Begging has to stop

[JimAOk1945]

My wife and I were very disappointing the first time we experienced this "begging." It came as quite a shock to discover they were doing it to garner our recommendations. I will fill out a "WOW" card or extra tip when I feel it is deserved.

[vacation_junkie]

Just back from Majesty good time and good service from some but no Wow's that's why we left the ship with our wow cards un-used. It is the first time We ever received them, I really looked forward to using them to.

 

You can tell the crew is getting worn down quick from the constant party atmosphere . But.. The one thing that really needs to change is the constant begging from the waiters for a 10.

 

The very first night after the app order he came back and started his pitch . I tuned him out because I refuse to give a grade of a ten if you have to beg me to do so.

 

Just provide decent service and you will get a 10 out of me. Beg for it and kiss your 10 goodbye..

 

Mr Goldstein this practice needs to stop it is so annoying. And if you need to beg people for tens this leads me to believe there are some serious service issues in the fleet..

 

End of rant

 

 

 

Sent from Cruise Critic App

 

 

Our last DCL sailing they were HORRIBLE for this!

 

Worst we've ever experienced. The only person that didn't beg for a top mark was the room steward. To be honest he's the only one that got top marks!

 

If the service warranted it then the rest would have gotten a high score as well. But it didn't unfortunately.

 

They explained that if they don't score high consistently then it risks their contract renewals.

[m*u*g*]

Are we allowed to rate the food quality in the WJ?

 

3 maybe.

 

Service varies by ship and by staff member, but generally ok to good with a few exceptions. Not great like it used to be.

[Clarea]

Are we allowed to rate the food quality in the WJ?

 

3 maybe.

 

Service varies by ship and by staff member, but generally ok to good with a few exceptions. Not great like it used to be.

We've been pleasantly surprised by the food quality and variety in Windjammer in the evening. I also like that it's generally a quieter environment compared to the MDR.

[ECCruise]

Unfortunately, there is a very specific reality here. And that is, if the employee does not get a 10 across the board, it will be counted against them.

 

You may WISH it to be different, or THINK it should be different, but that is just the way it is. Those of you who never give the top score for anything, you are hurting the employee, plain and simple. Just because it is your usual practice does not mean it meshes with the reality of the situation. Just because you insist on beyond stellar performance to give the top rating, does not mean that it benefits the employee. The exact opposite is true: it damages them.

 

There are a lot of things that would be better in a perfect world, and maybe this is one of them, but you need to understand the world you are "living" in, and to run counter to that does nothing for you and damage to others.

 

Want it changed, and I do? Make your feelings known to upper management in the home office, not on the ship. In the comments section of any survey, make your feelings known. Don't make your feelings known by penalizing an employee, even inadvertently.

[Merion_Mom]

There are so many good points made in the responses in this thread.

 

This has occurred to me as I was reading them:

 

Think about some of the tipping threads on Cruise Critic.

 

Opinions are all over the place.

 

MANY of the questions that are raised are from people who say that they are not sure what to do: they don't travel, they have never cruised before, etc. They are truly just looking for "what is the norm".

 

Now, think about the position of the waiters in the dining room. They are dealing with "us", the experienced cruisers. The cruisers who have cruised before. The cruisers who cruise once a year. The cruisers who cruise once or twice a year, on different lines. The cruisers who have been on other lines but not on RC before. The cruisers who cruise ALL THE TIME.

 

But they are also dealing with the person who has never been out of his own state or province before. The person who has never been on a cruise before. The person who has no idea what it is like to work on a cruise ship.

 

Just sayin'.

 

:)

[2004corvette]

regardless of any surveys.....one thing the cruise industry should take into consideration....the service provided by the dining staff onboard is a 10+ compared to most land based restaurants.

keeping this in mind they should be most proud of their accomplished staffs.

[fendbass]

I do technical support for a living, and my customer's are surveyed when an incident is closed. I have NEVER asked for a good score, I treat the surveys as constructive criticism, showing where I could do better

 

There is so much that goes into the experience. I was on a Carnival cruise a year or so ago, gave Housekeeping a 10, waiters a 9, and bartenders a 4. why? There were some, who acted like they were doing me a favor when getting me a Coke using my soda card

 

Of course, it doesn't help when you only have a limited amount of space to put specific comments. I wish, on our first cruise, I could have singled out our Assistant Waiter, when, seeing us in the midnight buffet (yes, I go back that far), put together a small plate of chocolate-covered strawberries for us to take back to the cabin. He earned his extra tip

 

I think that if more organizations handled their surveys this way, as a way t make themselves better, they higher scores would take care of themselves, excluding, of course, the chronic whiners

[Zou Bisou Bisou]

Wow, which is it? Worked your whole life, or stay at home mom?? Nice to see you have so much compassion for the third world employees on your cruise ship - as long as your "experience isnt' cheapened". Let them eat cake or take their 8-9 rating!!! As somone with " more than I ever dreamed of or could spend in a lifetime", I'm sure it's easy to pontificate how you're not going to give anyone a "10" unless they "deserve" it...........

 

I really have no doubt you treat the cruise employees well and tip them well. But you're comments here are a different story.

 

My dearest bouhunter,

 

So you have put me in my place. I am a non compassionate, elitist pontificator.

 

Thank you for that since you know me so well.

 

Getting to your comments, yes I have worked all my life, unless of course you know better than me that we stay at home Moms have a life of leisure.

 

If you think stay at home Moms don't work than I will guess you are a Man or a woman who never had children. No Mother would ever think such a thing.

 

Or maybe you think it is only work if it is outside the home and you get paid for it?

 

My comments are a different story? But of course your comments to me were so nice.

 

If I am forced to give a ten on all questions on a survey regarding my experiences on a cruise ship and with it's staff then the survey has no meaning which is why I said I usually don't complete surveys. But what does it matter what I think or say, you know much better than I what I am really all about now don't you? Pontificator indeed!

[Zou Bisou Bisou]

Unfortunately, there is a very specific reality here. And that is, if the employee does not get a 10 across the board, it will be counted against them.

 

You may WISH it to be different, or THINK it should be different, but that is just the way it is. Those of you who never give the top score for anything, you are hurting the employee, plain and simple. Just because it is your usual practice does not mean it meshes with the reality of the situation. Just because you insist on beyond stellar performance to give the top rating, does not mean that it benefits the employee. The exact opposite is true: it damages them.

 

There are a lot of things that would be better in a perfect world, and maybe this is one of them, but you need to understand the world you are "living" in, and to run counter to that does nothing for you and damage to others.

 

Want it changed, and I do? Make your feelings known to upper management in the home office, not on the ship. In the comments section of any survey, make your feelings known. Don't make your feelings known by penalizing an employee, even inadvertently.

 

I think this is Malarky! I do not believe an employee will be fired, demoted or otherwise chastised for not getting a ten. That is ridiculous! Where is the proof of this? If I give an employee straight 9's across the board for good service they will be punished? I don't think so.

 

Maybe some employees tell you this but that doesn't make it true. You think Royal spends all the money on doing these surveys so they can justify firing and punishing their employees? Come on...if you really believe that then why why would you give such a Company your business?

[bigeagle12]

I hope someone at Royal is reading this thread.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

[north29]

Cruising isn't a the only industry that begs for a perfect score. Bought a car last year and the sales gal told me about the survey that I was going to receive. She asked me to please give her a perfect score or she wouldn't receive her bonus. She said her bonus made up most of her pay! How's that for pressure?? Sure put a guilt trip on me. No one is perfect on my estimation. Being a car sales person, I didn't know if I should believe her or not, LOL

 

What I wish would stop on cruises is the pressure to tip extra! I always prepay my gratuities. The cabin steward then knows they are secure and he or she will receive them. But, had one steward who had the gall to leave the 'extra tip' envelope with his name written on it!! I was not impressed to say the least.

 

:D

 

On the Car survey and Cruise issue. I have no problem with tipping for service, my wife complains that I am too generous, but asking for a ten rating when service is basic job description good service.

Having thought about it for a second, am I wrong, is basic job service by way of training GOOD/superior and should it be a 10 if it meets RC job description?

[Ocean Boy]

On one of our cruises on Explorer we had a waiter who was doing an excellent job. But one night while we were eating he walks up to the table and begins his pitch about the surveys. This then continued every night afterwards. I remember after one of the diatribes looking at my brother and saying that if he mentions this subject just one more time he can kiss a good rating goodbye. It started to go beyond annoying to making me angry.

Edited September 3, 2014 by Ocean Boy

[bigeagle12]

On one of our cruises on Explorer we had a waiter who was doing an excellent job. But on night while we were eating he walks up to the table and begins his pitch about the surveys. This then continued every night afterwards. I remember after one of the diatribes looking at my brother and saying that if he mentions this subject just one more time he can kiss a good rating goodbye. It started to go beyond annoying to making me angry.

 

 

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

[Zou Bisou Bisou]

On one of our cruises on Explorer we had a waiter who was doing an excellent job. But on night while we were eating he walks up to the table and begins his pitch about the surveys. This then continued every night afterwards. I remember after one of the diatribes looking at my brother and saying that if he mentions this subject just one more time he can kiss a good rating goodbye. It started to go beyond annoying to making me angry.

 

I agree.

 

I mentioned in an earlier post that being pestered to do the survey and give a good rating "cheapened" the experience. Apparently that was a bad word choice for one particular poster. If a staff member pesters, annoys or bothers his client he is NOT giving good service.

[ECCruise]

I think this is Malarky! I do not believe an employee will be fired, demoted or otherwise chastised for not getting a ten. That is ridiculous! Where is the proof of this? If I give an employee straight 9's across the board for good service they will be punished? I don't think so.

 

Maybe some employees tell you this but that doesn't make it true. You think Royal spends all the money on doing these surveys so they can justify firing and punishing their employees? Come on...if you really believe that then why why would you give such a Company your business?

 

I am so sorry!! Since my post was malarky, I obviously wrote it in the middle of a stupor. Please direct me to where I said they would be fired or demoted, dang if I can't find it now. I guess the part where I said they would be punished slipped into cyberspace since you read it since I can't find it anywhere now!

 

You can believe whatever you want. Like I said, you may wish or think it to be different, but sorry, you are wrong.

 

Have had more than "some employees" tell us this. After over 600 nights on cruise ships we MAY have had some conversations with staff about how things are run (including HDs). Perhaps we were able to get along with them well enough that they open up and are straight with us, but maybe you know more.

 

The surveys DO affect some of their time off (more for better scores). The surveys DO affect their dining room assignments (closer to the galley for better scores). The surveys DO affect Employee of the Month awards (although not the only parameter).

 

Besides cruising experience, I spent nearly 20 years running large car dealerships where virtually the same standards applied. Once again, I will repeat that I would like it changed, but you are living in delusion if you think a "9" is as good as a "10". It isn't.

[ECCruise]

Since us frequent cruisers know it's coming...or should know it's coming...I just beat them to the punch and tell them I know a survey is coming and I'll be sure to compliment them...whether or not I actually mean it. It's a short conversation and on the rare occasion they try to carry it on, I just interrupt them (respectfully) and say I know, and not to worry. The conversation is actually shorter than the time it took me to write this post. :)

 

Agreed. That is so easy to do. Why anyone would listen to the spiel every night and then complain about it confuses me.

[ryano]

I hope instead of complaining here, everyone will take time to write corporate about it. I have yet to witness such so I cant really comment other than to say keep my drink filled and provide me with warm food at dinner and keep my cabin tidy and they will get a 10 from me. My expectations are low I guess.

 

The worst service Ive had on a cruise ship has still been much better than 99% of the service I get on land. Maybe Im lucky, maybe I havent been on enough cruises yet to experience "bad" staff or again, maybe my expectations are low. Or it could be a combination of all three.

Edited September 3, 2014 by ryano

[Zou Bisou Bisou]

I am so sorry!! Since my post was malarky, I obviously wrote it in the middle of a stupor. Please direct me to where I said they would be fired or demoted, dang if I can't find it now. I guess the part where I said they would be punished slipped into cyberspace since you read it since I can't find it anywhere now!

 

You can believe whatever you want. Like I said, you may wish or think it to be different, but sorry, you are wrong.

 

Have had more than "some employees" tell us this. After over 600 nights on cruise ships we MAY have had some conversations with staff about how things are run (including HDs). Perhaps we were able to get along with them well enough that they open up and are straight with us, but maybe you know more.

 

The surveys DO affect some of their time off (more for better scores). The surveys DO affect their dining room assignments (closer to the galley for better scores). The surveys DO affect Employee of the Month awards (although not the only parameter).

 

Besides cruising experience, I spent nearly 20 years running large car dealerships where virtually the same standards applied. Once again, I will repeat that I would like it changed, but you are living in delusion if you think a "9" is as good as a "10". It isn't.

 

Umm of course a 9 isn't a 10. Who ever said that? I am so glad you know this TRUTH as an absolute because more than some employees "told" you.

 

I outlined in red one sentence/statement in your post that I labeled as Malarky. I did not label your post Malarky. Please re-read.

 

You say not getting a 10 affects getting table assignments and time off. Not getting a good table or getting less time off because one received all 9's instead of all 10's is a form of punishment, is it not?

 

You said in your other posts that a rating of less than 10 "damages" an employee. I am sorry I inferred that that damage might mean demotion, or eventual firing or punishment. Come to think of it I would rather be demoted, fired or punished rather than be "Damaged".

 

Maybe you could be a little clearer about how someone is "Damaging" an employee if they give them a 9 rather than a 10. And here I thought a 9 meant Excellent service...silly me.

[Ocean Boy]

One of the biggest problems with RCI's surveys is the entire format. They want everything neatly packaged by selecting a number and they give you very little opportunity to explain why you chose the number that you did. Remember the old paper surveys? There was almost no room at all to write comments. I used to write on almost every area where the paper was blank. Numbers, in this case, are fairly meaningless. Words are not. I am happy to take the time to provide RCI with constructive criticism on what they could do better and tell them what they do great but they don't seem really interested in that or maybe they don't want to pay staff to actually read words. They seem to want a format where some computer program can read meaningless numbers and generate equally meaningless statistics.

[roe2ship]

We had our MDR staff and cabin steward beg for a 10 on our last cruise...I just ignored it. Over the decades of getting surveys to rate performance I have NEVER given the highest possible score. Doing so, rather you like it or not, is saying that there is absolutely nothing the service provider could have done better and that there was absolutely no shortcomings...they were perfect. Sorry but nobody is perfect.

 

While I have never worked in the service industry for pay (have done it a few hundred evenings as part of a fund raising efforts for organizations) I know enough people who have shared their understanding of the general requirements and experienced enough service to have a good grasp of what should be happening.

 

If the service is really exceptional I will give them the next to highest but that is as good as it is going to get. If their employer only excepts perfection they probably should get a different employer. Besides, when ratiing someone their professionalism plays a significant part and begging is unprofessional.

 

Just my two cents...spend them wisely.

I don't understand the logic here. If one receives exceptional service, what is so hard in providing the highest rating? It's really unfair to the crewmembers. If one loves the service, just acknowledge it...simple.

 

We were never "begged" last week on the Oasis regarding the highest rating. We were simply reminded to please complete the survey at the end of the cruise. I do remember though on our last Oasis cruise that a few crewmembers "asked" specifically for a 10. While I found it a bit irritating at the moment, I never thought it was so bad that I had to come on CC to complain about it.

Edited September 3, 2014 by roe2ship

[ckrobyn]

One of the biggest problems with RCI's surveys is the entire format. They want everything neatly packaged by selecting a number and they give you very little opportunity to explain why you chose the number that you did. Remember the old paper surveys? There was almost no room at all to write comments. I used to write on almost every area where the paper was blank. Numbers, in this case, are fairly meaningless. Words are not. I am happy to take the time to provide RCI with constructive criticism on what they could do better and tell them what they do great but they don't seem really interested in that or maybe they don't want to pay staff to actually read words. They seem to want a format where some computer program can read meaningless numbers and generate equally meaningless statistics.

 

 

If there was a "LIKE" button on here, I would click it :)

[vacation_junkie]

Unfortunately, there is a very specific reality here. And that is, if the employee does not get a 10 across the board, it will be counted against them.

 

You may WISH it to be different, or THINK it should be different, but that is just the way it is. Those of you who never give the top score for anything, you are hurting the employee, plain and simple. Just because it is your usual practice does not mean it meshes with the reality of the situation. Just because you insist on beyond stellar performance to give the top rating, does not mean that it benefits the employee. The exact opposite is true: it damages them.

 

There are a lot of things that would be better in a perfect world, and maybe this is one of them, but you need to understand the world you are "living" in, and to run counter to that does nothing for you and damage to others.

 

Want it changed, and I do? Make your feelings known to upper management in the home office, not on the ship. In the comments section of any survey, make your feelings known. Don't make your feelings known by penalizing an employee, even inadvertently.

 

Unfortunately the wait staff on our last cruise did not deserve a 10, even a 5 in our opinion. I wasn't giving them a 10 for bad service. They were lucky We gave them about an 8!

 

They rarely brought our drinks before the entrée. We ordered the exact same drinks every night! On several nights the appetizers were wrong, or missing 1 from our order. The missing ones rarely arrived.

 

Drinks were correct 3 out of the 7 nights. Again the same drinks were ordered every night!

 

We never had a drink refill offered through the meal(s) except for on the last night when the comment cards were handed out.

 

One night our DS asked for chocolate milk twice. Which he asked for at each meal. He never got it. We couldn't keep asking them for our missing items as they were too busy chatting at a large table of 10 to pay attention to our needs. (We were at our own table of 3)

 

When DH asked for his glass to be replaced twice in one meal because it was dirty his request was met with a big huff.

 

That is not good service.

That does not deserve a stellar review!!

[boulders]

Perhaps one of the upsides with dynamic dining will be that we don't get the spiel from our waiters. If we have a different wait team each night, they better not ask us to rate each team. :eek:

[Charger2008]

I guess I am one of the odd ones in that I am so freakin happy to be on a vacation and on a cruise that I could give two figs about what the waitstaff says, we just nod, smile and continue eating and drinking and having a good time. I usually add an "addendum" to our surveys about the outstanding service we have ALWAYS gotten from the Sports Staff on each cruise. :D

 

I also don't care what people are/are not wearing, who is in the pool, whether they hog chairs, sing out loud, etc. I am ON vacation with my husband and that is all that matters :D