How do you fill in the evaluation forms?

[photopro2]

There has been some really interesting discussion on another thread about evaluation forms, as a result of thread drift. So interesting, in fact, I felt that it deserved a thread of its own.

 

I can appreciate the usefulness of these forms and so try to answer them as honestly as I can. 

 

My own difficulty is the way they generally ask how well the various aspects of the cruise relate to my expectations. For instance, if they were below my expectations, met my expectations or exceeded them.

 

On our first Viking cruise I genuinely and honestly rated most of the categories as exceeding or far exceeding my expectations. The problem has come with subsequent cruises, where I am again being asked to rate my experience in the context of my expectations. Over time my expectations have become very high, based on my previous good experiences.

 

The result is that even if I think that a particular aspect of the cruise has been excellent, I feel I can now only honestly rate it in the middle of the range on the evaluation form by saying that it “met my [very high] expectations” By the same token, even a small issue could easily put an aspect into the “below expectations” categories.

 

I would be interested to know if others have felt the need to adjust their responses on the evaluation forms purely because their level of expectation has changed. 

Edited May 15 by photopro2

[formernuke]

Yes this is a problem with surveys like this (and it is all too common). I tend to adjust the ratings to an overall grade as opposed to comparing to "expectations". Otherwise it adulterates any numerical analysis. I wsh they wouldn't do it that way because you get different people answering differently. 

 

My issues witht e surveys include the small amountof space provided (and not one provided for each section of the  survey). It would also be much better if it were an emailed electronic survey so you could fill it out on your phone (and they could actually read my responses! :))

[JollyJacqTar]

We felt the same on our last two cruises. I actually used up valuable comment space making this point. And there seems to be less room now (I’m comparing our 2024 survey to the one in 2022) to elaborate on particular points, which was a shame as on our more recent cruise I was prepared to be far more complimentary as the previous one was disappointing. Also I’d rather do the survey after the event when I’m home. After a few weeks of having very little to do, all of a sudden you’ve got to pack up everything for your return and doing a survey seems like one more chore distracting you from enjoying the final day or two of your holiday. I think I’d be far more generous in my appraisal if I wasn’t in a sulky, “don’t want to go home and do my own cooking and cleaning” mood!

[kcpvwill]

Totally agree with OP.  We’re about to do our 20th Viking cruise (River & Ocean) and I have scribbled out the expectation headings and explained why on most of our cruises.  As Viking has so many repeat cruisers now I’m surprised they still do this.  The staff are aware of the problem and encourage us not to use met expectations as this being the middle one reflects badly.  
 

Come on Viking, what’s wrong with “Excellent, Very Good, Good, Satisfactory or Poor”.  Viking gets it right most of the time, so why are they not listening to feedback from their loyal customers.  

[Breckski]

With a pen.  Why isn't the survey electronic?  That form is the most writing I do all year - seriously.  

[Cienfuegos]

(Raises hand)

 

We fill out the surveys. We expect Viking to have high standards, and thus the matter fully meets our high expectations.  Sometimes an aspect will exceed expectations, sometimes it won't meet, both are reflected.

 

I suspect that Viking  keeps track of calls to TellUs, these surveys, and evaluations from the crew and officers. As well as social media such as this. And keeps a running total of what needs to be fixed, good ideas which can be implemented, etc

[Cienfuegos]

8 minutes ago, kcpvwill said:

 Come on Viking, what’s wrong with “Excellent, Very Good, Good, Satisfactory or Poor”.  Viking gets it right most of the time, so why are they not listening to feedback from their loyal customers.  

Viking does rate tours / excursions on an excellent to poor basis, however.

[kcpvwill]

Yes tours are given acceptable headings.  

[KBs mum]

Forms of that sort are a bad idea from both sides. For the passenger because of the 'expectations' problem and for the crew/staff for the same reason, and something beyond their control may affect the rating given. 

Usually everyone will be expected to get the top rating, and failing to do so may hinder pay rises or promotions, or even employment. Knowing this, unless there was a real problem we tick the top rating. 

It would be better to have two versions, one for newbies and a 'better or worse than last cruise' for the rest. 

I used to be at the mercy of a similar system, the amount of things that were beyond our control and dropped the ratings! Weather, lots of other people around (on a bank holiday) We found the comments more useful, if a trend started in them we made changes. Head office preferred the tick box bit, but didn't take things like weather into account, on a largely outdoor site

[Torquato]

9 hours ago, photopro2 said:

There has been some really interesting discussion on another thread about evaluation forms, as a result of thread drift. So interesting, in fact, I felt that it deserved a thread of its own.

 

I can appreciate the usefulness of these forms and so try to answer them as honestly as I can. 

 

My own difficulty is the way they generally ask how well the various aspects of the cruise relate to my expectations. For instance, if they were below my expectations, met my expectations or exceeded them.

 

On our first Viking cruise I genuinely and honestly rated most of the categories as exceeding or far exceeding my expectations. The problem has come with subsequent cruises, where I am again being asked to rate my experience in the context of my expectations. Over time my expectations have become very high, based on my previous good experiences.

 

The result is that even if I think that a particular aspect of the cruise has been excellent, I feel I can now only honestly rate it in the middle of the range on the evaluation form by saying that it “met my [very high] expectations” By the same token, even a small issue could easily put an aspect into the “below expectations” categories.

 

I would be interested to know if others have felt the need to adjust their responses on the evaluation forms purely because their level of expectation has changed. 

I fully agree. After the first two cruises where my expectations were greatly exceeded, they became the baseline and on subsequent cruises, my high expectations were met. The questionnaire does the crew a disservice.

[CDNPolar]

We also after 10 Viking cruises find it hard to be candid on the survey.  I remember back to the first and second Viking cruises we were on and we were happy to say that many things if not all exceeded our expectations, but now most seem to meet our expectations because our viewpoint has changed.

 

As discussed in previous threads, I do take offence to be asked to check the highest rating by any crew.  I find this quite distasteful.  Don't tell me how to rate your service and my experience.

 

I never thought of this but Viking could and should tech-i-fy their surveys and could consider a different version for 1st and 2nd time cruisers and for more frequent cruisers.

 

I personally would also like a place that I can NAME people that clearly went above and beyond in my eyes.  

 

I also assume, but have never asked, that this style of survey is scanned for where you check or X and so writing random comments in these areas could well be missed.

 

One of the toughest parts of surveys is dealing with text free entry answers.

[Breckski]

I imagine (or at least hope) a key metric they look at is how each question answered relates to the average of responses by an individual respondent.  For example, an individual respondent had an average response of 4.75 (out of a total of 5 options) and one category/question only received a 2.  I think they measure the delta of individual questions compared to average response on a person-by-person basis.  Folks specialize in data analysis.

 

This would eliminate any bias as to how folks perceive "met expectations" as a whole and would more clearly identify customer perceived strengths and weaknesses.  Obviously, they look at the overall score (aggregate of all respondents) per question also.

 

I think the written comments may be helpful to the individual cruise's crew, but likely meaningless to Viking corporate - just too many unique bits of data for them.

[BluebonnetTexan]

@photopro2 Thanks for starting this thread. I totally agree with the majority here. The “expectations” options have no clear baseline and indeed clearly change for most people after their first cruise with Viking. Like many here, my expectations on our first cruise were what I’d call “optimistic” for a great experience. Viking actually surpassed my expectations on that trip (Grand European River) and consequently my expectations on future cruises have been extremely high and based on that it is now hard for Viking to exceed my expectations. Thus, I’ve written a comment to this effect on our surveys since. Really wish they’d change the format to allow poor to excellent choices for everything. 

[Mike07]

1. You're welcome on providing thread content.

 

2. You pose an excellent dilemma. For something as simple as coffee.... very hot (even the McDonalds famous lawsuit hot) black coffee, that has a reasonable, non-Folgers taste, that is served in hot glassware would likely exceed my expectations. For other people, I've seen them demand creams or milk, or this that and the other to enjoy their coffee. If the crew gave them just very hot black coffee... you could have complaints on serving temperature and lack of additions.

 

 

But I will say, if you have a question or request, it's better to speak up earlier in the cruise than waiting until the last minute or an exit survey. Some accommodations are extremely reasonable. Others are unrealistic.

[Mike07]

11 hours ago, CDNPolar said:

We also after 10 Viking cruises find it hard to be candid on the survey.  I remember back to the first and second Viking cruises we were on and we were happy to say that many things if not all exceeded our expectations, but now most seem to meet our expectations because our viewpoint has changed.

 

 

 

 

Agreed.

 

I'm not trying to start a car debate, but whatever, I'll go there. I don't mean to make offensive statements as people like to twist or misunderstand my words.

 

Whether you think Tesla (before Model 3 and Y... the $100k+ Model S and X), is a luxury car is only relevant in that I've heard some argue Tesla was not a luxury car and others argue it was a luxury car because it was priced as one and "had leather".

 

 

[duquephart]

4 minutes ago, Mike07 said:

 

 

Agreed.

 

I'm not trying to start a car debate, but whatever, I'll go there. I don't mean to make offensive statements as people like to twist or misunderstand my words.

 

Whether you think Tesla (before Model 3 and Y... the $100k+ Model S and X), is a luxury car is only relevant in that I've heard some argue Tesla was not a luxury car and others argue it was a luxury car because it was priced as one and "had leather".

 

 

 

When it comes to cars "leather" is one of the overworked and meaningless words in the language. Most "leather" in cars is as close to being cowhide as newsprint is to being a tree.

[LisaDee]

I prefer to fill out cruise surveys online and AFTER I get home.  I’m not going to waste precious time on board filling out what I thought was a very long multi-page form.  It feels like work.  Mine ended up in the recycle bin.

[Torquato]

2 hours ago, LisaDee said:

I prefer to fill out cruise surveys online and AFTER I get home.  I’m not going to waste precious time on board filling out what I thought was a very long multi-page form.  It feels like work.  Mine ended up in the recycle bin.

It is work! On my last cruise I answered “met expectations” on almost every item and wrote that if they wanted details to call me. On future cruises (two more booked for 24) I will not be bothering with the survey.

[Cienfuegos]

One question not yet answered is "what does Viking intend to do with the questionnaire?"

 

I prepared or approved various inquiries like this over the years, and we always had an objective in mind. If Viking asks its customers to spend time filling out a survey, they should be candid about how they intend to use the results.

 

Did they cut back on the quality or quantity of food in the World Cafe on that cruise? Did they add a special "theme night", and do passengers care? Or do they even remember?  Did they skip a desirable port, and how do customers feel about the proposed compensation, if any?

 

I would be hesitant about using results to grade individual employees, except on a broad level. There are just too many expectations about what a cabin attendant should be doing, or whether a bar attendant was "holding back" the good stuff, etc.

[KBs mum]

3 hours ago, Cienfuegos said:

One question not yet answered is "what does Viking intend to do with the questionnaire?"

 

I prepared or approved various inquiries like this over the years, and we always had an objective in mind. If Viking asks its customers to spend time filling out a survey, they should be candid about how they intend to use the results.

 

Did they cut back on the quality or quantity of food in the World Cafe on that cruise? Did they add a special "theme night", and do passengers care? Or do they even remember?  Did they skip a desirable port, and how do customers feel about the proposed compensation, if any?

 

I would be hesitant about using results to grade individual employees, except on a broad level. There are just too many expectations about what a cabin attendant should be doing, or whether a bar attendant was "holding back" the good stuff, etc.

We allways found a comment card box the most useful, several in obvious places. Generally, people who aren't happy are quick to say something, or will email later. 

A comment card in the room will likely be filled in if need arises, and would give instant feedback. Trends can be reported back to HQ

[ClayAyers]

On 5/15/2024 at 10:24 AM, photopro2 said:

There has been some really interesting discussion on another thread about evaluation forms, as a result of thread drift. So interesting, in fact, I felt that it deserved a thread of its own.

 

I can appreciate the usefulness of these forms and so try to answer them as honestly as I can. 

 

My own difficulty is the way they generally ask how well the various aspects of the cruise relate to my expectations. For instance, if they were below my expectations, met my expectations or exceeded them.

 

On our first Viking cruise I genuinely and honestly rated most of the categories as exceeding or far exceeding my expectations. The problem has come with subsequent cruises, where I am again being asked to rate my experience in the context of my expectations. Over time my expectations have become very high, based on my previous good experiences.

 

The result is that even if I think that a particular aspect of the cruise has been excellent, I feel I can now only honestly rate it in the middle of the range on the evaluation form by saying that it “met my [very high] expectations” By the same token, even a small issue could easily put an aspect into the “below expectations” categories.

 

I would be interested to know if others have felt the need to adjust their responses on the evaluation forms purely because their level of expectation has changed. 

I agree that this system could be misleading.  There must be some management consultant that has been selling this because we had this format for our yearly personnel performance evaluations.  A Viking program director suggested that we fill out the boxes A, B, C, D style.  We always give the top rating unless there was something specific, even though this is exactly what we expect.  
An important thing to remember though is to recognize exceptional crew members by name, this affect their promotions and opportunities.

[Messybill]

On 5/15/2024 at 11:24 AM, photopro2 said:

There has been some really interesting discussion on another thread about evaluation forms, as a result of thread drift. So interesting, in fact, I felt that it deserved a thread of its own.

 

I can appreciate the usefulness of these forms and so try to answer them as honestly as I can. 

 

My own difficulty is the way they generally ask how well the various aspects of the cruise relate to my expectations. For instance, if they were below my expectations, met my expectations or exceeded them.

 

On our first Viking cruise I genuinely and honestly rated most of the categories as exceeding or far exceeding my expectations. The problem has come with subsequent cruises, where I am again being asked to rate my experience in the context of my expectations. Over time my expectations have become very high, based on my previous good experiences.

 

The result is that even if I think that a particular aspect of the cruise has been excellent, I feel I can now only honestly rate it in the middle of the range on the evaluation form by saying that it “met my [very high] expectations” By the same token, even a small issue could easily put an aspect into the “below expectations” categories.

 

I would be interested to know if others have felt the need to adjust their responses on the evaluation forms purely because their level of expectation has changed. 

 

This is exactly the problem.  The evaluation form reads as if it is for first timers.  As far as we recall, it has not changed in at least 5 years.  We notice that they are interested in how many river/ocean cruises you have taken with other lines but not with Viking.  We have tried complaining about the form in the comments section.   No obvious effect.   Our last cruise was easy because in many ways it was worse than previous cruises (and therefore expectations).  That said, there were a few items we marked as "exceeded expectations" or better, but this is only in comparison to previous and different Viking cruises on different Viking ships.  

 

As previously mentioned by other posters, it would be much much better if Viking sent us an online survey about a week after the end of the cruise, which would give us time to coalesce our thoughts and would not be a waste of paper.   BTW we hand in our surveys to the guest services staff.   Do you think they might be looking at how they are rated?  Is there any temptation to shred the occasional bad one?

Edited May 19 by Messybill

[photopro2]

Thanks to all for your responses. It's good to know that it's not just me that has issues with the current format! Here are just a few of the comments which really struck home with me.

On 5/15/2024 at 6:07 PM, JollyJacqTar said:

doing a survey seems like one more chore distracting you from enjoying the final day or two of your holiday

I completely agree with you, filling in the forms is a real chore which impinges on the time that we should be spending enjoying the trip.

On 5/16/2024 at 10:30 AM, CDNPolar said:

I personally would also like a place that I can NAME people that clearly went above and beyond in my eyes.  

Yes, we are frequently encouraged to name outstanding crew members but there is nowhere specifically provided to do that on the evaluation forms.

On 5/19/2024 at 12:46 AM, Messybill said:

it would be much much better if Viking sent us an online survey about a week after the end of the cruise, which would give us time to coalesce our thoughts and would not be a waste of paper.

I think this would be a far better way of doing things. Presumably it also would allow Viking to automate the data gathering process and make it more efficient as well as saving paper. As @CDNPolar pointed out, it could also be tailored to the level of previous experience that a particular passenger already had with Viking, which would completely solve my original issue.

[Peregrina651]

Currently on Neptune.  Only one survey has been delivered to our cabin so far and we are 3/4 into our cruise.  I talked with Guest Service. Oh, we're going green; they are online. I opened Viking Voyager and clicked questionnaires.  All I got was an empty screen. 

[OneSixtyToOne]

1 hour ago, Peregrina651 said:

Currently on Neptune.  Only one survey has been delivered to our cabin so far and we are 3/4 into our cruise.  I talked with Guest Service. Oh, we're going green; they are online. I opened Viking Voyager and clicked questionnaires.  All I got was an empty screen. 

The last time we were onboard, albeit an Expedition ship, the survey was on the stateroom TV.