"This might be YOUR vacation, but it's MY life"

[fletch1027]

This October was Liberty. Last October ('15) was on Freedom and got the speech there as well. The October before that was Disney Fantasy and I got the speech there. The June before that ('13) was Oasis MTD and I got the speech every single night even though service was terrible. Etc.

 

 

I think your last sentence is the key. We have only done MTD on RCI and when I hear the speech, it's a red flag.

 

With awesome MDR waiters (like Rodson on Freedom for example) the survey never comes up with him because great waiters know that if they offer great service, things like survey scores and extra gratuity have a way of taking care of itself...

 

 

 

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[troykahack]

You do know Einstein's definition of insanity, right? No matter how many times you repeat that you've never received the survey speech, it does not change the fact that the overwhelming majority of us have, and have on numerous occasions.

 

 

Well, with the latest report by Biker on his very recent cruise, that the survey includes a question asking if one was requested to fill out the survey, it just might decrease the requests.

 

 

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[Biker19]

Well, with the latest report by Biker on his very recent cruise, that the survey includes a question asking if one was requested to fill out the survey, it just might decrease the requests.

 

It wasn't just to fill out the survey, it was to give good marks on it. Folks don't mind a reminder to fill it out, they do mind being asked to give a good score. Though, granted, the score request seems to accompany the survey reminder most of the time.

[cello56]

Think about this for a second. Waiters pressure people to rate the food a five when in reality might be a three. RCI cuts back on food, but can then say "Look! Our food still gets an outstanding rating of 5/5 (or 10/10)!!! We are doing an excellent job with cost cutting, without diminishing the value in our customers eyes!"

 

Is there any other business model where the customer worries more about the employees than their own satisfaction with the product? If you get crappy service at The Outback, do you still tell them they are wonderful and give them a generous tip? If you paid a great deal and went to an upscale steak house would you accept any quality of steak they served you and tell them it was delicious? Of course you wouldn't! Whether family chain or elite restaurant, you would expect to get the value you paid for. Why is it different on a cruise? Why are we so quick to be willing to accept subpar food or service and still praise the staff?

Edited January 9, 2017 by cello56

[brfan]

No way would I give 5's when the food is a 3. And I have given lower scores to food on another line a few years ago when their cuisine took a nose dive. They ultimately have improved and we've gone back and are happy again.

Service I give great marks but not for food. How would the food quality affect him personally since he is not the chef?

 

 

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I'm assuming it would look that the waiter wasn't attentive enough and didn't notice you didn't like the food and try to rectify it by bringing you something else.

[ducklite]

Think about this for a second. Waiters pressure people to rate the food a five when in reality might be a three. RCI cuts back on food, but can then say "Look! Our food still gets an outstanding rating of 5/5 (or 10/10)!!! We are doing an excellent job with cost cutting, without diminishing the value in our customers eyes!"

 

Is there any other business model where the customer worries more about the employees than their own satisfaction with the product? If you get crappy service at The Outback, do you still tell them they are wonderful and give them a generous tip? If you paid a great deal and went to an upscale steak house would you accept any quality of steak they served you and tell them it was delicious? Of course you wouldn't! Whether family chain or elite restaurant, you would expect to get the value you paid for. Why is it different on a cruise? Why are we so quick to be willing to accept subpar food or service and still praise the staff?

 

 

 

I don't play the game. If it sucks, I have no problem telling them it sucks. If someone gets fired as a result, then either they should say good riddance to their crappy employer, or they probably shouldn't have had the job to begin with.

 

I read an article recently that was saying that with all the new ships and mega builds, the staffing companies have really lowered their standards, and the crew chase the money. Why wait on 50 people on a mass market cruise when you can wait on 25 on a luxury ship and make the same money?

 

 

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[The_Big_M]

I'm assuming it would look that the waiter wasn't attentive enough and didn't notice you didn't like the food and try to rectify it by bringing you something else.

 

That's still a reflection of service, and not food though.

 

I've had waiters do the above when they notice a terrible serve, even sometimes before it comes out. So full marks for service. But it doesn't mean that the food is perfect.

[brfan]

That's still a reflection of service, and not food though.

 

I've had waiters do the above when they notice a terrible serve, even sometimes before it comes out. So full marks for service. But it doesn't mean that the food is perfect.

 

I agree, I was just trying to figure out why management might view low food rating with the waiters service. As I agree it doesn't make sense as the waiters don't cook the food. I was told by one waiter to rate the food as excellent so he wasn't impacted, and then put my actual feelings about the food quality in the comment section as that wouldn't hurt him.

 

The whole thing is silly and pretty much makes the evaluation useless as a means to improve service.

[Martin and Lindsey]

WOW that was terribly bold of him to tell you. It also shows how much under pressure they are, so I understand his desperation for a 5 star rating. We have also noticed this hard push for a 5 star rating (actually only) on Royal Caribbean. They must come down very hard on their staff for a not so perfect rating.

 

 

We cruised for the first time with Celebrity at the beginning of last year and we were also repeatedly requested that we give 5* for everything on the surveys.

[Host Jacquelyn]

It looks like Royal Caribbean has taken notice of this thread - see THIS POST for a newly added question on the post cruise survey.

[island lady]

It looks like Royal Caribbean has taken notice of this thread - see THIS POST for a newly added question on the post cruise survey.

 

Yup, here is that thread!

 

Power of the printed word?? ;)

[kac0426]

On the last few cruises, on multiple different cruise lines, the crew members, on the final night, would make it clear to us that we needed to rate them and their service a perfect 10 in all categories. Why do they do that? After a wonderful week, it was an awkward way to conclude an otherwise awesome vacation. If service is worthy of a 10, I'll happily give a 10. But if service is less than perfect, do I lie? For example, our waiter was great. He was kind and hard-working. But was there room for improvement? Probably. I don't want to get him in trouble by not giving him a 10, but I also don't feel that a 10 is an accurate rating of the service I received. A 7 or 8 would be more accurate I think. Still good, but not excellent. What do you do in this situation?

[cruzgryphon]

My understanding is that all the gratuity money goes into a pool and then depending on the survey results for that cruise for different areas, they get paid from the pool. I'm someone who calls it like I see it when it comes to the survey. If someone did a particularly good (or bad) job - I point out there name with comments in the comments at the end of the survey. Just my 2 cents.

[Kwaj girl]

Haven't had this pressure/guilt trip when we sail Regent. They actually send out a "mid-cruise comments" form so as to address any issues that might be bothersome. And they DO address them to the point of the appropriate management team member personally contacting the passenger to be sure the issue is resolved to your satisfaction.

[John&LaLa]

The post cruise survey was asking that very question a month ago. It was no longer there as of our last cruise survey from 1/20-1/23 on MJ

[daze6399]

It's stupid rating system. Essentially anything less than 10 is a failure. There was a thread on it not long ago, the ratings aren't really to find out what works and what doesn't but are designed to make the company look good in trade journals.

 

It's a little more complex but it doesn't appear to be a effective information gathering tool, rather more of a measuring contest between the lines.

 

 

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[kac0426]

I meant to add, the survey I completed asked if any crew member asked me to give a positive rating and if so, in what area. I answered honestly. Again, I don't want to get anyone in trouble but I do want to be honest. I just don't understand why the crew tell us to give all positive ratings. And if RCCL is telling them to do that, stop! It's annoying.

Edited January 31, 2017 by kac0426

[davekathy]

...Still good, but not excellent. What do you do in this situation?

 

I don't lie on the PCS. The rating they earn is the rating they get. It is what it is.

[mollyeilis]

On the last few cruises, on multiple different cruise lines, the crew members, on the final night, would make it clear to us that we needed to rate them and their service a perfect 10 in all categories. Why do they do that?

 

because they do.

 

It's like a car dealership. When you get that post-dealership survey call, if you give ANYTHING but the top score, it's a failing score. With a dealership, even if you say "10, and I want to say that Jim is THE most amazing service consultant I've ever dealt with", that is a FAILING score. Anything but the top score and JUST the top score is failure.

 

The cruise industry thinks that all service issues should be noticed by the service person and fixed 100% so that you can give 10s. The problem is that humans don't mention all issues, and if things aren't fixed all the way there are few who will say that. And sometimes if there's an ongoing issue it just feels bad to have had that. Fixing something doesn't make it all go away.

 

For whatever reason, the cruise industry doesn't get it. So, it is what it is. If you want the service people to lose their jobs, don't give 10s. Might be an exaggeration, but this isn't a growth survey, it's a "keep my job" survey. If you think someone should be fired, give them zeros to try to make it happen.

[Beth_55]

We cruised last week. We had a My Time waiter ask us to give all 10's. I was surprised because I had read on here that they had quit asking that. I need to do my survey soon !

[Biker19]

The post cruise survey was asking that very question a month ago. It was no longer there as of our last cruise survey from 1/20-1/23 on MJ

 

Trail baloon for post cruise questions. :rolleyes:

[GTO-Girl]

We sailed on the Oasis Jan 15-22nd and not one person mentioned the survey.

 

I brought it up to our wonderful room steward and told him I was aware of the survey and would be sure to mention him by name. He was very happy about that....but again it was never mentioned by him.

 

It is so sad that so much pressure is put on the staff to be perfect, because as we all know there are some people you can never please!

[John&LaLa]

Trail baloon for post cruise questions. :rolleyes:

New questions this week had to do with pool deck.

 

Activities

Entertainment

Physical space

Bar service

 

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Edited January 31, 2017 by John&LaLa

[Scotty G]

The post cruise survey was asking that very question a month ago. It was no longer there as of our last cruise survey from 1/20-1/23 on MJ

 

Interesting John in that it was on our survey for the 4 night immediately preceding yours.

[nacdcruiser]

The post cruise survey was asking that very question a month ago. It was no longer there as of our last cruise survey from 1/20-1/23 on MJ

 

We were on Harmony 1/21 thru 1/28 and it was on our survey. Interestingly enough, the only person that mentioned it was a person that pretty much treated us like a bother during several interactions (unlike any other staff person we encountered) until we thanked him on the last day and he smiled and filled out a post it note with his name and instructions for how to give him a 10 and requested we mention his name. :rolleyes:

 

John