How do we handle bad service in WDW restaurants please?

[Keith]

Well thankfully they're very rare instances in my experience and the great far far outweighs the bad. Still, it does illustrate that my track record for complaining over there hasn't been good.

Just to balance it out, we have this awful track record with Citricos. We booked once and it was cancelled, changed the date and turned up, they had no record. Next time we booked, verified it and turned up only to find that the place was actually completely shut that day and indeed was never open on whatever day we'd booked.

So we stood there, not quite being able to believe that they'd accepted the booking for a place that was closed! when a lady came out from v&a next door. She recognised us from our previous visits and said WOW that shouldnt be possible :/ looked up the ADR number and said wow you're absolutely right theyve booked you in on a day its closed.

So she called down to narcoosees and got us a late sitting there even though they werent accepting any more reservations, filled out a complaint card with us about citricos booking system, arranged for some freebies at narcoosees and a cab at the end to take us wherever we wanted to go.

Now *that's* how customer service should be IMHO

[DisneyFreak]

Well thankfully they're very rare instances in my experience and the great far far outweighs the bad. Still, it does illustrate that my track record for complaining over there hasn't been good.

Just to balance it out, we have this awful track record with Citricos. We booked once and it was cancelled, changed the date and turned up, they had no record. Next time we booked, verified it and turned up only to find that the place was actually completely shut that day and indeed was never open on whatever day we'd booked.

So we stood there, not quite being able to believe that they'd accepted the booking for a place that was closed! when a lady came out from v&a next door. She recognised us from our previous visits and said WOW that shouldnt be possible :/ looked up the ADR number and said wow you're absolutely right theyve booked you in on a day its closed.

So she called down to narcoosees and got us a late sitting there even though they werent accepting any more reservations, filled out a complaint card with us about citricos booking system, arranged for some freebies at narcoosees and a cab at the end to take us wherever we wanted to go.

Now *that's* how customer service should be IMHO

Now that sounds more like the high end vacation resort that we have all grown to know and love.

[Deb]

Goodness Keith! That experience in LTT sounds dreadful! And the fact that no one would deal with it is the most worrying. We had quite a few experiences this year that were less that magical in the restaurants, and that is one reason that I don't want to have to waste my time finding a manager every time - often it makes no difference, and it also wastes my precious holiday time.

Thanks everyone for your answers here, really appreciate them Dawn, at least I know that I won't be chased out of the place like you as there won't be enough of us for a compulsory gratuity! I feel better knowing that there is scope in there to be flexible and that I am not the only one. And now I know I don't HAVE to tip breakfast buffet servers an arm and a leg if they are mediocre or awful, that helps too

[Britchick]

yes Disney really do need to sort out dealing with complaints. Mine isn't restaurant related but cleanliness in the bathroom in our hotel. I wasn't satisfied with the housekeeping manager's response so i am going to email someone higher to see what their response is. The ironic thing was i went with the intention of showing Jon how great the DVC resorts were and wouldn't it be great if we became members but I don't want to do it now. I guess it made my mind up!

[Keith]

The ironic thing was i went with the intention of showing Jon how great the DVC resorts were and wouldn't it be great if we became members but I don't want to do it now. I guess it made my mind up!

yep, they charge premium prices for everything from the hotels through the tickets to the food, so they better be doing it better than everyone else or they're going to lose guests.

I feel that in the past even though they haven't always got it right, they've been willing to try and fix things when they went wrong. More recently, it's started to feel like it's too much trouble for them.

Let's hope they stop the rot!

[Tink]

Brit, do you want to make your concern really matter? Contact DVC and let them know you will not be joining as a member given the conditions you suffered through on your recent stay.

I'm really sorry that it happened, too. We were just at OKW (and are going back for Christmas) and everything was beautiful.

[Britchick]

Brit, do you want to make your concern really matter? Contact DVC and let them know you will not be joining as a member given the conditions you suffered through on your recent stay.

I'm really sorry that it happened, too. We were just at OKW (and are going back for Christmas) and everything was beautiful.

It was such a shame Tink, other than that I love the resort, we were in building 43 so just over from turtle pond pool, just perfect location

[josh.p.]

Well thankfully they're very rare instances in my experience and the great far far outweighs the bad. Still, it does illustrate that my track record for complaining over there hasn't been good.

Just to balance it out, we have this awful track record with Citricos. We booked once and it was cancelled, changed the date and turned up, they had no record. Next time we booked, verified it and turned up only to find that the place was actually completely shut that day and indeed was never open on whatever day we'd booked.

So we stood there, not quite being able to believe that they'd accepted the booking for a place that was closed! when a lady came out from v&a next door. She recognised us from our previous visits and said WOW that shouldnt be possible :/ looked up the ADR number and said wow you're absolutely right theyve booked you in on a day its closed.

So she called down to narcoosees and got us a late sitting there even though they werent accepting any more reservations, filled out a complaint card with us about citricos booking system, arranged for some freebies at narcoosees and a cab at the end to take us wherever we wanted to go.

Now *that's* how customer service should be IMHO

Now *THAT* sounds like the type of service I was taught about in traditions training

[Keith]

Now *THAT* sounds like the type of service I was taught about in traditions training

she was brilliant. We really were fed up about citricos having spent an hour or so getting there and she really went out of her way to make it up to us even though she was busy with her own job at V&A!

Over the years we've had our share of magic and sometimes it's the small things that make the difference. Standing in a huge queue at all star movies after a delay in our flight and an awful trip from the airport. A CM obviously noticed and went and got us a couple of cups of tea and a welcome to Disney from Mickey card

Whilst at the polynesian, we'd been for a photo shoot in our wedding outfits, came back and it was POURING with that huge raindrop rain that soaks you. As we were going to make a run for it to our room, a CM noticed us and told us to stay there for a couple of mins. He ran off and came back with a covered cart to take us there so we didn't get the outfits wet.

We were at the Magic Kingdom with a couple of friends and on the very last day she said oh wouldnt it be wonderful to go inside the castle. Argh, well once she found out about the restaurant she wanted dinner with the princesses of course totally booked up and I guess had been for months. Again a CM overheard us, she'd just come off shift at the town hall. She took us back in and made a phone call "any chance we can work some magic for my friends....." and got us in, thus making ALL our days in one go.

It's what Disney's all about which is one of the reasons I think it's so jarring when the service is poor

[Tink]

Absolutely. That is what Disney is all about. I know many people have almost unrealistic expectations about Disney, but honestly they've done it themselves. Disney set the standards to high that people have come to identify the name Disney with excellence.

Therefore, when it isn't excellent it's almost a sacrilege.