Chair hoggers - interesting response

[squick64]

I legit had a chair right by the pool and was using it - no hogging going on.  I had the NERVE to get in the pool and about 10 minutes later saw someone getting ready to take over my chair.  I got out of the pool and was told “well, you got up!”

 

This is the issue for me--who's to say someone's "hogging"? I mean, sure, if you witness them put their things out early in the morning, on multiple chairs, and then quite obviously head to the buffet, that's a no-no.

 

But on my last cruise, my father was whining that someone had left their bag on a nearby chair so he couldn't use it (we'd gone down separately and ended up in different places), and I was like, well, maybe they're in the pool. Then I noted that he was being a hypocrite for complaining that I hadn't staked out extra chairs for my family when I sat down--even though it would have been entirely on an off chance that they'd have ended up using them as I didn't even know where they were or what they were doing. You can't have it both ways. And as it turns out, the bag belonged to a woman who was in the pool, in the water aerobics class.

 

Especially if it has personal belongings, not just a ship towel, I'm going to assume the person is around somewhere--in the pool, going down the slide, waiting ages at the bar for a drink, etc. If someone moved my stuff because I did one of those things, I'd be pissed, especially when I often have valuable things in my bag like my phone.

[davekathy]

27 minutes ago, squick64 said:

 

 

 

This is the issue for me--who's to say someone's "hogging"? I mean, sure, if you witness them put their things out early in the morning, on multiple chairs, and then quite obviously head to the buffet, that's a no-no.

 

But on my last cruise, my father was whining that someone had left their bag on a nearby chair so he couldn't use it (we'd gone down separately and ended up in different places), and I was like, well, maybe they're in the pool. Then I noted that he was being a hypocrite for complaining that I hadn't staked out extra chairs for my family when I sat down--even though it would have been entirely on an off chance that they'd have ended up using them as I didn't even know where they were or what they were doing. You can't have it both ways. And as it turns out, the bag belonged to a woman who was in the pool, in the water aerobics class.

 

Especially if it has personal belongings, not just a ship towel, I'm going to assume the person is around somewhere--in the pool, going down the slide, waiting ages at the bar for a drink, etc. If someone moved my stuff because I did one of those things, I'd be pissed, especially when I often have valuable things in my bag like my phone.

I believe this is why most of the pool deck staff are reluctant to remove personal items from  pool loungers. Do people actually stand around and time how long a pool lounger with someones personal belongings has been personally unoccupied? 

[$hip$hape]

5 minutes ago, davekathy said:

I believe this is why most of the pool deck staff are reluctant to remove personal items from  pool loungers. Do people actually stand around and time how long a pool lounger with someones personal belongings has been personally unoccupied? 

 

5 minutes ago, davekathy said:

I believe this is why most of the pool deck staff are reluctant to remove personal items from  pool loungers. Do people actually stand around and time how long a pool lounger with someones personal belongings has been personally unoccupied? 

We have found NO pool deck staff. That is why pax actually stand around.

[davekathy]

8 minutes ago, $hip$hape said:

 

We have found NO pool deck staff. That is why pax actually stand around.

Sounds like a waste of a good day. Do you remove someones personal junk and who do you give it to if there isn't any pool deck staff around? 

[ReneeFLL]

 

What we need to do to deal with Royal and their response is to complain about all the chair hoggers. I would like to see what they would have to say then. 😁

[ReneeFLL]

On 8/14/2019 at 7:46 AM, Flatbush Flyer said:

Not all cruise lines......      Perhaps it's time to try one where chair hogs are few and far between.

 

Which cruise lines are those?

 

On 8/14/2019 at 8:37 AM, Joebucks said:

I love when people contact corporate thinking that they will hear something they have never heard before, and will change their operating model

 

So are you saying that people should just sit back and let others have everything they want at the expense of someone else? After enough complaints they just might do something about it.

[ReneeFLL]

On 8/14/2019 at 10:02 AM, ed01106 said:

....If a third of the chairs have people, a third are empty, and a third have stuff....no point in removing the stuff there are still seats for anyone who arrives.   But if all the chairs are occupied start removing stuff oldest first.

 

I absolutely hate this idea.  The CL nickel and dime too much already.  The CLs should balance deck space with passenger capacity so that chair hogging becomes irrelevant.  Eg enough space on sea days for EVERYONE to enjoy the deck. CHogging only exists because the CL doesn’t have enough capacity to meet the needs of its customers....

 

So what you are says is to allow the chair hogs to continue to hog chairs because there are plenty of chairs "somewhere"? What if someone wants a chair by the pool and not "somewhere"else, but a lot of them are not even being used because the hogger is not even in the pool area and is off doing something else?

 

On 8/14/2019 at 10:34 AM, ducklite said:

I truly believe that the mass market lines are going to a pay for play model, and charging for pool chair reservations will be coming sooner than later.  The more coveted the space, the higher the cost, with reservation windows opening based on the level of accommodation booked and loyalty status.  They'd be foolish not to. 

 

The more they continue to charge for every little thing people will realize that they will get a better product with one of the more upscale lines. More people will be jumping ship to better things such as different cruise line or other types of vacations.

[pootsien2]

My thought(sort of kidding) is to get rid of all the lounge style chairs around the pools because they  are a safety hazard, but allow cruisers to place their towels on the hard deck and then have attendants available to help those who can't get back up after they sit down! I would like to "people watch" that! Ha,ha! 

[Flatbush Flyer]

3 hours ago, ReneeFLL said:

 

Which cruise lines are those?

 

You'll find greatly reduced chair hogging on pretty much every premium/luxury cruise ship. A combination of far less passengers than on the floating amusement parks and a generally decorous passenger demographic/attitude keeps the number of offenders to a minimum.

 

On our preferred line,  time printed cards can be left on a suspect/vacant "hogged" lounger. If pool staff see a card that is more than 30 minutes past, placeholdibg items will be removed. A very simple and effective solution for the occasional issue.

[ducklite]

6 hours ago, ReneeFLL said:

 

Which cruise lines are those?

 

I've sailed on the Paul Gauguin and Windstar and there was no chair hogging on either of them.  

[clo]

8 hours ago, ReneeFLL said:

 

What we need to do to deal with Royal and their response is to complain about all the chair hoggers. I would like to see what they would have to say then. 😁

I so often see on social media that people will complain here but not correspond with management.  So you've wasted your time.  (Not you, of course.)

[davekathy]

16 minutes ago, clo said:

I so often see on social media that people will complain here but not correspond with management.  So you've wasted your time.  (Not you, of course.)

I agree. So many will use CC as their platform to whine about something but when questioned if they have voiced their concerns/complaints while on their cruise or directly to the cruise line...no.🙄

[Flatbush Flyer]

2 hours ago, ducklite said:

Even Disney no longer uses the "customer is always right" mentality.  Too many people who just can't be made happy regardless,  too many scammers, and too many people who think the world is owed to them because they can fog a mirror.  
 

I'm not so sure that "Disney" (at least, the original Disneyland in SoCal - now the Disneyland Resort with the inclusion of California Adventure) has ever had a "customer is always right" mentality. Rather, they have an approach to customer service that often focuses on a balance of reasonable accommodation and deescalating technique.

 

I once had an exec assistant who had come from S.F.'s Marriott operation. She could hold the line on any of our non-negotiable and still send folks away with a smile. When I asked her about acquisition of that skill, her answer was "Disney University."

[clo]

22 minutes ago, davekathy said:

I agree. So many will use CC as their platform to whine about something but when questioned if they have voiced their concerns/complaints while on their cruise or directly to the cruise line...no.🙄

We're not pool/beach users so it's moot for us.  But if I were part of that demographic and saw some of these things happening, I'd call out the person.  Gently and quietly but if that didn't work I'm completely capable of upping the ante.  That's when my husband calls me Bruno as in "don't mess with Bruno."  🙂

[ducklite]

20 minutes ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

I'm not so sure that "Disney" (at least, the original Disneyland in SoCal - now the Disneyland Resort with the inclusion of California Adventure) has ever had a "customer is always right" mentality. Rather, they have an approach to customer service that often focuses on a balance of reasonable accommodation and deescalating technique.

 

I once had an exec assistant who had come from S.F.'s Marriott operation. She could hold the line on any of our non-negotiable and still send folks away with a smile. When I asked her about acquisition of that skill, her answer was "Disney University."

Back in the day, Disney did have a "customer is always right" mentality.  Over time it morphed into a customer is almost always right mentality--which is what it was when I was sent by my employer to the Disney University--a fantastic experience with a ton of takeaways to bring back to my team! 

 

A few years later I ended up working for Disney as a Cast Member.   Because Disney had been far too lenient for far too long, we were barraged with scammers who thought that they could pretty much get away with anything.  That was no longer the case, and I saw pretty drastic changes (relatively speaking) in that time frame. 

 

Back in the day, Disney pretty much had a policy to never confront a shoplifter, just let them go instead of creating a scene.  Now they trespass them off property or even prosecute them. 

 

One of my biggest "wins" ever was with a lady who I knew was shoplifting and putting things in the sleeves of her daughters snow jacket that she was carrying.  I walked up to her with a shopping basket and quickly grabbed the coat out of her hand in a single movement in a way that everything fell to the floor while saying, "Let's put the coat into the basket to give you free hands to shop with."  When everything fell out of the sleeves and to the floor I scooped all of the merchandise up into the shopping basket and acting very innocent, I told her I'd hold it all at the cash wrap for her and bring her another basket.  And then I handed the coat to the little girl and told her, "Mommy has a lot of things she's trying to carry for you, why don't you carry your coat to help her out."  I didn't need to take another basket back to her, they were out of the store in under four seconds.  

 

For many years Disney took tickets at face value, now they have sophisticated systems to spot cheats and will confiscate tickets that don't conform to their purchase and use requirements.  They even got the State of Florida to pass laws specific to the use of theme park tickets. 

 

Disney has also gotten very savvy with people trying to scam based on faked injuries and such.  No longer will a report of a scratch from a shrub hanging 1/2" over a fence gain a free hotel room night or a comped dinner at a fine restaurant.  At best you might get a fast pass.  And that's of you allow them to call the paramedics.  

 

Instead of quietly investigating theft, assault, harassment, or other crimes by employees, they now inform and fully cooperate with law enforcement--even though they know their "dirty laundry" will be aired as a result.

 

They also have begun enforcing use of facilities by those who aren't supposed to be there--the wristband system at the  Stormalong Bay pool complex comes to mind.  

 

I had to smile at your final sentence, because I have to say "no" on a regular basis.  I've learned to do it in a way that my customers often end the conversation by saying, "I guess that was a pretty ridiculous thing to ask for to begin with.  I'm happy with what I've got.  Thanks for your time and explaining it all to me."  That's how I know I'm good at my job.  😁

 

Edited August 17, 2019 by ducklite

[clo]

27 minutes ago, SRF said:

 

Wrong.

 

When we had out business, we also "fired" several customers.

 

If a customer tells you that you have to break the law for them, are they still "right"?

 

 

 

I can't imagine any business that doesn't occasionally "fire" a customer.

[AmazedByCruising]

51 minutes ago, clo said:

I can't imagine any business that doesn't occasionally "fire" a customer.

 

I do :(

Not sure we are even legally allowed to get rid of them. We make software for GPs, and that comes with complicated rules. You can't say "we don't like you, you're shouting at our helpdesk, you're blaming us for unpaid bills, now here's your data and good luck". One of our competitors tried to "fire" a customer once, even offered to pay the license fees for a competitor (!), and the end result was that they had to compensate the GP for all the trouble and let him use the software till his pension (luckily just 2 years) for free. It was one of the weirdest verdicts I've ever seen, but we surely won't be firing a client.

 

 

 

[clo]

3 minutes ago, AmazedByCruising said:

 

I do 😞

Not sure we are even legally allowed to get rid of them. We make software for GPs, and that comes with complicated rules. You can't say "we don't like you, you're shouting at our helpdesk, you're blaming us for unpaid bills, now here's your data and good luck". One of our competitors tried to "fire" a customer once, even offered to pay the license fees for a competitor (!), and the end result was that they had to compensate the GP for all the trouble and let him use the software till his pension (luckily just 2 years) for free. It was one of the weirdest verdicts I've ever seen, but we surely won't be firing a client.

 

 

 

Holey moley.  That's incredible!

 

[ducklite]

4 minutes ago, AmazedByCruising said:

 

I do 😞

Not sure we are even legally allowed to get rid of them. We make software for GPs, and that comes with complicated rules. You can't say "we don't like you, you're shouting at our helpdesk, you're blaming us for unpaid bills, now here's your data and good luck". One of our competitors tried to "fire" a customer once, even offered to pay the license fees for a competitor (!), and the end result was that they had to compensate the GP for all the trouble and let him use the software till his pension (luckily just 2 years) for free. It was one of the weirdest verdicts I've ever seen, but we surely won't be firing a client.

 

 

 

Fortunately my contracts are never more than a year and there is no guarantee of renewal on either side.  We can non-renew for any (non-protected) reason just like they can.

[AmazedByCruising]

12 minutes ago, ducklite said:

Fortunately my contracts are never more than a year and there is no guarantee of renewal on either side.  We can non-renew for any (non-protected) reason just like they can.

 

We do have the same kind of contracts, but unfortunately there is law that nullifies it in a court case. IIRC correctly it was that the patients would be endangered and they should continue their service. Of course, if a doctor can't access the patient records there is a problem, but this GP simply didn't want to change his software provider and he didn't need to according to the judge.

 

[ReneeFLL]

2 hours ago, davekathy said:

I agree. So many will use CC as their platform to whine about something but when questioned if they have voiced their concerns/complaints while on their cruise or directly to the cruise line...no.🙄

 

2 hours ago, clo said:

I so often see on social media that people will complain here but not correspond with management.  So you've wasted your time.  (Not you, of course.)

 

I have complained to pool attendants, GS and in my surveys. We just need more people doing it.

[AL3XCruise]

3 hours ago, ReneeFLL said:

The customer ISN'T always right.

Bingo!  There are cases where the customer has demanded things that will negatively impact other customers, create a safety hazard, or simply not be logistically or financially possible.  

 

I've generally found there are two times people bring up the customer is always right.  One is when training entry level customer service positions that have no previous work experience and no real decision making authority.  The other is in the minds of entitled customers who use the phrase us justification of their unreasonable demands.  

 

5 hours ago, AmazedByCruising said:

I do :(

Its a pain, but that is regulatory issue; the customer is still wrong!

 

[davekathy]

8 hours ago, clo said:

We're not pool/beach users so it's moot for us.  But if I were part of that demographic and saw some of these things happening, I'd call out the person.  Gently and quietly but if that didn't work I'm completely capable of upping the ante.  That's when my husband calls me Bruno as in "don't mess with Bruno."  🙂

Not limited to just to the topic of this thread.  

[clo]

18 minutes ago, davekathy said:

Not limited to just to the topic of this thread.  

Not at all limited to this topic 🙂

[brillohead]

I was on Navigator of the Seas once, sitting in the hot tub in the Solarium.  I watched a couple come and stake their claim, laying out towels and tote bags and books and such on two lounge chairs before walking away.  

At least half an hour later, when I couldn't find a lounge chair in the shade (I'm a redhead, must have shade), I took the belongings from one chair and put them on the other chair.  I proceeded to spread out my towel and stretch out for a nap.  

Another twenty minutes or so goes by, and I hear the lady's voice with an indignant proclamation of, "SHE MOVED MY THINGS!!!!"  I feigned sleep, and the couple gathered up their belongings and huffed off.  If they didn't want their space taken, they shouldn't have left for an hour while they had lunch in the buffet.  

One of my biggest peeves about chair-hoggers is the families that insist on a separate lounger for each person, when the kiddies will be in the pool / hot tub / slides / arcade / buffet the ENTIRE time.  If you won't have a butt in the chair, you don't need the chair at all.  Use the kids' towels as pillows on the parents' chairs, and let someone actually use the lounger as it was intended to be used. 

I'd actually like to see the cruise line install some cubbies in the pool areas with a sign that says, "Using the pool/whirlpool? Place your items here to keep them dry, instead of on a lounger."  That would free up a lot of poolside loungers that are used for nothing more than a place to keep a towel, sunscreen, and sandals.