Hail to the YumYum Man ( Dining Room Greeter)!

[slidergirl]

9 minutes ago, kazu said:

 

I think you mean Filipino?

 

I’m perplexed by this statement as  these are the traditional servers on HAL for dining and beverages.  It seems natural to me that the Yum Yum man would be chosen from the servers.

Yes, I did mean Filipino - sorry, just woke up an hour ago...

 

I meant not dress them up in the old colonial costume.  Make it men and women, not just men.  If an female server from an Eastern European country has done something exceptional, make her the Door Greeter for a day or a week.  It shouldn't be just a man from SouthWest Asian islands.  It would be a good way to have a nod to tradition but modernize it.  That's all I meant.   

[floridacruisers]

 If HAL is getting rid of the YYM they might as well change the company name to "Generic Cruise Line"!!!!

  Phil.............floridacruisers

[SilvertoGold]

The YumYum man has always been part of the Dining Room contingent.  Maybe now that HAL is using female Thais as "hosts" for seating in Open, this will change everything.

[DFWGUYZ]

On 1/22/2019 at 9:53 AM, Essiesmom said:

I really don't remember the xylophone from my HAL cruises.  but I do remember hearing it on my first cruises in 1972/73, and on the Royal Princess in 1999.  They chimed 'Don't Cry for Me Argentina' as we left Buenos Aires.  Haven't heard that tradition on a cruise since.  EM

The last time I heard YYM's xylophone was aboard the Noordam in 2012, have not heard it since....sadly.

[We_like_to_cruise]

Here is a pic from our Nieuw Amsterdam Med cruise in 2016.  A very friendly and courteous young man!

[mysticsailor]

4 hours ago, slidergirl said:

Yes, I did mean Filipino - sorry, just woke up an hour ago...

 

I meant not dress them up in the old colonial costume.  Make it men and women, not just men.  If an female server from an Eastern European country has done something exceptional, make her the Door Greeter for a day or a week.  It shouldn't be just a man from SouthWest Asian islands.  It would be a good way to have a nod to tradition but modernize it.  That's all I meant.   

I applaud your initiative but you are mistaken. My response regards your earlier post not just the above quote. Those days on the door would be a reduction in income for servers, thus a demotion. Servers are compensated according to patrons served. A yum yum man works on a lower pay level. I was employed many years in the hospitality industry thus know of what I speak.

[AmazedByCruising]

7 hours ago, slidergirl said:

I meant not dress them up in the old colonial costume.  Make it men and women, not just men.  If an female server from an Eastern European country has done something exceptional, make her the Door Greeter for a day or a week.  It shouldn't be just a man from SouthWest Asian islands.  It would be a good way to have a nod to tradition but modernize it.  That's all I meant.

 

I really don't think crew are worried about the "old colonial costume". Look at the ridiculous wine tasting things sommeliers are wearing, at least on HAL. On Disney some crew need to wear a Mickey Mouse costume. Who are you trying to help? Ahmed from from Indonesia who won't have the job? The Ukrainian woman who hit the glass ceiling so they can't be the Yum Yum Person? 

[Shmoo here]

5 hours ago, mysticsailor said:

A yum yum man works on a lower pay level. I was employed many years in the hospitality industry thus know of what I speak.

You were a Yum Yum man on a HAL ship?  

[kazu]

10 hours ago, mysticsailor said:

A yum yum man works on a lower pay level. I was employed many years in the hospitality industry thus know of what I speak.

 

Agree.  Our Yum Yum man on one of our  Prinsendam was promoted to work in the MDR and very excited about his new position and pay.  

[slidergirl]

14 hours ago, AmazedByCruising said:

 

I really don't think crew are worried about the "old colonial costume". Look at the ridiculous wine tasting things sommeliers are wearing, at least on HAL. On Disney some crew need to wear a Mickey Mouse costume. Who are you trying to help? Ahmed from from Indonesia who won't have the job? The Ukrainian woman who hit the glass ceiling so they can't be the Yum Yum Person? 

I'm not trying to "help" anyone.  Jeez.  Rotating the job among staff isn't stiffing anyone on a job of pay.  If it's such an honor to  be the Dining Room Greeter, a pay bump could happen to make up for any tip they'd miss during their time as the DRG.   Why should only one sex and demographic be given that honor?   Let's step up to modern times here a little - let people have their "beloved" DRG but let all staff compete for the honor.    It could be a nice morale boost for those working 16 hours/day/7 day/week/6 months.  Have you heard the terms "equal opportunity" and "equal pay" lately??

For that "ridiculous" wine tasting thing (it's a tastevin) - yes, I'd ditch that too.  I haven't seen any sommelier use one since I was a child in the one fancy restaurant the family would go to in Pittsburgh.   Now, if it was an actual symbol of the level of sommelier they have achieved through actual testing, go for it, just like a Concierge wears keys on the lapel to show their completion of rigorous testing and time working for the Clef d'Or.   

[AmazedByCruising]

6 minutes ago, slidergirl said:

Have you heard the terms "equal opportunity" and "equal pay" lately??

 

Yes I have. About 60 times per day because I'm lurking on Twitter.

 

If the YYM is usually a man, maybe that's because there are more male crew than female. If he's from SE Asia, maybe that's because that's where most crew come from and Eastern Europeans wouldn't work for that money. I don't think the YYM is a male only job by company policy. 

 

39 minutes ago, slidergirl said:

It could be a nice morale boost for those working 16 hours/day/7 day/week/6 months.

 

 

It's quite a stretch to think that the morale of 800 crew are boosted by having a female YYM. Crew parties probably work better.  Anyway, what do you think of hair dressers and youth staff?  I spot a very serious equal opportunity problem there as well. 

 

[slidergirl]

6 minutes ago, AmazedByCruising said:

 

Yes I have. About 60 times per day because I'm lurking on Twitter.

 

If the YYM is usually a man, maybe that's because there are more male crew than female. If he's from SE Asia, maybe that's because that's where most crew come from and Eastern Europeans wouldn't work for that money. I don't think the YYM is a male only job by company policy. 

 

 

 

It's quite a stretch to think that the morale of 800 crew are boosted by having a female YYM. Crew parties probably work better.  Anyway, what do you think of hair dressers and youth staff?  I spot a very serious equal opportunity problem there as well. 

 

Have you never worked somewhere that had a large employee base and were given honors?  Did your department never give out little perks to encourage keep up a good work standard and to reward someone who did something above and beyond one week?  So sad if you haven't.

Not everyone who works as a server/bus person is from South East Asia and they are not all male.   I've had servers in the buffet from Eastern Europe and I've had women as servers.  Someone further up the thread said the DRG came from the F&B staff, not the entire ship's crew.   Hair stylists ("dressers" is so 50s-60s) come in all nationalities and sex - since I don't avail myself of their services, I've never had occasion to survey the sex and nationalities of the ones onboard.  Youth staff?  aren't they both male and female?    Do you personally know they aren't given some kind of perk for doing something good? Maybe they are excused from having to deal with the little munchkins at a special activity or given an extra break.   You are trying to stretch waaaaay too far.   

 

We were talking about the DRG going away.  I gave a possible way to have the position without having to have the pay of one person for it, but to spread it around.  Jeez.  

[slidergirl]

18 hours ago, mysticsailor said:

I applaud your initiative but you are mistaken. My response regards your earlier post not just the above quote. Those days on the door would be a reduction in income for servers, thus a demotion. Servers are compensated according to patrons served. A yum yum man works on a lower pay level. I was employed many years in the hospitality industry thus know of what I speak.

I am still employed in hospitality thus I know of what I speak also.  When my bellmen are given door/greet duty, they still are paid the same as the other bellmen and they are included in the tip split.  No demotion.  And, they get a little break from dragging luggage, driving shuttles on that shift.  Don't see why this wouldn't work with servers who are awarded the honor of playing the DRG one day...  

Maybe the hospitality industry has advanced since you work in the business.

[sail7seas]

9 hours ago, kazu said:

 

Agree.  Our Yum Yum man on one of our  Prinsendam was promoted to work in the MDR and very excited about his new position and pay.  

 

 

 

 

Promoted from  which position?   rom what previosu position, woudl he have been 'prepared for the new job  Doorman?

 

Your post really begs that    information.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited July 14, 2019 by sail7seas

[AmazedByCruising]

25 minutes ago, slidergirl said:

Have you never worked somewhere that had a large employee base and were given honors?  Did your department never give out little perks to encourage keep up a good work standard and to reward someone who did something above and beyond one week?  So sad if you haven't.

 

Honors like "being employee of the month"?  As a very small employer, I think those "honors" are demeaning. As if you give a child a special sticker for his homework. My employees are grown ups who don't want their picture on the wall but the ability to take a day off with a one hour notice, and they especially like being paid more. If an employee needs "honors" to work as they should, they should find another employer. I realize there's a huge difference between American and Dutch culture regarding jobs in general.

[kazu]

37 minutes ago, sail7seas said:

 

 

 

 

Promoted from  which position?   rom what previosu position, woudl he have been 'prepared for the new job  Doorman?

 

Your post really begs that    information.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I think that was pretty clear in my post.

 

He was promoted from Yum Yum man to be a server in the MDR and FWIW, he has had huge accolades and been mentioned more than once on these boards.

[slidergirl]

21 hours ago, AmazedByCruising said:

 

Honors like "being employee of the month"?  As a very small employer, I think those "honors" are demeaning. As if you give a child a special sticker for his homework. My employees are grown ups who don't want their picture on the wall but the ability to take a day off with a one hour notice, and they especially like being paid more. If an employee needs "honors" to work as they should, they should find another employer. I realize there's a huge difference between American and Dutch culture regarding jobs in general.

Who is God's name said give a sticker or a picture on the wall???   Who is God's name said an employee needs honors to work as they should?  Maybe in The Netherlands, group unity and morale is not encouraged on the workplace, just "do your damn job" is all there is.  A little positive reinforcement goes a long way to keep employees from leaving and can help to elevate their output.  Give a "thank you" by letting someone leave an hour early and get paid for that hour, honor someone who went above and beyond in a difficult situation with a day off with pay, honor someone who scored 100% on the Forbes secret inspection with $100.  Is that demeaning?   

Why not choose from the dining staff?  They work long hours, deal with difficult guests who want to order everything on the menu and then complain that it isn't up to their standards, expect them to prostrate themselves at the feet of 5 Star Mariners, clean up the food that your well-behaved child decided to throw everywhere...  Why not give them an easy day away from serving and rewarding with a day as the DRG?    It saves money, keeps a tradition alive but modernizes it, gives staff a little notice that they did something over and above.