Here we are again, another client and more of me opening my big mouth causing a ripple in the training room.
I think it's an Arise thing. Like I mentioned this weekend after the "Magical Beginning" Zoom, featuring Maxine, there are consistent red flags built into these certifications, likely propagated and promulgated by what may be a rather cutthroat institutional culture.
My ability to detect this goes back to my own decades long, first-hand experiences with dodgy tactics, guerilla techniques, unethical behavior and predatory practices. I speak, of course, of sleazy telemarketers like DialAmerica, back-alley shady boiler rooms like U. S. Grants, reverse-Robin Hoods (stealing from the poor to give to the rich) like the many "consumer credit helper centers," depressingly vile and fly-by-night "vacation rooms" and even big name banks playing with their customers like pawns on a chessboard.
Arise and its built-in MLM pyramid scheme structure and questionable recruiting emphasis (focusing its marketing on primarily low-income women of color) seems to me to be more and more showing its true colors as I delve deeper and deeper into my tenure with the company.
But I'm not about to try and directly call out the whole organization of this company since, when it comes right down to it, my relationship with them is merely as a contracted independent business owner. I'm not an employee so I'm only focusing on the aspects of my "work" with them as it impacts my ability to maintain my work contracts (SOWs) and what I'm paid. We've already traveled far enough for me to gauge that I can live with them ongoing so that's all that matters.
My current certification, as you know, is for the Disney Resorts client and I think the instructor Tracy is as sweet as can be. She fits the bill for what I imagine is the prime Disney castmember framework. Positive, inclusive, friendly and patient, she seems more than what I could have hoped for and through in her many years of knowledge conveyed confidently and accurately to us in thoroughly digestible bites. All the kudos to her!
But, the persnickety busy body that I am, I've already made her blush twice now by pointing out, gently enough, some errors in the training materials. I just can't seem to help myself. Am I doing it to be a passive-aggressive troll? I don't think so, but maybe, especially if someone is kinda defensive, I may be perceived as such.
Issue Number One was on day one when Tracy was showing us PowerPoint slides of some of the training points she was covering. Standard bullet-pointed lists outlining topics. Nothing unique. We all know these PowerPoints. The monotony and uninspired quality of slides like these is well known and even derisively poked at in fun. But that wasn't the issue. Each slide had a picture added to it to provide a visual tie in to the company we are studying, that being Disney, of course. Most were specifically related to the Florida resorts and attractions. But one came up and I had to laugh out loud. I was muted, of course, but my inner perfectionist had to type out in chat regarding what I thought was a pretty easy to spot error. Well, easy for me, a person who has been to the Orlando area theme parks so many times over the many years. The picture was this:
Yup, it's the sculptural exterior of Mythos, a restaurant smack dab in the middle of a theme park...only problem though, it's at Universal Studios Islands of Adventure, NOT Disney!
I guess whoever built the PowerPoint either didn't know what it was or they might have thought IOA was Disney property? Not sure. But my guess is the PowerPoint was created by Maxine and her living in Texas would probably not be as familiar with park features as someone like me with hundreds of visits under my belt to all parks, not just Disney.
The Second Issue I brought up today as it was presented to the class. And this, I attribute directly to Maxine as I'm thinking this would fit her shoot-from-the-hip character. I did a little homework since last Saturday on her, thinking I may need the info "just in case" and she appears (from all the stuff I could easily dox up on her) to be a Trump-loving, Bible-thumping, Texan at heart. I should have known from the get go. But I digress...
Tracy displayed a call flow document for us and when discussing a potential conversation opportunity for us agents to mention an upsell offer to a guest, it directed us to "spiel" the phrase to the caller. I had to Google the word to confirm it was what I thought and I was right. I quickly raised my hand.
I asked Tracy to define the word. She paraphrased it correctly but when I asked if the word was included in our training materials by Disney or Arise, she started to quiver, not knowing where I was going. From her pronunciation and apparent confusion, I knew she didn't know the word's real meaning. I explained that it's actually pronounced SHPEE-el and is basically a slang for sales pitch that can be perceived as a bit pushy or overblown. But more importantly, it's derived from Yiddish and can be construed as indicating a stereotypical, derogatory tactic of Jews engaging in business. It gets too close, IMHO, to the anti-Semitic image of Jewish people overly focused on money.
This really flummoxed her. She actually got a little red-faced. I think it was totally new news to her. Now is this not known by Maxine, who was likely the one to use the word? I think Maxine would be the type of person to unabashedly use terms like "Jew them down" when discussing bartering tactics or "Indian giver" if someone reneges on a deal. Maxine is from a generation who were (and many still are) less PC encumbered.
Unfortunately, the training material features this term all throughout many call flows. This newly communicated "woke-ness" may not go over well on the backside of the Arise Disney training team led by Maxine. Will they run this by Disney management? That'd be like the rule in healthcare documentation where if you made a mistake and accidentally violated, even in a small way, a HIPAA regulation, you should report yourself. Maxine and minions will likely pretend they never heard me. Or maybe they'll call me out and deny anything I brought up, not doing any due diligence as to the validity of my point. They might. It's not like a well-documented and oft-complained about word. I kind of had to dig into the nether regions of SJW snowflake territory to find just a few butt hurt comments.
So ya, we'll likely see tomorrow if our trusty driver meanders us down the old cobblestone road called Gaslight Alley. Maybe while we're viewing a PowerPoint slide featuring an awesome picture of Diagon Alley? If so, you know I'll be sayin' "You gotta freakin' be kidding me!"