Begging has to stop

[bplazo]

I remember them doing this years ago and it was very annoying being told over and over to give them a good rating.

[Illyria]

Then I am glad I don't fill out surveys anymore. If it is counted as a zero because I didn't complete the survey then so be it. I will not take part in this type of sham. I think most customers think these surveys are there to gauge our opinions to help them better their business. If you are telling me that giving an employee all 9's on a survey is like giving them all 0's then it is not a survey but a sham. And I for one do not participate in known shams.

!

That's exactly what everyone here is telling you. Since you have clearly stated that you have "more money than you can spend in a lifetime", please step out of your bubble and stop functioning under the misapprehension that the company will "better their business" based on you giving the waiter a 9 vs. a 10. All you're doing is hurting the employees - so yes, please, don't fill out any surveys; you might cost someone their job for something they had no control over.

[Zou Bisou Bisou]

That's exactly what everyone here is telling you. Since you have clearly stated that you have "more money than you can spend in a lifetime", please step out of your bubble and stop functioning under the misapprehension that the company will "better their business" based on you giving the waiter a 9 vs. a 10. All you're doing is hurting the employees - so yes, please, don't fill out any surveys; you might cost someone their job for something they had no control over.

 

Sorry, I'm not buying it. You go ahead and put all 10's on the survey. Meaningless. I will skip the survey and enjoy my cruise and very generously tip the many great people I have met on my almost 30 cruises with Royal Caribbean. Many of those staff members have been on multiple cruises I have been on. They seek me out when they find out I am on board. I seek them out if I find out they are on board. Cruising is a small world if you do it enough. I am a-ok with the way I am with the staff. You go fill out your survey.

[Zou Bisou Bisou]

Could be. Only have 20 years in the business and 600 cruise days to rely on. Please, please train me!!

 

20 years in the cruise business, I'm surprised you don't have more days at sea than 600. Bwaaaaaaahahaha!

[ECCruise]

20 years in the cruise business, I'm surprised you don't have more days at sea than 600. Bwaaaaaaahahaha!

 

Read.

[Zou Bisou Bisou]

Read.

 

Oh the car business or whatever? Not taking the time to go back over old posts. This is getting tedious.

 

What I've learned from this thread is the surveys are a sham so anyone who participates in them is being had. Tip your servers very well and skip the survey.

 

BTW, it was a joke, I know you didn't work in the cruise business. Sheesh!

Edited September 5, 2014 by Zou Bisou Bisou

[KittyCat1Million]

So what i am gathering from my friends here at Cruise Critic is that I should not fill out any surveys or any emailed surveys.

 

Apparently they are a ruse or a sham as others have indicated. Thank you for the warning.

 

Thank you for the warning about these surveys.

Edited September 5, 2014 by KittyCat1Million

[j.a.c]

I haven't done many cruises only 3 the first 2 I found all staff very good no begging. on our last cruise on the Indy our room attendant was very good worked out what we liked or didn't like so he got a 10 on the survey and an extra tip our waiting staff at dinner were very different from day 2 he started begging also telling us that if he didn't get a 10 from the survey he would be sacked because on the last cruise they only gave him a 2, he spent a lot of time telling us why we should give him a 10 but throughout the cruise we had to ask for water they got meals wrong we were not offered bread when we sat down, it came across to us that it was more important to tout for a 10 than give a service I agree that I think the surveys should go all they are doing is making sure we are being hassled while we are trying to eat and chat with the friends that we have made at our dinner table, we did not give a very high score on the survey for the waiting staff and we also said why. BRING. BACK. SERVICE GET RID OF SURVEYS

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[fishtaco]

I think the waitstaff should be allowed to rate the diners from 1-10 and then they wouldnt need a perfect score of ten from them because even by giving them only a five they would come up trumps as their score would always cancel out yours;)

[LMaxwell]

OK. Explain to me why if you have perceptions of how something SHOULD be (in your mind) and they are not in sync with reality, how that is different? If you "think" an 8 is an excellent score, it does not make it so when the scorekeeper says it isn't. If you "think" the store should open at 8 when the shopkeeper says 9 is the hour, it isn't going to make the store open at 8.

 

It is exactly the same.

 

It isn't the same. Service is subjective as to the quality provided. The hours a store is open is objective.

[Ocean Boy]

I think the waitstaff should be allowed to rate the diners from 1-10 and then they wouldnt need a perfect score of ten from them because even by giving them only a five they would come up trumps as their score would always cancel out yours;)

 

That would be fine when they start paying the customers to take the cruise. Until that time it is the customer that provides the feedback to the business.

Edited September 5, 2014 by Ocean Boy

[Ocean Boy]

OK. Explain to me why if you have perceptions of how something SHOULD be (in your mind) and they are not in sync with reality, how that is different? If you "think" an 8 is an excellent score, it does not make it so when the scorekeeper says it isn't. If you "think" the store should open at 8 when the shopkeeper says 9 is the hour, it isn't going to make the store open at 8.

 

It is exactly the same.

 

Maybe in your mind.

[boscobeans]

Having worked in as well as employed people in the service industry we expect certain standards to be met, understanding full well that it is impossible to please some people no matter how hard the effort.

 

If staff hits the mark ( 10 ) we always add a few words to the survey and always note well any extra effort on the part of the staff.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

If, without having to ask;

 

Our stateroom is kept neat and clean

Our veranda is kept neat and clean

Our bathroom is kept neat and clean as well as stocked with the proper items

Our ice bucket is filled at least twice a day, and more if requested

Our room stewards perform the above in an almost ghost like fashion

 

THEY GET 10's

 

---------------------------------------------------------------------

 

If our dining room staff;

 

Has our table ready at the proper time

Learns what small preferences we enjoy during our meal, such as breads, spreads and beverages

Knows the menu and presents it with a smile

Attempts to the best of their ability to bring our food in a timely manner without rushing us

Keeps an eye open to see if we may need anything additional or there is a problem during the meal

 

THEY GET 10's

 

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

AS TO BEGGING

 

If the above are met, a simple "We understand the 1 to 10 grading system and are extremely happy with your performance, thank you!"

 

If not we usually make sure any issues are addressed before they become problems. One problem, if corrected, is a non issue to us.

 

Other than one room steward we have never had a problem and have never needed to score below a 10 on any survey.

 

 

 

bosco

[zuke2323]

Then I am glad I don't fill out surveys anymore. If it is counted as a zero because I didn't complete the survey then so be it. I will not take part in this type of sham. I think most customers think these surveys are there to gauge our opinions to help them better their business. If you are telling me that giving an employee all 9's on a survey is like giving them all 0's then it is not a survey but a sham. And I for one do not participate in known shams.

 

If people would ignore these surveys maybe they would go away!

 

 

Completely agree with you there. They are purposely misleading; most logical people would assume that all 9's is just a little worse than all 10's, not equal to all 0's.

[boscobeans]

...most logical people would assume that all 9's is just a little worse than all 10's, not equal to all 0's.

 

So true, however that is sadly the way many large corporations do look at these surveys.

 

Dwelling in an Ivory Tower does not automatically make one logical, and in fact all to often has the opposite effect.

 

bosco

Edited September 5, 2014 by boscobeans
spelling

[Bowman26]

I'm guessing the OP has never been to Jamaica :eek: talk about being harassed. That said I am going back with another suitcase full of NO in December lol!

 

This whole rating system as described is screwed up if you get no credit for less then a 10. I wonder how many 10's the crew would give to Management and if Management would be willing to tie their jobs and pay, bonuses etc to only getting 10's from the crew? :D Somehow I doubt it. If a 0-9 = 0 why even have 1-9 when in fact it is either all 10 or 0?

 

If I get good service I will leave a good mark. Some crew are just not that good at their job and others are better. I'll tip the better ones cash as I find them early in the week and the service magically gets even better for the rest of my trip.

 

What I hate is having to tip BEFORE I get the service. But I would agree that any practice that forces these people to feel the need to beg about their rating so hard needs to be addressed. I expect to be hassled by Jamaicans on the island but when I get back to the ship I expect to be left alone.

Edited September 5, 2014 by Bowman26

[ECCruise]

It isn't the same. Service is subjective as to the quality provided. The hours a store is open is objective.

 

OK. Let's try this one more time. Someone is totally missing the point.

 

We are NOT talking about service so there is nothing to be subjective about.

 

We are talking about facts. And the facts of how the CRUISE LINE determines the value of the SURVEY vs. how a passenger THINKS the survey is interpreted. If a passenger misinterprets the way the survey is seen by the cruise line (as a lot here are--viz "An 8 or a 9 is a very good score") and the cruise line says, "no, a 10 is the score we want and that's what we want our crew to deliver" it doesn't mean 2 hoots what YOU (the passenger) thinks. The cruise line determines what they want a good score to be, not you.

 

I realize that this is somewhat akin to the way people have been taught for years (e.g., 10 exceptional, 9 excellent, 8 very good, etc.) and the application of it (only a 10 is satisfactory, e.g.) is ridiculous, but that is not the point. It is the way that it is, just like the store being open whether or you want it to be different or not.

Edited September 5, 2014 by ECCruise

[Ocean Boy]

OK. Let's try this one more time. Someone is totally missing the point.

 

We are NOT talking about service so there is nothing to be subjective about.

 

We are talking about facts. And the facts of how the CRUISE LINE determines the value of the SURVEY vs. how a passenger THINKS the survey is interpreted. If a passenger misinterprets the way the survey is seen by the cruise line (as a lot here are--viz "An 8 or a 9 is a very good score") and the cruise line says, "no, a 10 is the score we want and that's what we want our crew to deliver" it doesn't mean 2 hoots what YOU (the passenger) thinks. The cruise line determines what they want a good score to be, not you.

I realize that this is somewhat akin to the way people have been taught for years (e.g., 10 exceptional, 9 excellent, 8 very good, etc.) and the application of it (only a 10 is satisfactory, e.g.) is ridiculous, but that is not the point. It is the way that it is, just like the store being open whether or you want it to be different or not.

Maybe the cruise line should provide instructions to us on how they interpret the survey instead of depending on their employees to educate us. That might fix the problem.

[Onessa]

The car dealship where I take my car to be serviced has the same problem. The dealership does their own survey, where they encourage the customer to be totally honest. The dealership wants to know what went right/wrong so they can use that info to make business decisions.

 

The car manufacturer also wants me to complete a survey. The service desk dude, said fill it out if you want to and make whatever comments, but please get give scores of 10 across the board. If they get even one "9" on one question, out of 100 surveys the manufacturer's reps beat them up. There is manditory training that they have to attend (which the dealership has to pay for, so it ups their cost of doing business, which of course ends up impacting their prices). Management has to submit plans and show evidence of progress. There are special programs that they will not have access to unless they are 100%.

 

This is similar to RCCI's process. RCCI doesn't really care about using the survey information to figure out what is working and what is not. They want all 10s to report to JD Powers and other "customer satisfaction" programs. They want all 10s because the bosses' bosses' bosses' bosses' bonus is dependent upon all 10s (kind of like when that multi million dollar football coach runs up the score against some team in the last game of the season because he'll get an extra 100,000 dollars if the points for percentage is over 60% or something). The scores are not expected to be "real" they are being used for a completely different purpose.

 

More and more RCCI's policies are coming up short. And while my waiter or room steward may deserve all 10s for working hard and smiling at my dumb jokes or whatever -- RCCI's management deserves lower scores. We just booked a cruise - non-RCCI -- so that is my scorecard to RCCI.

Edited September 5, 2014 by Onessa

[north29]

I wish I could leave this thread alone, but it is haunting to think how your evaluation might be taken by RC.

One of my issues is the MDR, I have been on several cruises on the same ship and sometimes at the same tables with different experiences. I would hate to rate a server/server team with a 9 or less because of poor MDR management of tables. For example on last cruise on one of the last nights they changed the table arrangements around us from 4 tops to 6 tops or higher. The quality of our service went from Very good to Just OK. The servers could not truly keep up with all the tables/cruisers wishes and the tables filled up at different times.

[Zou Bisou Bisou]

OK. Let's try this one more time. Someone is totally missing the point.

 

We are NOT talking about service so there is nothing to be subjective about.

 

We are talking about facts. And the facts of how the CRUISE LINE determines the value of the SURVEY vs. how a passenger THINKS the survey is interpreted. If a passenger misinterprets the way the survey is seen by the cruise line (as a lot here are--viz "An 8 or a 9 is a very good score") and the cruise line says, "no, a 10 is the score we want and that's what we want our crew to deliver" it doesn't mean 2 hoots what YOU (the passenger) thinks. The cruise line determines what they want a good score to be, not you.

 

I realize that this is somewhat akin to the way people have been taught for years (e.g., 10 exceptional, 9 excellent, 8 very good, etc.) and the application of it (only a 10 is satisfactory, e.g.) is ridiculous, but that is not the point. It is the way that it is, just like the store being open whether or you want it to be different or not.

 

But actually, we are not necessarily talking about FACTS. You and others are talking about what SOME employees have told you and about experiences YOU have had with surveys done in other businesses.

 

These are not facts. You can declare all you want that giving a 9 on a Royal Caribbean survey is the same as giving a Zero. But then that is just you declaring that. It is not necessarily FACT.

 

I and others here don't just take as fact something someone says because someone told them or they heard this or whatever. For all we know the bigger scam might be that begging for 10's gets them 10's and so some of them do just that, they beg.

 

You don't know the facts and I don't know the facts about exactly how these surveys are used. If you want to declare you know the facts, go ahead.

[ECCruise]

 

 

 

You don't know the facts and I don't know the facts about exactly how these surveys are used. If you want to declare you know the facts, go ahead.

 

I declare I know the facts.:)

 

I never said less than 10 = 0.

I haven't talked to SOME employees, I've talked to dozens on many ships. They must be secretly meeting in the middle of the ocean somewhere to coordinate their stories, since they are all the same even though tens of thousands of miles apart.

For about the upteenth time, I will repeat for your slow edification:

 

I don't AGREE with the way things are. You are shooting the messenger. Complain to the cruise line and tell them it is a scam.

Edited September 5, 2014 by ECCruise

[websiteauthor]

I was in the US Air Force longer ago than I want to admit but even then, a 9 out of a possible 10 on an APR (Airman Performance Rating) would kill your chance of promotion.

 

very true, I was in while that went on as well. Then they changed the rating system to 1-5 to give supervisors more flexibility (never did figure out how that worked) but set quotas on how many could get 3s, 4s and 5s. Just insane.

[Zou Bisou Bisou]

The car dealship where I take my car to be serviced has the same problem. The dealership does their own survey, where they encourage the customer to be totally honest. The dealership wants to know what went right/wrong so they can use that info to make business decisions.

 

The car manufacturer also wants me to complete a survey. The service desk dude, said fill it out if you want to and make whatever comments, but please get give scores of 10 across the board. If they get even one "9" on one question, out of 100 surveys the manufacturer's reps beat them up. There is manditory training that they have to attend (which the dealership has to pay for, so it ups their cost of doing business, which of course ends up impacting their prices). Management has to submit plans and show evidence of progress. There are special programs that they will not have access to unless they are 100%.

 

This is similar to RCCI's process. RCCI doesn't really care about using the survey information to figure out what is working and what is not. They want all 10s to report to JD Powers and other "customer satisfaction" programs. They want all 10s because the bosses' bosses' bosses' bosses' bonus is dependent upon all 10s (kind of like when that multi million dollar football coach runs up the score against some team in the last game of the season because he'll get an extra 100,000 dollars if the points for percentage is over 60% or something). The scores are not expected to be "real" they are being used for a completely different purpose.

 

More and more RCCI's policies are coming up short. And while my waiter or room steward may deserve all 10s for working hard and smiling at my dumb jokes or whatever -- RCCI's management deserves lower scores. We just booked a cruise - non-RCCI -- so that is my scorecard to RCCI.

 

You don't really know this for a fact. Are you just making this up?

[Zou Bisou Bisou]

I declare I know the facts.:)

 

Well good. Now we know where you stand. In your mind you know the facts. In reality, you don't. Now we can all just move along.