Begging has to stop

[hellsop]

Unfortunately, there is a very specific reality here. And that is, if the employee does not get a 10 across the board, it will be counted against them.

 

You may WISH it to be different, or THINK it should be different, but that is just the way it is. Those of you who never give the top score for anything, you are hurting the employee, plain and simple. Just because it is your usual practice does not mean it meshes with the reality of the situation. Just because you insist on beyond stellar performance to give the top rating, does not mean that it benefits the employee. The exact opposite is true: it damages them.

 

Zactly. The policy that neither you nor they control is what sets what they're rated by. There's nobody on the whole ship that can do a darned thing about it. The only thing you can do is say that you understand, and hope that's assurance enough. Then follow through. If you've no real complaints, 10 it is. Put the 10 on the paper. Sure, maybe you'd LOVE some room to reward the outstanding, but there isn't that room. All you've got is Pass/Fail. Don't pretend it's otherwise.

[Lilyrosemum]

Zactly. The policy that neither you nor they control is what sets what they're rated by. There's nobody on the whole ship that can do a darned thing about it. The only thing you can do is say that you understand, and hope that's assurance enough. Then follow through. If you've no real complaints, 10 it is. Put the 10 on the paper. Sure, maybe you'd LOVE some room to reward the outstanding, but there isn't that room. All you've got is Pass/Fail. Don't pretend it's otherwise.

 

Now that we all know the surveys mean anything other than a 10 is like a 0 the best thing we can all do is ignore the surveys. Telling everyone to give all 10's is insane. Don't participate in this cruel game. If everyone stopped answering the surveys they would be gone.

 

And not just for Cruise Line surveys, but for ALL surveys. Stop participating!

[JamesEM]

Now that we all know the surveys mean anything other than a 10 is like a 0 the best thing we can all do is ignore the surveys. Telling everyone to give all 10's is insane. Don't participate in this cruel game. If everyone stopped answering the surveys they would be gone.

 

And not just for Cruise Line surveys, but for ALL surveys. Stop participating!

 

I agree, as for cruise surveys I only fill out those sections were employee has gone the "extra mile" other wise I leave the sections blank.

[Cruzin RN]

This is not new..we have been approached for excellent ratings for years. Some of the tactics include:

 

"We lose days/hrs of when we get bad ratings"

 

"Please remember you are rating service vs food quality"

 

"I have children back in "insert country here" that depend on me, I called them from st Thomas today"

 

But this doesnt bother me as much as the spa product sales pitch....stopped going there because of it.

[Paulette3028]

Zactly. The policy that neither you nor they control is what sets what they're rated by. There's nobody on the whole ship that can do a darned thing about it. The only thing you can do is say that you understand, and hope that's assurance enough. Then follow through. If you've no real complaints, 10 it is. Put the 10 on the paper. Sure, maybe you'd LOVE some room to reward the outstanding, but there isn't that room. All you've got is Pass/Fail. Don't pretend it's otherwise.

 

How true.

[Folk Singer]

:rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:

Exactly!

[exchiefPFD]

I don't call it "begging" or "hounding". It is a fact that many customers did not tip and thus the now required tips. I addition, a LOT of cruises seem to get a big kick out of complaining about some imagined problem and like to complain it up in front of other cruisers. I don't understand this but it happens. The crew is awarded new contracts based on their performance. Most people think a 10 is impossible to give because of a little error on the persons part. A 10 is what Royal expects the crew to earn. If the highest performers were not the ones who are recontracted, the service would go way down hill. SOooo, give a 10 if you you got as good service as you could provide to a group of strangers who looking for ways to complain.

My reply to the asking for a 10 is" I will give you the 10 as I know it helps you get a new contract and I know you will give me the best service possible"

[Embedded Joe]

I just received a phone call from RC regarding an email I had sent them regarding this very topic.

 

I had firsthand experience on my recent cruise of the survey sales pitch that was beyond excessive, more than once. After I completed the survey I took it one step further and emailed corporate regarding this issue, which also echoed many of the comments here regarding surveys and the expectation of perfect scores.

 

In less than a week RC acknowledged my letter and called me back personally to follow-up. The customer service agent on the phone was willing to spend a few minutes to better understand my experience and document further to assess.

 

While it is great to discuss here on Cruise Critic, issues like this that directly involve management and company policies need to be communicated to the appropriate parties directly. We can discuss hypothetical's and "how the world should work" forever here. But don't expect policy changes based upon the number of posts in a forum.

 

If you have a first-hand account, and willing to commit a few minutes of your time to write a polite email, I strongly encourage you to do so.

 

The more information RC receives, the better they can understand and hopefully improve the situation.

[boscobeans]

I just received a phone call from RC regarding an email I had sent them regarding this very topic.

 

After I completed the survey I took it one step further and emailed corporate regarding this issue, which also echoed many of the comments here regarding surveys and the expectation of perfect scores.

 

In less than a week RC acknowledged my letter and called me back personally...

 

If you have a first-hand account, and willing to commit a few minutes of your time to write a polite email, I strongly encourage you to do so.

 

The more information RC receives, the better they can understand and hopefully improve the situation.

 

I am just wondering about any problems the above may cause.

 

With all the specifics outlined in the above post the complaint is no longer from an anonymous source expressing an opinion about corporate policy but instead the complaint most probably can and will be traced all the way to the individual server or crew member.

 

I know it is annoying to have to listen to the requests for 10's on the surveys, but I do not think I would place the complaint squarely on the shoulders of an individual staff member who may suffer some form of retribution such as termination

 

Just my opinion.

 

bosco

[Jaedog105]

I've heard it on cruise ships and in other land based services. I don't understand why 0-9 = 0 and only a 10 = passing. In fact, whenever I read restaurant or product reviews I tend to skip 1 star or 5 star, it is not realistic. I feel bad for the wait staff on ship that have to ask, but if someone were to rank them a 7 or 8 it is as bad as ranking them a 1.

 

This is the "why:" http://www.netpromoter.com/why-net-promoter/know/

[emdia43]

Of course being a SAHM is work. But it isn't the same as work in the service industry. Unless, of course, your children could fire you if they felt you missed a certain goal?

 

Also, you comments that "no mother" would think SAHM's don't work is BS. I know plenty of moms that don't think SAHM do the same level of work. Stop generalizing. It does no good.

 

 

 

You can think it is malarkey all you want. But I worked many years at Royal. They can and DO get fired for not meeting goal. That goal is 10 across the board.

 

And it isn't just Royal. This is a very common practice in service industries. If it isn't a 10, it might as well be a 0. This is commonly stated outright by management.

 

Absolutely. I recently had new carpet installed and the workers told me I would receive a survey, and stressed how important it was that they get scored 10. They repeatedly asked me if everything was to my satisfaction so that if there was any reason to score less than 10 they could remedy it now!

It's everywhere! I had no problem scoring the workers 10 because they did a great job, but the management side of this irritated me. It puts the worker and the customer in a very awkward place IMO.

[websiteauthor]

It puts the worker and the customer in a very awkward place IMO.

 

Agreed.

 

Don't you wish they'd do these surveys for the RCI website? ;)

[Zou Bisou Bisou]

:d

:rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:

 

:d:d:d:d:d

[LMaxwell]

This is the "why:" http://www.netpromoter.com/why-net-promoter/know/

Thanks for the link. I found it very interesting.

[Lilyrosemum]

Thanks for the link. I found it very interesting.

 

That link spells out the very reason I will pass on all these surveys in the future. I am tired of being categorized with all the information they have about all of us.

 

The whole "Corporations are people too" is actually very creepy. Please people, quit helping them. Use the products and services of those that you want. Pay them for that. Quit giving them more information for free. You get nothing out of it and they get plenty of information to use and sell to others.

[BekkaW]

Well I have learnt a lot about the American service industry from this thread! I believe those of you who have offered first hand accounts that the requirement for a 10 is 'how this works' but I am upset by this. It's not how it should work.

 

A 10 is perfect with no possible room for improvement. These are people, not robots! Of course they will make mistakes! Things will be a bit slow one night, or a drink will be spilt or orders messed up, something of this kind. These kinds of minor errors are perfectly normal and I would still categorize the service as very good or excellent if this is what happened. But it's not perfect.

 

I make minor mistakes in my job and I don't get fired or demoted for it (thank goodness never a big mistake). It's very sad that this is what happens and that people seem to just accept it.

[Ocean Boy]

This is the "why:" http://www.netpromoter.com/why-net-promoter/know/

 

The article makes it sound more like we are giving RCI feedback on ourselves rather than anything that occured aboard the ship or with the company. Better watch out, I don't know if RCI wants any of those "detractors" on their ships.

Edited September 9, 2014 by Ocean Boy

[BillOh]

I refuse to subscribe to this only 10's are acceptable mentality. Any time I've been on the receiving end of surveys like that Management has always known people vary and what is a 10 to some people is a 5 to another and vice versa. They always had a text section where you leave comments and those were telling of the writers mentality. We had a technician of the month program that went on for 4 years, and out of 8 people I won it 40 of the 48 times. It was the overall trend that management looked at. I would frequently get the equivalent of all 10s, but even I would occasionally get a bad score. Some people just can't be pleased. In one funny case, we learned that the people taking the survey assumed they were anonymous. I got low scores because a woman lost all the data on her hard drive. What she didn't say was that she asked a co worker to help her before she went to proper channels. He screwed it beyond correction and the only possible thing to do was FORMAT C:/S. But she had to explain to her boss why she was down all day so she blasted me. After I explained this to my boss he asked her about it and her reaction was, "You show them these surveys?" I refuse to believe a big corporation like RC hasn't read a million of these and knows how to judge them properly.

 

On a unrelated note if you wonder if anyone ever reads them, but something special in the comments. Once, regarding a Howard Johnson's in Bridgeport CT, I wrote, "The inaction of your front desk employee nearly caused a major hotel fire" Besides being true, it definitely got me a phone call.

[Folk Singer]

I agree, as for cruise surveys I only fill out those sections were employee has gone the "extra mile" other wise I leave the sections blank.

 

same here.

[websiteauthor]

Well I have learnt a lot about the American service industry from this thread! I believe those of you who have offered first hand accounts that the requirement for a 10 is 'how this works' but I am upset by this. It's not how it should work.

 

 

Agreed 100%.

 

I'm not going to play this game with them; I'll simply refuse to do any survey where I'm pressured for ratings. If I get pressured for 10s from employees, I'll take Embedded Joe's advice and send a courteous email to offer my feedback on what is taking place.

[Priusprof]

I spent many years working in the "Survey" environment with Toyota and because of it I totally understand why the wait staff on RCCL do what they do. Toyota uses the surveys as a "hammer" to try to insure that dealers and their employees bend over backwards at every point from sales, finance, and service. It became so detrimental that they suspended their survey system for 3 years in the southeast region to try to figure out how to make it a more realistic measure of performance. In service up to 35% of an advisors compensation can be gone if their Customer Satisfaction Index is below 93%.

 

I had a long discussion with my waitstaff about how the surveys are used and what the ramifications might be. They are held responsible for every aspect of your dining experience whether they are responsible or not. If you don't like the presentation, taste, timeliness, or anything else for that matter it's their job to figure it out and make it right. If they get surveys less than 10 they end up losing a % of their income because they will cut their # of tables for both seatings. So, imagine your pay getting docked 20-30% because some jerk doesn't think that anything is a 10. Ever!! Imagine, that you are the sole support for your family and you work 7 days a week for 6 months in a row and some malcontent rewards your back breaking effort by saying that it was a 6 and just met their expectations.

 

Are you getting this picture in focus?? Same with stateroom attendants.If you rate their service as less than a 10 they lose cabins. Is it really any skin off your nose to reward a job credibly done with a grade that will not punish the employee. I personally fault every company that uses a system like this to try to insure performance. They are the culprits for the begging by forcing their employees to solicit your perfect score to survive.

Edited September 9, 2014 by Priusprof

[BillOh]

If they get surveys less than 10 they end up losing a % of their income because they will cut their # of tables for both seatings.

Maybe that is a good thing. For the first time ever, we got bad slow service on Jewel on my last cruise. It definitely wasn't a 10, but I shouldn't participate in the survey because I like the skin on my nose where it is? :rolleyes:

 

 

So, imagine your pay getting docked 20-30% because some jerk doesn't think that anything is a 10. Ever!!

 

Do you know what they say about ASSUME?

 

Imagine, that you are the sole support for your family and you work 7 days a week for 6 months in a row and some malcontent rewards your back breaking effort by saying that it was a 6 and just met their expectations.

 

Wow, the arrogance of this post keeps rising.

 

Are you getting this picture in focus??

If I don't agree with you, apparently I don't.

 

 

. I personally fault every company that uses a system like this to try to insure performance. They are the culprits for the begging by forcing their employees to solicit your perfect score to survive.

 

Finally we agree on something, but the demeanor of this post sure seemed to arrogant and assumptive.

Edited September 9, 2014 by BillOh

[Scotty G]

I had a long discussion with my waitstaff about how the surveys are used and what the ramifications might be. They are held responsible for every aspect of your dining experience whether they are responsible or not. If you don't like the presentation, taste, timeliness, or anything else for that matter it's their job to figure it out and make it right. If they get surveys less than 10 they end up losing a % of their income because they will cut their # of tables for both seatings. So, imagine your pay getting docked 20-30% because some jerk doesn't think that anything is a 10. Ever!! Imagine, that you are the sole support for your family and you work 7 days a week for 6 months in a row and some malcontent rewards your back breaking effort by saying that it was a 6 and just met their expectations.

 

Are you getting this picture in focus?? Same with stateroom attendants.If you rate their service as less than a 10 they lose cabins. Is it really any skin off your nose to reward a job credibly done with a grade that will not punish the employee. I personally fault every company that uses a system like this to try to insure performance. They are the culprits for the begging by forcing their employees to solicit your perfect score to survive.

 

That is the way it is and if it needs fixing, guests should not take it out on the waitstaff or cabin attendants. Until RCL fixes it I will not be penalizing those hard working folks that make our cruises so great!

Again, disagree or agree with the system, let Adam know about it! E-mail is a faster way for him to get the message rather than a second hand opinion from a contractor who monitors CC for them (if that is indeed the current practice).

Edited September 9, 2014 by Scotty G

[Addictedtocruising]

Just had it happen AGAIN on our August 23rd Explorer sailing, the magic word used to be "excellent" now they look at you in horror and say "forget excellent it has to be a 10!"

[Capt_BJ]

Image how this would go over in the military. Excuse me Colonel I need the highest evaluation possible or I'll not get promoted. And the Colonel response would be do an outstanding job every day and we'll see.

 

I'm gonna guess you never served in DOD ... because what you describe was EXACTLY the mentality I saw in my 30 years of government service. I was once called on the carpet by a NAVY report reviewer because I gave a NAVY officer one mark on 20 factors below the maximum while serving with me as a liaison .... "why do you want to destroy this officer's career?"