Begging and bullying from servers in the MDRs for excellent ratings on the end of cruise survey/comment card

[Mickey of the Villages]

That word - I don't think it means what you think it means.

If you're channeling Inigo Montoya then I must tell you that I'm Sicilian.

If gaslighting means telling someone something that you know is wrong to manipulate them then that is exactly what I mean. On our last cruise, we were told that "everything is excellent" and then asked to confirm that "everything is excellent." Many times a night. On the last night this occurred every few minutes - no exaggeration.

Some here may say, "come on, that just sounds insane." Yes, it was like being insane. We were on a cruise out of Galveston around Christmastime (during Covid). The ship was about half full so it felt empty at times. Tables were staggered so that everyone was not seated at once and we had the last seating. This meant that there were fewer tables at our mealtime and I think we may have been the only table our servers had. So we got all of their attention. They talked to us constantly and did the whole "its excellent, isn't it excellent" thing over and over.

We cancelled two cruises after this. We decided to go on the Podcast cruise (which was fun) but avoided the MDRs.

But look, even setting aside the Galveston cruise, the begging and bullying for the excellent scores on other cruises we have been on is a huge drag.

 

[Leevaughn]

I don't think you change this as a cruise guest with individual servers. It is a corporate culture thing if DCL is tying financial incentives to ratings. If that's the carrot, the servers will chase it to feed their families. If the incentive/rewards system changes, so does the behaviour of the servers.

 

[JWelch62]

If you're channeling Inigo Montoya then I must tell you that I'm Sicilian.

I mean, it didn't end well for the Sicilian though.

 

[Cruising Engineer]

We are also Platinum. When we began our latest cruise (July 21-30), we politely informed the servers and head server on the first night that we know the system, we always take very good care of the team, and we do not want to be reminded of the end of the cruise survey/comment card. We received excellent service (3 nights in a row of escargot) and not a peep about the survey. I believe it's how you present yourself confidently and communicate effectively.

 

[Minnie & Daisy]

I think DCL should tell their servers to not ever mention the survey at the end of the cruise. It taints the replies. We are all adults filling out the survey and we don't need or want to be pressured to answer with only excellent ratings.

 

[foolish-mortal]

I think DCL should tell their servers to not ever mention the survey at the end of the cruise. It taints the replies. We are all adults filling out the survey and we don't need or want to be pressured to answer with only excellent ratings.

Yes but even without mentioning the surveys they still ask every 2 minutes if everything is excellent. We want to make sure our service is always excellent. Is your meal excellent? Why did you only take 2 bites? Was it not excellent? I will bring you something more excellent because our goal is to make sure everything is excellent at all times.

The whole focus of dinner seems to revolve around constant reassurances to them that we are happy with their service. Instead of the actual dinner. It's over the top.

 

[owensjro]

I thought it was bad on DCL but then we took our first two Royal cruises this summer and found it everywhere. They even came over the PA system in the windjammer on the last day and announced it to everyone to please give them an excellent.

 

[disneyland_is_magic]

I plan to say, “don’t worry I know about the survey and the 5 star games, it anything happens I am unhappy about, I promise to speak up and let you fix it.”

 

[SweetSpot]

The excellent speeches use to drive me crazy but after so many cruises, and the servers being aware of how many cruises we have done on DCL, I always tell our servers the first night that no matter what I will fill out the survey and will always mark excellent on the survey for them. Unless they are beyond terrible, which is such a rare occurrence on DCL, I do mark excellent and I am sure to mention their names. After I say this the first night, we don't get the speech. It makes for a much less stressful dinner experience all around. I know they give they speeches, not just for tips, but their lives on the ship are affected by the surveys. If they are mentioned and get excellent scores they are given time off, get to have lunch in Cabanas on Castaway day and get better location assignments. Sounds simple but if you were on a ship, without family for such long stretches of time, these little things mean a lot.

 

[happycamper47]

I want to vent for a minute about the begging and bullying from servers in the MDRs for excellent ratings on the end of cruise survey/comment card. Y

Which ship? We just did a family cruise in June on the Dream, 15 of us, and it only came up the last night and the server just reminded us to be sure and turn it in and he hoped that he had given us excellent service.

 

[Minnie & Daisy]

My feeling is don't tell me, show me that you have deserved an excellent rating.

 

[Mickey of the Villages]

Yes but even without mentioning the surveys they still ask every 2 minutes if everything is excellent. We want to make sure our service is always excellent. Is your meal excellent? Why did you only take 2 bites? Was it not excellent? I will bring you something more excellent because our goal is to make sure everything is excellent at all times.

The whole focus of dinner seems to revolve around constant reassurances to them that we are happy with their service. Instead of the actual dinner. It's over the top.

This.

 

[Mickey of the Villages]

Which ship? We just did a family cruise in June on the Dream, 15 of us, and it only came up the last night and the server just reminded us to be sure and turn it in and he hoped that he had given us excellent service.

We have been on Wonder, Fantasy, and Dream. It was most acute on our last cruise this past December on the Wonder.

 

[happycamper47]

We have been on Wonder, Fantasy, and Dream. It was most acute on our last cruise this past December on the Wonder.

We've been on all the ships numerous times over the last 10 years and were back on the Wonder in November for the EB PC and again it was only mentioned as a reminder to complete it. Did you have a new server? I know a few were leaving for the WISH after we docked. Not saying it doesn't happen, but we have never felt that we were hounded about it on any of the cruises. Maybe we've just been lucky.

 

[Kwami]

I know they give they speeches, not just for tips, but their lives on the ship are affected by the surveys. If they are mentioned and get excellent scores they are given time off, get to have lunch in Cabanas on Castaway day and get better location assignments. Sounds simple but if you were on a ship, without family for such long stretches of time, these little things mean a lot.

It's even more important than that, though. Disney averages their scores at the end of each cruise and they're expected to be above a certain high threshold. I can't remember if it's 90% or 95%, but it's around there. A 5/5 rating is 100%, but a 4/5 rating is only 80%. So, even just one 4/5 can really hurt. If a server (or whoever) doesn't maintain the expected average, then they don't get promotions, bonuses, raises, and so on.

I guess it would be as if you went for your annual review at work, but you did it twice a week and even one bad week can be used against you when you want to transfer to another ship or move up in the hierarchy. That would be terrible, right?

So, I get the pressure. I wish that Disney would back off and stop having such an absurd system so that the servers didn't feel compelled to bother us about it, though.

 

[dwg]

It is not just the cruise line where this happens. It is across the board in many customer service positions where companies are always asking for feedback. Anything less than a perfect survey can cause all kinds of grief for the person providing the customer service. It is a shame and very unfortunate but I don't blame the person providing the customer service. Usually they are trying their best. I usually just take it all in stride and understand the pressure that they are under. I know this is not necessarily the right thing to do but unless the person was terrible or did something I really got upset or annoyed over, If I feel I cannot give them a perfect score I don't complete the survey because I know that these companies think that something is wrong if you did not give a perfect score. The companies are not interested in honest feedback.

One time years ago after purchasing a car I completed a survey as honestly as I could based on my experiences from work where no gets a perfect score as there is always room for improvement. I gave the salesman what I believed was a very good rating, just not perfect. He later told me I gave him the lowest rating he ever had.

 

[SnowWhite2]

I always tell the servers and the head waiter on the first night when we discuss how many cruises we've been on, I know they want to provide excellent service and that is what I expect. If I don't get it, I will let them know right away so they are able to correct it and receive excellent scores. I won't wait until the end of the cruise and then complain. They always give a big smile and I never hear about the survey after that!2

I think many times people don't say anything about the service and then complain at the end. If people aren't happy, they need to speak up so it can be made right.

 

[freshmanjs]

If gaslighting means telling someone something that you know is wrong to manipulate them then that is exactly what I mean.

It doesn't mean that.

 

[CampbellzSoup]

I’m going to completely vote honest from now on when it says on the survey did they ask you check yes

 

[DLgal]

I'm with you, on all these issues.
And I often wonder if the 'every complaint about anything happening in the MDR' part of their spiel is part of the gas-lightning too.
Next cruises, I will fill out the card honestly, if the food was bad I will say so. If service is just okay, I will say so.
If passengers keep giving good reviews, because we are pressured to do so, we reward and encourage their gas-lightning.

Exactly. This is how Disney has gotten away with mediocre food AND SERVICE in the MDRs all these years.

We've been on 2 DCL cruises. Our servers were apathetic and lazy, to be honest. Our first main server could barely understand English. Seriously. Our assistant servers on the first cruise couldn't even refill drinks in a timely manner and on the second, our dirty plates piled up on our table rather than being cleared between courses.

Our preferences were never remembered and our sons were made to feel bad about not being more "adventurous" in their food choices. For reference, they were 9 and 7 and they are both autistic. That put me off, to be honest.

The food was fine. Very basic and everything needed more salt/seasonings. Everything.