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

[miched]

I said to one staff member that I would give them a One as number One  is the best.    He said no that is the worst.

 

I said back in Viet Nam during that war the girls there would say “Number One, No Ten”.   🤭😇

 

Happy cruising 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌅

[davekathy]

1 hour ago, miched said:

I said to one staff member that I would give them a One as number One  is the best.    He said no that is the worst.

 

I said back in Viet Nam during that war the girls there would say “Number One, No Ten”.   🤭😇

 

Happy cruising 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌅

 Been there, done that. Welcome home brother. 

[Lane412000]

I had started a thread about this after our July 10th Edge cruise.  In my thread I stated it was quite aggravating to sit for an awesome meal and totally enjoy everything about it, then have to listen to 5-10 "begging session" for perfect scores on the survey.  This began on the Thursday at lunch and happened at every meal until we disembarked from the Edge. In Luminae and the MDR, we heard it from the waiter, sommelier, employee overseeing our table and the maitre'd as we attempted to leave the restaurant.

 

While it did not ruin the cruise, it placed a damper on the week.  Reminded me of walking out of a nice restaurant and being hit up for money by a panhandler.  It just presented an uneasy feeling.

 

The only place we did not receive the speech was in the buffet and also the hamburger spot near the pool.

[davekathy]

6 minutes ago, Lane412000 said:

I had started a thread about this after our July 10th Edge cruise.  In my thread I stated it was quite aggravating to sit for an awesome meal and totally enjoy everything about it, then have to listen to 5-10 "begging session" for perfect scores on the survey.  This began on the Thursday at lunch and happened at every meal until we disembarked from the Edge. In Luminae and the MDR, we heard it from the waiter, sommelier, employee overseeing our table and the maitre'd as we attempted to leave the restaurant.

 

While it did not ruin the cruise, it placed a damper on the week.  Reminded me of walking out of a nice restaurant and being hit up for money by a panhandler.  It just presented an uneasy feeling.

 

The only place we did not receive the speech was in the buffet and also the hamburger spot near the pool.

Agree. Do you remember if the PCS asked it you've been solicited by a staff member about giving perfect scores and if so to name that person or their job position?

[CalTexCruiser]

35 minutes ago, Lane412000 said:

I had started a thread about this after our July 10th Edge cruise.  In my thread I stated it was quite aggravating to sit for an awesome meal and totally enjoy everything about it, then have to listen to 5-10 "begging session" for perfect scores on the survey.  This began on the Thursday at lunch and happened at every meal until we disembarked from the Edge. In Luminae and the MDR, we heard it from the waiter, sommelier, employee overseeing our table and the maitre'd as we attempted to leave the restaurant.

 

While it did not ruin the cruise, it placed a damper on the week.  Reminded me of walking out of a nice restaurant and being hit up for money by a panhandler.  It just presented an uneasy feeling.

 

The only place we did not receive the speech was in the buffet and also the hamburger spot near the pool.

 

This sounds quite aggravating.  

 

Perhaps everyone on the ship should name LLP the CEO in the comments box of the survey and note that Celebrity's push for perfect ratings is negatively impacting the cruise experience because of the hard sell from the service staff.

 

In fact, if someone on the 9-18 Apex cruise were to talk to LLP (who will be onboard celebrating her anniversary), please bring this up.

 

 

 

Edited August 8, 2021 by CalTexCruiser

[Lane412000]

32 minutes ago, davekathy said:

Agree. Do you remember if the PCS asked it you've been solicited by a staff member about giving perfect scores and if so to name that person or their job position?

No, the survey did not have the question 

[hcat]

It is very annoying...we politely ask that they stop...but then someone else starts in...Annoying  just like the first few days  when they keep trying to sell upgraded drink packages.

 

When we took a Royal Cruise on Oasis, there were  constant sales pitches at dinner of wine stoppers  and cooking items at the dinner table...etc   very intrusive and  in poor taste.

 

I  almost lost it when we were seated in a  Specialty  Restauarant...  family all  there and dressed up for dh  birthday celebration, waiting for the cake to come out with singing etc..and  the waiter chose that moment for a spiel.  My dtr  covered her eyes and just  put her head down!   Poor timing, poor training!

[BigAl94]

Reportedly more than any other cruise line

[CajunHeavyCruiser]

We just got off of Equinox and only had one crew member even mention the survey and how important it was.

[Covepointcruiser]

Do they really have the waiters sing “Happy Birthday” in Murano?   I always thought that was the most elegant place to eat on Celebrity.   Glad we never experienced this while we were dining in Murano.

[miched]

6 hours ago, davekathy said:

 Been there, done that. Welcome home brother. 

Back to you 👍🤝

 

Happy cruising 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌅

Edited August 8, 2021 by miched

[LGW59]

1 hour ago, Covepointcruiser said:

Do they really have the waiters sing “Happy Birthday” in Murano?   I always thought that was the most elegant place to eat on Celebrity.   Glad we never experienced this while we were dining in Murano.

Glad that you have not heard happy birthday being sung?  

[hcat]

Our experience was on  Oasis..maybe in CHOPS, less formal than X.  It was a  family birthday party and the singing was  requested, 

 

My point was about the ill -timed sales pitch..akin to the survey  begging ...

 

  On X,  we prefer low key..no singing..just the little choc cake.

[Mike45LC]

I have almost always found service people on Celebrity annoying pressuring me to give Excellent 10 ratings.  From my first Celebrity cruise in 1981.  The sole exception to this was my August 2019 Edge cruise, in which service was excellent, but in which no one pressured me to give 10 ratings.  

[mk-ultra]

All cruise lines seem to do this -- employees are terrified of anything less than a top rating (which pretty much negates the effectiveness of the entire system).  I gave up on even doing the MDR any longer because the constant nagging about ratings, while totally understandable, was just annoying.

 

Cruise lines have sabotaged their own system, which could have actually been useful.  There's a "scale" for a reason, and egregiously penalizing employees for not being a "5" or whatever is the top value is stupid.  It should be an opportunity to fix a problem, not a punishment unless someone sucks across a bunch of scoring.

 

People tend to score this stuff without understanding what goes on BOH (back of house) and hold their wait staff responsible for things outside of their control.

Edited August 9, 2021 by mk-ultra

[PTC DAWG]

The crew on Equinox this past week was nothing but fabulous.  IF I get a survey, I will gladly give rave reviews.  

[phoenix_dream]

I suspect the apparent recent increase in requests is related to the fact that these hard working crew members were out of work for so long - that makes them even more desperate to rate well.

 

I hate these surveys because of how Celebrity only considers a 10 rating to be acceptable.  In my book, someone who earns an 8 or a 9 because they were very good but not perfect is still a very good employee.  But because this is how it works, I never rate less than a 10 unless I had a problem with someone, and even then I would try to resolve the problem first and give them a chance.  Truthfully, much of the time I don't even get surveys anymore

[glmacruise]

A lot of places are pushing positive reviews . To the point I’ve come full circle and essentially disregarding places with tons of positive reviews .

[NutsAboutGolf]

Was on the Edge 7/24, every dinner MDR and specialty they would mention the survey, also upon exiting the ship, the last employee we saw who was on the ship mentioned "don't forget to fill out the survey, it's very important"

[canderson]

Yeah, OK, it's been a while.  It sounds like the 'survey' is now online?  Not the paper cards we used to fill out?  Done after ship departure, not collected while aboard?

[grandgeezer]

4 hours ago, mk-ultra said:

All cruise lines seem to do this -- employees are terrified of anything less than a top rating (which pretty much negates the effectiveness of the entire system).  I gave up on even doing the MDR any longer because the constant nagging about ratings, while totally understandable, was just annoying.

 

Cruise lines have sabotaged their own system, which could have actually been useful.  There's a "scale" for a reason, and egregiously penalizing employees for not being a "5" or whatever is the top value is stupid.  It should be an opportunity to fix a problem, not a punishment unless someone sucks across a bunch of scoring.

 

People tend to score this stuff without understanding what goes on BOH (back of house) and hold their wait staff responsible for things outside of their control.

The wait staff also gets the credit for things they have no control, mainly the quality of the food. I’m sure that’s a big factor when people decide to tip extra.

[NutsAboutGolf]

1 hour ago, canderson said:

Yeah, OK, it's been a while.  It sounds like the 'survey' is now online?  Not the paper cards we used to fill out?  Done after ship departure, not collected while aboard?

 

They email it to you

[hcat]

Too much weight is placed on surveys in general..waste of time and money.  They used to have value  with more  ability to comment.

 

We rate most everyone a 10,   but some venues  get low marks if that's what they deserve! ( like our visit to Rooftop Grill on our last EDGE cruise....unbearably slow kitchen)

 

If you hand in a comment card complmenting a staff member,..., you are thanked by GR,  they are praised,  and  often given extra hours off or phone cards. It means alot!

[canderson]

I take it that one goes to GR and asks for a small handful of these cards to keep handy?  Again, we've been out of this loop since 2014.

[TeeRick]

2 hours ago, hcat said:

Too much weight is placed on surveys in general..waste of time and money.  They used to have value  with more  ability to comment.

 

We rate most everyone a 10,   but some venues  get low marks if that's what they deserve! ( like our visit to Rooftop Grill on our last EDGE cruise....unbearably slow kitchen)

 

If you hand in a comment card complmenting a staff member,..., you are thanked by GR,  they are praised,  and  often given extra hours off or phone cards. It means alot!

These days when we order a pizza at home we get a survey!