Is Celebrity Putting Too Much Pressure On Crew To Receive Excellent Guest Survey Ratings?

[Fly and Sail]

I have experienced this on past sailings but this weeks trip on Millennium has taken the soliciting of excellent post-cruise survey reviews to the next level.

 

More than a dozen crew members have asked me on multiple occasions to leave them top marks on the survey, many even going into detail how their income depends on these ratings etc. I'm trying to be nice and assure them to feel more relaxed but it's gotten weird now.

 

I'm not sure what Celebrity actually does with the data from these surveys and I do feel that the crew generally does an excellent job but this constant push for reviews is really over the top and quiet frankly annoying as well.

 

If the crew feels under that much pressure to receive top grade input and recommendations from guests then Celebrity needs to change that system asap. It doesn't create a relaxing work environment and puts the burden of crew evaluation on the passengers rather than onboard management.

[LouChamp]

31 minutes ago, Fly and Sail said:

I have experienced this on past sailings but this weeks trip on Millennium has taken the soliciting of excellent post-cruise survey reviews to the next level.

 

More than a dozen crew members have asked me on multiple occasions to leave them top marks on the survey, many even going into detail how their income depends on these ratings etc. I'm trying to be nice and assure them to feel more relaxed but it's gotten weird now.

 

I'm not sure what Celebrity actually does with the data from these surveys and I do feel that the crew generally does an excellent job but this constant push for reviews is really over the top and quiet frankly annoying as well.

 

If the crew feels under that much pressure to receive top grade input and recommendations from guests then Celebrity needs to change that system asap. It doesn't create a relaxing work environment and puts the burden of crew evaluation on the passengers rather than onboard management.

years ago anything less than the top ranking would result in someone losing a few tables in the dining room or fewer cabins to clean.  not sure of the protocols now but obviously there are some repercussions.

[Cg52]

1 hour ago, Fly and Sail said:

I have experienced this on past sailings but this weeks trip on Millennium has taken the soliciting of excellent post-cruise survey reviews to the next level.

 

More than a dozen crew members have asked me on multiple occasions to leave them top marks on the survey, many even going into detail how their income depends on these ratings etc. I'm trying to be nice and assure them to feel more relaxed but it's gotten weird now.

 

I'm not sure what Celebrity actually does with the data from these surveys and I do feel that the crew generally does an excellent job but this constant push for reviews is really over the top and quiet frankly annoying as well.

 

If the crew feels under that much pressure to receive top grade input and recommendations from guests then Celebrity needs to change that system asap. It doesn't create a relaxing work environment and puts the burden of crew evaluation on the passengers rather than onboard management.

I wonder if this is tied to the new way of including gratuities in the price paid for the cruise. I agree it’s unfair for crew to be under this much pressure.

[CABINET]

I couldn't agree more that this is off putting and very annoying.

[CroozFanatic]

Always believed the soliciting of "reviews" was a veiled request for cash. Call me a cynic.

[TeeRick]

1 hour ago, Fly and Sail said:

I have experienced this on past sailings but this weeks trip on Millennium has taken the soliciting of excellent post-cruise survey reviews to the next level.

 

More than a dozen crew members have asked me on multiple occasions to leave them top marks on the survey, many even going into detail how their income depends on these ratings etc. I'm trying to be nice and assure them to feel more relaxed but it's gotten weird now.

 

I'm not sure what Celebrity actually does with the data from these surveys and I do feel that the crew generally does an excellent job but this constant push for reviews is really over the top and quiet frankly annoying as well.

 

If the crew feels under that much pressure to receive top grade input and recommendations from guests then Celebrity needs to change that system asap. It doesn't create a relaxing work environment and puts the burden of crew evaluation on the passengers rather than onboard management.

Agree that the crew should not be asking for you to rate them with top marks on the survey.  That being said, more than a dozen asked you on your Millennium sailing?  I can think of a few that serve you directly that require official post-cruise ratings (like room steward, waiter and assistant waiter, butler if in a suite) but most other crew that are on board are not officially rated by you on the survey.  So how did you come up with more than a dozen?  

[Fouremco]

The only reason this ridiculous situation exists is because Celebrity considers a 9 out of 10 to be a failure, and the crew are trying to ensure that people like me, who would normally score very good service as an 8 or 9, are aware of this quirky approach that serves no one very well.

[miched]

The problem I have is the rating exceeded my expectations.   If it was the first time I cruises it may have exceeded my expectations. 

 

Having cruises many times I expect the same level of service that I had so it could never exceed my expectations 

 

Now  it is on a scaled of 1 to 10 but that is almost worthless as they will tell you anything less than 10 hurts them.   There should also be a place under the question to write a comment.

 

Happy cruising 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌅
 

 

 

 

[Cruising89143]

This is not unique to Celebrity as I have had this happen on just about every cruise line that we have sailed and I dislike it. I know that the guest rating is tied back to not only the servers, etc. but also their managers and departments. It can mean extra time off and other incentives for the crew but having crew to beg for ratings is a poor system IMHO. 
 

If the cruise line really values their guests opinions then they should want honest feedback. I usually just skip the forms now. 

[lovemylab]

Our last Celebrity cruise was in 2015 but it was definitely the case then.  We had multiple crew members tell us that it's a 10 or nothing and received several "sales pitches" regarding it.

 

[GTarrant]

This seems to be the case everywhere. I know when I get my car serviced, I get email after email with surveys, and then often a separate one from the service department telling me that they need a 5 or a 10 or whatever the maximum is.

 

My #1 thing I do on these surveys is if people specifically are really good, I mention them by name. I've heard from many that while the 10 rating is great, getting an actual mention in the survey goes right back to them in perks. If there are specific staff that make your cruise the best, take the time to name them. 

[CruzR887]

It's not just Celebrity. Every time you are asked to rate personal or services, from Uber drivers to Doctors, anything other than the highest number will be seen by management as a negative. It can affect pay raises, promotions and even employment. Any survey every time. A room steward who does his/her job will be hurt by a rating lower than "exceeded expectations". Unless someone is truly sub par give them the highest rating or don't respond to the survey. That's why they are asking for the highest mark because anything less will hurt them in one way or another.

[graphicguy]

32 minutes ago, cruisingator2 said:

This is not unique to Celebrity as I have had this happen on just about every cruise line that we have sailed and I dislike it. I know that the guest rating is tied back to not only the servers, etc. but also their managers and departments. It can mean extra time off and other incentives for the crew but having crew to beg for ratings is a poor system IMHO. 
 

If the cruise line really values their guests opinions then they should want honest feedback. I usually just skip the forms now. 

That's true.  Matter of fact, I think it may be a little less on Celebrity than on any of the other cruise lines I've sailed. But, I do think with the AI with tips as a part of that package, other compensation is probably tied to Passenger satisfaction.

 

I just bought a new car.  I know my sales person said if I could not award him a 5 star rating on his survey, to let him know so he could fix anything that kept me from doing so.

 

So, cruising isn't the only industry where this is happening.

[ScubesDad]

Prior to my retirement 9 years ago my employer implemented a totally random questionnaire to our clients based on our documented contact.  This was probably around 2008.  The benchmark was a top box score. Regrettably very few clients will provide a top box score, as many feel no one is perfect. It took about 15-18 months for the client facing personnel to convince the powers that be that a rating of 8, 9 or 10 is a top box and they should be focusing on ratings of less than that.  Common sense prevailed and that was what they did.

 

We have noticed over the past few years the increasing number of on board personnel who mention the need for a top rating.  We always reply that we are seasoned cruisers and provided they complete their duties to the best of their ability they have nothing to worry about. They truly are under the hammer if they receive anything less than top box marks.

 

If i can't think of anything they could have done to improve on what they did they get a 10.  If I have identified something which I would like changed and they follow through, a 10.   We never know what they face in a day, I know I wouldn't want their job.

[bruzin_for_a_cruizin]

[shipgeeks]

We have experienced this many times, and find it quite annoying.  What I find curious is the question on the post-cruise survey:  Did any crew member speak to you about these ratings? (or similar wording).  I get the feeling they are not supposed to do so, so I say No.  But I could be wrong.  Should I say Yes?  Will that get the person in trouble?  Or be a plus for them?  Maybe they are instructed to do so?  It's very confusing, apart from the annoyance.

[Esprit]

Just off Silhouette yesterday and all the crew we spoke with were asking if we would give a 10.

i joked with one waiter that as my breakfast order was mixed up I couldn’t possibly give a 10 and she was aghast.

[davekathy]

16 minutes ago, shipgeeks said:

We have experienced this many times, and find it quite annoying.  What I find curious is the question on the post-cruise survey:  Did any crew member speak to you about these ratings? (or similar wording).  I get the feeling they are not supposed to do so, so I say No.  But I could be wrong.  Should I say Yes?  Will that get the person in trouble?  Or be a plus for them?  Maybe they are instructed to do so?  It's very confusing, apart from the annoyance.

I (we) fill out the survey honestly. I (we) don't concern ourselves with the what ifs. 

Edited August 7, 2021 by davekathy

[bEwAbG]

Hate when people beg for the top rating anywhere.  Makes me think less of them, honestly.  It's one thing to say "I would appreciate if you fill out the survey" and quite another to say "please make sure you give me nothing but 10s."  I don't think the company really wants this type of thing to happen, but it's their fault for putting too much weight on perfect marks.  For the company, either you really want my feedback or you don't.  I let small things go but if there is something that looks like a systems issue (people or things), I make a note about it & it can affect the overall ratings as well.

 

This happens with performance reviews, too.  There are some managers who try to give people the top marks for just fogging a mirror.  Others will rate most things in the middle (you're doing your job) and only call out the truly exceptional items.  Many places have a process where the reviews receive further scrutiny so that one group doesn't receive advantages over another, whether the managers realize that or not.

Edited August 7, 2021 by bEwAbG

[SJ1_]

3 hours ago, Fouremco said:

The only reason this ridiculous situation exists is because Celebrity considers a 9 out of 10 to be a failure, and the crew are trying to ensure that people like me, who would normally score very good service as an 8 or 9, are aware of this quirky approach that serves no one very well.

so u could rate someone 9 thinking they were amazing and Celebrity will think u did horrible

 

[Fly and Sail]

15 minutes ago, SJ1_ said:

so u could rate someone 9 thinking they were amazing and Celebrity will think u did horrible

 

That is the root of the problem and entirely unacceptable. If a 9/10 rating raises a red flag about an employee and he has duties -> salary reduced then something is seriously wrong with the way the company is run.

[Silkroad]

4 hours ago, TeeRick said:

Agree that the crew should not be asking for you to rate them with top marks on the survey.  That being said, more than a dozen asked you on your Millennium sailing?  I can think of a few that serve you directly that require official post-cruise ratings (like room steward, waiter and assistant waiter, butler if in a suite) but most other crew that are on board are not officially rated by you on the survey.  So how did you come up with more than a dozen?  

I’m not the OP but I have had the same experience. On some sailings, easily more than a dozen people have told us the importance of getting 10s on the survey. These included the people you noted, as well as the bar waiters in OVC, the Cafe il Bacio staff, guest relations and shorex staff, and waiters and bartenders all over the ship. As I understand it, when we rank F&B, that score affects everyone in that department. Ditto for other departments. So, our survey responses affect far more people than those we know by name.

Edited August 7, 2021 by Silkroad

[Silkroad]

4 hours ago, Cg52 said:

I wonder if this is tied to the new way of including gratuities in the price paid for the cruise. I agree it’s unfair for crew to be under this much pressure.

It is a lot of pressure. I’ve been told these scores affect raises, promotions, and contract renewal. Unfortunately, pressuring passengers for perfect scores can have a negative impact on the scores. I too become annoyed after a day of being entreated for perfect scores, even though I’m aware of the reason for it. They’re fortunate that I make allowances for the pressure from above. Not everyone does so.

[CalTexCruiser]

The way I approach this is that anyone that gives me good service I will rate a 10.

 

Anyone that gives me exceptional service I will write a separate review card.  On the last cruise I wrote a glowing review for our butler on a separate card and handed it to the hotel director, who read it on the spot.

[mayleeman]

I don't mind if someone explains the survey, and then asks for a note or comment giving them feedback if there is anything they should do to improve. We have all seen complaints on here where someone gripes about a stateroom attendant or waiter who forgot or omitted something the customer expected, and the griper admits they down-rated the person without ever voicing the expectation. Often it was something they had gotten in the past and it seemed they were basically punishing the crewmember for not being a mind reader.

 

We have actually been told by some higher-ups that some bosses treat a failure to complete the survey as equivalent to a low rating. I will always be understanding of any request to fill it out, and if the crewmember asks us for help in doing better, or urges us to just be honest, that deserves top-rating in my book!

 

As for car dealers, I get very disgusted by service departments saying that we need to contact them first before giving a low rating on the mfrs' regional surveys. They are saying to not be honest, and asking us to be their service supervisor. Really stupid for something as objective as that.