Server Pressure for "Excellent"

[cruiser21]

I've gotten the excellent speech on all, but 2 of my dcl cruises. I've never gotten it on another cruiseline. I've never had the same server every night on another line either.

I've heard it from Toyota, Honda, Olive Garden, State Farm, etc. Please only give us the highest rating, or let us know if anything is less than perfect. When it comes to the Service Department at the Auto Dealerships, it does give me a bit more leverage than usual, so that is nice. They can't just say, "This is our service, take it or leave it," anymore.

Yeah but you don't have to spend a week with these people.

Sprint as well.

Ditto. I've been with Sprint 10 years I've never given them anything, but a terrible rating.






I've also had very intrusive servers on DCL. I don't want to be your best friend. I just want you to bring me my food. I don't think I've filled out a survey in the last 7 or 8 cruises. At least not the paper ones I'll do it if they send it online. The last cruise I didn't even bother to say goodbye to my servers that's how much I liked them.
We've always had great service on DCL as far as just the "service" part goes. Some of them I've liked and some of them I don't. I tend to like the ones that don't try too hard. They just bring me the food in a polite, efficient manner...... don't linger, don't tell me their life stories(I don't want to know) and don't ask me about my life(none of your business). I have to listen to people's problems at work I don't want to do it on vacation.

 

[minniemouse1]

The excellent speech was every night on our last cruise in 2014. It really made me not want to go to dinner and they pressured the kids to say excellent which really irked me. If I get it again in April I am going to say something. The last thing I want is to listen to the "speech" for 7 nights. It made me not even want to go to dinner. And the head server finally showing his face the very last night at our table also giving the excellent speech when he had to know our servers were less than excellent was really not cool. Hoping for the best in April.

 

[cruiser21]

The excellent speech was every night on our last cruise in 2014. It really made me not want to go to dinner and they pressured the kids to say excellent which really irked me. If I get it again in April I am going to say something. The last thing I want is to listen to the "speech" for 7 nights. It made me not even want to go to dinner. And the head server finally showing his face the very last night at our table also giving the excellent speech when he had to know our servers were less than excellent was really not cool. Hoping for the best in April.

I forgot about how the expect you to respond with excellent...not good or fine. My server got really offended when I said fine. It's how I talk though. If someone asks me how I am I say fine or good. I dont use the word excellent. I think to get back at me he proceded to ask me if everything was ok in my life because he could read people. Unfotunately on Disney there are not a lot of options for dinner so your stuck.

 

[AquaDame]

I forgot about how the expect you to respond with excellent...not good or fine. My server got really offended when I said fine. It's how I talk though. If someone asks me how I am I say fine or good. I dont use the word excellent. I think to get back at me he proceded to ask me if everything was ok in my life because he could read people. Unfotunately on Disney there are not a lot of options for dinner so your stuck.

They don't just expect... it borders on feeling like they HAVE to get it -almost as if they are fearful of the mouse- which is just awful. I make sure to mark on the surveys how unhappy it makes us. Luckily we only really get it laid on thick the last night - my least favorite was our first time we made the mistake of filling it out in the restaurant and they literally were over our shoulder checking. We thought it was funny as we didn't know it was a serious thing at the time.

If someone had said that to me I would have asked to be moved. I don't like confrontation but that is way over a line.

 

[cmwade77]

I usually tell them the first night that if something is wrong with the service, I will tell them, otherwise they are doing good and don't need to worry about it and never get pressured to give any kind of rating. The only thing they do is remind me to please fill out the survey and drop it in the box and I see nothing wrong with reminding people about the survey as long as they aren't being pressured for a particular rating.

My only problem with the survey on the last cruise was I needed a score for our server team that was better than excellent, honestly they were the best and would request them in a heartbeat if we were on their ship again.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

I usually tell them the first night that if something is wrong with the service, I will tell them, otherwise they are doing good and don't need to worry about it and never get pressured to give any kind of rating. The only thing they do is remind me to please fill out the survey and drop it in the box and I see nothing wrong with reminding people about the survey as long as they aren't being pressured for a particular rating.

My only problem with the survey on the last cruise was I needed a score for our server team that was better than excellent, honestly they were the best and would request them in a heartbeat if we were on their ship again.

Did you mention them by name on the survey? That leads to extra time off/promotion opportunities and other good things.

 

[over50visits]

I usually tell them the first night that if something is wrong with the service, I will tell them, otherwise they are doing good and don't need to worry about it and never get pressured to give any kind of rating. The only thing they do is remind me to please fill out the survey and drop it in the box and I see nothing wrong with reminding people about the survey as long as they aren't being pressured for a particular rating.

My only problem with the survey on the last cruise was I needed a score for our server team that was better than excellent, honestly they were the best and would request them in a heartbeat if we were on their ship again.

What a nice way to handle it. We have never had a problem with these “speeches” - they usually mention it the first night, we assure them we understand, and we have a wonderful experience the rest of the cruise. I guess since we understand the culprit here is the Disney management that holds these ratings over their heads, I am really sympathetic and want them to know we understand. Empathy works, and believe me we relish our interactions with these servers. Their friendliness is part of the Disney cruise experience. Just like Dug, we’ve never felt heavily pressured.

I just can’t understand the approach of threatening them with poor ratings if they mention excellence. I guess a threat can work, but that just sets the wrong atmosphere for the rest of the meals. Kindness works too, and you get it back several times over making the cruise such fun.

I’ve said many times, treat them with respect and you’ll get it back in spades.

 

[tarheelz]

I'll just let the head server know that my "Excellent" vote can be purchased for a modest sum of cash. No problem.

 

[cruiser21]

They don't just expect... it borders on feeling like they HAVE to get it -almost as if they are fearful of the mouse- which is just awful. I make sure to mark on the surveys how unhappy it makes us. Luckily we only really get it laid on thick the last night - my least favorite was our first time we made the mistake of filling it out in the restaurant and they literally were over our shoulder checking. We thought it was funny as we didn't know it was a serious thing at the time.

If someone had said that to me I would have asked to be moved. I don't like confrontation but that is way over a line.

It was over the line, but as a person who works in customer service I have some compassion I wouldn't want to intentionally get someone in trouble. On the skytrain to the airport the couple next to me was complaining about being chastised by their waiter for not showing up to the dining room every night. That's another thing that shouldn't happen. Hopefully when DCL builds the new ships they will have some family specialty restaurants or better fast food options. It would be nice to have some other options for Dinner.

On our Dream cruise in May I had the opposite experience. Our server had been with company 20 years and worked on all four ships. He never gave the excellent speech. Actually never brought up service. He seemed very comfortable in his skin, easy to talk too, joke around with. He worked hard to find something my fussy 12 year old would eat. He's outgrown the kids menu, but doesn't have an adult palate. He didn't take offense when my son didn't like it. I'm pretty easy going, and low maintenance, and that is how I like my servers to be. When they are stressed out, trying too hard, questioning every word or facial expression I make it makes for a long meal.

 

[cadien]

One of the longest threads on an RCL board elsewhere is people complaining about the same thing. And getting comments from servers like "This may be your vacation but it's my life."

 

[richkaryn]

We've never been pressured. On our Alaskan last year the head server came around once and mentioned if we feel we received excellent service from our serving team to please be sure and mark as such when we got our comment card, but that was all we heard of it. I don't remember it ever being brought up on the Dream. We've had amazing servers who we've felt WERE excellent each time though, so maybe they just knew they were that good lol.

 

[jiminyC_fan]

As a platinum, I have never been pressured, ever, and on any cruise line. I guess the word "pressure" is left up to the individual for interpretation. Was it mentioned, yes. Did I feel pressured? Nope.

 

[wombat_5606]

As a platinum, I have never been pressured, ever, and on any cruise line. I guess the word "pressure" is left up to the individual for interpretation. Was it mentioned, yes. Did I feel pressured? Nope.

I'm Platinum also and I have heard it every single dinner. That's my definition of pressured.

 

[jiminyC_fan]

I'm Platinum also and I have heard it every single dinner. That's my definition of pressured.

I have NEVER heard it at every single dinner. NEVER.

 

[wombat_5606]

I haven't heard it EVER at every single dinner. NEVER.

You will have to consider yourself lucky!

 

[jiminyC_fan]

You will have to consider yourself lucky!

Maybe they can tell that we are content with their service.

 

[wombat_5606]

Maybe they can tell that we are content with their service.

Hey, I'm not hard to please. Bring some good food and I'm all good.

Are you implying that I'm not content and that is why I get the speech every night?

 

[hanscarlet]

I've not heard it every single night of the dinner but definitely we have heard it on the last night of every cruise we've ever had. Lately they have eased off though, not as bad as it was in 2016 and 2015.

Side note, rather than starting another thread, sorry to hijack but anyone have an email address we're supposed to use for sending in comment cards after the fact? I forgot to drop mine in a comments box and it's sitting here in my purse. At the very least would love to be able to recognize our stateroom host Adi, he was the best we've ever had.

 

[mmmears]

It was unbearable on our first cruise. Really. We checked the box asking if we felt pressured since it wasn't even a question. On our second it was much, much better. And I can't even remember what happened last time - I think it was only mentioned the last night and even then it must not have been bad or I would remember it. It's not the guest that causes this - it's the servers, so if you don't know what it's like to constantly be interrupted and told you need to check the excellent box then consider yourself very lucky. At this point, while I really don't like to be confrontational, we are not willing to deal with the pressure and will absolutely speak up.

 

[anonymousegirl]

Not on a Disney ship, but Cruising with my mother once and she can take offence (and then NEVER let it go). Our server started the excellence speech two nights before end of cruise. Reiterated it the next night. On the last night, he started it again, and my 80 year old mother, said, "one more word about the need for an excellence rating, and you won't be getting one." He started to say something, and I just looked at him and shook my head in warning (as in like "she's serious, buddy--get out with your life. run, run!!") He backed off and we had a dinner in peace.