Concierge Behavior: Negative experience; your take?

[molly361]

2 hours ago, LMaxwell said:

On Allure all muster stations are indoors.  Each cabin had a different muster location.  This was not an issue for any of us, but good to know your experience and thanks for the tip. 

Not true-  Our muster station is always outside in the Aqua Theatre

[gerif]

The concierge definitely over reacted. Who knows, maybe she was faced with a lot of people sneaking in that night. Having said that, the OP’s mil clearly should have known she should not be in the lounge and the concierge should not have been expected to deal with whatever issues she was having. In any event, it’s time to give it a rest. 

[FionaMG]

Had a similar situation a few years ago on Harmony. SIL needed the DL concierge's assistance with something but she only speaks Portuguese and he spoke none. She asked me to go in with her to translate for her but he would not even speak to us until we had shown him our seapass cards and, of course, mine said Emerald. So off he went into a tirade about how I was not allowed in and I had to leave immediately and blah, blah, blah. It was a good 3 or 4 minutes before I was able to get a word in edgeways and ask him (loudly) if he spoke Portuguese. After that he calmed down enough to listen and finally sort out what SIL needed. But it was so unnecessary for him to have been so uncivil without even listening to what we had to say.

[Casino Comp Chick]

Karma always find a way.

Edited April 15, 2019 by Casino Comp Chick

[DfDinLA]

Interesting.  I'd like to hear the concierge's version of the events.

[Homosassa]

The concierge was enforcing the rules. Maybe you don't like the way he did it, but he was doing his job. 

 

Let it go and move on.

[dwhe]

The Concierge could have handled it better but I'm confused, why couldn't you have gone outside the lounge to talk to your MIL if you knew it was so taboo for her to enter. That's what I would have done.

 

I'm soon to become Diamond, does it mean that my partner who will not be Diamond can't come with me to the lounge, if that's so they can stuff the  Diamond lounge where the sun don't shine and I'll go else where. 

[Clarea]

2 minutes ago, dwhe said:

 ...

I'm soon to become Diamond, does it mean that my partner who will not be Diamond can't come with me to the lounge, if that's so they can stuff the  Diamond lounge where the sun don't shine and I'll go else where. 

 

Contact C&A and get your partner linked with you so they will have the same C&A level.  You need to have the same residence address and declare your partner your significant other.

[dwhe]

Good answer as always, thanks.

[LMaxwell]

26 minutes ago, dwhe said:

The Concierge could have handled it better but I'm confused, why couldn't you have gone outside the lounge to talk to your MIL if you knew it was so taboo for her to enter. That's what I would have done.

 

I'm soon to become Diamond, does it mean that my partner who will not be Diamond can't come with me to the lounge, if that's so they can stuff the  Diamond lounge where the sun don't shine and I'll go else where. 

Fair question:  I did not know she was outside of the lounge or how she gained entrance.  She appeared at our table to talk to us.  Until that very moment I had no indication anything was amiss and that she needed assistance.  The last I had seen her was before muster and we had an agreed time and place to meet for dinner.  Can not see the door from the table we were at. 

 

I thought my nice, normal tone request to the concierge to assist was sufficient; after all they are part of guest services and the concierge DID acknowledge affirmatively to the request.  It was when I saw the concierge schmoozing tables not even a minute later that it was apparent that was not the case.  At that point I did leave the lounge and did not see MIL and call to her room did not produce an answer. 

 

The ruse with "calling security" is something I do not understand at all as absolutely nothing had occurred to that point to warrant such an unsolicited comment from the concierge and when immediately rebuked the concierge let it become a moot point.  Plain stupid. 

 

That about sums up the entire experience:  Plain stupid. 

 

 

[LMaxwell]

40 minutes ago, Homosassa said:

The concierge was enforcing the rules. Maybe you don't like the way he did it, but he was doing his job. 

 

Let it go and move on.

 

I actually don't have a problem with the concierge enforcing the rules, but at no point on any other evening did I see the concierge make an effort to enforce other rules such as food and drink to remain in lounge, no swimwear, etc.  If one is to take pride in doing their job properly I think they also need to be fair and consistent.  When the concierge does not enforce the rules you see abuses and that ultimately costs us all, doesn't it? 

[dwhe]

45 minutes ago, Homosassa said:

The concierge was enforcing the rules. Maybe you don't like the way he did it, but he was doing his job. 

 

Let it go and move on.

There's enforcing the rules and enforcing the rules, the Concierge was out of order in their attitude in this case in my view.

Don't you just hate it when people say "let it go and move on"? I do.

[grapau27]

7 hours ago, LMaxwell said:

I am curious how others would feel and how you would have seeked to resolve the issue. 

 

I think some back story for context is appropriate: 

We decided as a family that our mother in law should join us on our trip; stay active, have a nice time with her grandson, etc.  Our Father In law passed on a few weeks ago.

So she booked a room at the double supplement and came with us and generally had an upbeat spirit about being with us. 

 

We separated at muster (different stations) and agreed we would meet up at 6PM before heading to specialty dining reservations. 

 

In that time there were numerous issues that had my mother in law frustrated and just wanting to ask for some help.  

She came to the Diamond Lounge, where she knew we (myself, wife, son) were going to go before dinner to seek us out and ask for help.  She is Emerald and knew she could not be in the lounge; to be honest I don't know how she even got in. 

 

She was not in the lounge for 10 seconds before the concierge came over and LOUDLY demanded the Seapass card to check.  Not like leaning in, just very loud to make a display of my mother in law.  For the record my Mother in Law does not drink ever and is on a restrictive diet so really doesn't want lounge appetizers either.  She only came to find us to see if we could help.  The concierge had the room STOPPED with her booming voice demanding that she leave immediately.  People around us were just jaw dropped.  

 

My mother in law explained she only had some issues and needed help, the concierge demanded OUT.  I stepped in and asked the concierge if she could please help my mother in law to resolve an issue.  The concierge calmed down and said yes come with me.  The concierge walked to her desk and pointed MIL out of the room.  I approached the concierge and said I had just asked for your assistance and you said yes, and all you did was kick her out.  I did not appreciate that.  I left the lounge but did not see my MIL.  I tried the house phone to call MIL room but was not there.  I went back to the lounge and again asked the concierge if she would call for help and she said yes (at this point I did not know what the actual issue(s) were or where my MIL was). 

 

About 5 minutes later the concierge said "I have an assistant to help, please come to my desk".  We go to the concierge desk and she says 'I am calling security on you for breaking the rules."  I was incredulous.  I replied you asked me to come over here and that you had an assistant to help.  There is no assistant, I don't know why you said there was.  As far as security, please call them.  I didn't allow anyone in the lounge, I wasn't being loud, vulgar, had not violated guest conduct policy, etc.  Furthermore, that lady you threw out for no reason also just paid for 4 more rooms on a Royal Caribbean ship" (She is taking the entire family on a summer cruise) The concierge simply got up and went back to chatting up the nearest guest.  No security was ever called.  The concierge from that point on would not look at or address us for the remainder of the cruise.  

 

The total time transpired was under 15 minutes.  Other guests were coming up to us saying they were appalled and whether Pinnacle or first time cruiser no one should have been treated that way.  One D+ told us "the concierge likes to make an example of someone the first night to make sure people know how the lounge works, but that was pretty stupid on her part to act that way and the cruise line owes an apology".  

 

FTR:  The rest of the week we saw people "bringing in friends", people in swimwear, people double and triple-fisting drinks on their way out (2 glasses of wine and getting unopened cans of soda to stuff in their bags) so the concierge clearly really doesn't care about these things. It is my opinion that something completely unrelated must have occurred and the concierge simply chose MIL as a punching bag on the spot.   

 

How would you have felt or what next step actions do you think appropriate?  I have a letter drafted to the C suite about this and contemplating if I send it or toss it.  

 

 

 

Firstly our sincere condolences for the loss of your FIL.

The concierge was well out of order and showed no customer service skills and is totally unsuitable for the concierge position.

If it was me I would send an email to Mr Bayley with full details naming the concierge as well as naming the concierge on the cruise review.

[deepcman]

1 hour ago, grapau27 said:

Firstly our sincere condolences for the loss of your FIL.

The concierge was well out of order and showed no customer service skills and is totally unsuitable for the concierge position.

If it was me I would send an email to Mr Bayley with full details naming the concierge as well as naming the concierge on the cruise review.

Wow.... One person wants to talk to the Captain and the other wants to email the CEO. There's a reason they have Managers at various levels. 

[GUEST71919]

9 hours ago, LMaxwell said:

I am curious how others would feel and how you would have seeked to resolve the issue. 

 

 

 I just want to say how sorry I am that this happened to your mother-in-law. One of the worst things in my life was sharing widowhood with my mother – my father died and 5 months later my husband of 13 years at the age of 38.  Losing a spouse is perhaps something people cannot truly understand unless they have gone through it, but I would hope that basic human compassion would lead most people to understand just how devastating that it would be. My opinion is that a great deal of what you described was not professional or even kind;  that it happened to her at the worst time of her life makes me sad (and I know without any doubt that it made you furious!). 

 

I know that sometimes on various boards people are not very soft-hearted with others and seem too often not to offer empathy (a general comment, not aimed at any specific poster or post). But I completely understand how you would feel about the behavior here - I only wish that I could have been sailing with you because I would have had my own words with the concierge if I had witnessed these events. So far we have been very happy with the concierge’s we have had on the whole sailing in RCL suites, but I have no doubt that some of the various concierges would be less than wonderful (as we have experienced that type on NCL on occasion). I think that you should let his superiors know your feelings, they are valid; I have found RCL to be responsive when I have reached out.  Either way, I think you should express your feelings as that is the best way to move forward (assertiveness is the fix for anxiety after all 😊). 

Edited April 15, 2019 by 2Beeze

[TPCRUISER2]

LMaxwell:So sorry to hear this happened to your family! You have had some kind luck lately on cruise ships!

[Chloesimon]

I'd like to hear the concierge's version of events. I bet it was much different than the OP's version.

 

Simply put, the MIL caused the situation. She should not have been in the Diamond lounge. Period. She improperly snuck in. She is old enough to know better. The OP should know better too. If the MIL had a question, she should have gone to guest services like every other non-Diamond level cruiser. She had no right to barge in the Diamond lounge and demand a response from the concierge. She did not pay for or earn that privilege.She tried a short cut and was reprimanded for it. She got her feelings hurt---which was an appropriate result. She should learn from this lesson: no short cuts.

 

According to the OP's version, the MIL said nothing. Probably not true. What reason would the concierge have to shout, at the top of her lungs, at the MIL. Something is missing from the story.

 

Also the OP wants to gain sympathy (to support his version of the story) by saying that the MIL lost her husband, the MIL was paying double for her room and the MIL was paying for another cruise. What relevance is that to resolving this particular issue? None. It's just fluff and a distraction.

 

She got what she deserved.

[Getting out there]

No one deserves to be yelled at EVER. Also, being someone who works with people, yelling NEVER works.

[Chloesimon]

Again, the yelling part is the OP's one-sided, biased version of events. Who knows what the other side of the story is.

[Ashland]

1 hour ago, Chloesimon said:

I'd like to hear the concierge's version of events. I bet it was much different than the OP's version.

 

Simply put, the MIL caused the situation. She should not have been in the Diamond lounge. Period. She improperly snuck in. She is old enough to know better. The OP should know better too. If the MIL had a question, she should have gone to guest services like every other non-Diamond level cruiser. She had no right to barge in the Diamond lounge and demand a response from the concierge. She did not pay for or earn that privilege.She tried a short cut and was reprimanded for it. She got her feelings hurt---which was an appropriate result. She should learn from this lesson: no short cuts.

 

According to the OP's version, the MIL said nothing. Probably not true. What reason would the concierge have to shout, at the top of her lungs, at the MIL. Something is missing from the story.

 

Also the OP wants to gain sympathy (to support his version of the story) by saying that the MIL lost her husband, the MIL was paying double for her room and the MIL was paying for another cruise. What relevance is that to resolving this particular issue? None. It's just fluff and a distraction.

 

She got what she deserved.

Many on this board won't have the nerve to agree with many of the valid points you made...I'm not one of them.

[PhoenixCruiser]

8 hours ago, Homosassa said:

The concierge was enforcing the rules. Maybe you don't like the way he did it, but he was doing his job. 

 

Let it go and move on.

 

I'm in agreement.  People complain about crowding issues until...

[Milwaukee Eight]

8 hours ago, dwhe said:

 

I'm soon to become Diamond, does it mean that my partner who will not be Diamond can't come with me to the lounge, if that's so they can stuff the  Diamond lounge where the sun don't shine and I'll go else where. 

That would be an inside cabin. 

[Ashland]

9 hours ago, dwhe said:

The Concierge could have handled it better but I'm confused, why couldn't you have gone outside the lounge to talk to your MIL if you knew it was so taboo for her to enter. That's what I would have done.

 

I'm soon to become Diamond, does it mean that my partner who will not be Diamond can't come with me to the lounge, if that's so they can stuff the  Diamond lounge where the sun don't shine and I'll go else where. 

Your "partner" aka SO....if living at the same address should be able to share your C&A status...You just need to speak to RCI to make the adjustment linking the two of you together.

[travelplus]

I would have called security myself and file an incident report against the Concierge. Your MIL was just looking for you for help. What if she had a heart attack or other medical emergency? Please report this to the Executive Customer Relations by emailing Mr. Fain. I'm utterly shocked by the power struggle. Very unprofessional. I hope you get Future Cruise Credits for the upcoming 4 rooms for the next cruise.

[PhoenixCruiser]

I would have called security myself and file an incident report against the Concierge. Your MIL was just looking for you for help. What if she had a heart attack or other medical emergency? Please report this to the Executive Customer Relations by emailing Mr. Fain. I'm utterly shocked by the power struggle. Very unprofessional. I hope you get Future Cruise Credits for the upcoming 4 rooms for the next cruise.

 

 

Oh my, heart attack? Now you are reaching too.  

 

 

If this happened at guest services perhaps however, this was in the Diamond lounge where the MIL wasn't a Diamond member.

 

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