Removing tips due to bad service

[itsmeagain]

9 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? 

Yes most people know that, but in our case they had 3 people that were going to be tipped that we never would have seen or received service from because they could not get our seating corrected.  

[grandgeezer]

3 hours 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.

 

It shows they don’t care any more for their employees than they do their customers. We have never cut the tips or eliminating them entirely, but reserve the right to do so if the issue/issues persists. We are very low maintenance so if they do their normal job, and do it promptly, all is good.

[CRUISEFAN0001]

3 hours ago, tennislvr8 said:

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

Indeed...but unfortunately there are cheap-skates from time to time in those places, who have no issue absorbing attention and great service treatment...followed by a MEH in the form of no tip. They know who they are and simply don't care...and no one will change that unfortunate behavior. ''

 

In contrast, we appreciate good/great service, and demonstrate it to those who are in service industries such as those you named. 

[A2Mich]

I’ve never reduced or removed the suggested amount, but promise that I will not give any extra to those individuals that don’t provide adequate service.

Edited April 22, 2019 by A2Mich

[Jarmo]

On 4/21/2019 at 10:35 AM, Thorben-Hendrik said:

Gratuities are optional and non of your business! 👍

The world would be a better place if your opinions were none of our business. 

[Thorben-Hendrik]

6 hours ago, Jarmo said:

The world would be a better place if your opinions were none of our business. 

I got news for you:

My opinion is my opinion! 👍

#myvacationmymoney

 

[LMaxwell]

On 4/21/2019 at 4:23 PM, 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? 

 

Your service charges, gratuity, etc., whatever you wish to label it goes to a number of different hotel and service operations support teams.  However, gratuity, at least in the eastern US where I am from, is used as an additional amount to thank a server.  What they do after (house rules on divvying) is on them.  So the company advertises an experience and service level; if a guest feels they are not receiving what has been promised, they retain the right to do as they please regarding this charge.  So long as the cruise lines label it a gratuity, it will be optional.  If they were to call it a daily resort fee, they could make it compulsory.  The industry chooses not to do so, primarily for what I assume is advertising and marketing reasons. 

 

All that said, if you receive poor service that impacts your vacation, you retain the right to do what you want with the money.  You aren't receiving what you've paid for, make a decision what you believe is the best course of action.  That the company set up a poor system to guilt trip guests for the failings of some staff really is unfortunate.  

 

I removed mine on a 3 day cruise where both Saturday and Sunday at the main pool on the ship, non-smoking area, we encountered smokers.  Directly asked deck staff to address the situation and was told they could not confront the smokers and upset them.  2 days in a row.  Was not looking for prime next to pool spot, just 2 chairs together with a bit of shade in the non-smoking section.  On the second day that this happened and the staff would not do anything I decided I was not receiving the vacation the company had advertised; I was essentially paying fees for services and amenities I could not use because the company would not enforce its own rules.   I had given the company the opportunity to fix the problem.  They declined.  So I only had one remaining action; talk corporate lingo.  ($$$).  What would my preference have been?  Ideally to never have the issue, but short of that, having the issue addressed promptly the first time it was brought to the staffs attention and not having to go to guest services.   Staff that were not empowered by the company to correct and resolve the situation ended up costing money (on the accounting sheet).  I verified I could tip those I wished to in cash and they could keep it.  Perhaps the staff think the rule breakers wouldn't even be that courteous and so ticking me off was the less damaging option than ticking off the smokers?  

 

I think companies are more responsive to $$$ than they are to surveys.  A survey result is difficult to pin down what it means to $$$.  Seeing $$$ removed from bottomline is much easier to interpret.  

Edited April 23, 2019 by LMaxwell

[CRUISEFAN0001]

8 minutes ago, LMaxwell said:

 

Your service charges, gratuity, etc., whatever you wish to label it goes to a number of different hotel and service operations support teams.  However, gratuity, at least in the eastern US where I am from, is used as an additional amount to thank a server.  What they do after (house rules on divvying) is on them.  So the company advertises an experience and service level; if a guest feels they are not receiving what has been promised, they retain the right to do as they please regarding this charge.  So long as the cruise lines label it a gratuity, it will be optional.  If they were to call it a daily resort fee, they could make it compulsory.  The industry chooses not to do so, primarily for what I assume is advertising and marketing reasons. 

 

All that said, if you receive poor service that impacts your vacation, you retain the right to do what you want with the money.  You aren't receiving what you've paid for, make a decision what you believe is the best course of action.  That the company set up a poor system to guilt trip guests for the failings of some staff really is unfortunate.  

 

I removed mine on a 3 day cruise where both Saturday and Sunday at the main pool on the ship, non-smoking area, we encountered smokers.  Directly asked deck staff to address the situation and was told they could not confront the smokers and upset them.  2 days in a row.  Was not looking for prime next to pool spot, just 2 chairs together with a bit of shade in the non-smoking section.  On the second day that this happened and the staff would not do anything I decided I was not receiving the vacation the company had advertised; I was essentially paying fees for services and amenities I could not use because the company would not enforce its own rules.   I had given the company the opportunity to fix the problem.  They declined.  So I only had one remaining action; talk corporate lingo.  ($$$).  What would my preference have been?  Ideally to never have the issue, but short of that, having the issue addressed promptly the first time it was brought to the staffs attention and not having to go to guest services.   Staff that were not empowered by the company to correct and resolve the situation ended up costing money (on the accounting sheet).  I verified I could tip those I wished to in cash and they could keep it.  Perhaps the staff think the rule breakers wouldn't even be that courteous and so ticking me off was the less damaging option than ticking off the smokers?  

 

I think companies are more responsive to $$$ than they are to surveys.  A survey result is difficult to pin down what it means to $$$.  Seeing $$$ removed from bottomline is much easier to interpret.  

This is one of the best posts on this topic to date. 👍

[Saab4444]

39 minutes ago, LMaxwell said:

 

Your service charges, gratuity, etc., whatever you wish to label it goes to a number of different hotel and service operations support teams.  However, gratuity, at least in the eastern US where I am from, is used as an additional amount to thank a server.  What they do after (house rules on divvying) is on them.  So the company advertises an experience and service level; if a guest feels they are not receiving what has been promised, they retain the right to do as they please regarding this charge.  So long as the cruise lines label it a gratuity, it will be optional.  If they were to call it a daily resort fee, they could make it compulsory.  The industry chooses not to do so, primarily for what I assume is advertising and marketing reasons. 

 

All that said, if you receive poor service that impacts your vacation, you retain the right to do what you want with the money.  You aren't receiving what you've paid for, make a decision what you believe is the best course of action.  That the company set up a poor system to guilt trip guests for the failings of some staff really is unfortunate.  

 

I removed mine on a 3 day cruise where both Saturday and Sunday at the main pool on the ship, non-smoking area, we encountered smokers.  Directly asked deck staff to address the situation and was told they could not confront the smokers and upset them.  2 days in a row.  Was not looking for prime next to pool spot, just 2 chairs together with a bit of shade in the non-smoking section.  On the second day that this happened and the staff would not do anything I decided I was not receiving the vacation the company had advertised; I was essentially paying fees for services and amenities I could not use because the company would not enforce its own rules.   I had given the company the opportunity to fix the problem.  They declined.  So I only had one remaining action; talk corporate lingo.  ($$$).  What would my preference have been?  Ideally to never have the issue, but short of that, having the issue addressed promptly the first time it was brought to the staffs attention and not having to go to guest services.   Staff that were not empowered by the company to correct and resolve the situation ended up costing money (on the accounting sheet).  I verified I could tip those I wished to in cash and they could keep it.  Perhaps the staff think the rule breakers wouldn't even be that courteous and so ticking me off was the less damaging option than ticking off the smokers?  

 

I think companies are more responsive to $$$ than they are to surveys.  A survey result is difficult to pin down what it means to $$$.  Seeing $$$ removed from bottomline is much easier to interpret.  

Very well said and absolutely correct!

[Thorben-Hendrik]

1 hour ago, LMaxwell said:

 

Your service charges, gratuity, etc., whatever you wish to label it goes to a number of different hotel and service operations support teams.  However, gratuity, at least in the eastern US where I am from, is used as an additional amount to thank a server.  What they do after (house rules on divvying) is on them.  So the company advertises an experience and service level; if a guest feels they are not receiving what has been promised, they retain the right to do as they please regarding this charge.  So long as the cruise lines label it a gratuity, it will be optional.  If they were to call it a daily resort fee, they could make it compulsory.  The industry chooses not to do so, primarily for what I assume is advertising and marketing reasons. 

 

All that said, if you receive poor service that impacts your vacation, you retain the right to do what you want with the money.  You aren't receiving what you've paid for, make a decision what you believe is the best course of action.  That the company set up a poor system to guilt trip guests for the failings of some staff really is unfortunate.  

 

I removed mine on a 3 day cruise where both Saturday and Sunday at the main pool on the ship, non-smoking area, we encountered smokers.  Directly asked deck staff to address the situation and was told they could not confront the smokers and upset them.  2 days in a row.  Was not looking for prime next to pool spot, just 2 chairs together with a bit of shade in the non-smoking section.  On the second day that this happened and the staff would not do anything I decided I was not receiving the vacation the company had advertised; I was essentially paying fees for services and amenities I could not use because the company would not enforce its own rules.   I had given the company the opportunity to fix the problem.  They declined.  So I only had one remaining action; talk corporate lingo.  ($$$).  What would my preference have been?  Ideally to never have the issue, but short of that, having the issue addressed promptly the first time it was brought to the staffs attention and not having to go to guest services.   Staff that were not empowered by the company to correct and resolve the situation ended up costing money (on the accounting sheet).  I verified I could tip those I wished to in cash and they could keep it.  Perhaps the staff think the rule breakers wouldn't even be that courteous and so ticking me off was the less damaging option than ticking off the smokers?  

 

I think companies are more responsive to $$$ than they are to surveys.  A survey result is difficult to pin down what it means to $$$.  Seeing $$$ removed from bottomline is much easier to interpret.  

What  you experience is the  norm these days!

Gratuities are are only a money maker - it is a scam to empty the pockets of the passengers!👎

🙄

🙄

Edited April 23, 2019 by Thorben-Hendrik