ShopDisney (SD) has laid off 150 of its most magical people, their customer service Cast Member staff. These folks put their heart and soul into what they do. They tow the party line because they believe in the brand and are fiercely loyal to it. They take customer anger because they stick to the script that has been handed to them but they make every effort to help customers with issues with their orders, EVEN THOUGH SD DOESN’T GIVE THEM ALL THE FACTS!
I was contacted by a member of the 150 team that just found out their last day would be March 25th. That only full time staff would receive severance packages. And that they received no thanks or appreciation for any of their hard work.
These folks were put through a terrible gauntlet before this terrible day.
Last year, SD opened a new warehouse in Newville, PA. The employees are not Cast Members. They did not take the expected care with processing shipments (large box for small item, losing orders in the warehouse, saying something was shipped when it wasn't) and during major rush and holiday seasons things fell apart.
Merchandise sold faster than expected and even though they ran out, they couldn’t remove the listing off the website fast enough. So countless orders were cancelled. Others got stuck in mid process and could not be cancelled. Leaving guests stuck with having to purchase a second item elsewhere and wait for the shipment so they could then process a refund later.
The warehouse would lose orders, then a lucky few showed up and were shipped. It was completely out of control.
The madness from dealing with the warehouse and the website both not being handled properly created a storm of angry guests to the call center. They were issuing replacements, refunds and one time use codes like it was candy just to get through it. They were supportive of each other, trying to build each other up as they were also hopeful the warehouse and IT could fix things. They were pushed to 6 day work weeks, MANDATORY 6 days. No time off, no vacation, just get through it.
But then after the smoke cleared and the season ended, SD told them VIA ZOOM that they were being laid off. After the information was relayed it was ended just like that. There was no “thank you for all your hard work during these past crazy seasonal rushes”…no hoped for bonuses for not taking any time off and working all days they possibly could to get through it…NOPE! It’s a you are being laid off for outsourcing… Just awful.
SD is going to farm out the work to a Swedish company Transcom. You will no longer be speaking with Cast Members who will be excited for your next trip because you are buying new MagicBands or who will share in your excitement in getting a park item through the site.
Transcom has a reported high turnover and a less than stellar management approach to its mostly remote worker staff.
ShopDisney has killed the magic. And unless they get the new warehouse under control and get the website to be updated in a timely manner, the crazy seasons will only get worse.
🖤So even though you were not told this I want to say to the wonderful 150, thank you. Thank you for putting your soul into the magic, for believing in the magic enough to try and make some for every guest you came in contact with. Thank you for sharing the magic of knowing where to eat or what ride to go on to guests who let you know where they were going. Thank you for your loyalty even though Disney failed you. It takes a lot to be able to handle angry guests and I know how terrible they can be as I have worked in customer service in my past life too. It is unfair and despicable how you were told you would no longer have a job and awful in the way you were never thanked for all your hard work and sacrifice during the mad rushes. Thank you. You are appreciated. You are seen. You are loved.🖤
Disney, DO BETTER! Here you are demanding staff come into the office but you turn around and outsource something that had a direct connection to the magic of Disney and instead burned it to the ground.