Pandering for "Excellent" ratings on survey

[BonTexasNY]

This practice has gotten a lot worse in recent years, in conjunction with what seems like a steady decline in service. Who knows why - perhaps the waiters are getting more people in their sections and have less time to actually provide excellent service.

 

I don't mind it too much as long as it's not blatant. They work hard. The one time it really irritated me was on the Navigator, when the waiter asked if he could "expect an excellent".

 

You got off easy. Asking if he could "expect an excellent" is not the same as on our Voyager cruise last year when the waiter TOLD US to mark him as excellent, multiple times. Went on and on about how important it was. The guy couldn't stop reminding us. He interrupted the natural flow of chat with our tablemates and really was a turn off. At one point I told him that he made his point and we know how to "vote". Didn't stop him. lol We would have switched but we had the most wonderful tablemates so we stuck it out. Didn't mean we liked it. :rolleyes:

[Priusprof]

I have spoken to a lot of the staff over the years and when the DR staff gets less than excellents it results in less tables for future sailings. That's why they tell you up front that if you don't like something to let them know. They are held accountable for your happiness. For stateroom attendants it means less cabins. The reason that these people "pander" is that people, in general, are not sensitive to the absolute unforgiving nature of the survey system. Unless you have worked in an industry where it is used, you just can't appreciate how unfair it can be to the workers.

 

The cruise lines play up certain things, like the tipping, because it is not customary everywhere. The cruise worker is paid a minimal amount and works their butt off 7 days a week. What happens then is someone with an attitude that there is no such thing as excellent performance does their rating and next week they get a pay cut. Or, you know that passenger that everyone hates to see coming! The one that hogs the chair at the pool. That cuts in line or saves chairs at the shows. Imagine that one of them rates you and you come back to work and are told by your boss that your pay is cut 20% for the next month.

This is really how it works! I blame the companies for using customer feedback as a weapon with their employees. If the worker doesn't constantly reinforce "Excellent" people will grade less because that is the way it goes. Just like the people who don't tip. So give these people a break! If they are offensive don't be shy to ask for a different person or complain to their supervisor. If they do a good job for you say excellent unless you feel they deserve a pay cut. This whole thing means very little to us and the world to them.

[pcur]

We just returned home from a 4-night sailing on the Monarch of the Seas. It was a very pleasant cruise, although it was a bit of a transition to go from the Freedom of the Seas on the prior week.

 

One thing that was a bit disconcerting was the number of times that we were basically instructed to give high ratings on the survey that you get at the end of the cruise, and this started on the first night. One time, after dinner, the waiter asked how his service was. I responded "very good", and he went on to explain that I needed to say "excellent" on the survey. A different waiter later in the cruise, and even the head waiter, repeated the same message.

 

We also received this instruction, although more subtly, from our cabin steward. His simply said that he hoped we would be able to choose "excellent" on the survey.

 

All in all, I felt that I was able to give honest "excellent" ratings for the quality of service we received in the main dining room, but I felt very uncomfortable that they were trying to train us how to answer the surveys during the four nights of the cruise. I did comment on this in the free-form section of the survey.

 

This is an old, old, old behavior on all cruise ships. We got this "prompting" on our first cruise in 1973. The word "excellent" is HUGE to the cruise staff. So, whenever we are asked verbally we always say excellent and then fill out the form however we want.

[Creepella]

It's not just Royal Caribbean. We've gotten the same speech on Carnival. I do wish the cruise industry would figure out that we can do without the speeches and good is good enough. :rolleyes:

[pcur]

Like I said: if they haven't changed it in over 40 years, I don't think they are going to now. Believe me, lots of people have commented on it before, too.

[smoosh21]

The pandering bothers me too.

 

I seem to remember that there is a "meet expectations" choice on the survey. After many RCI cruises where I have received excellent service, that level of service is what I have come to expect. With my way of thinking, if I were to check that choice, I would be giving praise to those who served me. However, I do know the rules and I do select excellent. If someone goes over and above, then I make special note about him/her on the card. That seems to me to be the only way to recognize the exceptional ones. (I have never been given the WOW cards for whatever reason.)

 

And this is why I hate these surveys. I have certain expectations for services. If you perform better than those expectations, then you have done very good. Excellent really should be reserved for 'You blew me away with such amazing service' There is no way that any employee can perform at excellent level 7 days a week for weeks on end.

 

To have true meaning, excellent service should be reserved for those people you truly felt when above and beyond their duty to serve you. It should really be somewhat rare otherwise it has no meaning

[CruisinDawn]

I just had the same experience from our room steward. I was originally planning on tipping him extra until he found the need to corner me outside my cabin explaining that he hated the "Wow" cards and wanted an excellent rating instead. He said all he gets for Wow cards is a phone card? He went on to explain he hated the suites floor because they took way to long to clean and the guest were to demanding. He ranted on & on. I felt like saying then quit! I don't think any employee should discuss there problems with the company with the companies clients.

 

That being said our waiter did the same but in a more tactful way. He explained we were his first table as a waiter, he had just been promoted from assistant. We were his only table that cruise for that reason. He wanted to be sure if we had ANY suggestions to let him know so he could improve and give us the service we expected. He was AMAZING! Got my WOW card & an excellent rating because he deserved it, not because he begged.

 

BonVoyage

Dawna

[Bakincakes]

I think it would be interesting if lines allowed CREW to rate the pax.

 

You get anything less than an excellent you pay more if you want to cruise again.

 

So cabin slobs..those with unruly kids...drunkards...loudmouths...pax who treat crew like dirt...chair hogs....may have to see what it is like to be rated by others.:)

 

Maybe if that happened some pax might be inclined to be a bit more civilized on ships.;)