CSQ Forms/Bonus

[grapau27]

Way I approach this is to score honestly in areas which don't directly link to an individual's performance. If the service provided by an individual was satisfactory then I don't want to be the harsh judge who deprives them from their income or possibly even their job.

 

On the survey, there are many areas where you can score accurately. Even on MDR dinning, as we were on MTD and not served by the same people each time, my score reflected the below par service.

 

Also on general questions like how likely am I to recommend P&O I scored honestly. I also put comments to highlight poor standards.

 

Very rarely is it the case that the performance of an individual sets the standard. It is the overall experience and that is determined by senior management.

 

Finally, makes sense to make a formal complaint if things weren't right. Number of complaints is another indicator of standard and whether a cruise line is getting it right. Also, a means to trigger improvements (if enough people shout about it).

 

BTW my dinning experience was such a disappointment that even if I was on fixed dinning and served by same people each day, I would have rated them low. So performance less than satisfactory does sometimes deserve an honest rating.

We keep our room very tidy so the CS has little to do for us bar change the towels because we use our own toiletries too.

Waiter service in Freedom dining hasn't always been worthy of a 10 but i give them a little leeway because i know they have more tables to look after nowadays.

What i do do is mention names of people on the survey who have gone the extra mile to help us as well as thanking them personally and also give them an additional cash tip too.

 

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[Josy1953]

I always used to mark excellent for cabin steward because they have asked us to so that they can get their bonus/share of the autotips. For the last 4 cruises I have marked truthfully because I now realise that if we all mark excellent regardless of the standard of the steward's work there is no incentive for them to do anything but an average job. We have had some wonderful cabin steward's over the years so we have probably done them a misjustice by marking poor or average cabins stewards as being the same level. I have 2 stewards who stand out in my mind for different reasons. Every cruise we do I pray that we will be lucky enough to have Siccorro ( we had him twice on Ventura ) and I pray that we never again get Jesus who we had on the old Arcadia because he was truly awful, I did more of his work than he did.:):)

[grapau27]

.........and it will not improve if passengers are coerced into giving excellent marks on questionnaires just to ensure that staff receive their full gratuity.

Which brings me back to what some of us are advocating about service charges should be included in the cruise price and if someone is excellent we can give them a personal cash tip so the financial aspect is removed from the guest survey.

 

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[grapau27]

.........and it will not improve if passengers are coerced into giving excellent marks on questionnaires just to ensure that staff receive their full gratuity.

On the RCCL survey you are asked if anyone has asked you to give excellent scores and what department and who.

 

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[Josy1953]

We keep our room very tidy so the CS has little to do for us bar change the towels because we use our own toiletries too.

Waiter service in Freedom dining hasn't always been worthy of a 10 but i give them a little leeway because i know they have more tables to look after nowadays.

What i do do is mention names of people on the survey who have gone the extra mile to help us as well as thanking them personally and also give them an additional cash tip too.

 

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Last year we thanked a waiter for his outstanding service and filled out the card on the table and he asked that we personally tell the head waiter because he said that a personal spoken appraisal is given more credence than the cards and surveys.

[grapau27]

Last year we thanked a waiter for his outstanding service and filled out the card on the table and he asked that we personally tell the head waiter because he said that a personal spoken appraisal is given more credence than the cards and surveys.

That is interesting.

We have on a few occasions spoken to the head waiter or restaurant manager praising a waiter.

 

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[FangedRose]

Does it say anywhere that the room steward has to supply lemon slices. I know some may go out of their way to provide , if they and the cruiser have a good relationship, but is it actually laid down anywhere that they HAVE to.

This is the first cruise where I saw the stewards cart without lemons and ice buckets in the evenings.

 

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[gadabout60]

This is the first cruise where I saw the stewards cart without lemons and ice buckets in the evenings.

 

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I suppose as they have more and more cabins to look after it is harder for them to do everything.

[AnOnymously]

Which brings me back to what some of us are advocating about service charges should be included in the cruise price and if someone is excellent we can give them a personal cash tip so the financial aspect is removed from the guest survey.

 

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including SC in basic price would mean that PO probably added a small percentage of the cruise cost to keep the differentials on pricing and that would mean higher payers paid more AG's. Sounds good to me.

[ccc666]

This is the first cruise where I saw the stewards cart without lemons and ice buckets in the evenings.

 

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Its called cost cutting. Some things on request only now. Some ships you have to ask for Honey jars in the MDR. Everything works according to a budget.

[ccc666]

Which brings me back to what some of us are advocating about service charges should be included in the cruise price and if someone is excellent we can give them a personal cash tip so the financial aspect is removed from the guest survey.

 

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Do you really believe that by including service charge in the fare P&O will give staff a decent wage.

[ccc666]

Do you think the drawer is thoroughly cleaned before the next occupant puts their make up, medication or whatever in the same drawer?

 

Also it would never cross my mind that of the hundreds items of clothing the steward handles over the cruise s/he would take any interest in mine. But as you say 'each to their own'.

On a turnaround day the CS gets up at 6 AM to prepare on an average 19 cabins by 1 PM. Thats 22 minutes per cabin. I know some CS outsource some of the work to crew from other departments

[FangedRose]

Its called cost cutting. Some things on request only now. Some ships you have to ask for Honey jars in the MDR. Everything works according to a budget.

 

I've always had to request ice and lemons. This was the first time I've had a refusal.

 

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[ccc666]

I think I am going to fill in my next form ( in a couple of weeks from now yay ) excellent and I am going to put a separate letter in the box telling P and O that their system is stupid because no one wants to dob their staff in so they get penalised financially ! P and O should be truthful..it is not a form to gauge real customer satisfaction, it is in reality, a tool to keep tabs on their staff, keep them in line and it causes customer aggravation to be pestered to give excellent marks from anxious and fearful staff.

 

At least some on this forum understands. When you dont receive a form, understand that it is kept aside to manipulate scores

[ccc666]

I've always had to request ice and lemons. This was the first time I've had a refusal.

 

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I would say the CS was lazy as that request can be easily accommodated. Complaint to reception immediately turns you into a VIP

[ccc666]

You have made some interesting points.

I agree standards have slipped and when we give 10s maybe we are giving a false picture.

TBH 8-9 would be an honest appraisal but when we are consistently told only 10s will get crew their bonus,days off etc it is emotional blackmail.

The same happens on Royal Carribean that i know and probably other cruise lines too.

 

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The workload has increased, targets have increased too but not the wage. Crew are resigning and joining other cruise lines. Its a fact you can verify with crew on your next cruise. At present P&O is facing staff shortage. Few months back there were 34 Waiters short in the Restaurants on one of the ships. So there was no afternoon tea in the MDR and the Beach house was closed as well. With recent recruitment and the staff from Adonia things have almost come back to normal

[FangedRose]

On a turnaround day the CS gets up at 6 AM to prepare on an average 19 cabins by 1 PM. Thats 22 minutes per cabin. I know some CS outsource some of the work to crew from other departments

Exactly, that was my point. The drawer that was holding used nightwear will be used by the next occupant for a different purpose. And the drawer won't have been thoroughly cleaned.

 

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[AnOnymously]

Do you really believe that by including service charge in the fare P&O will give staff a decent wage.

It is probably better for some staff to leave things as they are, because that way they can get some cash tips, from passengers cancelling AG and giving cash as well as the extra some people offer. Cash tips, as we understand it, are kept by the person receiving them so get some AG and some cash also.

 

 

Though I have to confess I always believed that they should be included to prevent PO manipulating them and how they are distributed, but if PO want to manipulate they will do so whatever the structure.

 

It is sad but true that large companies will always find ways of using cheap and cheaper labour to either simply increase profits or to keep prices low but profits not affected.

[FangedRose]

The workload has increased, targets have increased too but not the wage. Crew are resigning and joining other cruise lines. Its a fact you can verify with crew on your next cruise. At present P&O is facing staff shortage. Few months back there were 34 Waiters short in the Restaurants on one of the ships. So there was no afternoon tea in the MDR and the Beach house was closed as well. With recent recruitment and the staff from Adonia things have almost come back to normal

Are you sure there was no afternoon tea in the MDR? It is not in the Horizon Programme anymore, so people do miss it. But if you look at the listing of opening times, either on the back page, or a separate sheet, it is mentioned there.

 

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[FangedRose]

was just going to say the same thing....very petty reasons to mark someone down. Was he rude about not getting the lemons ? that would be entirely different but it is not too difficult to pop to the bar for some lemon slices. they do have a lot of people to look after and I would not want their job for love nor money ! Bet they have some right pillocks to look after.

Whether he was rude or not is not the issue. If he refused to change towels, or make the bed would that be ok as long as he wasn't rude?

If he had been rude that would have been a reportable matter, not just another irritating niggle.

 

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[AnOnymously]

Whether he was rude or not is not the issue. If he refused to change towels, or make the bed would that be ok as long as he wasn't rude?

If he had been rude that would have been a reportable matter, not just another irritating niggle.

 

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The question really is was it part of CS duties anymore to get lemons or ice? Or was it a polite decline not to do something that s/he had no longer time to do outside normal CS duties?

 

 

If PO said it was part of his duties then, like changing towels it should have been done. Because changing towels and sheets is an obligatory duty the CS is paid to do.

[grapau27]

The workload has increased, targets have increased too but not the wage. Crew are resigning and joining other cruise lines. Its a fact you can verify with crew on your next cruise. At present P&O is facing staff shortage. Few months back there were 34 Waiters short in the Restaurants on one of the ships. So there was no afternoon tea in the MDR and the Beach house was closed as well. With recent recruitment and the staff from Adonia things have almost come back to normal

I also cruise with RC but their crew are better looked after by RC.

 

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[yuvraj]

I also cruise with RC but their crew are better looked after by RC.

 

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In more than one way although I could be wrong. As I understand it, a share of the auto tips goes directly to the CS with no caveats. Plus Americans are more generous with tips so they will earn more on top for doing a good job.

 

My last sailing on RC was in a suite. They had 2 people servicing the room. The same applied when I sailed with Celebrity and Cunard (both suites). So adequate resourcing does make a difference to quality of service and easing pressure on staff. A matter for management to consider.

[grapau27]

In more than one way although I could be wrong. As I understand it, a share of the auto tips goes directly to the CS with no caveats. Plus Americans are more generous with tips so they will earn more on top for doing a good job.

 

My last sailing on RC was in a suite. They had 2 people servicing the room. The same applied when I sailed with Celebrity and Cunard (both suites). So adequate resourcing does make a difference to quality of service and easing pressure on staff. A matter for management to consider.

I was speaking to the RC Diamond Lounge(loyalty lounge) waiter and he told me how well the crew are looked after on board and also if they need to go home in an emergency too.

 

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[ccc666]

In more than one way although I could be wrong. As I understand it, a share of the auto tips goes directly to the CS with no caveats. Plus Americans are more generous with tips so they will earn more on top for doing a good job.

 

My last sailing on RC was in a suite. They had 2 people servicing the room. The same applied when I sailed with Celebrity and Cunard (both suites). So adequate resourcing does make a difference to quality of service and easing pressure on staff. A matter for management to consider.

 

Yes RCCL has a different arrangement than P&O. Prepaid tips are directly given to the crew serving you. And yes they look after their staff much better than P&O. No wonder many crew from P&O juoining RCCL.