Intrusive Staff in Main Dining Room

[BecciBoo]

6 hours ago, UnregisteredUser said:

upselling the first day

I don't get why people let themselves be bothered by this.  I totally ignore it, smiling and nodding my head no and just walk on, doesn't affect me at all.  I don't even speak, just wave or shake my head, they never accost me.  The other stuff doesn't bother me either.  I like talking to the wait staff and we frequently travel with 2 to 4 cruise buds.  They have never bothered any of us.

 

If people are truly annoyed, I suggest talking to the head waiter or guy at the desk up front on the first day or night and make him aware of this so he can reign them in....I bet if that was done, you'd never be approached accept for normal ordering exchanges.  If they got the impression you were going to give a BAD review because of annoying harassment on the survey, I bet they would totally leave you alone!  You could tell him if anyone mentions the survey you will certainly give them a 2, not a 10.

Edited November 25, 2022 by BecciBoo

[time4u2go]

16 hours ago, UnregisteredUser said:

Another thing that is intrusive is all the upselling the first day on a cruise. We were cruising with a couple of friends this summer and it was their first cruise. My friend was actually put off by all the contact and efforts to sell us something on the ship the first day. First we were approached about buying the Drink Package when we sat at the English pub, we politely declined. 5 minutes later another guy comes and starts giving us the sell pitch on the Chefs Table. Before we sat down there were a girl trying to sell spa treatments to my wife and my friends wife. My friend commented that this starts to look like Egypt or Turkey or timeshare sellers, will they ever leave us alone? I told him it would stop the second day and it did. But sometimes people need to back off a little and read the situation before they make their sales pitch.

I definitely agree with this. It is very annoying and is not a good way to start a cruise. 

[mawvkysc]

On 11/22/2022 at 9:26 PM, neverbeenhere said:

You might get a survey at the end of your cruise, remember: 10 is the number!!!. 

I so appreciated on my recent MSC cruise that they survey was not mentioned even once. (And we did get a survey)

[cruzeluver]

Anyone who has worked in customer service for more than five minutes deserves a medal. And a gold watch. And to be paid more than anyone in the NFL.

[John&LaLa]

12 hours ago, time4u2go said:

I definitely agree with this. It is very annoying and is not a good way to start a cruise. 

 

I've gotten great deals because of it. Don't mind it at all. Easy to say no thank you

[not-enough-cruising]

30 minutes ago, John&LaLa said:

 

I've gotten great deals because of it. Don't mind it at all. Easy to say no thank you

I agree John, but I like to haggle with the locals in the ports as well. Some folks are just uncomfortable with that, I don’t get it. 

[JupiterTwo]

I didn't mind being asked how the service was going or to score 10s on the survey, but there was a period when they would interrupt dinner to upsell the specialty dining. That bothered me.

[edrussell]

The only time we've experienced a little awkwardness was on our last sailing I had the pork chop and didn't particularly enjoy the rice it was served on.  The waiter approached to collect the dishes from the main course and he looked as though he was going to fall right through a trapped door.  I explained it was fine and I just didn't really care for the rice.  He must have asked about 15 times what else I wanted.  I kept re-assuring him it was OK and I was fine.  When he came back with desert he brought the menu back and asked me again to pick anything.  My wife kept giving me the 'look'.  

 

I have to admit we both have a particular disdain for the aggressive photographer's that like to show up at the table.  We had such trouble with one on Adventure.  He came up every single night and even though we politely said we did not want any photos.  On about the fourth night when he said "I am not sure why don't want to preserve these precious memories" loudly enough for another table to hear I finally said "well if it didn't cost about 50 dollars per picture I might be interested".  The other table that overheard me actually came over later that evening and asked if their aggressive nature was normal.  I always try and be so polite to anyone working on the ship but that one drove me a little loco.

 

Edited November 26, 2022 by edrussell

[BlairsvilleCruiseGirl]

Just got off the Wonder and, while our servers did inquire as to whether we liked our food, it wasn't too often.  BUT, the survey thing was annoying!  During the Waiter parade, I'm guessing the Head Waiter, who was down on the 3rd Floor and we couldn't see or hear very well, did encourage 10s on the survey.  And our server spent several minutes on it the second-to-last night and almost 5 minutes the last night.  It was so annoying the last night as she interrupted our conversation and just kept on and on - I tried to swing our conversation to something else, but she was a bulldog!  And I honestly scored the dining room a 7 on the survey.  The service was a 7, not a 10.  🤷‍♀️ 

[time4u2go]

2 hours ago, edrussell said:

I have to admit we both have a particular disdain for the aggressive photographer's that like to show up at the table.

I've never really understood the appeal of these photos at the dinner table.  I realize a lot of people enjoy them, but to me, it's a poor backdrop, and there's often dishes or at least part of the table in the picture.  If I wanted nice photos of me and my traveling companions, I would want a nicer setting for those photos.  But maybe it's just me.

[erniebert]

Oh we had this same issue on our Wonder TA… I’ll preface this by saying I’m an introvert. I am friendly but don’t feel the need to make friends with everyone I meet… we had 2 kids with us on this cruise and there weren’t many children on the cruise so staff were being extra friendly to them which is lovely but at dinner we couldn’t get through 5 minutes without our own servers, servers from neighbouring tables, supervisors of all levels continuously coming to talk to us. 
 

The Head Waiter even came over one day and started telling our 3 year old he was calling the Captain to close the swimming pool unless she ate all her lunch (which hadn’t even arrived yet) - we just didn’t want to go back particularly

[parrotfeathers]

2 hours ago, edrussell said:

I explained it was fine and I just didn't really care for the rice.  He must have asked about 15 times what else I wanted.  I kept re-assuring him it was OK and I was fine.  When he came back with desert he brought the menu back and asked me again to pick anything.

Last cruise was on Celebrity.  It was in a suite and it was wonderful.  The first night of course we went to Luminae (suite restaurant).  Second night we did the same and the maitre d' took  my card and would not let me in--said you go to the other side (regular restaurant).   I actually did turn around and walk away because I thought he meant another Luminae entrance.   I went back to him and told him we ate in there last night.  He looked at my card again and I swear I saw him die a little.   He apologized so much it made me feel terrible.  The next night he apologized again and I said please don't worry it was just a mistake let's just forget it.  He didn't mention it again but he sure remembered who I was the rest of the cruise.

[st5310]

Photogs have never been an issue for us.  Normally when they approach and you decline they go away.  These stories are new to me... over 40+ cruises I never had a photog be that aggressive.  They may return the next night, but so what?... as long as they leave when it is obvious you are not interested.  

Edited November 26, 2022 by st5310

[FionaMG]

7 minutes ago, st5310 said:

Photogs have never been an issue for us.  Normally when they approach and you decline they go away.  These stories are new to me... over 40+ cruises I never had a photog be that aggressive.  They may return the next night, but so what?... as long as they leave when it is obvious you are not interested.  

 Most of the time we say no too but, as it happens, one of our best ever onboard pics was taken by a photographer in the MDR on Thanksgiving night 2019, just a few months before covid shut everything down. 

[LittleJoefromKokomo]

On 11/25/2022 at 6:08 PM, BecciBoo said:

I don't get why people let themselves be bothered by this.  I totally ignore it, smiling and nodding my head no and just walk on, doesn't affect me at all.  I don't even speak, just wave or shake my head, they never accost me.  The other stuff doesn't bother me either.  I like talking to the wait staff and we frequently travel with 2 to 4 cruise buds.  They have never bothered any of us.

 

If people are truly annoyed, I suggest talking to the head waiter or guy at the desk up front on the first day or night and make him aware of this so he can reign them in....I bet if that was done, you'd never be approached accept for normal ordering exchanges.  If they got the impression you were going to give a BAD review because of annoying harassment on the survey, I bet they would totally leave you alone!  You could tell him if anyone mentions the survey you will certainly give them a 2, not a 10.

We let it fly because it was our friends first cruise and we had told them what great kind of vacation cruising is.. Personally I can and wont mind telling aggressive salespeople to f..k off in several languages, including, Swedish,  German, Spanish, Russian, Arabic and Turkish but I DONT want to that when I am on vacation and just want to have a relaxed nice time 😞 If I am travelling when working I don't hesitate telling people to stop bothering me or I am just ignoring them and don't pretend to understand them but I don't think that is a polite thing to do when on a vacation. I am not afraid of telling people to back of but I just wish that some waitors/sales people could read the situation a little better and know not or when to disturb. I actually make it a point every time I buy something at a tourist shop or choose a certain restaurant that the reason I choose them was that they were not pushing us or disturbing us with agressive sales pitches.

 

Edited November 26, 2022 by UnregisteredUser

[BirdTravels]

On 11/22/2022 at 8:04 PM, cello56 said:

We were on a 7 night Western Caribbean cruise on Serenade last week with our good friends that we had not seen in almost three years due to Covid. We had looked forward to our dinners in the main dining room each evening for a time to chat and catch up together. EVERY SINGLE NIGHT the wait staff were so intrusive asking us over and over again if we liked our food and if their service was good. Every one of us for every dish they put down, sometimes as we started to eat and and when we finished. It was way too much and interrupted our conversations multiple times each meal. One night there was even a man in a suit - no idea of who he was - that came to our table and talked only to my husband and I asking how the cruise was going, how the food was, how the service was along with a long list of questions that he wrote down our answers on a paper he was carrying. He totally ignored our friends and they felt rather slighted. What is going on? 

It's called good customer service. Sorry that good customer service is offensive. 

[LittleJoefromKokomo]

Just now, BirdTravels said:

It's called good customer service. Sorry that good customer service is offensive. 

It is not good customer service to disturb people, reading the situation and asking when not interupting or disturbing is. It's a huge difference if you didn't know...

[BirdTravels]

14 minutes ago, UnregisteredUser said:

It is not good customer service to disturb people, reading the situation and asking when not interupting or disturbing is. It's a huge difference if you didn't know...

I don't know because I consider everything the wait staff did expected of their position. Too bad people don't appreciate it. If they didn't do it, there would be endless threads on how the service was poor. 

Edited November 27, 2022 by BirdTravels

[sfaaa]

30 minutes ago, UnregisteredUser said:

It is not good customer service to disturb people, reading the situation and asking when not interupting or disturbing is. It's a huge difference if you didn't know...

It takes experience and practices to read a situation correctly. You can't expect this from many newly hired staff from a different culture who are practically learning their jobs on the fly. Give them time. They will get a hang of it eventually.

[time4u2go]

1 hour ago, UnregisteredUser said:

It is not good customer service to disturb people, reading the situation and asking when not interupting or disturbing is. It's a huge difference if you didn't know...

Very true. 

[not-enough-cruising]

1 hour ago, BirdTravels said:

It's called good customer service. Sorry that good customer service is offensive. 

This behavior is the antithesis of good customer service 

[HappyTexan44]

They would learn quickly if instead of a list of things to do, they watched people.    There are some differences in body language like a head nod can mean yes or no, depending.   But a grimace or a smile always mean the same thing no matter where you are from.  The OP even though reluctant to speak up, being Canadian, you know had a face of dread every time someone approached the table and it wasn't to take an order or clear the table.   

 

In Texas, iced tea at meals is a big thing.  Some people want frequent refills, some people want to wait until they finish their tea because they've perfected the sweetness and you'll mess it up if you add more tea.  No one told me this, but I observed it.   Then I started the Start To Pour Then Pause method.   I'd watch the reaction and it was always clearly positive or negative.  I never needed to stop the conversation.    I also didn't need to stop the conversation to check on the food.   I just made an excuse to be nearby some minutes after food was delivered.  If there was a problem, people would speak up.  Drink/bread refills were handy for this.  Even refills on alcohol drinks, I'd get close to each person's ear and say, "Another?"    They'd nod yes or no.  

 

 

 

[LittleJoefromKokomo]

7 hours ago, HappyTexan44 said:

 

 

 No one told me this, but I observed it.   Then I started the Start To Pour Then Pause method.   I'd watch the reaction and it was always clearly positive or negative.  I never needed to stop the conversation.    I also didn't need to stop the conversation to check on the food.   I just made an excuse to be nearby some minutes after food was delivered.  If there was a problem, people would speak up.  Drink/bread refills were handy for this.  Even refills on alcohol drinks, I'd get close to each person's ear and say, "Another?"    They'd nod yes or no.  

 

 

 

Exactly! This is good service IMO 🙂 A waiter that is able to read the situation is always  joy to be served by. A short question about refills of drinks is also not disturbing but good service. No one wants to have to hail the waiter down and wait 5 minutes if their glass is empty. The waitors should see if the quests need refills if they are properöy trained.

I understand that new waitors might not be perfect but I also know a guy who has worked as a waiter on another cruiseline some years ago and the cruiselines doesn't hire total roookies as waitors, to be able to land a highly desirable job as a waitor they need previous experience from their home countries. Its not just anyone that gets a job as a waiter in the MDR.

[DirtyDawg]

On 11/26/2022 at 11:55 AM, JupiterTwo said:

I didn't mind being asked how the service was going or to score 10s on the survey, but there was a period when they would interrupt dinner to upsell the specialty dining. That bothered me.

In the past I've asked my boss for a 10 rating - and a big raise 😉 , but never while he or she was eating lunch (unless I was buying), or on the phone to his/her spouse, or when they were in a meeting with my other colleagues,  or on a Sunday afternoon when he/she was watching the NFL, or when they were in a meeting with their boss. The concept of "there is a time and place for everything" seems to be getting lost on cruise lines these days.

[hova]

On our recent Odyssey TA, our waiter actually hung out at our table for extended periods of time.  We have always enjoyed getting to know our dining staff, but this became overbearing.  I don’t think he had enough tables to keep him busy (we had several empty tables in our dining room area), so he would come over to our table and talk to my wife for several minutes each night.  He would go on about his separation from his wife, custody of the children, payments to his wife, and why they separated in the first place.   It was all very personal information that we felt uncomfortable hearing.  It got to be so much, that I traded chairs with my wife so that she would be tucked in the corner, and he couldn’t get around the table to stand beside her.  This plan sort of worked, as then he would try to engage me in long conversations.  I would only answer him in yes/no statements, and try not to engage him too much.  After a couple days, he moved on and became best buddies with some people at a nearby table.  I did give him a good rating on the survey, as the actual dining service was excellent.   I  think it’s important for the waiter to ensure he is providing good service, but he should keep the chit/chat at a professional level.