Spoke to P&O regarding their 40% increase in automatic gratuities.

[grapau27]

Neil, I respect your view and opinions like every ones opinions posting here. We basically agree upon the end just differ on how to get to that point.

 

If you any passenger wants to express opinions on a form I have no problem with that..... But no one should ever required or forced into explain the reasons behind this choice.

 

I have always been more offensive when I'm in a battle. And when the company crosses the line trying to embarrass and intimidate by sending public notices out that is over the line. So while I would never do anything to break the law I would have no problem turning the tables on a officer of the ship.

If they think it is okay to send the letters to passengers why shouldn't guests give them back to the Captain or Hotel Director.

[insanemagnet]

If they think it is okay to send the letters to passengers why shouldn't guests give them back to the Captain or Hotel Director.

There is no reason at all.

 

However I doubt it would stop there and the passenger would want to debate the reason for handing the form back with the Captain or Hotel Director.

 

At that point there is a strong possibility ship security may be invited to step in if the passenger didn't take a polite disinclination from the Captain or Hotel Director to cease.

[grapau27]

There is no reason at all.

 

However I doubt it would stop there and the passenger would want to debate the reason for handing the form back with the Captain or Hotel Director.

 

At that point there is a strong possibility ship security may be invited to step in if the passenger didn't take a polite disinclination from the Captain or Hotel Director to cease.

Maybe just put the letter into one of the tip envelopes address it to the Hotel Director and leave it with Guest Services.

[insanemagnet]

Maybe just put the letter into one of the tip envelopes address it to the Hotel Director and leave it with Guest Services.

If the letters are not being delivered in envelopes and are visible to the cabin steward or other passengers if they are left outside, then a far more sensible approach would be a complaint under the Data Protection rules (shortly to be the General Data Protection Regulations).

 

Disclosing personal information (that the passenger has removed the Service Charge) to unauthorised people (cabin steward and other passengers) is completely forbidden.

 

The penalty for breaching the GDPR principles is €20 million or 4% of the company’s global annual turnover.

[mickrory]

Yes I do believe all of the money collected through the Service Charge is distributed to the staff.

 

However...

 

Staff getting £100 base pay and £50 bonus collected through a service charge; or double the service charge so staff get £100 bonus but reduce the base pay to £50.

 

In the second scenario I can still legitimately say "everything collected is paid to the staff" but P&O is the one is £50 in profit.

 

As for the person saying they would tip £5 between the waiters for the evening meal. Is that unreasonable?

 

That would value the food element of a meal for two at £50 (a 10% tip) as the wine includes a service charge in the price.

 

Meals in the buffet - I have never seen anyone tip in a similar circumstance on land in a canteen.

 

And as for the steward, although some people might leave a small tip for a chamber maid on land, it is pretty unusual.

 

This would lead me to the conclusion that the charge four years ago of £3.95 (£8 for a couple) was not unreasonable, but people are now questioning how on earth P&O value the services so £14 is a sensible tip amount.

 

 

On P&O the wine doesn't include a service charge does it? So let's assume dinner is worth £50 and a couple tip 10% that's £2.50 each for the two waiters, you may also get the Sommelier, Section Head and Maitre D with their hands out as you walk out the restaurant. :D

[jeanlyon]

If the letters are not being delivered in envelopes and are visible to the cabin steward or other passengers if they are left outside, then a far more sensible approach would be a complaint under the Data Protection rules (shortly to be the General Data Protection Regulations).

 

Disclosing personal information (that the passenger has removed the Service Charge) to unauthorised people (cabin steward and other passengers) is completely forbidden.

 

The penalty for breaching the GDPR principles is €20 million or 4% of the company’s global annual turnover.

 

Spot on! You are correct. It is against Data Protection to do that. Definitely.

[grapau27]

If the letters are not being delivered in envelopes and are visible to the cabin steward or other passengers if they are left outside, then a far more sensible approach would be a complaint under the Data Protection rules (shortly to be the General Data Protection Regulations).

 

Disclosing personal information (that the passenger has removed the Service Charge) to unauthorised people (cabin steward and other passengers) is completely forbidden.

 

The penalty for breaching the GDPR principles is €20 million or 4% of the company’s global annual turnover.

Thats a good idea.

[Eglesbrech]

If the letters are not being delivered in envelopes and are visible to the cabin steward or other passengers if they are left outside, then a far more sensible approach would be a complaint under the Data Protection rules (shortly to be the General Data Protection Regulations).

 

Disclosing personal information (that the passenger has removed the Service Charge) to unauthorised people (cabin steward and other passengers) is completely forbidden.

 

The penalty for breaching the GDPR principles is €20 million or 4% of the company’s global annual turnover.

 

Does GDPR apply to a ship at sea?

 

It should as the information re name, cabin booking etc was collected in the UK when you booked but it would be interesting to see if the ICO would look at a complaint like this.

[artemis10]

No

 

But look at the math. A cabin Steward handles 10 to 15 cabins per day. Average two passengers per cabin. The cabin pays 14 pounds day 210 pound a day 15 cabins.\

 

If half is cabin and half waitstaff than means the Steward collects 105 pound a day or over $145. Do you really think the cruise line is giving the steward 105 pounds a day or 3000 pounds a month in service fees? 3000 punds is $4200 dollors a month.

 

Lucky to get a total of 5 to 10 pounds a day or about 300 pounds a month.... $430 Extra dollars a month? The company is the one who is making a killing here, getting gust to cover payroll.

 

Or look at it this way and this is why they push so hard. About 1900 cabins if 2 passengers per cabin at 14 pounds a day almost 27,000 pounds a day... not a small amount.

 

Exactly, what has suprised me is that it’s taken so long for a lot of us to come to this conclusion

[terrierjohn]

On P&O the wine doesn't include a service charge does it? So let's assume dinner is worth £50 and a couple tip 10% that's £2.50 each for the two waiters, you may also get the Sommelier, Section Head and Maitre D with their hands out as you walk out the restaurant. :D

The drinks price does include a service element from which the bar waiters and wine waiters are paid their service reward

.

[Floflegs]

If the letters are not being delivered in envelopes and are visible to the cabin steward or other passengers if they are left outside, then a far more sensible approach would be a complaint under the Data Protection rules (shortly to be the General Data Protection Regulations).

 

Disclosing personal information (that the passenger has removed the Service Charge) to unauthorised people (cabin steward and other passengers) is completely forbidden.

 

The penalty for breaching the GDPR principles is €20 million or 4% of the company’s global annual turnover.

So has anyone who has had this letter informed P and O of this breach?

[bee-ess]

For now, lock away your toothbrushes lol.

 

Someone said I was stupid when I said that !!

[Eglesbrech]

So has anyone who has had this letter informed P and O of this breach?

 

The new act with the massive fines does not come in until 25 May but the old DPA may still apply.

 

I would be interested to hear the reply if anyone has had the letter has contacted P&O as well.

[insanemagnet]

The new act with the massive fines does not come in until 25 May but the old DPA may still apply.

 

I would be interested to hear the reply if anyone has had the letter has contacted P&O as well.

 

If anyone wants the link to reporting the issue to the Information Commissioners if "you have a concern about the way an organisation is handling your personal information – perhaps they hold information about you that is incorrect, they have held it for too long, or they are not keeping it secure" it is here - https://ico.org.uk/concerns/handling/

 

Frankly an organisation like P&O shouldn't be messing around like this, and it will serve them right if they get a 'brown trouser' feeling when they get a few complaints through the ICO.

[grapau27]

Someone said I was stupid when I said that !!

And about me on a RC thread

Someone then posted a youtube video of a CS cleaning a toilet with a toothbrush which was hilarious.

[Eglesbrech]

I think most people would contact P&O first to give them a chance to change what they are doing rather than go straight to the ICO.

 

I suppose it depends on how strongly the people who have experienced it feel about it or what level of embarrassment they experienced as a result. For those who always remove and pay in cash it must be particularly annoying to be sent a letter like this.

[majortom10]

Another confusing response from P&O on their Facebook page today when asked if you remove service reward programme and tip individually in cash- "if you tip an individual member of staff, that individual gets to keep that tip. The automatic tips are shared equally between the different staff on board that are customer facing".

 

"

[Selbourne]

Another confusing response from P&O on their Facebook page today when asked if you remove service reward programme and tip individually in cash- "if you tip an individual member of staff, that individual gets to keep that tip. The automatic tips are shared equally between the different staff on board that are customer facing".

 

"

 

Why is that confusing? Staff are allowed to keep cash tips in any situation. The service charge is distributed among those staff who are eligible. Any withholding of the service charge is down to poor customer satisfaction scores, not whether or not some of their passengers elect to remove the service charge (unless, I guess, a passenger cites poor service from the cabin steward as the reason for removing them).

[terrierjohn]

Why is that confusing? Staff are allowed to keep cash tips in any situation. The service charge is distributed among those staff who are eligible. Any withholding of the service charge is down to poor customer satisfaction scores, not whether or not some of their passengers elect to remove the service charge (unless, I guess, a passenger cites poor service from the cabin steward as the reason for removing them).

As others have said Selbourne, that means some staff getting double reward where passengers remove the auto tip but do then tip fully in cash. If this is happening I cannot believe that the staff are very happy about it, it's too much like a lottery for them to hope they always strike lucky.

Just one of many reasons why I don't believe anything P&O say about gratuities.

[majortom10]

Why is that confusing? Staff are allowed to keep cash tips in any situation. The service charge is distributed among those staff who are eligible. Any withholding of the service charge is down to poor customer satisfaction scores, not whether or not some of their passengers elect to remove the service charge (unless, I guess, a passenger cites poor service from the cabin steward as the reason for removing them).

 

Confusing because if you give a cash tip to your cabin steward or waiters after removing Service Reward payment then they will get tips twice as they still get a share. Plus I find the new statement "customer facing" is a new statement I have never heard before and only muddies the water because P&O have always made it clear who gets payment from Service Reward and they are all "customer facing".

[Selbourne]

Yes, I absolutely get the 'doubling up' issue. It's just that, to me, the response given on Facebook didn't contradict what I already knew. But I also agree that P&O is not helping themselves with this issue and are scoring own goal after own goal at the present. I'm currently recruiting a new Head of Marketing & Communications for my company. Perhaps P&O should be doing the same?

[Expat Cruise]

It will not happen but the cruise line need s get up for the daily service fee business pay the behind the scenes workers, as the line should already be doing. And then allow the people dealing with guest directly to get cash tips. The cruise line does not belong in the tip business.

 

If they really cared about crew and guest they would allow a direct system to work. But they will not do this because DAILY SERVICE FEES ARE PROFITABLE FOR THE COMPANY...... yes all caps because many do not want to see this.

[vnsa]

Do you know that from April 2018 , all Indian crew will be paid in US Dollars?

[jeanlyon]

That's a mistake. The dollar is going to go downhill and fairly soon.

[balf]

 

The thread is about leaving the auto tip on or taking it off. As I am going to tip anyway I leave it on as it is easier.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

 

Correct me if I’m wrong, but have you not said in the past that are you in favour of including tips in the cruise fare. By continuing to auto tip you are not helping to get the present tipping regime altered as seems to be the option of most on these boards.

 

DAVID