[Question] Guest:CM What should the ratio be?

[JMazz]

Guest:CM
What should the ratio be?

I know, there isn't a magic number that fits all dept and all situations, but what are your thoughts? I had a string of less-than-magical experiences a couple weeks ago and *most* could have been solved w/ more staffing at DLR.

Food lines at restaus
Retail waits at stores
Long waits for loading
VERY long waits for entry/re-entry

I will pay more money (as I just did) for better services. But the services are failing in the timing due to lack of staffing in some areas of the parks. Pay more money and get less staff? WTF(reak)?

[JerrodDRagon]

Re: Guest:CM What should the ratio be?

I don't get how they can have lines for merchandise...I know I for one have walked away from being things because of lines...so they need to maybe think of a "self" check out system along with CM's to increase the speed of lines

As for Food....that can also turn me away but I usually have to eat so I just go somewhere else, but what makes me made is when I see them have like 8 stations to check people out and like 3 are open and the lines 30 mins...whats that about?

[swampymarsh]

Re: Guest:CM What should the ratio be?

50-25:1

There are always a lot of guests, walking or waiting inline, that aren't nessecary in need of a CM's assistance, or immediate efforts.

[Stormy]

Re: Guest:CM What should the ratio be?

With the proviso that we were there during a period of low crowds; attractions and food service seemed adequately staffed. However, retail CMs both in the park and at World of Disney were woefully understaffed. It was next to impossible to find a CM to assist you in locating items and there were not enough registers open. They were constantly assisting customers with other customers hovering around waiting for them to be free. That being said, I think that's pretty much the way it is in retail everywhere these days.

[UnderCvrDisneyGeek]

Re: Guest:CM What should the ratio be?

....so they need to maybe think of a "self" check out system along with CM's to increase the speed of lines

...really? u have a lot of trust in society. there is no way disneyland would have an open door policy and do self check-out. We are at Disneyland. Not Safeway.

[bisforbrittney]

Re: Guest:CM What should the ratio be?

I don't get how they can have lines for merchandise...I know I for one have walked away from being things because of lines...so they need to maybe think of a "self" check out system along with CM's to increase the speed of lines

i also don't think self check-out would be good in disneyland. though most of us on here would probably never steal from a place like disneyland, there are a lot of young people and even some adults who visit that would see the openness of the stores and the reliance on self-checkout as a way to steal things. there's a reason why most merchandise stores (gap, forever 21, toys r us, etc.) don't use self checkout like grocery stores, and it's because more people are inclined to swipe material goods rather than food.

[Mr Wiggins]

Re: Guest:CM What should the ratio be?

Guest:CM
What should the ratio be?

I know, there isn't a magic number that fits all dept and all situations, but what are your thoughts? I had a string of less-than-magical experiences a couple weeks ago and *most* could have been solved w/ more staffing at DLR.

Food lines at restaus
Retail waits at stores
Long waits for loading
VERY long waits for entry/re-entry

I will pay more money (as I just did) for better services. But the services are failing in the timing due to lack of staffing in some areas of the parks. Pay more money and get less staff? WTF(reak)?

Sadly for the customers, cutting back on CM staffing and the resultant lowering of Disney's once gold-standard customer service is just another profit strategy for the Disney Corporation.

For Disney, there is a magic ratio of cast members to customers, but it hasn't been reached yet. It's a staffing number that is so low, resulting in customer service so poor, that customers stop coming. When Disney reaches that number, they'll stop cutting back on staffing.

Meanwhile, as long as customers continue to crowd the Park, Disney will continue to lower staffing and raise prices. And why shouldn't they? Every time another AP is renewed or another day ticket is purchased, it's another "Yes" vote telling Disney, in the only language they understand, that their strategy of charging more for less is working.

[monster heck]

Re: Guest:CM What should the ratio be?

...really? u have a lot of trust in society. there is no way disneyland would have an open door policy and do self check-out. We are at Disneyland. Not Safeway.

Sad but true. Those shops are so chaotic as it is, I wouldn't be shocked at the amount of shoplifting going on.

[Sunshine711]

Re: Guest:CM What should the ratio be?

Sad but true. Those shops are so chaotic as it is, I wouldn't be shocked at the amount of shoplifting going on.

That's what I was thinking, and with self checkout, even if you know someone's stealing, there's nothing to stop them from saying "oh, I already payed!" and running off. Now they'll just have a better excuse!

[Maleficent4811]

Re: Guest:CM What should the ratio be?

I was just at DLR fri-mon
I felt like in DL there were A LOT of extra CMS ... many groups of them just standing around chatting, available for any guest to approach and ask questions and what not. Lots of plaids walking around with no groups .... and many "higher up" looking folks in suits and such walking around. In stores and food places there were approx 3 people per register. One for food, one for drink, one for money. Things went very quickly and I never was with out help.

But DCA however, no wandering CMs that I saw, no one helping direct traffic or helping lost folks find their way, no extra cms in stores or restaurants....i hardly even saw cms with brooms and dust pans that usually are in abundance.

Not sure if anyone else shares my view but its what I observed. I think that whatever the ratio and numbers were at DL over the weekend (I have no idea how to calculate exact numbers so really I am of no assistance) was great, and made everything more comfortable and easier.

[Sunshine711]

Re: Guest:CM What should the ratio be?

I was just at DLR fri-mon
I felt like in DL there were A LOT of extra CMS ... many groups of them just standing around chatting, available for any guest to approach and ask questions and what not. Lots of plaids walking around with no groups .... and many "higher up" looking folks in suits and such walking around. In stores and food places there were approx 3 people per register. One for food, one for drink, one for money. Things went very quickly and I never was with out help.

But DCA however, no wandering CMs that I saw, no one helping direct traffic or helping lost folks find their way, no extra cms in stores or restaurants....i hardly even saw cms with brooms and dust pans that usually are in abundance.

Not sure if anyone else shares my view but its what I observed. I think that whatever the ratio and numbers were at DL over the weekend (I have no idea how to calculate exact numbers so really I am of no assistance) was great, and made everything more comfortable and easier.

Haha, maybe all the bigwigs cam in so they made sure the park they were going to was extra staffed!!! They used to do that at my old work. Big guns come in we get enough people to run the store!

[Aotphks]

Re: Guest:CM What should the ratio be?

50-25:1

There are always a lot of guests, walking or waiting inline, that aren't nessecary in need of a CM's assistance, or immediate efforts.

I disagree with this. On a recent visit to Tokyo Disneyland, the park was expremely busy but the staffing levels were also incredibly high. I was impressed. in a single look around you, I spotted up to 10 custodial employees. Restaurants were staffed with at least 20 employees or more behind the counter. Most attractions had at least 15 employees working the , queue, loading and unloading stations, etc. Someone was always near to offer assistance, guidance or help...but most importantly, to maintain order and safety standards.

At Disneyland, just like it's been the case at Disney World and Disneyland Paris on previous visits, the staffing has been minimal at times, which has lowered the quality of customer service and has impacted safety in the parks.

In regards to the comment made by the person quoted above.. I disagree because the staffing levels should not be set based solely on the need of employee assistance or need of immediate efforts. SAFETY and vigilance should be the immediate concern of management to have a level of staffing that should be above the basic needs of visitors in the park. My visit to Disneyland Paris was impacted by sour experiences due to the poor behavior of some visitors versus the very lack of employees to make sure safety standards and rules were followed. That was not the case which resulted in fights among visitors, with no involvement from employees as they were absent or extremely low staffed.

So IMO.. there should be at least 1 employee roaming the parks for every 200 -250 visitors, just to maintain a safe level of vigilance and security, and that is in addition to the required number of employees to properly staff attractions, food outlets, and other services.

[swampymarsh]

Re: Guest:CM What should the ratio be?

I disagree with this. On a recent visit to Tokyo Disneyland, the park was expremely busy but the staffing levels were also incredibly high. I was impressed. in a single look around you, I spotted up to 10 custodial employees. restaurants were staffed with at least 20 employees or more behind the counter. most attractions had at least 15 employees working the , queue, loading and unloading stations, etc.

So while it was incredibly busy, how many guests could you see at the same time?


DLR has a ways over 20,000 CMs. And can be hosting 100,000 guests in a single day. However the CMs aren't all in the park, many are in the hotels, and on thier days off.

[JMazz]

Re: Guest:CM What should the ratio be?

There are always a lot of guests, walking or waiting inline, that aren't nessecary in need of a CM's assistance, or immediate efforts.

This I knew.

50-25:1

This I didn't know.

---------- Post added 10-10-2012 at 04:13 AM ----------

Sad but true. Those shops are so chaotic as it is, I wouldn't be shocked at the amount of shoplifting going on.

I always wondered why Disney hadn't retro-fitted the stores w/ detection equipment. It could be installed quite easily at each exit/entry point w/ a minimal cost in this day and age... it would pay for itself in a matter of months.

---------- Post added 10-10-2012 at 04:14 AM ----------

Sadly for the customers, cutting back on CM staffing and the resultant lowering of Disney's once gold-standard customer service is just another profit strategy for the Disney Corporation.

For Disney, there is a magic ratio of cast members to customers, but it hasn't been reached yet. It's a staffing number that is so low, resulting in customer service so poor, that customers stop coming. When Disney reaches that number, they'll stop cutting back on staffing.

Meanwhile, as long as customers continue to crowd the Park, Disney will continue to lower staffing and raise prices. And why shouldn't they? Every time another AP is renewed or another day ticket is purchased, it's another "Yes" vote telling Disney, in the only language they understand, that their strategy of charging more for less is working.

I keep hoping for an up-swing in service. *le sigh*

---------- Post added 10-10-2012 at 04:17 AM ----------

...really? u have a lot of trust in society. there is no way disneyland would have an open door policy and do self check-out. We are at Disneyland. Not Safeway.

Even w/ security tags imbedded on/in the merch? I'm speaking of the tags that trigger an alarm (albeit, more quiet than regular retail places). If they could, I'd hope these ppl would still be employed and sent to a different location or dept. and help increase the ratio.

[Malina]

Re: Guest:CM What should the ratio be?

Loss prevention might be the one area where Disney has not cut back on staffing--when I was in the stores on Main Street last week I noticed a lot of CMs hanging out by smaller items; there was someone by the pins all the time, etc. I would imagine that was to answer questions but more importantly to keep thieves from pocketing these items.

I would like to see a Disneyland staffed so that nobody ever has to wait more than 5 - 10 minutes for food; there are enough cash registers at the shops so that there are never more than 2 or 3 guests waiting, etc. When they are to capacity there's nothing that can be done sometimes; there will be lines. When it's NOT to capacity, the line at the gates is halfway to DCA but half the turnstiles are closed, it's different.

[swampymarsh]

Re: Guest:CM What should the ratio be?

A couple ways to increase service and quality are to not make things worse for customers.

This would include helping them check out merchandise. If you disagree compare a grocery store with baggers to one with self bagging. Another comparison is at nice hotels do you take the bag to your room, or does a bell hop?

Another is not to annoy guests with noise and inconvinience. If you disagree think of when you bought a CD or somthing and the security tag wasn't inactivated or removed, and even though you paid you had to go back in and everyone else had to hear the alarm.

[Giant Panda]

Re: Guest:CM What should the ratio be?

Sadly for the customers, cutting back on CM staffing and the resultant lowering of Disney's once gold-standard customer service is just another profit strategy for the Disney Corporation.

For Disney, there is a magic ratio of cast members to customers, but it hasn't been reached yet. It's a staffing number that is so low, resulting in customer service so poor, that customers stop coming. When Disney reaches that number, they'll stop cutting back on staffing.

Meanwhile, as long as customers continue to crowd the Park, Disney will continue to lower staffing and raise prices. And why shouldn't they? Every time another AP is renewed or another day ticket is purchased, it's another "Yes" vote telling Disney, in the only language they understand, that their strategy of charging more for less is working.

Spot-on, Mr. W!

[Bob Weaver]

Re: Guest:CM What should the ratio be?

Mr. Wiggins is correct. As long as people pour into the park in huge numbers, the park has no incentive to improve anything. They improved DCA only because they were forced to, because people weren't going there. They're not going to improve anything about Disneyland until people stop going there. Why should they? As long as guests are willing to tolerate long lines, why should they change anything? The blame ultimately rests on the guests, for tolerating it.

[JMazz]

Re: Guest:CM What should the ratio be?

Mr. Wiggins is correct. As long as people pour into the park in huge numbers, the park has no incentive to improve anything. They improved DCA only because they were forced to, because people weren't going there. They're not going to improve anything about Disneyland until people stop going there. Why should they? As long as guests are willing to tolerate long lines, why should they change anything? The blame ultimately rests on the guests, for tolerating it.

This is true. So very true.
My last trip was the best, simply b/c it was my longest I think. I got more out of it. But had I experienced any sigle day as my only day, it would have been one of the worst. I noticed that I started to actually avoid most CMs, as many as I possibly could. It was getting to the point that I didn't want any given CM to be that 1 in 5 that had a crappy attitude b/c I didn't want them to affect my day. In the end, that translated to lost dollars for DLR.
Isn't this insane?

*le sigh* I am locked into my next trip in Dec, but I think that may be the end of DLR for a while until I hear that the numbers of guests are dropping, and a slight up-turn in CS and especialllllly better staffed parks. I fear I may be waiting awhile.