Saturday at 3 am marks the end of Daylight Savings Time. Before going to bed on Saturday, be sure to set your clocks back 1 hour. We all get an extra hour of sleep! YEAH!!!!!

MICKEY’S VERY MERRY XMAS PARTY!

The MVMCP tickets are being delivered to the locations Friday and Saturday. Again, you MUST list these tickets on your log sheet and COUNT them at the beginning and end of your shift. The dates we are selling are 11/7, 11/10, 11/13, 11/14, 11/16 and 11/20 ONLY! Although there are additional dates available, we will NOT be selling any other dates. Some of these dates are sold out to the general public BUT OUR TICKETS WILL BE HONORED, EVEN IF THE EVENT IS SHOWING AS SOLD OUT ONLINE. All hotels don’t have tickets, so if you sell them and you don’t have any or enough to fill an order, call a manager to give you direction. Generally they can be transferred from another hotel or delivered the following day.

EMPLOYEE APPRECIATION PARTY
We have our Employee Appreciation Party set for 11/16 at Sea World at 6 pm sharp! The theme this year is “Back to the Future” – join us as we travel back in time to the 80’s, when the hair was big, the clothes were loud, and the music was jammin’! You and 1 guest are invited to dress as your favorite personality from the 80’s! There will be great food, drinks, music and dancing! Please RSVP to the office as soon as possible. For those of you who have been with us less than 90 days, we will need you to stay behind to work, but you can look forward to our event next year!  Also, if there are any of you that are not interested in attending the party and would rather work, please let Katwyn and Rick know so we can schedule accordingly.  Thanks!

LAST CHANCE FOR HHN – HOS – 11/1
Three nights left to sell tickets! Let’s really talk to EVERY guest over these next 3 days and push these Halloween events! Remember for HHN for Friday and Saturday, you must sell the “Same Day Non-FL Res” ticket. Howl-O-Scream tickets are good for any of these 3 nights.

PROFESSIONALISM
Guys, we are constantly being looked at by hotel management and our competitors. Our competitor is using some of the lack of professionalism by some of you against us. What do we need you to do? Look professional. Make sure your shirt is ironed and neat, you are wearing the proper pants and shoes, your hair is combed and professional looking, you’re clean shaven (men), and you are wearing your nametag. There are to be NO hoodies, sweaters or sweatshirts worn at the desks. If your hotel is cold, wear a blazer (black or navy blue). Act professional. Be attentive to the guests around your desk and in the lobby. Stay off the internet and your cell phones! Greet guests with a pleasant greeting. SMILE! Help them with ANY questions they may have. If you don’t have the answer, ask them to give you a minute to find out. Google it first. If you still can’t find the answer, call a lead or a manager.

READ TICKETS OUT LOUD TO GUESTS
We have had far too many mistakes made on tickets lately. Remember, YOU MUST READ EACH TICKET OUT LOUD TO THE GUEST AS YOU HAND THEM OVER. This includes EACH ticket on the Disney “Congratulations” page. The most common mistake we’ve had lately is printing “Magic Kingdom” tickets for “Non-Magic Kingdom” guests. Disney will not let the guest in if they have the wrong tickets. If you read the confirmation page out loud, you can catch this mistake and correct it.

CLEAN UP DESKS – DE-CLUTTER
Some of you have far too much clutter on top of your desks. Take a look at it from a guest’s perspective. We DO NOT need 25 different brochures on top of the desks. Take down some of them and only leave up the bare minimum and most profitable, like dinner shows. We do not want our desks looking like a Flea Market. Also, take the time to CLEAN and organize your desk area. Go through your material and throw away anything that is outdated.

GOING INTO SLOWER TIME
As we go into a slower time, it will be critical for all of you to CONCENTRATE ON HIGH PROFIT TICKETS. This means you have to talk to EVERY guest about Legoland, Blue Man Group, Dinner Shows and Cirque. You’ll have more time to spend with each guest and VACATION PLAN. Use the itinerary planners in the FunPak to help you with this.

SELL 4 PARK OWNER’S TICKET
Don’t forget that if you have a timeshare OWNER at your desk, they can be sold the 4 Park Value Ticket through Connect, which is ONE VISIT to each of the four major parks. This is a great ticket with high commission and we can only sell it through 12/19. If you are at a location that is not a timeshare resort or one of the approved locations (Nike for VV owners, Inn at Calpyso, Encantada or Regal Oaks), Armando or Rick must talk to the guest for verification.

UPCOMING EVENTS
11/16 – Employee Appreciation Party – Sea World, 6 pm                                                                    11/18 – Fall HAT (Hospitality Appreciation Tradeshow) – Wyndham LBV, 10am – 5pm

DUAL OPC/GUEST SERVICES
Remember, if you are working a dual location, you should be asking every guest that approaches your desk discovery questions to find out there needs. Then show them how they can save the most money. Use pre-gifting as a way to get them the tickets they want right away. Ask Kymry if you are unsure of pre-gifting procedures. Let’s really concentrate on getting more tours as it slows down!

GIFTING CORNER
We only have a few more days left for the incentive so be sure to encourage the OPC’s! Anne and Eddie are still in the lead! Please make sure you send in a quote receipt with the OPC’s name with your deposit so we can keep track!

MOD FOR SATURDAY – ANAMARIA
Saturday 11/1, the MOD is AnaMaria.

Employee Notes: Happy Birthday to Evelyn on 11/2 and Juan on 11/5! Please welcome Antonio, Melany and Inmarist to the AGS team! Don’t forget the HOWL-O-SCREAM INCENTIVE for Busch Gardens!

A DIFFICULT TIME

It’s always difficult to lose someone that has been so close to all of us– especially at such a young age with so much life ahead of them. While Diego may be gone, we hope all of you will remember his great spirit, his giving heart, and his love of guest services. Please keep Diego’s family and friends in your prayers during this difficult time. If any of you have any anecdotes to share about Diego, please text them to his father at 407-234-7668 or e-mail him at hawaiihiker808@gmail.com. If any of you are available, there will be a memorial service at Woodlawn Cemetery off of Apopka-Vineland Road this Sunday, 10/26 at 3 pm.

LAST WEEK FOR HALLOWEEN SALES!                                                                                                       This coming week is the last chance to sell tickets to HOS and HHN. Let’s really make a push for these sales! Remember if you have someone asking about HHN, be sure to also recommend HOS at Busch Gardens! This is a great profit ticket! Also, this will be the last weekend for the “Spooktacular” at Sea World and “Brick or Treat” at Legoland. This is included in the regular park admission, but you MUST sell the any day tickets or Combo Tickets that include Sea World in order for them to be able to enjoy this event! The Weekday tickets are NOT valid for this event.

UNIVERSAL 3RD DAY FREE TICKETS
These tickets will be valid through June 7th of next year, with a BLOCK OUT OF 12/26-1/3/15. Please keep this in mind when doing any APS sales. We will be taking these tickets out of the system on 12/11 so they won’t be able to be printed between this date and 1/3. You will enter these in the POS as a regular 2 Day Base or 2 Day Park-to-Park Universal ticket but print the 3rd Day Free tickets in Instant Ticket Wizard. If you are not sure of the procedures, please call a lead or manager. We would rather have you call than make a mistake. Remember, if the guest wants the 2 Day PTP with Wet ‘n Wild, you ALWAYS print the 3 Park Unlimited ticket.

NEW PART-TIME RUNNER – MICHEL
For those of you who weren’t aware, AnaMaria had a minor surgical procedure done and is out all this week. We have hired a new part-time runner to help us out during this time and he will also be staying on as a weekend runner. His name is Michel (pronounced MEE-shell). If you need to reach him for any reason, his cell number is 321-527-1527. He is still getting his feet wet, but so far has done a great job. He does speak and understand English but please talk slowly. Thanks!

4 PARK DISNEY VALUE TICKETS
Just a reminder that these tickets are ONLY for Timeshare owners. If you are working at hotel and an owner happens to be staying at the hotel (through an exchange or points program), this MUST be verified. Armando or Rick S. must talk directly with the guests to confirm that they are an owner. If they have proof of being in II (Interval International) or RCI, you may sell them the tickets. You must be very clear with these tickets that they are ONE day for each of the 4 major parks ONLY, with no changes, upgrades or additions allowed AT ALL. This means they CANNOT repeat any park, they CANNOT add Hopping, additional days, the Water Park Fun & More option or No Expiration – NO CHANGES WHATSOEVER! You can ever WRITE this on their confirmation page as extra clarification – “No changes or Upgrades”.

CONVENIENCE FEES – DON’T LIE!
Again guys, you CANNOT lie to a guest if they ask you if are tickets are the same price as at the gate. This should be your response: “While most of our tickets are discounted, the 1, 2, and 3 Day Disney tickets as well as the 1 Day Universal tickets do have a convenience fee added. We want to be able to offer all of our guests the opportunity to purchase their tickets ahead of time and not have to wait in line. Plus you can set up your Fast Passes in advance with the Disney tickets, which is worth the fee alone!”

MVMCP – MICKEY’S VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS PARTY
The dates we will be selling are 11/7, 11/10, 11/13, 11/14, 11/16 and 11/20.  We will be picking up and distributing tickets next week.  More info to come.

HOTEL BOOKINGS – ALLGUEST.COM
If you have a guest looking for a hotel room, whether here in Orlando or elsewhere, you can go to allguest.com and click on “Book Hotel” at the top to help the guest make a booking through Booking.com. Obviously it’s similar to doing a Disney Florida Resident booking where you have to get the guest’s information and enter it for them. We haven’t worked out the details yet, but send in a copy of the confirmation page and we will give you credit for booking!

LATES
All of you were doing such a good job for a while, but some of you are starting to slip into bad habits again. You have a 7 minute grace. Anyone arriving more than 7 minutes late will be subject to disciplinary action and possibly termination.

UPCOMING FAMS
10/24 – Orlando Magic, 5 pm                                                                                                                10/24 – Halloween Guest Services Party at Pirate’s Town – 10pm – 2am                                           11/18 – Fall HAT (Hospitality Appreciation Tradeshow) – Wyndham LBV, 10am – 5pm

DUAL OPC/GUEST SERVICES
You guys are awesome! Keep up the good work! Every dual location now has a binder with extra invites, backup supplies and information. Please feel free to look through it but DO NOT TAKE IT from the location. Have a great week!

GIFTING CORNER
Great job with Eddie and Anne leading the pack! Be sure to encourage the OPC’s and make sure you send in a quote receipt with the OPC’s name with your deposit so we can keep track!

MOD FOR SATURDAY – ARMANDO
Saturday 10/25, the MOD is Armando.

Employee Notes: Congrats to Kelci for 4 years on 10/28, Cristian for 1 year on 10/25, Eric G. for 8 years on 10/30, Mark for 16 years back on 10/26, Mahvash for 9 years on 10/31 and Rick S. for 24 years on 10/29! Happy Birthday to Karina on 10/27, and Greicy and Linda Piesko on 10/31!  Don’t forget the ANY DAY incentive for Sea World and Busch Gardens!

Everyone should have received the laminated Magic seating chart, pricing and booking procedures. We still have 2 seats available to sell through the office. They are in Section 111, Row 8, Seats 12 & 14 and they are ON THE AISLE next to Section 112 – GREAT SEATS! These are Terrace B seats so that’s the pricing you will quote. If you sell these seats, you WILL need to collect the money – PREFERABLY cash. Call Rick S. or Kymry to check on availability and they will review the procedures with you. You DO NOT put these seats in the POS. Since there are only 2 seats, if you have any other size party, you will let the guest pick the price level they want to get and call the Magic DIRECTLY at 407-916-2969. Make sure you have all of the information ready to go when you call in the reservation. You DO NOT collect money but give the guest’s credit card number over the phone. The Magic collect the money. If no one answers at the Magic, leave all of the information on the voicemail. Unless there is a message on the voicemail saying the game is sold out or a certain section is sold out, YOU CAN ASSURE THE GUEST THAT THEY WILL HAVE SEATS IN THE PRICE LEVEL THAT THEY WANT. PUT THESE IN THE POS AND LEAVE THE AMOUNT AS $0 BECAUSE YOU ARE NOT COLLECTING MONEY. Use Category “31” for Terrace or Club seats and “32” for Promenade. Print a voucher for the guest and have them take it to Will Call at least 1 hour prior to the start of the game to pick up their tickets. If you are unsure of ANYTHING, call a lead or a manager and we will help you! We would rather get a call from you than have you make a mistake.

MEETING REVIEW
Thanks to all of you who came to the meeting. Although it went a little long, we appreciate all of you coming, especially those of you who were off that day. The food was delicious and we would like to make sure we send referrals to Wildside and Pacino’s!

HOWL O SCREAM – SUGGEST IT
We really need to concentrate on selling more Howl-O-Scream tickets. If you have anyone going to HHN, suggest HOS too! It is much less crowded and the lines are shorter! If someone needs a hotel in Tampa, go to allguest.com and click on “Book Hotel” at the top to help your guests with rates and help them book. Howl-O-Scream runs Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights through 11/1. Gate price is $89 + tax, but we are offering our tickets at $65 + tax. If your guest mentions that they saw them online for $45, $50, or $55, we CAN honor those prices! You can verify the prices at seaworldparks.com/howloscream-tampa. Use the pencil and edit the price down to that rate. The advantage of buying the tickets from us is that even though the event starts at 7:30, our tickets allow admission at 5 pm to enjoy select rides in Egypt, Congo and Pantopoia!

DOLLAR 60% COMMISSIONS!
Remember, we are paying 60% during the month of October on online bookings! Let’s get more Dollar rentals!

UNIVERSAL 3RD DAY FREE TICKETS
Universal has started the 2 Day with 3rd Day Free special. These tickets will be valid through June 7th of next year, with a BLOCK OUT OF 12/26-1/3/15. Please keep this in mind when doing any APS sales. You will enter these in the POS as a regular 2 Day Base or 2 Day Park-to-Park Universal ticket but print the 3rd Day Free tickets. Remember, if the guest wants the 2 Day PTP with Wet ‘n Wild, you ALWAYS print the 3 Park Unlimited ticket.

CREDIT CARD FRAUD
Again, for any sales of more than 4 tickets, all members of the party must be in front of you and you MUST do an address verification with Merchant Services. If you are suspicious, you can also call Merchant Services and do a “Code 10”.

PROFESSIONALISM
Let’s keep working on professionalism. This means looking neat and clean with a pressed uniform and nametag, being attentive to guests in the area and standing when a guest approaches, being helpful and going above and beyond for every guest, and always finding the answer for a guest. Google it, or call a lead or manager if you can’t find an answer. And above all, SMILE!

USE DOWNTIME TO LEARN
When you guys aren’t busy, go through the POS and click on all of the buttons available. There may be a lot of things we sell that you aren’t familiar with, like Ziplines, Horseback Riding, and Swimming with Manatees. Some of these things are very profitable with great commissions!

RED COACH BOOKINGS
Remember if you have a guest looking to go to Miami, Ft. Lauderdale or any other major cities in Florida, call a lead or manager to help you book this.

VICTORY IS SAILING AGAIN!
This is GREAT commission so let’s book more Victory Casino Cruises!

UPCOMING FAMS
10/24 – Orlando Magic, 5 pm

DUAL OPC/GUEST SERVICES
You guys are awesome! Keep up the good work! On your downtime, remember to review “How to Overcome Objections” in your pitch book!

GIFTING CORNER
Keep up the good work on the EPA incentive! Don’t forget to print a quote receipt with every 7 Day EPA sale and write the OPC’s name, your name, and the location on the receipt and send it to the office with your paperwork.

MOD FOR SATURDAY – ANA MARIA
Saturday 10/18, the MOD is Ana Maria.

Employee Notes: Congrats to KB for 1 year on 10/24! Happy Birthday to Paula on 10/23! Congratulations to Steve and Connie for selling the most HOS and winning SW tickets and Up Close Tours!

Our next MANDATORY STAFF MEETING will be Wednesday, 10/15 at Wildside BBQ located at 7725 W. 192. If you’re coming off of I-4 you go west on 192, pass the Disney entrance and it will be just past Sherberth Road on the right. The meeting will be from 12:30 – 2:30, lunch will be served and you will be paid. We expect EVERYONE to be there. The only excuses we will accept is if you are in school or if you work a location that cannot be closed. See you then!

HOWL-O-SCREAM AT BUSCH GARDENS
There are only a few more days left for the incentive! The top seller from both the Guest Service team and the Gifting team will receive 2 Sea World tickets and an Up Close encounter of their choice! Remember, Howl-O-Scream runs Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights through 11/1. Gate price is $89 + tax, but we are offering our tickets at $65 + tax. If your guest mentions that they saw them online for $45, $50, or $55, we CAN honor those prices! You can verify the prices at seaworldparks.com/howloscream-tampa. Use the pencil and edit the price down to that rate. The advantage of buying the tickets from us is that even though the event starts at 7:30, our tickets allow admission at 5 pm to enjoy select rides in Egypt, Congo and Pantopoia! Sell these tickets! The commission is high!

SEA WORLD’S HALLOWEEN SPOOKTACULAR
Weekends in October, starting 10/4, Sea World will be doing their annual Spooktacular event through 10/26. This is included in ANY DAY admissions and runs from 12pm – 8pm. Remember, this is a WEEKEND event, so the guest MUST have the “ANY DAY” tickets at $75 + tax or any COMBO ticket to enjoy the free candy, shows and events. The $50 weekday tickets WILL NOT BE VALID for these events.

DOLLAR 60% COMMISSIONS!
Remember, we are paying 60% on online bookings! Let’s get more Dollar rentals!

LEGOLAND “BRICK OR TREAT”
Legoland is also doing a similar thing as Sea World with their “Brick or Treat”. They have Trick or Treat stations set up in the park during weekends in October, and this is free with regular park admission. Don’t forget the park is CLOSED Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and the Water Park is ONLY OPEN ON WEEKENDS!

CREDIT CARD FRAUD
We are still having problems with credit card fraud. Again, for any sales of more than 4 tickets, all members of the party must be in front of you and you MUST do an address verification with Merchant Services. If you are suspicious, you can also call Merchant Services and do a “Code 10”. Also, verify the room number with the Front Desk. We do NOT sell tickets to anyone not staying at the hotel. Most of the time they are attempting to purchase 2 Day Disney Hoppers. The most recent one used the name Theresa Young and Marcus Darden and had a New Mexico ID, but said they had just moved there from New York and the rest of their party was at Golden Corral.

LATENESS
We recently fired someone who was perpetually late and we will be doing more of the same. We give each of you a 7 minute grace period, so please make sure you are on time.

LOOKING FOR GREAT PROSPECTS!
If any of you know of someone that is looking for a job that is outgoing with a great personality, has a lot of park and area knowledge, and can work ANYTIME, including nights and weekends, please have them call Rick S. or Armando in the office to set up an interview.

VICTORY CASINO DRY DOCK UPDATE
Dry Dock has been extended through 10/13 and will resume sailings on 10/14.

DO NOT SAVE PASSWORDS
Please do not save your passwords on the computers-including the AGS page. It defeats the purpose of having passwords!

LOCATION LOST BECAUSE OF STAFF
Here’s why we harp on all of you about professionalism. We just lost one of our best locations because the GM felt our staff did not perform professionally. Here’s what we expect from each of you: Look professional –Make sure your uniform is pressed and clean and you’re wearing your nametag; Be attentive to guests –Stay off your cell phones. Don’t be playing games or using the computer for non-business purposes. Greet the guest with a smile! Answer questions in a professional manner. If you don’t know that answer, use your resources to find out. Stand up when a guest is in front of you! It looks very unprofessional to be sitting down when working with a guest. We will be monitoring these things and will expect each of you to adhere to these rules.

CODES CHANGING – CALL OFFICE
We will be changing all of the key box codes over the next couple of weeks. Please call the OFFICE the day BEFORE your shift to find out.

UPCOMING FAMS
10/14 – Clearwater Aquarium, 8:30 – 5                                                                                                 10/14 – Forever Florida, 9 am OR 1 pm                                                                                                       10/24 – Orlando Magic, 5 pm

DUAL OPC/GUEST SERVICES
It’s really picking up and you guys are doing a great job booking tours! Make sure you talk to everyone, and don’t PRE-JUDGE people! That person you pre-judge just may be someone that buys!

GIFTING CORNER
We’re on pace to meet the goal! As of 10/8, here are the top 4 AGS reps: Anne – 41; Val – 39; Dimary – 34; and Eddie – 33! Don’t forget to print a quote receipt with every 7 Day EPA sale and write the OPC’s name, your name, and the location on the receipt and send it to the office with your paperwork.

MOD FOR SATURDAY – RICK S.
Saturday 10/11, the MOD is Rick S.

Employee Notes: Congrats to Diane for 2 years back on 10/12, Steve for 3 years on 10/12, Melissa for 4 years on 10/12, and Teresita for 7 years on 10/17! Happy Birthday to Leah on 10/13!