Loved Our Cruise But......

[mcnuss]

Chris&Nikki'sMom -

Would you mind sharing who your servers were? You can PM me if you prefer. I'd like to make sure to change tables if we get them on our upcoming cruise!

 

[peg2001]

It seems logical to me that if a server is struggling to provide excellent service, that the number of tables they serve be reduced. Perhaps they can serve 5 tables at an excellent level but if they are serving 8 tables, their service drops to fair.

I would be VERY put off by a hard sell for an "excellent" rating and would likely rank the person lower for it or rank them based on their service and try to squeeze a comment on the card. Any suggestions on a polite way to cut off this spiel if it starts?

Peggy

 

[AnnMorin]

If it starts again on our next cruise I plan to cut him/her right off and say this is our third cruise we know all about the surveys..and hopefully they will leaave it at that.

 

[Rose_Greenthumb]

We just got back from the 10/26/02 magic cruise and our servers were both absolutly excellent. They were Zoran from Hungary and Leeroy from Jamaica. Zoran told us every night what was on the menu that he recomended and appeared to have tried everything on every menu! My mum even ate 2 deserts most nights because she couldnt decide what she wanted. Leeroy entertained us with magic tricks every evening and knew everyone's drink orders by the end of the week. We did get told at the beging about the excellent service and that if there was anything we didnt like then we should tell them (in person that moment). They both got excellents and really deserved them.

 

[DisneyKids]

What we learned from a server who mentioned but did not spend much time at all explaining the survey was that depending on the results, they will get bigger or smaller stations in the dining rooms. As we all know, tips are on a per person basis. So, more people...more money.

We have cruised 4 times. Each time, the service was excellent on all accounts...with one exception. On a recent 4 day cruise, we (table of 4) were in a station along with only one other table which had 15 people at it. Needless to say, our servers felt that was the table to give the attention to since they would provide a larger payoff. Although the servers were nice, friendly, etc., they were nothing like we have come to know from DCL. They waited on us when they had time and the dining room experience showed it.

 

[natsmom125]

I find this really strange...

We have been on 4 DCL cruises and not ONE TIME has a server
even mentioned the survey...let alone giving him/her an excellent
rating. It was either our last cruise or the one before...I had to go in search of a survey.

Interesting how different people are, isn't it?????

Phyllis

 

[manchurianbrownbear]

I agree that a "strong-armed" request for an excellent rating is inappropriate. HOWEVER, I can understand why servers cross the line. In my position, a significant quarterly bonus is based in part on surveys completed by clients. The difference between a "4" and a "5" can be several thousand dollars! I have never asked a client for a "5", but I have been very frustrated to hear from people who have given me a "4" later say that the service I had provided far exceeded their expectations and surpassed the service provided by any of our competitors. The frustration is that, if they understood the scoring system, they certainly would have given me a "5", but everyone's definition of "5" (or "excellent") is different, making it very tempting for the subject of the survey to "coach" those being surveyed!

 

[mcnuss]

I think you have perfectly identified the problem. That's why we should get away from numerical scoring and use more descriptive terminology. This is what my company has done.

 

[manchurianbrownbear]

mcnuss, can your company talk to my company?!?!?!

 

[mcnuss]

Originally posted by manchurianbrownbear
mcnuss, can your company talk to my company?!?!?!

Please, it took our customers basically telling us that the numbers were stupid to finally do it. The other thing we now do, and I think maybe DCL too, is to call certain customers based on specific criteria rather than wait for the annual survey. This way the interviewer can ask follow up questions and get more of a qualitative view. It works very well and the customers who get called are sent a little gift. And we get an on-going read of our situation.

 

[SC Minnie]

We weren't 'strong armed' into an excellant on either of our cruises. The servers mentioned it almost in passing saying something to the effect that it was importatant that we take a few minutes to fill it out as it helps DCL know what people like. If I ever felt pressured into rating someone high it would curely get noted in the comments section.

Personally I don't think that an 'excellant' server needs to 'remind' the guest that he was excellant.

 

[Thumper1]

One time while we were at lunch in Lumiere's, a server who we had never seen before and was serving us lunch asked us insistently to mention him on the survey. In fact, he asked us several times and reminded us how to spell his name and asked us to promise that we would mention his service. We did, but thought it was really odd, almost, but not quite, harassment.

 

[dianedisney]

I have only cruised Disney once before and the server said nothing about the survey. But....on previous sailings on Carnival (which I will never sail again) they were VERY pushy for a high rating. But to me the whole crew was not real great. I actually had a Wine Stewart accuse me in front of friends (thank god my husband wasn't on this cruise) of standing him up in the wine cellar area. Since I love wine we were talking at dinner with this wine steward. He asked me if I would like to view the wine selection sometime, I said yes, WE (meaning my friends and I) would like to see it sometime in the future. When he confronted me in the Disco it was like we had a date or something and after that he came to my cabin the next day looking for me. I finally had to report him to the manager. Quite a few of the crew seemed very forward to me. Now I am not a knock-out looking type of person so I can imagine what the good looking ones go thru. Anyway after my third Carnival cruise I told my friends that if I cruise again it would have to be on another cruise line. Next cruise we took was RCCL and I totally loved it. But after this last cruise on Disney I have been totally spoiled for any other cruise line. Sorry....I didn't mean to rant and rave on Carnival but this incident really unnerved me. I will now get down off my Soap Box.

Have a Disney Day!!!

 

[DISNEYGATOR]

I didn't feel like the survey speech was too push in my recent cruise. Dave (my server) basically told us that he had one small request and that was for us to please take the time to fill out the survey, because they were very important to improvements in service, and be honest in all our comments. He said he strived to provide us with excellent service, but the only way he would know if he succeeded was to have honest surveys done.

I thought it was a very nice speech... I am sorry some people have had negative experiences... Might want to mention it to DCL.

 

[sigafoos]

On our 4/01 Magic cruise we were never asked by ayone to give a certain rating. We were only asked to please fill it out. I hope we are not pressured on our upcoming cruise!
Hello Dianedisney from a fellow Gig Harbor resident!
Kim

 

[lruggiero]

still nothing from a webmaster...
I find this kind of pushiness particularly annoying. I am cruising on the 7day on 11/30 and I will not be happy if I am given a speech about how I should consider an excellent rating. Well you know what, I would like an excellent rating at work too but I don't stuff it down someone's throat everyday. I will definitely need to complain to them and the dining manager.

Lori

 

[dianedisney]

Hi Kim....
How's the grocery business? Are you still working there? And how is the family? So glad you are cruising on Disney again, did you use the vouchers you got from your last cruise. If your wondering how I know so much, no....I am not a stalker, I booked you first Disney Cruise at Peninsula Travel. We have moved our location to down on Soundview Drive. Since the airlines totally cut out our commissions and don't pay use anything anymore we moved our location. The overhead at the Harbor Plaza Shopping Center was just too high. Give my best to your family and hope to see you on other boards.

Have a Disney Day!!!

 

[sigafoos]

Diane,
I thought it might be you! Who else knows so much about Disney and lives in the Harbor. I wondered where you moved to so I booked through Dreams because they have booked quite a few cruises using the vouchers. I'm still at the store and family is great! Daughter is at PLU this year so I'm adjusting to only one kid at home! Looking forward to the next cruise, would like to have tried the western but with spring break when it is the eastern was the only choice, hopefully we will make it to Castaway Cay this time.
Kim

 

[dianedisney]

Hi Kim,
I too was wanting to try out the Western Itinerary but my mother in law, who is my Disney Partner in Crime, loves regge music and really wants to see St Thomas and so forth. But I'm not going to gripe, I am happy to go especially on Disney. We were in a category 9, outside cabin, but I remembered that this is Molly's first cruise and she doesn't really like the water so I upgraded us to a category 6. I figured the further away from the water the better. Are you all going down the night before or heading down on a red-eye flight? I will be on a red-eye that overnights at the Hyatt in the airport where Disney Cruise Line will pick us up. I was hoping to do a little bit of WDW but couldn't afford the time off or the cost especially right after Christmas. Stop in sometime and say Hi, we are located at 7320 Soundview Drive, no signage since we are in a residental area. Just look for my little maroon VW cabriolet convertible parked out front. Take care....Diane

 

[Kindler5]

We were on the 10/19 Magic cruise and we got "THE SPEECH" and actually it was mentioned early on then again the last night by our servers and also the Head Waiter came over and said something too!

I was totally put off by this and having to listen to them tell me how they feel about the difference in Excellent vs. Very Good after politely listening to my speeches I then decided that I would not fill out the survey at all!

I feel it is very pushy and yes go ahead and mention it but do just that "Mention It".......