Acknowledging the waiters at dinner

[davekathy]

This is certainly very uncomfortable and something I just experienced on Adventure too. It was almost on the verge of begging...Also at the end of my meal I don't care to have my waiter tell me about the next menu for breakfast possible lunch and dinner recommendations and ask me to please come back, and certainly not about the next day onboard activities...I don't think this should be a waiter's job and it was indeed very uncomfortable.

 

Our worst encounter ever was on the second leg of our 2015 Adventure Cruise. The Head waiter, waiter and assistant waiter were relentless on pushing number 10. I finally (polity) told all three of them we know the drill and please do not bring it up again. They were the worst wait staff we have ever had on any of our Cruises. They should have been paying more attention to the small details and less time worrying about their end of Cruise rating. On the first leg we had a different wait staff and were not subject to the constant badgering!

[rukkian]

I really wish all companies (royal is by no means the only one that does this) would not have surveys with multiple numbers, when 10 means pass and 0-9 mean fail. If you truly only have 2 options, why not just do a pass/fail? I get these at the car dealership, restaurants, and many other places.

 

I have not been on any cruise for 20 years (this will be for our 20th), but don't feel anybody is ever perfect. If it is truly a fail (do we know this is true, or just the staff wants to guilt people into better scores?) to get a 9, then I almost don't want to fill out the survey. I have not had many experiences in my life that I would feel was a 10/10, but have had many 8's and 9's (and a few 1's or 2's).

[GulfSurferGirl]

If waiting staff deserved 10s they probably wouldn't be working on cruise ships on a poverty wage.

 

Training every free moment, constant work, pressure from management, pressure from demanding tacky cruisers below, no days off. Formal dinners of badgering Walmartians making constant condescending demands of the wait staff (and more irritatingly allowing their ungrateful children do the same), left me passively aggressively sipping my dessert latte fantasizing about an old-fashioned after dinner keel hauling....

 

They all get tens from me.

Edited June 17, 2016 by GulfSurferGirl

[CAT GIRL]

I work in retail and my company uses these surveys. It sounds like

their system is like ours in that only the "top box" counts. If you

give the server anything but a 10 it counts as a zero. So for those

of you who feel you are giving them a solid 8 or 9, you just gave them

a zero. That's why the big push for a 10.

[HUNKY]

As a professional waiter, if I solicited a positive comment from a guest I would, at a minimum, be reprimanded. Any service provider which asks for positive compliments or comments is immediately dropped down a notch. In the comment section I will point out that a positive response was requested.

Edited June 17, 2016 by HUNKY

[lucymorgan]

We enjoy the waiter parades but have only ever had one on each cruise. Three events seems way over the top. :(

 

We have also had great or at least good service from our waiter and assistant waiter and have usually given extra thanks on the last night in an envelope. (BTW it is really obvious how many people come to the MDR every night and then don't turn up on the last night!)

 

Often however, the head waiter has only appeared on the last or second last night and that has seemed a blatant attempt to get good 'marks' when they haven't come near us during the rest of the cruise. I don't mind that the waiter and assistant waiter say goodbye and tell us that the marks in the survey are very important to them - they are!

 

We fill in the survey and if the service has been great we give the marks and mention by name. I don't think we have ever given the head waiter anything extra.

Edited June 17, 2016 by lucymorgan

[WrittenOnYourHeart]

As a professional waiter, if I solicited a positive comment from a guest I would, at a minimum, be reprimanded. Any service provider which asks for positive compliments or comments is immediately dropped down a notch. In the comment section I will point out that a positive response was requested.

 

Disney actually has a question on their survey asking if you felt pressured to give a 10 (it may say "high score" - it's been over a year since I was on Disney).

[Truluv]

With 20 years of cruising, my feelings about the wait-staff have changed signficantly. I went through a period where lots of attention and getting to know our waiters was part of the fun of cruising. I'd stand and wave my napkiins with everyone else. Hurray that they got through another week of their contracts. Recommend reading Cruise Ship Confidential by Bruns for an interesting wait-staff perspective on dining room service.

 

At this point, I just appreciate good service, the same as in any dirtside restaurant. I do not want hovering, servile attitudes in the hope of an extra tip, or fake friendship.

 

I do sympathize with the waiters. Unless we politely tell them, they have no way of knowing what kind of service we want. I guess it's harder to ramp up service, than to dial it back. I try to tell them nicely now that I won't need extra attention, which seems to work ok.

Edited June 17, 2016 by Truluv

[sjb317]

Pushing for a "10" seems to becoming more prevalent when given a customer service survey. We bought a new car recently and the salesman told us several times that anything less than a 10 was unacceptable. I also received several emails reminding me of this. And yesterday, I received an automated phone survey asking me to rate my gyn appointment with my doctor in which the instructions stressed the importance of a good rating.

 

If you are uncomfortable listening to the "speech", imagine what is it like to have to give it. Part of hospital reimbursement is based on patient satisfaction scores, we nurses have been given scripts which we are supposed to use to encourage our patients to give the hospital a high number and we are constantly being bombarded with how our ratings are doing. I hate doing it as it feels like I am begging and I refuse to say it. Another reason to retire next year!:D

 

Sherri:)

Edited June 17, 2016 by sjb317

[LMaxwell]

I would think that most adults would understand that high ratings on a survey have a positive impact without being told. I mean...after all...most are at least semi-intelligent. I can see letting them know they will receive a survey, but nothing more is needed.

 

 

The problem is most people think a 7 or 8 is pretty good, but the reality is 1-9 may as well be a 0 or failure and only 10 is a passing grade. That's a shame because things in life are rarely so perfect to warrant a 10 or can not be improved upon.

[jflatto]

The problem is most people think a 7 or 8 is pretty good, but the reality is 1-9 may as well be a 0 or failure and only 10 is a passing grade. That's a shame because things in life are rarely so perfect to warrant a 10 or can not be improved upon.

 

 

I agree. If the cruise line uses the logic that 1- 9 is a failure and only a 10 is acceptable, then just include the two values and don't have us waste our time. I also would consider an 8 or 9 good.

[LMaxwell]

I agree. If the cruise line uses the logic that 1- 9 is a failure and only a 10 is acceptable, then just include the two values and don't have us waste our time. I also would consider an 8 or 9 good.

 

There is always room for service improvements and efficiencies. Survey companies that operate on a 1-9 is a failure and a 10 is a pass are just selling lies; their corporate customers are not really interested in improvements, just advertising high scores and figuring out how much they can cut and still get those 10's,

[rukkian]

I wonder if everybody just started rating correctly maybe they would quit doing it. I do think it has to do with them just wanting to boast getting the highest rating in the industry.

[Penciltwister]

I wonder if everybody just started rating correctly maybe they would quit doing it. I do think it has to do with them just wanting to boast getting the highest rating in the industry.

 

 

This is mostly an American problem. They feel they need to give 10s in appreciation of their 4 entrees and 5 desserts they have for each meal.

 

Guess it's their way of relieving some of the guilt of their vacation excesses.

 

 

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[IsanTom]

There is always room for performance in any job, so a 10/10 is ridiculous. Rate based

on your service!

[IsanTom]

There is always room for performance in any job, so a 10/10 is ridiculous. Rate based on your service! I will give a 8 or 9 no problem!l

[LMaxwell]

This is mostly an American problem. They feel they need to give 10s in appreciation of their 4 entrees and 5 desserts they have for each meal.

 

Guess it's their way of relieving some of the guilt of their vacation excesses.

 

 

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??????:confused:

[mek]

When on the May 22, 2016 Allure of the Seas cruise, we had a good waiter and assistant waiter. We had early, traditional dining. The bartender who took our drink order each night also did a good job. On Tuesday, they had the parade of waiters and we all acknowledged them with applause, waving napkins, etc. The Maitre 'D announced how many meals the waiters delivered during the cruise, which was a huge number, as you might guess. This was also applauded with enthusiasm.

 

The next night was the parade of chefs and everyone again applauded and waved napkins, etc. We appreciate the chefs.

 

On the second to last night, our waiter and assistant waiter came together asked if there was anything they could do better for us and we all smiled and told them we were happy with their service. They told us we would get a survey and that a 10 was the only score that mattered. We all again assured them we were happy with them.

 

On the last night, just after getting the dessert menu, they played the "Happy" song and people got to their feet and some danced with the waiters and the Maitre 'D again told us how hard working the waiter staff is and gave us the number of meals statistics again and went on some with this and then asked if we didn't think they all deserved a standing ovation? Everyone stood then and applauded them all again.

 

We had given the waiter, assistant waiter and bartender an additional tip early at dinner when they came to take our order. We had prepaid tips, but felt they deserved the additional cash tip.

 

I respect that the Maitre 'D appreciates and supports his staff. I thought the last night was kind of overdone and was a little uncomfortable with this much adulation on top of the two nights earlier in the week.

 

I wonder if this is now happening on all ships?

 

(When the survey came, I was comfortable with giving our wait staff a 10. I don't think they should ask for it, though. This did not stop me from giving the 10, which was deserved.)

 

Yes, just off Serenade and I thought they really pushed this on the night when they presented all of the kitchen staff. We were asked 3x if we thought the food and service were exceptional - overkill!!!! I would agree that the service was great: however as with most of the food in the MDR on our last three RCI cruises, the food has been just average and many times not served hot.

[Merion_Mom]

Yes, just off Serenade and I thought they really pushed this on the night when they presented all of the kitchen staff. We were asked 3x if we thought the food and service were exceptional - overkill!!!! I would agree that the service was great: however as with most of the food in the MDR on our last three RCI cruises, the food has been just average and many times not served hot.

 

On one cruise, it was just our waiter who was pushy.

 

We had to go speak to the Head Waiter for our section and tell him that if he didn't either tell the waiter to cut it out or replace him, we were going over his head to the Restaurant Manager.

 

It stopped.

[Penciltwister]

??????:confused:

 

 

 

You don't think my reasoning is logical?

 

If someone is bringing you unlimited 'free' food you're going to think it's great service, right?

 

 

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[judymag]

I just wished the survey allowed you to rate your waiter and assistant waiter separately. I would have gladly given our last waiter a 10, but our assistant waiter was a 3 or 4 at best.

 

 

I felt the same or waiter was great the assistant useless I dreaded dinner each night with him would have done windjammers instead only my dad likes the mdr

[paluni]

I think this is cruel of management - putting the poor workers in a position where they have to beg and grovel for a high rating. Management lets them know they might be let go with anything less than a 10. I learned that about my car dealership - anything less than a 10 was horrible for the guy who checked you in. I felt bad that maybe I didn't give him a 10 then. But then the survey is meaningless.

I would like to rate these lofty people who design these surveys for the poor powerless workers! Like whipping the galley slaves to row faster. I'd like to give them a rating for what they're doing and see how they liked it!

When I worked before retiring, I don't think anybody would give me a 10 for my performance. Thank goodness I didn't have to go through this survey misery.

[WrittenOnYourHeart]

There is always room for performance in any job, so a 10/10 is ridiculous. Rate based on your service! I will give a 8 or 9 no problem!l

 

Exactly. Even the teacher at my school who got a "Highly Effective" rating on her observation had "Suggestions for improving" on her write-up of the evaluation.

 

NO ONE is perfect!

[Panda3]

Exactly. Even the teacher at my school who got a "Highly Effective" rating on her observation had "Suggestions for improving" on her write-up of the evaluation.

 

NO ONE is perfect!

 

I disagree, their job is dependent on getting a good mark. I wish an RCI employee or insider would let us know how those ranks affect the crew. At my work, if a customer returns a survey less than a 10, it was a terrible job and nothing is awarded for less than a 10. Only people with a 10 or above get an extra bonus.

[LMaxwell]

You don't think my reasoning is logical?

 

If someone is bringing you unlimited 'free' food you're going to think it's great service, right?

 

 

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No.

 

Have you been on a cruise?