Removing tips due to bad service

[swoopy2110]

11 minutes ago, proggieus said:

If you disagree with the companies pay policy then don't cruise with them.

 

but cruising and then using that EXCUSE to save a few hundred dollars is pretty slimy.

 

 

 

I bet you wait until the last night to remove them just in case word was to get out.

 

 

 

 

It's completly optional as the cruise line give you the option to remove them. Until they remove that option from people then it will continue to happen.

[Sam Ting]

3 hours ago, proggieus said:

If you disagree with the companies pay policy then don't cruise with them.

 

but cruising and then using that EXCUSE to save a few hundred dollars is pretty slimy.

 

 

 

I bet you wait until the last night to remove them just in case word was to get out.

 

 

You should follow your own advice.  Your the one that seems to not agree with the pay policies.  

[MrCruzdoggie]

Instead of removing the tips, on my last cruise I just kicked their ass. Then told them to shape up..............

 

[Mikew0805]

7 hours ago, jor3334 said:

OK. if you tip him to make your bed, empty trash and replace towels----what is he doing to earn his salary??

You actually listed what the cabin attendant does to earn their tip, which is exactly what I said they do to earn their tip from us... so I don't understand your question?

[Bailey & Sophie]

On 4/17/2019 at 4:41 AM, Bee Guy said:

 

True, but in what other industry are we concerned with this?  Do you tip the cooks, busboys, maintenance staff, etc at resorts or restaurants on shore?   How about if that restaurant is in one of the poorer countries?

My niece worked at TGIF as a waitress. Want the hostess to seat customers in your area? Share your tips. Want your food quickly or hot? Share your tips. Want your table bussed quickly for turnover, fast drinks from the bar, etc? Share your tips.

It didn't have to be much but it had to be something.

[Saab4444]

On 4/20/2019 at 4:47 AM, Mikew0805 said:

You actually listed what the cabin attendant does to earn their tip, which is exactly what I said they do to earn their tip from us... so I don't understand your question?

What do you think are the basic tasks they have to do just to do and keep their job? Above tasks would be pretty low job requirements to even earn the standard tips.

 

For me at least the cabin should be clean which is often not the case (e.g. hairs and footnails from others in the bad or on the carpet when you arrive). We also found something brown on the toilet ring but cleaned it ourselves and still paid the standard tip. I believe this was not earned but something like this happens quiet often if you check your cabin carefully.

Edited April 21, 2019 by Saab4444

[CRUISEFAN0001]

We usually not only pay the baseline gratuities, but also add cash-in-envelope tips to staff who typify the kind of consistently great service we expect on our cruises. We have yet NOT to pay the added tips to at least a select group of people, and have never requested tips to be removed.

 

All that said, if we legitimately came across a situation where there was consistently poor service by one or more staff members,  our first solution would be to confront the individual directly and share our displeasure, followed by a supervisor if necessary (or customer service desk) - at the time this occurred.

 

Doing so later on seems meaningless. Likewise, simply removing tips that impact ALL staff for the sins of 1 or two staff members also seems inappropriate. Royal seems to take these things quite seriously, and yet a "blanket protest" of removing tips for everyone that gets part of that revenue appears to be over-compensation (no pun intended).

[springfire]

7 hours ago, Bailey & Sophie said:

My niece worked at TGIF as a waitress. Want the hostess to seat customers in your area? Share your tips. Want your food quickly or hot? Share your tips. Want your table bussed quickly for turnover, fast drinks from the bar, etc? Share your tips.

It didn't have to be much but it had to be something.

What my cabin steward or waiter/waitress do with tier gratuities after I tip them directly is up to them.  When I am at TGIF or any other restaurant, I tip the waitress/waiter directly.   Whatever amount of those tips they decide to share is not in my hands but I am not tipping directly to people behind the scenes on a cruise ship or restaurant.

[Mikew0805]

6 hours ago, Saab4444 said:

What do you think are the basic tasks they have to do just to do and keep their job? Above tasks would be pretty low job requirements to even earn the standard tips.

 

For me at least the cabin should be clean which is often not the case (e.g. hairs and footnails from others in the bad or on the carpet when you arrive). We also found something brown on the toilet ring but cleaned it ourselves and still paid the standard tip. I believe this was not earned but something like this happens quiet often if you check your cabin carefully.

I am not referring to originally arriving at the cabin, of course it should be fully cleaned. I am referring to daily service... this and I did forget to mention cleaning the glass shower, is really all that we need. I am not saying this is all everyone needs... just us. 

[Sam Ting]

2 hours ago, CRUISEFAN0001 said:

We usually not only pay the baseline gratuities, but also add cash-in-envelope tips to staff who typify the kind of consistently great service we expect on our cruises. We have yet NOT to pay the added tips to at least a select group of people, and have never requested tips to be removed.

 

All that said, if we legitimately came across a situation where there was consistently poor service by one or more staff members,  our first solution would be to confront the individual directly and share our displeasure, followed by a supervisor if necessary (or customer service desk) - at the time this occurred.

 

Doing so later on seems meaningless. Likewise, simply removing tips that impact ALL staff for the sins of 1 or two staff members also seems inappropriate. Royal seems to take these things quite seriously, and yet a "blanket protest" of removing tips for everyone that gets part of that revenue appears to be over-compensation (no pun intended).

We tend to avoid confrontations and would never complain to management about any employee, which could affect their livelihood.  

[CRUISEFAN0001]

16 minutes ago, Sam Ting said:

We tend to avoid confrontations and would never complain to management about any employee, which could affect their livelihood.  

We're also discrete on any employee contacts.

[GEORGIEGIRL]

On 4/15/2019 at 7:13 AM, springfire said:

If you prepay your tips, you can not make any adjustment for bad service.  Once you prepay your tips, the money is gone and you no longer have any control over it.  We never prepay tips!

 

Not so. Although we have never done so (removed tips for any reason). You can go to guest services and ask that your tips be removed. Sadly I have seen it many times, especially on the last night of the cruise.

[Thorben-Hendrik]

5 minutes ago, GEORGIEGIRL said:

Not so. Although we have never done so (removed tips for any reason). You can go to guest services and ask that your tips be removed. Sadly I have seen it many times, especially on the last night of the cruise.

You didn't get the point... 🙄

[CRUISEFAN0001]

29 minutes ago, GEORGIEGIRL said:

Not so. Although we have never done so (removed tips for any reason). You can go to guest services and ask that your tips be removed. Sadly I have seen it many times, especially on the last night of the cruise.

Sadly is right...we've actually heard various people on board boasting about how they use the "had bad service" hoax to simply avoid paying gratuities...only making up their complaints for that purpose. 

[LMaxwell]

3 minutes ago, CRUISEFAN0001 said:

Sadly is right...we've actually heard various people on board boasting about how they use the "had bad service" hoax to simply avoid paying gratuities...only making up their complaints for that purpose. 

in almost 30 years of cruising I've never heard anyone boast about that, let alone heard them discuss it.  If you want to change, amend, modify, remove the gratuity charge you don't need to make up any stories to do so.  Why would people go to the bother of fabricating a story, and then share and brag about it to strangers?  That makes no sense to me.  Just ask.  

 

Interesting thought; what's with all these people hanging out at guest services on the final night and hearing all these conversations?  I'm not at guest services, so maybe there is a line of chattering unheard of throughout the week that only occurs on the final night?  I don't think I've ever known why another guest was there regardless of what day it was.  If you're in that line, what should people assume you are in the line for? 

[LMaxwell]

3 hours ago, CRUISEFAN0001 said:

We usually not only pay the baseline gratuities, but also add cash-in-envelope tips to staff who typify the kind of consistently great service we expect on our cruises. We have yet NOT to pay the added tips to at least a select group of people, and have never requested tips to be removed.

 

All that said, if we legitimately came across a situation where there was consistently poor service by one or more staff members,  our first solution would be to confront the individual directly and share our displeasure, followed by a supervisor if necessary (or customer service desk) - at the time this occurred.

 

Doing so later on seems meaningless. Likewise, simply removing tips that impact ALL staff for the sins of 1 or two staff members also seems inappropriate. Royal seems to take these things quite seriously, and yet a "blanket protest" of removing tips for everyone that gets part of that revenue appears to be over-compensation (no pun intended).

 

I agreed with much of your thought process and statement, however I wonder what makes you believe that royal takes these things seriously.  What indication do you have of that and what does it mean? 

[springfire]

43 minutes ago, GEORGIEGIRL said:

Not so. Although we have never done so (removed tips for any reason). You can go to guest services and ask that your tips be removed. Sadly I have seen it many times, especially on the last night of the cruise.

You can not have tips removed or adjusted at guest services if you prepay your tips before your cruise.  If you scream enough, it is maybe possible but it will not be easy.  If you are having automatic tips taken out on your cruise, you can easily go to guest services and they will remove automatic tips without question.  They will also give you envelopes so you can hand out tips to the crew.

[springfire]

21 minutes ago, CRUISEFAN0001 said:

Sadly is right...we've actually heard various people on board boasting about how they use the "had bad service" hoax to simply avoid paying gratuities...only making up their complaints for that purpose. 

We have never once heard a story like this.  

[Thorben-Hendrik]

35 minutes ago, CRUISEFAN0001 said:

Sadly is right...we've actually heard various people on board boasting about how they use the "had bad service" hoax to simply avoid paying gratuities...only making up their complaints for that purpose. 

No need to do that!

They never ask why you remove! 👍

[CRUISEFAN0001]

40 minutes ago, LMaxwell said:

in almost 30 years of cruising I've never heard anyone boast about that, let alone heard them discuss it.  If you want to change, amend, modify, remove the gratuity charge you don't need to make up any stories to do so.  Why would people go to the bother of fabricating a story, and then share and brag about it to strangers?  That makes no sense to me.  Just ask.  

First of all...we've heard the "story" on multiple cruises...both at the Guest Services desk (when we were getting our final bill) and also in the main dining room from a table next to ours. In multiple cases...they indeed asked "why do you feel we should remove the gratuities?".

 

One couple we personally witnessed spent nearly 20 minutes "telling their tale" at Guest Services and virtually making a scene at the time (we saw them in the Promenade area later laughing about it).

 

Why do they bother? - some because they assume they will need a reason and also some of them are "proud" when they tell others how they avoided paying gratuities. Others seem to consider it a "personal challenge" to do it. It's sad but true...and we've heard the "story" a number of times. It may not make sense to some folks, and we certainly don't like hearing it...but it required no effort at all to be exposed to hearing the "story" from others.

 

Considering we reward great service and would be very hard pressed to every remove gratuities (have never done it)...it's naive to think there are not some people trying to save a buck and will do or say nearly anything to accomplish that sad feat.

 

 

Edited April 21, 2019 by CRUISEFAN0001

[Thorben-Hendrik]

Na was never asked why... so that is where the flaw is in your story! 🙄

And why do you care anyway? 🤔 🙄👎

Gratuities are optional and non of your business! 👍

Edited April 21, 2019 by Thorben-Hendrik

[CRUISEFAN0001]

Just now, Thorben-Hendrik said:

Na was never asked why... so that is where the flaw is in your story! 🙄

And why do you care anyway? 🤔 🙄👎

Apparently you were standing next to us all the times and heard the the same conversations - uh - no.

 

When 2 (and once 4) people hear the same thing...it's real.

 

Yes...they were asked, in one case, the Guest Services supervisor was called over by the desk agent and SHE asked the question. As for caring - when you hear a conversation from 10 feet way that is so loud that others can hear from 40 feet away...it's not about caring...you are all "forced" to hear the conversation, even if no one cares. 

[Thorben-Hendrik]

1 minute ago, CRUISEFAN0001 said:

Apparently you were standing next to us all the times and heard the the same conversations - uh - no.

 

When 2 (and once 4) people hear the same thing...it's real.

 

Yes...they were asked, in one case, the Guest Services supervisor was called over by the desk agent and SHE asked the question. As for caring - when you hear a conversation from 10 feet way that is so loud that others can hear from 40 feet away...it's not about caring...you are all "forced" to hear the conversation, even if no one cares. 

Well you have strange stories.... but so what...

That supervisor was a real moron to ask... the nerve! 🙄

[CRUISEFAN0001]

Just now, Thorben-Hendrik said:

Well you have strange stories.... but so what...

That supervisor was a real moron to ask... the nerve! 🙄

Most people would applaud the supervisor...he's doing the right thing to determine the cause of "poor customer service" - it's HIS JOB!  If that makes him "a real moron"...then...

 

 

[Thorben-Hendrik]

3 minutes ago, CRUISEFAN0001 said:

Most people would applaud the supervisor...he's doing the right thing to determine the cause of "poor customer service" - it's HIS JOB!  If that makes him "a real moron"...then...

 

 

Gratuities are optional... no reason needed... 👍