"Pardon Me..."

What inquiring guests really want to know.

I recall what my interviewer had said during my hiring process and it went vaguely like, "in Custodial, you will be very accessible to the guests and must know how to deliver customer service." It wasn't in those exact words, but the gist is all the same. Custodial is indeed a guest relations job of sorts. At the time of my job interview, I was employed as a Sears customer service rep (might I clarify: a punching bag for the shoppers to take out their fustrations on) and to make Custodial as one of my three choices of interest seemed like the logical thing to do. Ultimately, it did prove a great place for me to work. I loved my job no matter how filthy or physical it was. However, nothing prepares you (even a department store) for the challenges of relating with guests. When you walk "on-stage" with your pan and broom to do your job as a street sweeper, you become a human kiosk of Disney facts, trivia, and company-wide information. Wearing custodial whites was like wearing a billboard sign booming "I am wise and all knowing! Try me!" Below, I will share a few anecdotes of past entertaining experiences. Enjoy.

Please take a number and wait your turn!

I remember sweeping Adventureland on a real busy day when I was caught by a throng of guests exiting the Jungle Cruise. One guest with his family in-tow asked me where the restrooms were. I gestured to my left towards a triangular roof, "They are located right there in the breezeway."

The guest thanked me and herded his family along. Just as I turned to sweep a cigarette butt, another guest appeared and asked the same question. I answered exactly as I did before. I turned back once more to sweep and a third guest was in line asking the same question! After repeating myself four or five times, I looked down to sweep the cigarette butt only to find it was gone. If I had headed towards the breezeway, I probably would have found it.

The same situation occured in Pinocchio's Village Haus where I was bussing. I was just about to clear a table when I was asked where the restrooms are. "right through the door at the far end and to your left," I answered. I turned to clear the table once more when I was again faced with a line of guests asking the very same question! I delivered my instructions to all four or five other guests down to the last one holding a tray of food. "Can you clear this table, please?" Dutifully, I responded with a plastic smile, "Yes, of course." Its a wonder we are able to do our jobs. A few custodians don't handle this situation all that well, but it is just a matter of treating guests on an individual basis. The only blame here rest on the fact that kids are out of school for summer vacation and three-fourths of the population chose to go to DisneyWorld.

Someone, talk to me!

The slow season brings upon a much more relaxed atmosphere. Sometimes sweeping streets becomes a lonely exercise and you find yourself approaching guests like bears out of the woods for a picnic snack. This practice is actually encouraged in the company and promotes our helpfulness and accessibility as castmembers. The approach works best when you find someone looking very lost or irritated. I was sweeping at the castle forecourt area when I noticed a small group of adults gazing at the park flier. I asked them if I could help with anything and the guy holding the flier looked at me kind of confused and asked, "where is the Magic Kingdom?" I responded,"You are in the Magic Kingdom." He looked up at the castle, "is it over there?" "No," I replied. "The Magic Kingdom is the whole park. You are in it now." "I thought this was DisneyWorld," he continued. At this point, I knew I had my work cut out for me. After a good five minutes of discussing the finer details of what really "is", I believe I got these folks on the right track, I hope.

When walking into a circle of guests who have needs, you never know what kind of situation or questions you will get. I was sweeping Adventureland streets between Pirates and the Tiki-room when I noticed a couple sitting next to their teen-aged son with very concerned expressions on their faces. I approached them and came to realize that they lost their son's asthma medication and he was experiencing the beginnings of an attack. I told myself to keep a cool head and reassured them that everything will work out and not to move. I hustled over to the Tiki-Birds entrance que and told the greeter about the guests. He made the call to Reedy Creek and I watched for them to appear. They did within minutes and I lead them to the couple, dumped the situation on security and went about my business. Being attentive and "reading" the situation before your approach can often really come in handy!

Say What???

I now move to park guests who are blatantly honest about their strange questions and would track you down in a crowd to ask them. I recall in Traditions (new-hire orientation) a preparation course for such scenarios with questions like, "when is the three o'clock parade" and how not to be shocked by them. Many of us new-hires took this as a joke and often asked each other this question, mocking it until it wasn't funny anymore. That is until we were confronted with it in real life! Granted, I was asked this question only once and answered it with as much tact as I knew how without making a complete fool out of the inquiring guest. "You can line up anywhere along Main Street, Liberty Square, or Frontierland about 2:30 to 2:45." Deliver that plastic smile, exit stage left.

There are even a few vacationers who had left their brains back at the resort and wind up making a few misjudgements during their visit to the parks. I was pushing a trash cart through Tomorrowland when I was approached by a sun-baked family. "Do you sell those Mickey Mouse ice-creams?" the wife would ask. I understand, I'm pushing a large cart that may pass as an ice-cream freezer and I'm dressed in whites like the Good Humor guy, but the smell and the fact that I was filthy ought to be a clue. Tactfully, I try to redirect the situation back into the guest's favor. "No, I don't. Do you see the blue umbrella over there? He will have them." When realizing who I'm not, many guests are good sports about it and will laugh and joke with you while a few will act frustrated and take the incident a little too seriously. When they do joke, I go for broke, "Well, actually I have a few of those ice cream bars, but I don't think you would want them." This gets them every time!

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