It is important to keep the guests happy in Disney, but it is more important to keep the employees satisfied. The reason for it is because they are the people who make the guests happy. Working in resorts, our managers always do a few things to make employees feel special. For instance, there’s a cast member whose birthday is on Wednesday, and the managers bring her to one of the restaurants in our resorts to celebrate her birthday. And the managers mention that day is her birthday when we have the meeting, so everyone said happy birthday to her. Moreover, managers are always available when the employees have problems or need help. They are the first one to help you out if you have any problems. Sometimes, if the employees do not finish the rooms on time, the managers will come and help them to clean. Even though these are just small things, it can make a huge difference to employees, and these can let the employees feel special and satisfied. As a result, the employees will try their best to make the guests feel special.
According to the article, “why do employees stay? A qualitative exploration of employee tenure”, theme 1: sense of responsibility is the key that the employees to keep their guests satisfied. To illustrate, there’s a cast member always thinks making the rooms clean and the beds neat are her responsibilities. She knows her guests very well, such as who has kids need to take a nap in the afternoon, and then she will finish that room first, and just make sure the kids can take a nap without bothering. That’s why the guests in her section feel pleasure and always leave her big gratification.
To me, I also think making the rooms and beds clean and neat are my responsibilities. I really appreciated one time that the guest was waiting for me to give appreciation. I was doing the turndown on that floor the whole week. One night the guest was waiting for me to come out of another room, and just to give me tips and said I did a good job and she really appreciated. I felt happy because that’s my result. Even though housekeeping was really exhausting, but the guests understands me, and they see my work result.
Besides making the rooms clean, we also have to say hello and keep smile to guests when we are walking in hallways, especially for kids. We have to call them prince or princess. Even though just a word, that will make the parents feel their children are special. Therefore, making the employees feel special is extremely important in order to make the guests satisfied.
Huihong He
Disney’s Yacht & Beach Club Resort
Housekeeping
You are 100% right about the managers coming to help when the housekeeper is falling behind. When I was in housekeeping this situation happened to me I felt glad that they cared enough to come help me, but I also felt embarrased. I felt that as a manager there was no need for them to help me. My shift was suppose to be over at 4:30pm and it was about 5pm and I still had five more rooms to go. Three managers and one housekeeper came to help me finish cleaning the rooms. The minute they came I said to my self “I need to do this a little faster this is so embarrassing.” One of the manager looked disappointed and the others ones where calm and willing to help. However, I was very happy to get help that time and every other time they sent someone else to help. One time I didn’t recieved any help at all and I finished around 7pm after entering to work at 8am. Everytime that I used to take a long time to get to another room to clean I felt discouraged because I didnt like to go to clean a room around 4pm or even 6pm. For the reason that guest in WDW have high expectations of the service they receive and I felt that I wasn’t perfoming efficiently.
For the cast member that does the bedrooms with children first I think that is a bright idea. It makes perfect sense in my perspective I’ve never taught about it that way. Reasons like this is why I love the hotel atmoshere, especially housekeepers that try to make your room look like your walking into a new a room over and over again. It makes one feel pampered and welcomed.
You open you entry well, it is the front line employee that creates the magic, with support of management’s time and money.
As you stated, people work for different reasons. Knowing that you take your position seriously will help to make sure your guests, may they be real princes and princesses or children emulaing themselves on their favorite characters and heroes, have a magical experience.
Being a CP also adds an additional meaning to why people work. That is for career advancement, the work each of you is doing will develop your understanding of our industry and soon your development in the industry.