Universal Orlando Put a #UOFistBump Tile in Its App So You Can Recognize a Team Member on the Spot
Scroll toward the bottom of the Universal Orlando Resort app's main page and there is a tile sitting under a heading called Helpful Tools. It reads #UOFistBump, and tapping it lets you tell Universal that a specific Team Member made your day.
Universal Parks Blog reported on July 26 that guests would be able to submit a recognition through the app beginning July 28, illustrating the story with stock Team Member and park photos rather than screenshots. WDW News Today walked through the live feature on Tuesday, August 4, and its screenshots are the first look at the finished screens we have found.
The new #UOFistBump tile under Helpful Tools, near the bottom of the app's main page. Screenshot: WDW News Today
The hashtag is not new. The shortcut is.
Fist Bumps have been the shorthand for recognizing Universal Orlando Team Members for years. TouringPlans noted in 2021 that the @UOFistBump handle, which appeared on Twitter in August 2020 and exists to spotlight standout Team Members, was not run by Universal, though the resort itself had warmed to the fist bump idea by then. Universal uses the language itself, as the app screen shows, and guests could already pass along a compliment on social media, at Guest Services, or by telling a supervisor directly. What changed is that the shortcut now lives inside the app.
The landing screen explains it in Universal's own words: "Fist Bumps, #UOFistBumps, are the way you can recognize outstanding interactions with our Team Members as part of Universal Orlando Resort's recognition program."
The #UOFistBump landing screen inside the app, with Universal's own description of the program. Screenshot: WDW News Today
How to send one
The form is short. Pick #UOFistBump from the Topic dropdown, where the only other option shown is General Theme Park Information. Then add your last name, email and phone number, write your message, and name the Team Member along with where you ran into them. Tap Message Us and that is it.
The Topic dropdown has two options, and every field visible here is marked required. Screenshot: WDW News Today
Topic, last name, email, phone and message all carry a required marker, phone number included, which is a slightly higher bar than a quick thumbs up. Worth knowing before you start typing one-handed on your way to the next ride.
Catching up on a familiar comparison
WDW News Today calls the feature similar to Disney's Cast Compliment option, which is the obvious point of comparison for anyone who parks-hops across Orlando. Universal already had the recognition culture and Disney already had the in-app shortcut, so what closed here is a fairly narrow gap.
It is a small addition, and it is not the kind of thing that trends. Universal Parks Blog wrote that Universal hopes the change encourages more guests to recognize Team Members, and cutting the number of taps between a good interaction and a logged compliment is the obvious lever for that.
Sources
- WDW News Today, "Universal Orlando Adds Team Member Shout Out Feature to App"
- Universal Parks Blog, "Universal Orlando Makes Recognizing Team Members Easier With New In-App Fist Bumps"
- TouringPlans, "How to Send a Team Member Compliment at Universal Orlando"
Image credits: Screenshots of the Universal Orlando Resort app via WDW News Today.
