Very Disappointed in Poly Club Level

[conandrob240]

Cast members at GDT Chronos Club were superior but witnessed some terrible guest behavior. Being a bad human doesn't fly with me. Glad your experience with guests was better than mine.

Who said being a bad human is okay? I’m saying I saw nothing more than minor misbehavior- like a kid dropping something or maybe someone taking a few too many of something. I saw no one being really rude or hogging food or chairs or anything egregious. If you can’t handle people asking you constantly for things or dealing with the general stuff that comes up in a service role, get out of the service role. And for crying out loud, don’t put an intern who knows literally nothing about Disney or a so I ally inept person in club level at a resort where the cost is a $1,000 a night. You put your best people on that job. You put new people or weaker people in roles where they aren’t as front and center or the stakes aren’t as high.

 

[Minnie1222]

Yes, the manager should be fired. They KNOWINGLY put a CM in a job they cannot do. Management 101 fail. They put the CM in a position where their inability to read social situations puts them at higher risk because it increases the odds they will have more angry customers vs an average employee who can read social situations. When your own actions increase the risk profile? Management failure. Now, let’s cover the fact the Manager spread gossip about the CM having social issues by literally telling a guest- any CM doing that should be fired, especially a Manager.

You can't suggest firing someone after reading a one-sided narrative. We don't know what type of tone was used on that CM for her to elicit such reaction. Maybe the manager was trying to diffuse a tense situation by mentioning the social issues as a joke. Y'all need to relax a little.

 

[conandrob240]

You can't suggest firing someone after reading a one-sided narrative. We don't know what type of tone was used on that CM for her to elicit such reaction. Maybe the manager was trying to diffuse a tense situation by mentioning the social issues as a joke. Y'all need to relax a little.

Really? I described the interaction. I also didn’t share that another member of my party had a very similar interaction with same CM where she was downright rude. I can assure you there was no “tone” used. She was rude from start about chips, I maintained a polite and professional tone in requesting what I wanted, she did not. And really , regardless of my tone, she WAY out of line to say what she did and how she did. And the manager was even more out of line to 1) discuss the employee and her personal issues like that 2) dismiss behavior like that from her employee and 3) put the skill- deficient CM in a role where she would fail.

If you read, the suggestion was to fire the manager (not the CM) and while I think that is too far, the manager didn’t seem to possess good leadership skills.

In case you doubt me further, my job is assessing and training on work behaviors. Customer service, and managerial/ leadership skills. For a living, I observe customer service and managerial skills for selection and/ or development. I give feedback to senior leaders about my observations. My side job is owning a travel agency. So methinks I have some realistic insight about what I observed.

But by all means, keep blaming the “victim”. Even better, spend your hard earned money and try it out for yourself. I was trying to be helpful to others. If it wasn’t helpful to you, sorry about that.

 

[Richie248]

This thread is exhausting....and way to intense for a conversation about Club Level!

 

[SL6827]

Did Disney bring the desks back for those CMs yet? (CL in general)

 

[Minnie1222]

In case you doubt me further, my job is assessing and training on work behaviors. Customer service, and managerial/ leadership skills. For a living, I observe customer service and managerial skills for selection and/ or development. I give feedback to senior leaders about my observations. My side job is owning a travel agency. So methinks I have some realistic insight about what I observed.

You were only there for a short time and already assessed that at least 3 people should be booted from their job: a manager, a "socially-inept" CM, and an intern who does not know much about Disney. How many interns know a lot about the company, anyway? I hesitate to ponder how many more would be on the chopping block if you were to stay a tad longer.

 

[Minnie1222]

Did Disney bring the desks back for those CMs yet? (CL in general)

No desks at BWI as of last month, but they had a loveseat and a coffee table.

 

[conandrob240]

You were only there for a short time and already assessed that at least 3 people should be booted from their job: a manager, a "socially-inept" CM, and an intern who does not know much about Disney. How many interns know a lot about the company, anyway? I hesitate to ponder how many more would be on the chopping block if you were to stay a tad longer.

I never once said anyone should be fired. In fact, I stated multiple times I thought that was extreme. I think interns are great but I question the logic of starting an intern working in the club of the most expensive resort on Disney. Or the front desk of that resort. And there was serious need for training or re-assigning some of the people we experienced.

I believe that dozens of interactions over 5 days is probably a good enough sample size for me to draw some conclusions and do some “evaluation” based on what we experienced.

Again, I’m not really sure why everyone’s so mad. If my experiences aren’t yours, great. I’m glad for that. It was definitely a very different experience than any of our maybe 10 previous Club level stays so I wanted to share. If my experiences are useful to anyone deciding, glad to share and help. If not, how about you just move on?

 

[SL6827]

No desks at BWI as of last month, but they had a loveseat and a coffee table.

For the CMs?

 

[conandrob240]

Why would they take desks away? I’m confused. The large desk was in place for the CMs on first floor at Poly

 

[GADisneyDad14]

In recent years and renovations most of the CLs have moved away from stationary seated CM desks in favor of more ‘open/flexible’ standing tables and/or podiums, with computers such as laptops and handhelds vs stationary PCs like they used to have. Some have to stand completely, some have stools, each set up is a little different depending on the furniture and location. I’ve seen people be critical of this but it’s a modern hotel design trend I’ve also seen in other places - the idea is more open/accessible/mobile employees to better interact with guests, at least in theory. One could debate how it works in execution. One could also debate if the CMs enjoy these new setups. ;-)

 

[Minnie1222]

For the CMs?

Yes. The coffee table and loveseat/mini couch replaced their desk and chairs.

Their laptop and other devices were on a bar height counter.

 

[conandrob240]

In recent years and renovations most of the CLs have moved away from stationary seated CM desks in favor of more ‘open/flexible’ standing tables and/or podiums, with computers such as laptops and handhelds vs stationary PCs like they used to have. Some have to stand completely, some have stools, each set up is a little different depending on the furniture and location. I’ve seen people be critical of this but it’s a modern hotel design trend I’ve also seen in other places - the idea is more open/accessible/mobile employees to better interact with guests, at least in theory. One could debate how it works in execution. One could also debate if the CMs enjoy these new setups. ;-)

Ah, okay. At Poly, it was more a counter height kind of long, skinny communal dining table type thing. The CMs sat there with their heads down in their devices. Most did not look up or greet entering guests. I can see how it would be much more guest- friendly and interactive if they had been standing near the door with a tablet. Perhaps they should have taken turns with one sitting at desk doing all of whatever important computer work they were doing (?- I question this?) and the rest standing and greeting guests.

 

[SL6827]

Yes. The coffee table and loveseat/mini couch replaced their desk and chairs.

Their laptop and other devices were on a bar height counter.

Excellent.

 

[SkyGuy]

Did Disney bring the desks back for those CMs yet? (CL in general)

AKL only had the podium, no desk. WL still has the desks and chairs. Chronos Club doesn’t have desks. BC has no desk.

 

[GADisneyDad14]

AKL only had the podium, no desk. WL still has the desks and chairs. Chronos Club doesn’t have desks. BC has no desk.

Yeah, I think it’s down to just WL at this point. GF had desks but I highly suspect those will be gone when it reopens (that’s my guess, we’ll see) unless Disney strays from recent precedent.

 

[Maxie86]

At BWI there is a small couch and coffee table for guests to sit. There was also a very small round table with a stool in addition to the standing desk so CMs can sit. Poly had a long table with stools for CM's and guests to sit. The YC just has a standing desk. The CR tower club has a standing desk but with had a long table and stools next to it. I don't know if CM's are supposed to sit but I did see them do so at times. I feel bad for the CM's that have to stand all day.

My only complaint about the Poly over the 4th of July was the lounge crowding, very long lines for food, and not being able to easily get coffee in the morning. The CM's were all very polite and professional. We were greeted every time by the CM's at the desk and they helped us with a couple of issues. As with everything Disney YMMV. All the lounges are different and your experience will be different on any given day. The problem with the Poly is that the lounge is too small to handle the number of rooms it serves. CL at the Poly is the whole Hawaii longhouse plus the suites in Tonga.

 

[SwanVT2]

To conclude this, it did not seem understaffed to me. They always seemed to have a lot of people around. Lots of interns which was puzzling to me- why Poly club level? Most were very nice but they knew zero about the resort and couldn’t answer basic questions.

The lack of items, not replenishing things, attitude of staff continued throughout. Today, I went up around lunchtime. Bowl of chips had about 4 small chips in it. I greeted the young woman standing there, asked for a paper plate and asked if she was going to refill it please so I could take some to the pool. She looked me dead in the eye and said “let’s see how you do with those first, okay? Then if you need more, let me know” and turned and walked away. Astounded, I waited and when she came back I said, I absolutely needed more, I’d like a plate to take to the pool. She rudely and annoyedly filled the bowl and then gave me a gigantic fake, condescending smile and said “well since you asked SO nicely”. I was Annoyed but I asked her to refill that bowl in a perfectly polite, professional way. I wasn’t warm and fuzzy to her but I was not in snotty at all. I couldn’t believe her attitude. I pulled the manager aside and she apologized and said “I think she’s socially awkward”. WTH!?!? Why the heck is she working with guests at the most expensive resort/ room on property? Tonight they had one plate of macarons, about 12 on the plate. Never replaced and nothing else substituted. Just more examples. I will never book Poly club level again (sad)

I agree on congestion making it hard to get to things too. That has always been the case with Poly because it’s too small though. I will say it was the most crowded I’ve ever seen the lounge- often nowhere to sit. And I’ve been a few times on 4th of July. This was more crowded.

There was an article in WSJ recently about how the new hires of 2023 need a lot of training when it comes to social etiquette. It speaks to what you experienced.

 

[Eastern]

It's kind of funny that people are complaining about not enough CMs, crabby CMs, and CMs not doing their jobs, and other people are asking if they have chairs to sit in. Shouldn't they be getting up and doing stuff?

I'm staying away from CL until they figure it out again. Seems like this stuff happens every few years or so.

ps I belong to the group of those who have seen people take full trays of food/bottles of wine back to their room. It's usually the suite people I get it, for the price they are paying, but CMs are often slow to replace things, especially in the afternoon.

 

[mickeyluv'r]

It's kind of funny that people are complaining about not enough CMs, crabby CMs, and CMs not doing their jobs, and other people are asking if they have chairs to sit in. Shouldn't they be getting up and doing stuff?

I'm staying away from CL until they figure it out again. Seems like this stuff happens every few years or so.

ps I belong to the group of those who have seen people take full trays of food/bottles of wine back to their room. It's usually the suite people I get it, for the price they are paying, but CMs are often slow to replace things, especially in the afternoon.

In some cases the newer set up is fine. I felt like the set up a Chronos club was fine.

At some of the other hotels the lack of desk impacts both the CM's and arriving guests. At CR, the desk used to be right when you got off elevator, CM greeted you. And you were able to sit at desk to check-in, ask questions. Sometimes f you have a question, and CM is on the phone, you wait. It was a little thing, but ice to be able to sit while waiting, especially for elderly/disabled guests.

New podium is further way, so guests are not greeted the same way. And IMO, it seemed the CM had far less space to work, so it is harder for them to work. They used the desk space (to write information), and the drawers to hold items that enabled them to help customers. Now they look very cramped, and have no place to put anything.

So now they more stand around looking awkward. It both makes it look like more CM's, doing nothing, and they look somewhat uncomfortable. I don't mean just because they have to stand, but more than that. I suppose it is hard to explain in a forum.