What is the best way to reward and punish employees via tipping?

[SirDomino]

I know that NCL automatically charges $12 per person, per day for tipping.

 

I also know you can adjust, or perhaps remove entirely the tips. I do not plan on doing this, but I do not want to reward employees for poor service.

 

From what I understand, if you remove all your tips, then the employees you do tip yourself with cash, have to give up their tips and put it into the tip pool, so they still do not get rewarded.

 

What is the BEST way to reward the employees that do well, and punish the ones that provide horrible service without going above the $12/day automatic tipping? Would it just be best to keep the $12/day, not tip extra, but perhaps fill out comment cards to point out the exceptional employees while bringing light onto the bad ones?

[LadyShiva]

Leave the $12/day/person alone, and fill out comment cards with names and specifics.

[nfcu]

I agree - left the automatic tips alone. Then give cash to those who go above and beyond. They can keep the extra only if you do not remove the automatic tips.

 

I also agree that bad service (which happens very, very rarely) should be addressed either on the comment cards, or better yet, with a supervisor immediately.

[GORDONCHICK]

Actually, it works better if you have a problem, speak to the supervisor or manager over that area WHILE YOU ARE STILL ON THE SHIP!!!! They really want to correct things when/as they happen and they want happy guests.

 

One of the best ways for this to be possible (easy access to the "big dogs") is to get on your roll call and make sure someone is setting up and M&G with NCL. Many of the officers attend these (some even hand out their cards with their direct phone#) and stress that they want to make your cruise absolutely wonderful. I was very impressed with the level of attention and time they gave us CCers. It was very common for them to address you by name when they saw you around the ship and ask how things were going. I got the impression that they really wanted to know, and weren't just asking to make conversation.

[njhorseman]

I know that NCL automatically charges $12 per person, per day for tipping.

 

I also know you can adjust, or perhaps remove entirely the tips. I do not plan on doing this, but I do not want to reward employees for poor service.

 

From what I understand, if you remove all your tips, then the employees you do tip yourself with cash, have to give up their tips and put it into the tip pool, so they still do not get rewarded.

 

What is the BEST way to reward the employees that do well, and punish the ones that provide horrible service without going above the $12/day automatic tipping? Would it just be best to keep the $12/day, not tip extra, but perhaps fill out comment cards to point out the exceptional employees while bringing light onto the bad ones?

 

Technically, the $12 per day is a service charge, not a tip, but for all intents and purposes that is a distinction without a real difference.

 

Without using the word "punish", my approach is to submit negative and positive comment cards about those who in my opinion require "additional traning" on one hand, and those who should be candidates for a promotion on the other. In the latter case, I usually also personally tip them above the service charge.

 

I would be very reluctant to ask for removal of my service charge, simply because it would unfairly punish those who provide average to above average service and certainly deserve to be properly compensated for it. I could only imagine doing it if the service was almost uniformly horrible across the board, and I have never encountered that situation.

[Zeno]

I know that NCL automatically charges $12 per person, per day for tipping.

 

I also know you can adjust, or perhaps remove entirely the tips. I do not plan on doing this, but I do not want to reward employees for poor service.

 

From what I understand, if you remove all your tips, then the employees you do tip yourself with cash, have to give up their tips and put it into the tip pool, so they still do not get rewarded.

 

What is the BEST way to reward the employees that do well, and punish the ones that provide horrible service without going above the $12/day automatic tipping? Would it just be best to keep the $12/day, not tip extra, but perhaps fill out comment cards to point out the exceptional employees while bringing light onto the bad ones?

 

Basically you have the answer already - in your last paragraph:

Leave the service charge (that way you are not penalizing good employees).

If possible contact a supervisor or manager as soon as possible ON THE SHIP when you receive rude or bad service.

Fill our comment cards (either on-board or on-line afterwards) Make sure that you have the names of any employees that you want to commend and also those that you want to complain about. We always fill out comment cards etc.

Also you can tip extra (because even if it gets pooled, it will be recognized if someone consistently is given extra). (We nearly always give our cabins stewards a few extra bucks because they have all been quite good.)

[garycarla]

Yes, give SPECIFICS about issues. Good managers will deal with it.

[flashdog_1]

There are comment cards at reception in a cardboard "holder" if you can't find one in your cabin. I had exceptional service in a dining room, and before I forgot her name wanted to fill out a comment card. The woman at reception couldn't find a card, but I spied them right on the counter.

 

If you carry a little notepad with you, you can jot down an employee's name from their name badge. If you can't get the whole name, and have had conversation with the person, you will probably have learned what country the person is from, so you can put the, for instance, dining venue, date, first name and the country he/she is from. They do get rewarded for good comments (time in the employee hot tub, for instance, more on shore time).

 

As to the question of why it is a service charge instead of part of the cruise fare, I've read that the fare is commissionable, but the service charge is not, in case you pre-pay it. This means that a travel agent will get his/her % from the fare, not the taxes and service charge, something like that. So they keep it separate. I imagine the cruise lines save quite a bit that way.

[uppitycats]

I know it's been said before, but I do think it is important: TELL the manager(s) right away if something isn't to your satisfaction. Don't dwell on it all through your cruise, then come back and complain! Very often things can be fixed quickly and nicely, and you'll have a much better time.

 

And yes, leave the service charge alone, and respond to issues right away, then write out those comment cards.

[newmexicoNita]

I know that NCL automatically charges $12 per person, per day for tipping.

 

I also know you can adjust, or perhaps remove entirely the tips. I do not plan on doing this, but I do not want to reward employees for poor service.

 

From what I understand, if you remove all your tips, then the employees you do tip yourself with cash, have to give up their tips and put it into the tip pool, so they still do not get rewarded.

 

What is the BEST way to reward the employees that do well, and punish the ones that provide horrible service without going above the $12/day automatic tipping? Would it just be best to keep the $12/day, not tip extra, but perhaps fill out comment cards to point out the exceptional employees while bringing light onto the bad ones?

leave the $12 in place and do fill out comment cards. The service would have to be really bad to justify adjusting the tips downward as $12 per day still isn't excpensive..We usually give a few crew members a little extra in cash toward the end of the cruise. That is if anyone has gone above and beyond plus of course we tip extra in the specialty dining rooms as the service has always been outstanding.

 

Nita

[BIG_Steve]

I've seen numerous times, not just in this thread, where a poster states if the Service charge is left in place, workers get to keep extra cash tips. I've also seen statements that state if a service charge is adjusted, any worker getting a cash tip has to kick it into the pooled tip/service charge money.

 

That's rather intimate knowledge of how these workers get paid. I'm wondering how that information was found out?

[dtracker]

I agree - left the automatic tips alone. Then give cash to those who go above and beyond. They can keep the extra only if you do not remove the automatic tips.

 

I also agree that bad service (which happens very, very rarely) should be addressed either on the comment cards, or better yet, with a supervisor immediately.

 

I agree. Comment cards or speaking with the HD. At a CC M&G, the CD, and HD are often in attendance and will give you their personal cards to call them directly if there's a problem. It can make a difference! :)

 

DT

[cruzeluver]

I do think comment cards are the way to go as far as alerting the cruise line to crew members that aren't up to snuff. I would go to the purser's desk for any serious issues, but I'll be darned if I'm going to waste precious vacation time fooling around with the tips (service charge, whatever). I pay 'em and don't really think about 'em too much.

[sottovoce]

The idea is to encourage good service, not "punish" poor service. Firstly, I have never had poor service in close to 100 nights on NCL ships. Of course, I don't go hunting for poor service, either, as I suspect some do who post here. Leave the tips. Else you're just cheap. Fill out the cards and give NCL feedback. Should you ever encounter what you perceieve to be "poor" service, speak to someone in hotel management, make them aware of it, and get it corrected. "Punishing" is juvenile.

[mickeysgal]

I've seen numerous times, not just in this thread, where a poster states if the Service charge is left in place, workers get to keep extra cash tips. I've also seen statements that state if a service charge is adjusted, any worker getting a cash tip has to kick it into the pooled tip/service charge money.

 

That's rather intimate knowledge of how these workers get paid. I'm wondering how that information was found out?

 

And further, how do you know they really do it? Does anyone think they really give up all their cash tips?

[1freestylER]

"punish" -- lol, love it!! imho, sometimes some of them are very deserving of a good smack even...but meh...

 

in any case, definitely, the STYLE cards are by far the best way to specifically deal with and flame a certain staff member/worker, in addition to speaking with appropriate management as soon as the conflict/issue arrises

 

but by all means, it would seem quite unfair to remove the $12p.p/day thus punishing everyone (who benefits from the service charge) simply for the stupidity or lack-of-good-service-given of one employee

[2inTul]

And further, how do you know they really do it? Does anyone think they really give up all their cash tips?

 

Of course they do. Let me ask you would you risk your job to pocket a $10.00 tip.....I think not.

[BIG_Steve]

"Punishing" is juvenile.

 

You're arguing semantics. If you get miserable service at a resturant, you leave a small tip, or maybe none. Whether you're punishing or simply "not rewarding" the server, what's the differance?

[falken]

I've seen numerous times, not just in this thread, where a poster states if the Service charge is left in place, workers get to keep extra cash tips. I've also seen statements that state if a service charge is adjusted, any worker getting a cash tip has to kick it into the pooled tip/service charge money.

 

That's rather intimate knowledge of how these workers get paid. I'm wondering how that information was found out?

 

As i've said before, I don't believe it for one second. If you remove the autotip they could take extra tips you left on your sign and sail account. They could even ask the room steward to turn in any tip you left (in cash, in the room, where there are no cameras).

 

But how would any other employee know you adjusted your daily service charge? If you remove the charge on your last day do they circulate your picture around the ship and tell everyone to remember if this person gave you a cash tip, and if so you should turn it in?

[Happy2Crews]

What is the BEST way to reward the employees that do well, and punish the ones that provide horrible service without going above the $12/day automatic tipping? Would it just be best to keep the $12/day, not tip extra, but perhaps fill out comment cards to point out the exceptional employees while bringing light onto the bad ones?

 

 

What makes you think you are going to have "horrible" service? :confused: I've been on two NCL cruises now and have always had wonderful service. These people work hard and deserve every penny and tip they received. ;)

[njhorseman]

I do think comment cards are the way to go as far as alerting the cruise line to crew members that aren't up to snuff. I would go to the purser's desk for any serious issues, but I'll be darned if I'm going to waste precious vacation time fooling around with the tips (service charge, whatever). I pay 'em and don't really think about 'em too much.

 

 

You're wrong about the comment cards. Management does pay attention to them. We had a problem with a waiter two weeks ago, filled out the card after dinner and dropped it off at the purser's desk (they don't even read them). The next evening we got a call from the dining room's Maitre d, who made reservations for us at a time we chose for a table with our favorite waiter, and gave us a complimentary bottle of wine, as well as offering us the opportunity to make dining room reservations with her for the remainder of the cruise if we so chose.

[Don Haynes]

As i've said before, I don't believe it for one second. If you remove the autotip they could take extra tips you left on your sign and sail account. They could even ask the room steward to turn in any tip you left (in cash, in the room, where there are no cameras).

 

But how would any other employee know you adjusted your daily service charge? If you remove the charge on your last day do they circulate your picture around the ship and tell everyone to remember if this person gave you a cash tip, and if so you should turn it in?

 

Your sign and pay card will be marked whenever they zap it. Everytime someone pulls their surcharge, they ask the stewards why? Plus I doubt whether you can have your charge removed or reduced on the last day without a history of reporting below standard service. NCL wants the opportunity to correct the problems, and keep the charge in place. Without that chance of correction, there will be no reduction.

[petesweet]

punish the ones that provide horrible service

 

Have you ever had horrible service? I never have. Some crew are better than others, but NEVER have I had horrible service. Removing tips has been discussed so many times. I hope you are not just trying to stir up trouble.

 

If something should fall into the category of "horrible service," you can be sure I would not wait until tip time to rectify the situation. These staff members all have supervisors you can go to. And the supervisors have supervisors as well.:)

[mickeysgal]

Of course they do. Let me ask you would you risk your job to pocket a $10.00 tip.....I think not.

 

I just don't believe that everyone that is given a cash tip takes the time to record the person/stateroom/amount in case someone decides to withdraw/alter their prepaid gratuties.

[JamesIlsley]

I am just guessing, but I bet they turn in all tips into a ship "bank" and note which stateroom gave it to them.

 

I cannot imagine that with close quarters and so many crew, anyone would want to keep cash accumulating on them for a 6 month contract.

 

If they turn it all in to their "account" it would be very easy to have it held as "pending" until it was confirmed that the guest didn't remove charges.

 

Just a thought.