Removing tips due to bad service

[grapau27]

53 minutes ago, springfire said:

We have never once heard a story like this.  

Go to any UK tipping thread or sail from Southampton England and if you get into conversation you would be surprised how many people are anti tipping and yes I have openly heard people bragging about not tipping.

We have a tightwad family member who made a big thing of thanking his waiters but never put his name on the tipping envelopes to their MDR waiters after a 14+ night cruise because he only put a few pounds in and his comments to me were they wouldn't guess who it was.

It is shameful but true.

[CRUISEFAN0001]

42 minutes ago, Thorben-Hendrik said:

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

You clearly missed the point - asking someone about the specifics of a "poor service" complaint is simply someone doing their job. And yes...asking the reason is done, and it's logical and appropriate. Requesting gratuities being removed implies poor service, even if not stated out loud. Others are not shy to state it out loud.

 

If someone is asking to remove gratuities from their bill...most people...would be interested in understanding a reason...as it is commonplace in the customer service world - not unlike a person returning something and being asked a reason for the return or cancelling some form of consumer service.

 

The heading of the thread and 1st post indicates the request was made due to poor service. Asking for specific details is common sense good customer service.

 

It's common, normal, and in many company's customer service standards - often required as part of the job task they perform. Most people in the customer service industry would not even give a second thought to making sure to ask the reason - it implies a company CARES about it's customers. You almost make it sound like a covert or surreptitious act, rather than the norm that it is in the consumer-facing business world.

 

 

 

Edited April 21, 2019 by CRUISEFAN0001

[Thorben-Hendrik]

1 minute ago, CRUISEFAN0001 said:

You clearly missed the point - asking someone about the specifics of a "poor service" complaint is simply someone doing their job. And yes...asking the reason is done, and it's logical and appropriate. Requesting gratuities being removed implies poor service, even if not stated out loud. Others are not shy to state it out loud.

 

If someone is asking to remove gratuities from their bill...most people...would be interested in understanding a reason...as it is commonplace in the customer service world - not unlike a person returning something and being asked a reason for the return or cancelling some form of consumer service.

 

It's common, normal, and in many company's customer service standards - often required as part of the job task they perform. Most people in the customer service industry would not even give a second thought to making sure to ask the reason - it implies a company CARES about it's customers. You almost make it sound like a covert or surreptitious act, rather than the norm that it is in the consumer-facing business world.

 

 

 

Have not ever encountered this on any cruise! 👍

Guess YMMV! 🙄

[springfire]

9 minutes ago, CRUISEFAN0001 said:

You clearly missed the point - asking someone about the specifics of a "poor service" complaint is simply someone doing their job. And yes...asking the reason is done, and it's logical and appropriate. Requesting gratuities being removed implies poor service, even if not stated out loud. Others are not shy to state it out loud.

 

If someone is asking to remove gratuities from their bill...most people...would be interested in understanding a reason...as it is commonplace in the customer service world - not unlike a person returning something and being asked a reason for the return or cancelling some form of consumer service.

 

The heading of the thread and 1st post indicates the request was made due to poor service. Asking for specific details is common sense good customer service.

 

It's common, normal, and in many company's customer service standards - often required as part of the job task they perform. Most people in the customer service industry would not even give a second thought to making sure to ask the reason - it implies a company CARES about it's customers. You almost make it sound like a covert or surreptitious act, rather than the norm that it is in the consumer-facing business world.

 

 

 

Royal has never asked or inquired why gratuities are being removed.  It is an accepted practice with Royal and they have never asked for a reason.  It is one of the first things we do when we get on the ship.

[springfire]

37 minutes ago, grapau27 said:

Go to any UK tipping thread or sail from Southampton England and if you get into conversation you would be surprised how many people are anti tipping and yes I have openly heard people bragging about not tipping.

We have a tightwad family member who made a big thing of thanking his waiters but never put his name on the tipping envelopes to their MDR waiters after a 14+ night cruise because he only put a few pounds in and his comments to me were they wouldn't guess who it was.

It is shameful but true.

I am sure you must have heard it but I have never heard such talk and I have sailed out of Southampton several times.

[CRUISEFAN0001]

Just now, springfire said:

Royal has never asked or inquired why gratuities are being removed.  It is an accepted practice with Royal and they have never asked for a reason.  It is one of the first things we do when we get on the ship.

Your experience alone doesn't validate it to be "policy". 

 

We and others (including 6 other friends who sailed with us) have personally witnessed it on multiple occasions/cruises/ships.

 

IF it were policy, they there would be a number of Guest Services staff regularly violating such a policy. 

[springfire]

1 minute ago, CRUISEFAN0001 said:

Your experience alone doesn't validate it to be "policy". 

 

We and others (including 6 other friends who sailed with us) have personally witnessed it on multiple occasions/cruises/ships.

 

IF it were policy, they there would be a number of Guest Services staff regularly violating such a policy. 

I agree nothing with Royal is ever 100% but I have never been asked for a reason.  I would have thought at first they would ask us why but they never done so.  Others who have posted here have also indicated they have never been asked for a reason, that is why I believe it to be Royal's policy.  

[GarlicBread]

Some people remove gratuities, just because they can, because it's the only tiny bit of power they've ever had in their lives 😂😂

 

And it's obvious who those people are because they come on every tipping thread, multiple times trying to justify themselves 😂😂

[CRUISEFAN0001]

38 minutes ago, GarlicBread said:

Some people remove gratuities, just because they can, because it's the only tiny bit of power they've ever had in their lives 😂😂

 

And it's obvious who those people are because they come on every tipping thread, multiple times trying to justify themselves 😂😂

Thanks...indeed. 👍

 

 

[Mr. Candyman]

1 hour ago, Thorben-Hendrik said:

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

They may be optional, however, if you choose to complain about a service and ask for a charge to be taken off, why would a supervisor or employee NOT ask why?  If my employee continually waived fees and didn't get a reason why, how can the issue be corrected for the future??  And more importantly, I would want clarification of why this was done, justified or not. You may have an employee that just "gives away" to make the customer happy and not concerned about the other dynamics involved.  You can't continue to provide good customer service if you don't know what needs to fixed.

Edited April 21, 2019 by Mr. Candyman

[grapau27]

1 hour ago, springfire said:

I am sure you must have heard it but I have never heard such talk and I have sailed out of Southampton several times.

49 cruises 25 out of Southampton although prominently sailed on P&O out of Southampton.

P&O from next month are gratuities included because of the sheer number of people stopping their tips and the time GS had to spend just on tip stops.

Current RCCL offer out of Southampton is Tips included.

Marella UK tips included.

 

Edited April 21, 2019 by grapau27

[springfire]

2 minutes ago, grapau27 said:

49 cruises 25 out of Southampton although prominently sailed on P&O out of Southampton.

P&O from next month are gratuities included because of the sheer number of people stopping their tips and the time GS had to spend just on tip stops.

Wow!  That's a lot of cruises, good for you.  Hopefully one day the major cruise lines will all include tips in their fares but I honestly don't think it will ever happen.   With cruise lines like Royal able to sail under the Bahamian flag, they are able to avoid many laws that protect the crew and their pay.  They are able to use the tipping system to help their bottom line of profits.

[grapau27]

7 minutes ago, springfire said:

Wow!  That's a lot of cruises, good for you.  Hopefully one day the major cruise lines will all include tips in their fares but I honestly don't think it will ever happen.   With cruise lines like Royal able to sail under the Bahamian flag, they are able to avoid many laws that protect the crew and their pay.  They are able to use the tipping system to help their bottom line of profits.

Thanks.

We are on Independence next month out of Southampton on our 50th cruise.

We prepay our tips when booking and give cash to DL personnel, speciality waiters and our CS on top.

I never begrudge these hard working people tips who always enhance our cruises even though it is questionable unfortunately if the intended crew get all the gratuities.

[springfire]

8 minutes ago, grapau27 said:

Thanks.

We are on Independence next month out of Southampton on our 50th cruise.

We prepay our tips when booking and give cash to DL personnel, speciality waiters and our CS on top.

I never begrudge these hard working people tips who always enhance our cruises even though it is questionable unfortunately if the intended crew get all the gratuities.

Hope you have a great 50th cruise!  We always enjoy sailing out of Southampton and spending some time at the Duke of Wellington. 

Hope you continue to tip the way you feel is best, that's always the best way.

[CRUISEFAN0001]

37 minutes ago, grapau27 said:

Thanks.

We are on Independence next month out of Southampton on our 50th cruise.

We prepay our tips when booking and give cash to DL personnel, speciality waiters and our CS on top.

I never begrudge these hard working people tips who always enhance our cruises even though it is questionable unfortunately if the intended crew get all the gratuities.

Bravo on all your points.

[grapau27]

29 minutes ago, springfire said:

Hope you have a great 50th cruise!  We always enjoy sailing out of Southampton and spending some time at the Duke of Wellington. 

Hope you continue to tip the way you feel is best, that's always the best way.

Thank you.

We always fly down the night before from Newcastle and often stay at the Premier Inn West Quay.

There are some nice restaurants nearby for dinner then in the morning go to Carluccios for breakfast before getting on the ship.

[grapau27]

15 minutes ago, CRUISEFAN0001 said:

Bravo on all your points.

Thank you.

[Thorben-Hendrik]

3 hours ago, springfire said:

Royal has never asked or inquired why gratuities are being removed.  It is an accepted practice with Royal and they have never asked for a reason. 

Same here in many many RCI cruises! 👍

But even if asked - it would not change my decision.... 👍

#myvacationmymoney

Edited April 21, 2019 by Thorben-Hendrik

[Thorben-Hendrik]

2 hours ago, Mr. Candyman said:

They may be optional, however, if you choose to complain about a service

No need to complain... service is what it is.... grats are optional... 👍

[tennislvr8]

I have never removed gratuities but I tip cash directly to the staff member that went above and beyond. Just returned from the anthem. The suite concierge didn't get an additional tip but my cabin steward and one bartender in the sweet longer got handsome additional tips, they went above and beyond.

[itsmeagain]

Once,  somehow Royal messed up out MTD reservation and put us on First dinner seating.  They said they could not change it back.  Seeing how this did not fit our desired dining time request we went and cancelled the tips.  Every night (we eat one meal a day) we sat at the same table in the windjammer and tipped that person out at the end of the cruise.  She was real happy.  On night 5 of the cruise we did receive a call because they had not seen us at dinner and wanted to know if everything was all right.  Told the person what happened, they apologized and said they could move us into MTD then.  We stayed in the windjammer for the rest of cruise.  I understand that I cheated the dishwashers and such, but was not going to have our tips go to people we would never see on the front line.  We both felt a lot better tipping the person that was giving us service.

 

we also know a couple that only eats in the speciality restaurants, they always remove the tips and say because they are being charged the 18 percent they don’t mind.  Right or wrong that’s how they feel.  I don’t do the speciality places for the sole fact that they add the 18 percent. 

[tennislvr8]

I wonder if everyone knows the tips cover a variety of people and remove removing them becuase 1 person got you upset impacts a lot more people? 

[Thorben-Hendrik]

2 minutes ago, tennislvr8 said:

I wonder if everyone knows the tips cover a variety of people and remove removing them becuase 1 person got you upset impacts a lot more people? 

It is not the problem of the guests to worry about the payscale of the multi billion dollar company that RCI is! 👍

[tennislvr8]

Just now, Thorben-Hendrik said:

It is not the problem of the guests to worry about the payscale of the multi billion dollar company that RCI is! 👍

Do you tip at restaurants, bars or hotels? It's a common practice. 

[Thorben-Hendrik]

1 minute ago, tennislvr8 said:

Do you tip at restaurants, bars or hotels? It's a common practice. 

Very seldom.... 🤔