME as being petty. I've never had this happen to me in my life. Being disturbed and hung up on is just plain rude.....and just because it's Disney World I'm not about to let that slide.


Gail......what do you think I'm going to pull a knife on these people? When did I ever say that I was not going to be nice. I said I was going to make my point very clear.

Well I will be sure to call housekeeping and ALSO notify the front desk. That way no threat will be lost through lack of communication.

 

[GAIL HAYDEN]

I hardly thought you would pull a knife, but your "tone" was definitely hostile. What I got from it was "here I come and if you do.........you won't get a tip and I am going to tell everyone that".
Personally, I don't look for trouble or things negative to happen, it almost insures that they will.

 

[Figaro30]

Honestly, I REALLY RESENT that comment about threats working in NY. New York is a beautiful place with WONDERFUL, WARM, CARING people. Maybe you should take a trip here ALL THE WAY FROM CONNECTICUT and see for yourself and lose some of your ignorance!

I'm SOOO done with this thread!

 

[Chuck S]

I've never had this happen to me in my life. Being disturbed and hung up on is just plain rude.....

I've had maids call at a lot of motels and hotels while traveling, occassionally the front desks have called instead, especially if it is close to check-out time. As far as hang ups being rude...I agree, they could identify themselves and politely ask when we'd planned to leave so they'd know when they could begin cleaning the condo.

 

[Figaro30]

I'm not kidding....I have to say that I've never had this happen to me in my entire life. Well, maybe I'm just one of the lucky ones and maybe I'll continue to be lucky. I guess we'll see next month. I'm sure I'll let you all know what I encounter.

 

[GAIL HAYDEN]

I have come all the way from CT and I do NOT LIKE NYC or the little boroughs, people are rude, rude, rude. The attitude is horay for me and the he** with you. I have been there, I have done that and I do speak from experience. So, resent what I believe to be a fact from my experience all you want.
I do, however, love the rest of NY, especially upstate, it is lovely.
And....only an NYer would call someone ignorant without knowing them. The jokes about Nyers are not entirely unfounded, you know. And, there are lots of them.

 

[Muushka]

Boy, this thread has gone from bad to worse....

 

[Dennis the WDW Menace]

Chuck S and Gail, I think the point I was trying to make was lost. The calls that are received on the check out day ONLY is made without any responce from the caller. It is rude and when I am on vacation I do not want to be disturbed until I am ready to check out at 11 am. I put the "PRIVACY" card out early so they will not knock on the door and the calls made without anyone saying anything is disturbing to my family. If housekeeping wants to get in earlier then a phone system should be set up like at VB, where there was a number to call when you were leaving your room at check-out.
The housekeepers wages do not enter into this, it is the fact that this practice is being done and it should be stopped!
I will not threaten anyone over this but I will make it a point at check in to mention this call and ask that it not be done. Maybe then they will get the point. The member contract that I signed is very specific about check out times and warn about penalities if you stay after 11 am. I pay dues for the housekeeping service and I think this behavior is not wanted.
Our only recourse is to complain about it, which I have done to the proper place, member services. I have talked to the housekeeping supervisor following one of these calls and he denied that a call was made. I can see that trying to talk to housekeeping does very little good so now I will take it up with MS.
If they have a problem with schedules then they shoud address this issue, not make these calls and say nothing on the phone, then hang up. I don't think this is petty, just common courtesy to at least say who they are on the phone. The fact that no one said anything on the phone did cause some concern to my wife. At other hotels I have had calls about check out and these people identify themselves.
I wonder if they do the same thing with the guest staying at the other resort properties at WDW. I would say that they don't because they would get complaints.
Our check out time is NO LATER than 11 am, and because of the flight schedule we prefer to stay in our room until just before 11 am so that we do not arrive so early to the airport that we sit there for several extra hours. The room is much more comfortable.

 

[Figaro30]

Gail...you obviously have not been watching any intelligent television because if you had you would see what New York City is all about. We may be rude at times but no other city could get people from all over the world to volunteer their time and efforts to dig through rubble picking up body parts 24 hours a day. I would hate to live in the same town as you because I know that if two towers were to fall on top of me you would be the last person to help me.

To disagree with my beliefs is one issue, but to put down a city that has been shattered over the past few weeks puts you in a very sad category of people. At a time like this when people all over the world are wearing I LOVE NEW YORK signs...you are blatently insulting your neighbor. I feel sorry for you.

May god bless your soul.

 

[GAIL HAYDEN]

intellegent television is an oxymoron.
I would bet in any crisis people would get together and assist, in fact many of my neighbors and friends (all emts) have been to NY.
I am very sorry for the tragedy that occured in NY, however, it was not only an attack on NY it was an attack on the entire country and its beliefs. NYC was not the only place affected by this, we all were.
How you can judge me or what my actions would be in any situation just proves my point further.
I don't have to like NYC and I do not, but, that does not prevent me from having sympathy, (which I do), for the victums and famlies scarred by this. Face it, we are all scarred by this, we are all victums of a sort.
BTW, I LOVE NY has been around for ages, it is not new, and, believe it or not, it is for the entire state.
G-d has blessed my soul more than you could ever imagne. And, someday I will list the ways I have helped my fellow human, and there are many ways.

 

[GAIL HAYDEN]

Dennis,
The point YOU were making was not lost, trust me. You made very valid points and I do agree with the fact that it is VERY rude and complaints shoud be made (which you have done). Hopefully, something will come of them. I can totally understand the uneasiness which would come about from calls like this.
I am sorry if your point was muddied (partially by me) and the topic got lost in senseless chatter.
Let us know what comes of your issuing complaints.

 

[DebbieB]

I emailed member services last December after the calls happened on both of my DVC trips last year, once at OKW (called around 9:00) and BWV (called at 8:00 and 8:30). They apologized and said they would forward my e-mail to the appropriate manager. It didn't happen at OKW this past May, but I had my laptop online part of the morning.