Polynesian concierge very dissapointing

RICH1967 · 10-21-2003

Hi all,

Just got back from 8 days at the Magical place. Stayed at the Polynesian with concierge level. While I was happy with the hotel itself the concierge service left plenty to be desired. Before I get into what I didn't like let me start by saying that it is impossible to have a bad time at Disney so even though I wasn't crazy about some things we still had a great time.

First of all the concierge was supoosed to have set up a town car to pick us up at the airport and take us to the hotel. After waiting for 15 minutes I contacted the concierge at the hotel and was told that although she could see the note regarding needing transportation she could not see where it ha been booked. She subsequently arranged transportation and our ride arrived approx 15 minutes later.

The next issue we had was with a gentleman by the name of Phil that worked at the concierge desk. We were trying to book dinner reservations for a night later in the week and to say he was less then helpful would be an understatement. Plenty of short one word answers and absolutely no help. I thought the concierge was there to offer suggestions and help whenever possible but the impression I got from this guy is that he wanted to get rid of me. Very dissapointing from a Disney employee.

The next issue I had was with the bus transportation. It was slow all week. It came to a head when we went to the back yard bbq which in case you haven't been to this before it is located in a wooded area. Upon arriving at Disney in our room was a warning about the mosquitos in the area and the potential for the EEE virus. We waited for at least 45 minutes at the bus stop all the while getting bitten by mosquitos. Looking for some assistance I called the concierge to see if they could contact someone to get us a bus to pick us up. While on the phone with Christine the bus finally arrived. I told her that the busses had been a problem all week to which her response was well you better hurry up and catch that one so you don't miss it. Again, not in the least bit sympathetic to our situation instead just wanted to get me off the phone.

The final straw was on Thursday when we took the kids to where the food is put out for the concierge guests. We get there and the place was empty. We thought we missed it so we went back down at dinner time and again no food. Finally I called the front desk and was told that the concierge services had been switched to the Hawaii building and that I should have been contacted and offered a room switch to the Hawaii building. Obviously this never took place.

The kicker was upon check out I realized that I had been charged twice for the Luau. I brought this to the concierge that was checking us outs attention and she told me that even though it is showing up twice you will only be billed once. I asked her to check it with her manager because this didn't make sense to me . the manager agreed that it was wrong and subsequently took it off my bill. This was just another example of someone not wanting to deal with the problem. Again very dissapointing for Disney staff.

The one thing I do have to give them credit for is they did arrange all my Ps's that I requested which was a big help and the food they put out was more then adequate. But I have to say that I was very dissapouinted with the level of service and professionalism I received from the concierge staff.

Just for a little perspective, I am not a big traveler who stays at the concierge level on a regular basis. This was a special occasion that we decided to spend the extra money to make the trip extra special and we certainly were not made to feel special from the concierge staff.

**Dana** · 10-21-2003

Rich,

I am sorry to read about your poor experience with the CM's at the Polly. I can honestly say that I have never heard of such treatment at WDW. If I were you, I would write down all that you have written here and send it right off to WDW. For the extra money one has to spend for their services, you should be treated well. You must have incredible patience because I think I would have had to give someone a peice of my mind on more than one occassion if that had been my vacation. It's good to hear however, that you still managed to enjoy your stay. Wait until some of the other members of DC read this thread......the treatment you received was ridiculous. I would definately not hesitate to write WDW a letter and include names of all of those involved. Please let me know what you decide to do. I honestly cannot imagine that happening at ANY hotel I was staying at. It's not like you were asking for special treatment. You PAID for special treatment and they obviously did not do a good job at it.:madmad :madmad :madmad

RICH1967 · 10-21-2003

Thanks for the response Dana. I am a pretty easy going person and more so when I am on vacation. It was easier to ignore the behavior then get all upset about it and affect my vacation. But now that I am home I think I am going to write them a letter.
Not because i want something in return but because I want them to know that they have some employees that are in desperate need of a refresher on how to treat Disney guests. Could you supply me with an e-mail address or street address I should send the letter to? Thanks for your help.

preidel24 · 10-21-2003

Rich,

How disappointing for you and your family. Great attitude though I think you have a wonderfully positive attitude. We are doing the same as you in just 15 days we are off to the BC concierge and like you it's a big treat for us and were hoping for a positive experience. Matto (on his trip report) also related that he was blown away by the Poly concierge experience. The Poly has always gotten top notch rating for it's concierge I hope this is a trend beginning for them. Did you at least get one of the beautifully new remolded rooms and a golf cart ride to the room???

Paula

RICH1967 · 10-21-2003

That would be a negative on both counts. We were never offered a golf cart ride and the room certainly was not remodeled. Did have a nice view of the castle though :)

Like I said I was really surprised by the treatment we received. Hopefully they will receive my letter prior to your arrival and be more aware of how they treat their guest.

Luckily the hotel is just a small part of the magic that is Disney.

**Dana** · 10-21-2003

Quote:

Originally posted by RICH1967
Thanks for the response Dana. I am a pretty easy going person and more so when I am on vacation. It was easier to ignore the behavior then get all upset about it and affect my vacation. But now that I am home I think I am going to write them a letter.
Not because i want something in return but because I want them to know that they have some employees that are in desperate need of a refresher on how to treat Disney guests. Could you supply me with an e-mail address or street address I should send the letter to? Thanks for your help.

There is a "Contact us" link on the disney.com website. This is how I logged a complaint with them a few years back. I was contacted by phone and sent an email with in a few weeks. Hope this helps.:)

judemac · 10-21-2003

I am on my way to the BC concierge in 5 days...I hope it was worth the wait & money$$

garada3 · 10-21-2003

It sounds as if some of the same problems are happening again at the Poly concierge like they did back when the concierge went from Hawaii to Tahiti.

I read many trip reports where people were very unsatisified with concierge service during that switchover to Tahiti. I am sorry you and your family had to experience the switch back to Hawaii.

dznygrl · 10-21-2003

Wow, that is just plain rotten! :madmad I hope you contact Disney about this, because *all* guests are supposed to feel special, and concierge guests even moreso. You were not treated well at all, and that must have been very frustrating!

disneydana · 10-21-2003

Quote:

Originally posted by RICH1967
Not because i want something in return but because I want them to know that they have some employees that are in desperate need of a refresher on how to treat Disney guests.

Frankly, I think you do deserve something back. You paid for a service that did not live up to your expectations and hopefully it is not up to Disney's either. If not a partial refund for the concierge then at least a credit or voucher to apply for a future stay. How disappointing for you. I would write a letter and mention that this had been a special occasion.

On a positive note, I applaud your attitude and am glad you did not let this spoil your vacation. Glad you had a good time in spite of your concierge experience.

RICH1967 · 10-22-2003

I e-mailed a l;etter to Disney last night describing my experience. I received an e-mail back this morning thanking me for my letter and saying they would get back to me shortly. i will keep you informed as to how I make out.

Rich

noahsark45331 · 10-22-2003

That is really terrible about the Poly. We have stayed at the AKL conceirge level twice and had nothing but a great experience! I hope they respond to you quickly. There is nothing worse than having a bad experience and then there being a long period before they respond.:)

cbeccaboo2 · 10-22-2003

:devil :madmad So sorry for such a bad treatment you received. That was not right on Poly's part. It sounds like it was not just one person's falt either. I hope you do hear from WDW and they make good on your "special occasion" that you did not receive. I feel so bad for you and your family. I think you are one special person to have such a positive attitude not to have lost it with the treatment!!! I know I would have early into my visit. Bless you for your patients

Keep us updated.

:heart :) :) :heart

Becca

**Dana** · 10-22-2003

Quote:

Originally posted by RICH1967
I e-mailed a l;etter to Disney last night describing my experience. I received an e-mail back this morning thanking me for my letter and saying they would get back to me shortly. i will keep you informed as to how I make out.

Rich

Glad you decided to email a letter. Good for you. Given them a couple of weeks to answer. They get bombarded with emails I'm sure. A few DCers had complaints that thye sent and waited quite a while for a response. They will get back to you I'm certain of it. Keep us updated please.

preidel24 · 10-22-2003

Rich,

Did you have a lot of contact with your itinerary planner pre-trip? I hope you get some sort of consolation for the poor service you received. You pay good money for concierge and therefore the level of service should be high quality. Let us know how you make out with your letter.

Paula

10-21-2003	#1 (permalink)
RICH1967 Senior Mouseketeer Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: RI Posts: 106	Polynesian concierge very dissapointing Hi all, Just got back from 8 days at the Magical place. Stayed at the Polynesian with concierge level. While I was happy with the hotel itself the concierge service left plenty to be desired. Before I get into what I didn't like let me start by saying that it is impossible to have a bad time at Disney so even though I wasn't crazy about some things we still had a great time. First of all the concierge was supoosed to have set up a town car to pick us up at the airport and take us to the hotel. After waiting for 15 minutes I contacted the concierge at the hotel and was told that although she could see the note regarding needing transportation she could not see where it ha been booked. She subsequently arranged transportation and our ride arrived approx 15 minutes later. The next issue we had was with a gentleman by the name of Phil that worked at the concierge desk. We were trying to book dinner reservations for a night later in the week and to say he was less then helpful would be an understatement. Plenty of short one word answers and absolutely no help. I thought the concierge was there to offer suggestions and help whenever possible but the impression I got from this guy is that he wanted to get rid of me. Very dissapointing from a Disney employee. The next issue I had was with the bus transportation. It was slow all week. It came to a head when we went to the back yard bbq which in case you haven't been to this before it is located in a wooded area. Upon arriving at Disney in our room was a warning about the mosquitos in the area and the potential for the EEE virus. We waited for at least 45 minutes at the bus stop all the while getting bitten by mosquitos. Looking for some assistance I called the concierge to see if they could contact someone to get us a bus to pick us up. While on the phone with Christine the bus finally arrived. I told her that the busses had been a problem all week to which her response was well you better hurry up and catch that one so you don't miss it. Again, not in the least bit sympathetic to our situation instead just wanted to get me off the phone. The final straw was on Thursday when we took the kids to where the food is put out for the concierge guests. We get there and the place was empty. We thought we missed it so we went back down at dinner time and again no food. Finally I called the front desk and was told that the concierge services had been switched to the Hawaii building and that I should have been contacted and offered a room switch to the Hawaii building. Obviously this never took place. The kicker was upon check out I realized that I had been charged twice for the Luau. I brought this to the concierge that was checking us outs attention and she told me that even though it is showing up twice you will only be billed once. I asked her to check it with her manager because this didn't make sense to me . the manager agreed that it was wrong and subsequently took it off my bill. This was just another example of someone not wanting to deal with the problem. Again very dissapointing for Disney staff. The one thing I do have to give them credit for is they did arrange all my Ps's that I requested which was a big help and the food they put out was more then adequate. But I have to say that I was very dissapouinted with the level of service and professionalism I received from the concierge staff. Just for a little perspective, I am not a big traveler who stays at the concierge level on a regular basis. This was a special occasion that we decided to spend the extra money to make the trip extra special and we certainly were not made to feel special from the concierge staff.

10-21-2003	#2 (permalink)
Dana Super Mod/Packen' Kracken Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Joisey Posts: 22,697	Rich, I am sorry to read about your poor experience with the CM's at the Polly. I can honestly say that I have never heard of such treatment at WDW. If I were you, I would write down all that you have written here and send it right off to WDW. For the extra money one has to spend for their services, you should be treated well. You must have incredible patience because I think I would have had to give someone a peice of my mind on more than one occassion if that had been my vacation. It's good to hear however, that you still managed to enjoy your stay. Wait until some of the other members of DC read this thread......the treatment you received was ridiculous. I would definately not hesitate to write WDW a letter and include names of all of those involved. Please let me know what you decide to do. I honestly cannot imagine that happening at ANY hotel I was staying at. It's not like you were asking for special treatment. You PAID for special treatment and they obviously did not do a good job at it.:madmad :madmad :madmad __________________ 82 off-site ~ 91 off-site ~ 97 ASMusic ~ 00 ASMovies 02 Wilderness Lodge ~ 04 Animal Kingdom Lodge 05 Animal Kingdom Lodge & Polynesian 05 Port Orleans French Quarter~06 Old Key West 07 Port Orleans French Quarter ~ 08 Old Key West~ My Disney Countdown Counting down to: 10 day WDW blowout bonanza! 623 days 19 hours 21 minutes

10-21-2003	#4 (permalink)
preidel24 Big Cheese Join Date: May 2003 Posts: 903	Rich, How disappointing for you and your family. Great attitude though I think you have a wonderfully positive attitude. We are doing the same as you in just 15 days we are off to the BC concierge and like you it's a big treat for us and were hoping for a positive experience. Matto (on his trip report) also related that he was blown away by the Poly concierge experience. The Poly has always gotten top notch rating for it's concierge I hope this is a trend beginning for them. Did you at least get one of the beautifully new remolded rooms and a golf cart ride to the room??? Paula __________________ ^i^ * Postcard Pixie * ^i^ ~ Sharing the Disney magic ~ Discover the Magic - and you'll be hooked for life!!!

10-21-2003	#7 (permalink)
judemac Junior Mouseketeer Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: New York Posts: 22	concierge I am on my way to the BC concierge in 5 days...I hope it was worth the wait & money$$ __________________ "To love another is to touch the face of God" Victor Hugo Pixie Dust for everyone! Countdown to th Swan October 25, 2005 12:00p.m.

10-21-2003	#9 (permalink)
dznygrl aka dizzygirl Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: The Beaver State Posts: 8,484	Wow, that is just plain rotten! :madmad I hope you contact Disney about this, because all guests are supposed to feel special, and concierge guests even moreso. You were not treated well at all, and that must have been very frustrating! __________________ Proud former 2-time Disneyland CM Dizzygirl & Bella = MB BFF 2000 ~ off-site 2002 ~ Polynesian 2003 ~ All-Star Movies 2008 ~ All-Star Music

		MouseBuzz.com > Walt Disney World > WDW Resorts
Polynesian concierge very dissapointing

10-21-2003	#3 (permalink)
RICH1967 Senior Mouseketeer Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: RI Posts: 106	Thanks for the response Dana. I am a pretty easy going person and more so when I am on vacation. It was easier to ignore the behavior then get all upset about it and affect my vacation. But now that I am home I think I am going to write them a letter. Not because i want something in return but because I want them to know that they have some employees that are in desperate need of a refresher on how to treat Disney guests. Could you supply me with an e-mail address or street address I should send the letter to? Thanks for your help.

10-21-2003	#5 (permalink)
RICH1967 Senior Mouseketeer Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: RI Posts: 106	That would be a negative on both counts. We were never offered a golf cart ride and the room certainly was not remodeled. Did have a nice view of the castle though :) Like I said I was really surprised by the treatment we received. Hopefully they will receive my letter prior to your arrival and be more aware of how they treat their guest. Luckily the hotel is just a small part of the magic that is Disney.

10-21-2003	#8 (permalink)
garada3 Senior Mouseketeer Join Date: May 2003 Posts: 424	It sounds as if some of the same problems are happening again at the Poly concierge like they did back when the concierge went from Hawaii to Tahiti. I read many trip reports where people were very unsatisified with concierge service during that switchover to Tahiti. I am sorry you and your family had to experience the switch back to Hawaii.

10-22-2003	#11 (permalink)
RICH1967 Senior Mouseketeer Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: RI Posts: 106	I e-mailed a l;etter to Disney last night describing my experience. I received an e-mail back this morning thanking me for my letter and saying they would get back to me shortly. i will keep you informed as to how I make out. Rich

10-22-2003	#12 (permalink)
noahsark45331 Mouse Meister Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: The Buckeye State - But The Lone Star State will always be HOME! Posts: 1,051	That is really terrible about the Poly. We have stayed at the AKL conceirge level twice and had nothing but a great experience! I hope they respond to you quickly. There is nothing worse than having a bad experience and then there being a long period before they respond.:) __________________ Cyndy Noahs Ark Avatar~Welcome to Hollywood! Official Defender of the Swiss Family Treehouse 1987 Offsite 1993 Dixie Landings 2002 (February) Animal Kingdom Lodge 2002 (November) Animal Kingdom Lodge 2007 Animal Kingdom Lodge 2008 Port Orleans French Quarter Walt Disney World or Bust!!

10-22-2003	#13 (permalink)
cbeccaboo2 Big Cheese Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Mid-Missouri Posts: 503	:devil :madmad So sorry for such a bad treatment you received. That was not right on Poly's part. It sounds like it was not just one person's falt either. I hope you do hear from WDW and they make good on your "special occasion" that you did not receive. I feel so bad for you and your family. I think you are one special person to have such a positive attitude not to have lost it with the treatment!!! I know I would have early into my visit. Bless you for your patients Keep us updated. :heart :) :) :heart Becca __________________ Returning to the most wonderful place on earth in December 2007 Can't wait to see Mickey and Friends

10-22-2003	#15 (permalink)
preidel24 Big Cheese Join Date: May 2003 Posts: 903	Rich, Did you have a lot of contact with your itinerary planner pre-trip? I hope you get some sort of consolation for the poor service you received. You pay good money for concierge and therefore the level of service should be high quality. Let us know how you make out with your letter. Paula __________________ ^i^ * Postcard Pixie * ^i^ ~ Sharing the Disney magic ~ Discover the Magic - and you'll be hooked for life!!!

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