Is auto tipping hurting service????

[dan40]

I have always left my auto tips in place and then will tip above and beyond when warranted, however, I think this should not be seen as a tip as it is manditory unless you choose to remove them, NOOOOTTT. The auto tip should be considered a service fee and part of the cruise price and paid by all and not removable. I admit I have had bad service in an area but not all. We have NEVER had a bad steward and I will gave him extra. Our diningroom waiter was leaving at the next port and you could tell he was anxious to go and the service was less than good so he got nothing extra, this happened a couple of times. Never saw the Maitre d so he got bugger all, as usual - only ever saw him on the second to last night. The 24 hour pizza guy was awesome - made me wild mushroom, feta cheese, purple onion and black olive pizza to die for and he got a tip every time he made it for me. The Lido staff were a lot of the same people in the diningroom at supper and lunch- and I always figure they deserve so much more, again I will often leave money on the table when they clear. A tip is exactly that - a reward for excellent service. I do not mind and never will mind paying a prepaid service fee but do not call it a tip, a tip is a choice.

 

 

If you CHOOSE to remove the TIP, You have made a choice. If you allow the auto-tip to remain on your account, YOU have made a CHOICE. If you are reluctant to go to the Purser for whatever your own reasons might be, YOU have made a CHOICE. That makes the auto-tip a TIP.

 

If a SERVICE CHARGE is levied on your account and you cannot change it, THAT is not a tip.

 

 

Dan

[cruisinbuddy]

We were just on a b2b on the Freedom and our room steward was great, we tipped him above the auto tip. On our fisrt leg, our waiters were great but we didn't feel the need to tip extra. On our second leg our dining team were the 2nd worse we've had in our 8 cruises. So my point is, some are good and some are,,,not so good.

[Tbay-eh]

If you CHOOSE to remove the TIP, You have made a choice. If you allow the auto-tip to remain on your account, YOU have made a CHOICE. If you are reluctant to go to the Purser for whatever your own reasons might be, YOU have made a CHOICE. That makes the auto-tip a TIP.

 

If a SERVICE CHARGE is levied on your account and you cannot change it, THAT is not a tip.

 

 

Dan

 

You are right - I guess I make my choice as I have never and will never remove my auto tip. Just because I may have an issue with one or two individuals and would not tip them normally there many many others who are also affected if I remove the tip and I would never want to stiff them. So, stated your way I guess it is a tip. So what is it called when I tip them further? Can't be a tip because they already got the first one before I even got on the ship (always pre pay so it is out of the way and money already on my credit card never to be thought of again)

[Georgiagolfer]

And you think that because you are going to be "platinum" (congrats BTW), this is going to increase you odds of better service ???

Absolutely not, as I don't think Platinum has anything to do with service. I was merely stating this will not stop us from sailing CCL and we look forward to a better cruise next time.

[5waldos]

Ah tipping- one of the subjects that gets people really going on CC. I personally like the Asian approach- no tipping at all. Include the service charge and be done with it. You do a good job because that is your job and it is the right and honorable thing to do, and are insulted if someone feels that money will buy you. That being said, it is not the way we have been brought up, those of us based in the US. I believe that auto tipping is a slippery road and you can see it here. Some people now leave the auto tipping in place, and then tip an additional amount that is about what they would have tipped prior to auto tipping. And feel that others are cheap if they don't. I prepay the tips because it is easier for me. I don't tip again except in cases of exceptional service. And all the service can't be above average- or what are you using to define average? I would do something about bad service- but probably would speak to supervisors since sorting out the tip to just the individual would be such a hassle- call me lazy and not wanting to get into a snit on vacation. I don't have huge expectations for service in the dining room- if I want exceptional service I will go the the supper club. The waiters in the MDR have too many people to serve, too many other things to do (like sing and dance), and I find it a rather zooey experience anyway. I personally don't really want to "know" my waiter- I have always despised the Hi I"m Suzy your Bread Girl experience. This doesn't mean I don't recognize the waiters as people- I just don't particularly need to make them my friends. Maybe if they didn't have to spend so much time chatting people up they would have more time to do their real job of serving dinner. But apparently many people want to get to know the staff. Fine, but it takes time away from their other responsibilities. And I for one wonder if that is not in part what is behind the failing service, if there is failing service. Our waiter on the Elation spent a LOT of time having to interact with the other family at our table who seemed to crave this. Making jokes and doing silly tricks etc etc. While I waited for coffee the other folks were playing games. A waiter cannot to both well.

[dan40]

You are right - I guess I make my choice as I have never and will never remove my auto tip. Just because I may have an issue with one or two individuals and would not tip them normally there many many others who are also affected if I remove the tip and I would never want to stiff them. So, stated your way I guess it is a tip. So what is it called when I tip them further? Can't be a tip because they already got the first one before I even got on the ship (always pre pay so it is out of the way and money already on my credit card never to be thought of again)

 

An additional tip is simply a tip also. If you were staying at a hotel with varlet parking and you tipped the attendant one day for releasing your car from hostage. Wouldn't the next days tip simply be a tip too?

So an extra tip in cash OR going to the Purser and telling them to increase the amount of your auto-tip, is simply more tip.

 

In re: removing the auto-tip for bad service.

When I find service to be below par, I speak with the server

If that fails, I speak with their superior.

If that fails, I adjust the tip. [Only once] {and one time back in the cash days}

Remember that Carnival's auto-tip system ALLOWS you to adjust the tip, up or DOWN, on an individual basis. So if you had a BAD room steward and a good wait team, you could adjust the RS tip down while leaving the wait team's tip alone. Or if someone wanted to eat all meals in the buffet [Ewww] they could have all the dining room portion moved to the bistro tip.

 

The need to adjust tips downward is a rare event [2 times in 50 cruises]** and the willingness to increase tips is commonplace as the service is usually excellent.

But allowing the tips to be unchanged in the face of actual poor service is US not doing our jobs by allowing them to NOT do their jobs.

 

**You could say only once in 50 cruises. WE had an excellent asst. waiter and a horrible head waiter that did NOTHING except complain about tips. To the point that I banished him from our table. No loss as he was not doing anything anyway. All of us [2 tables] gave him a quarter in his envelope, but gave the asst. a full tip X 2. He did all the work, did it well and never complained about the rotten partner he had. We screwed up by not having the M'D straighten the bad guy out.

 

Dan

[LounVal]

The waiters in the MDR have too many people to serve, too many other things to do (like sing and dance), and I find it a rather zooey experience anyway.

 

I think there may be a good point made here. If CCL and others want to throw in a few minutes of entertainment during dinner service maybe they should have the dancers from the theater shows come in and do a little song and dance while at the same promoting the evenings show. It would give the dining room a few extra minutes each meal to stay on top of things.

[sam1148]

Do you tip the assistant steward separately? Or just the head steward that greets you?

[lidoplease]

This has been an interesting thread. My husband and I started taking cruises before auto tipping and always stressed out the last day getting change and filling all those envelopes. We really liked it when they put it on our sail and sign card. We asked the staff what they thought and they said they liked it because they often did not get the tips meant for them --as people would leave them on the table or in the room (as we did once on our first cruise-newbie mistake...:eek:) and they would never make it to the people whose name were on the envelopes. We have never removed a prepaid gratuity. Never have had service that bad. We do tip extra...usually 20-50 for the steward and waiters, depending on how good they were. I must say in 14 cruises I have never been given the wrong entree...I am always amazed that they get everything right.

[jeepfella]

The problem is not the auto-tipping - it is the over working of the staff. Disgusting behavior by low lifes led to auto tipping. If you want better service go on a line that charges more and makes the staff work less.

 

Come on, really !!!!

 

Who hasnt been given more work for the same pay in the past 10 years at their jobs.

 

I know I have

[S.S.Oceanlover]

Come on, really !!!!

 

Who hasnt been given more work for the same pay in the past 10 years at their jobs.

 

I know I have

 

Yes most of us have. That's when your attention to detail starts to fall off as you don't have as much time to spend to do the job the way it should be done.

 

If you got more work to do and can still spend the time to do the job the way it should be done you didn't have that much to start with.

 

The wait staffs on the ship are virtually running around the dining room trying to keep up.

 

At least that's been my experience the last couple cruises.

 

It's certainly not like the old days when the waiter could stand there for a couple minutes chatting with you.

 

Bill