Servers asking for an Excellent on comment card

[JanetRose]

Are you asked more than once a cruise about giving your wait staff an Excellent on the comment card?

 

[tvguy]

Yes. On every cruise. On every cruise line I have been on for the last 42 years. Those servers worked hard to get those jobs and work hard to keep them. A bad review can end it all for them.

 

[squirk]

Are you asked more than once a cruise about giving your wait staff an Excellent on the comment card?

Yes, by some servers. Seems that some folks around here asked their servers to please stop, and they did.

There’s a whole thread somewhere about how DCL almost makes the servers hostages:

1.) you may have an excellent server yet not be thrilled with your food, but;
2.) you don’t want to put anything negative on your comment card because you know it’ll hurt your server, so;
3.) you leave only “Excellent” ratings, meaning;
4.) DCL doesn’t have to do anything about sub-par food because there’s no negative feedback.

 

[shananigans]

We were not asked once to put that on our Western Caribbean cruise on the Fantasy. On board for a week and our servers were so awesome! We sailed on the Dream in October 2021, and the servers continually asked us to give them excellent and it was awful! The cruise was only four days and it was nearly torture. The service wasn’t great on that trip, to the point where I questioned if Disney had lost its touch. The Fantasy crew was nothing less than perfection. We are sailing on the Dream over Memorial Day weekend and I’m terrified we’ll end up with the same servers.

 

[jujubiee4]

Yes every cruise and it has made me wonder how much pressure they are under.

 

[Disneygirlxo91]

I understand why they do it but it’s not fair to them and it’s very annoying as a guest. I also don’t understand why they can’t add the onboard survey to the app the method they use is annoying to fill out, and I’m sure a lot of people don’t or they forget to drop it off.

Another thing that makes me so irritated is the fact the question about the quality of the food in the restaurants is referring to the servers and not the actual food? If it’s not referring to the food, then they need to reword it the servers shouldn’t have to explain how to rate that one and that though it mentions food it as nothing to do with the food… I feel bad for the servers having to do this. When we were on the fantasy our server explained the survey 2 nights and the head server as well…

 

[Cruising Engineer]

Yes, quite often. Just got off the Dream on Friday (May 20th) and the last night was a re-run of nearly every cruise we have taken. I understand their need to communicate especially to new cruisers how the system works (as @squirk laid it out). But we are clearly Platinum lanyard yet still received the entire request.

 

[cwis]

There’s a whole thread somewhere about how DCL almost makes the servers hostages:

1.) you may have an excellent server yet not be thrilled with your food, but;
2.) you don’t want to put anything negative on your comment card because you know it’ll hurt your server, so;
3.) you leave only “Excellent” ratings, meaning;
4.) DCL doesn’t have to do anything about sub-par food because there’s no negative feedback.

Disney could solve it all by providing with anonymous surveys at the end of your cruise (similar to “Pluto” surveys at hotels) and they chose not to.

The purpose of the ratings is not about the result of the survey.

It's all about casting fear on staff.

This is industry-wide practice and not going to stop.

 

[belle032]

Yes - this really stuck out on our last DCL sailing. Our servers were wonderful and fun, but I've never been so pressured about a comment card. Ever. I felt terrible for them and I 100% realize the system is completely broken, but it got to be a little uncomfortable. Every single meal we had to constantly reassure them everything was fine. Even if the food wasn't great or there was some other real issue - you couldn't mention that for fear of harming your serving team. There is no possible way DCL can hear their customers legitimate concerns and suggestions with a system like this.

I've had staff on other cruise lines mention the comment cards at the end of the cruise, but nothing like we experienced on DCL.

 

[lwilliam]

On our last cruise I actually approached the head server on how she wanted me to answer the survey…they group the asst and the server into one and our asst. was terrible, I mean bad. We even knew the server was nervous about the rating. Our head server didn’t know how to answer me…..they need to redo the survey!

 

[brentm77]

I have had success nipping it in the bud with a friendly, "I will let you know if there is something I am not completely happy with, and I promise to give you an excellent rating on everything, since I know that is the only score that helps you." The past two cruises, they never mentioned it again. If they did, the plan was for me to remind them that they will get excellents, so we would prefer not to have any more reminders.

I genuinely mean it too. I will let them know so they can fix any issues, and absent some really clear sign that they just don't care about trying, I would always give an excellent. Even there, I would let them know I could no longer commit to an excellent. I don't want them to be punished if they are new or just have an off week.

 

[meliscan]

Yes, by some servers. Seems that some folks around here asked their servers to please stop, and they did.

There’s a whole thread somewhere about how DCL almost makes the servers hostages:

1.) you may have an excellent server yet not be thrilled with your food, but;
2.) you don’t want to put anything negative on your comment card because you know it’ll hurt your server, so;
3.) you leave only “Excellent” ratings, meaning;
4.) DCL doesn’t have to do anything about sub-par food because there’s no negative feedback.

You can email Disney directly after the cruise. I have done this a few times when I wanted to make sure someone got recognition and also to offer specific critiques. (I was on a shortened cruise due to a hurricane and people were so mean to cast members at debarkation, awful to the cast members. I wanted them to ensure they checked on their people. ) They have responded to my emails with either hand written post cards or an email. I am not sure it made a difference but at least I felt I was able to comment on things.

 

[SandyinMonterey]

Our dining room server and stateroom attendant was constantly bringing that up. It was driving me a little crazy but it was our first DCL cruise and didn't want to say anything but, "of course I'll give you an excellent rating." which of course we did. I can't imagine the pressure they must be under.

 

[Pooh93]

On our last cruise I actually approached the head server on how she wanted me to answer the survey…they group the asst and the server into one and our asst. was terrible, I mean bad. We even knew the server was nervous about the rating. Our head server didn’t know how to answer me…..they need to redo the survey!

We were on a 3 night Dream cruise May 13-16. Our assistant server the first night never came and refilled our drinks. And service was SO slow in general from our team. I tried to cut them some slack because I know the first night of a cruise for turnaround can be tough. However it was our 9th DCL cruise and since this one was so short, first impressions were not good. Our server was really pushing the excellent. In addition they had set us at a table with people so that was a mix up and had to be remedied. I felt like our table number was not valid and the next 2 nights our table did not have a number, but we were escorted to a table. So at least we had a table. LOL.
So happened the next morning in Cabana's, a crewmember was walking around with a very small note pad and asked how our dinner was. I hesitated as I did not want to get anyone in trouble and I guess my hesitation gave him the opening and he kept after me wanting feedback. I said I did not want to get anyone in trouble as I know how hard everyone works. Finally I mentioned the table mix up, but never said anything about the drink situation. He ended up taking my name and stateroom number. I felt horrible all day. I have seen head servers come down on dining team members and it was not pretty in the past.
I will say our service was better the second night, still not up to par on the drink refilling and overall service. I saw our server on Castaway and talked to him and explained that I would definitely give him an excellent rating, but he needed to let the assistant server know we are big liquid drinkers at meal. I let him know that I understand how hard the dining team works and the standard they are held to. Well lo and behold, the third night I was about floating. LOL.
I will also say the head server was probably one of the nicest we have encountered and I talked to him and told him also I know how hard they work. I don't think he came down on our team and said they talked and it sounded all positive. I hope it was.

My take away from all of this is that we need to communicate as a family about the drinks on the first night and anything else we feel is not up to par.
A three night cruise is too short and I feel like had we been on a longer cruise with this dining team, it would have gotten better as the week went on.
Also, regardless of the situation in everyday life or on a job, first impressions are very important.

And the survey needs to be revamped and servers should not be on the hook for the quality of the food. But that's a whole other post.

 

[mullysisters]

Disney could solve it all by providing with anonymous surveys at the end of your cruise (similar to “Pluto” surveys at hotels) and they chose not to.

The purpose of the ratings is not about the result of the survey.

It's all about casting fear on staff.

This is industry-wide practice and not going to stop.

This survey business would end if cruisers stopped submitting one and let Disney know why. I dont do surveys, questionaries or any metrics. I pay for something and if need be I will communicate any problem. I always say thank you even when things are not exactly what I would want. The extra tipping seems excessive too, we tip servers at home 18%. They too live on their tips and almost always deserve them. We live in an economically challenged agricultural area but we don’t tip more than 18%. I’m really sorry that Disney puts their staff through this. People should be paid a living wage. IMHO anyway.

 

[tvguy]

This survey business would end if cruisers stopped submitting one and let Disney know why. I dont do surveys, questionaries or any metrics. I pay for something and if need be I will communicate any problem. I always say thank you even when things are not exactly what I would want. The extra tipping seems excessive too, we tip servers at home 18%. They too live on their tips and almost always deserve them. We live in an economically challenged agricultural area but we don’t tip more than 18%. I’m really sorry that Disney puts their staff through this. People should be paid a living wage. IMHO anyway.

Well, the issue with paying a living wage is passengers won't pay the fare necessary to support that wage. Our first HAL cruise was in 2002 back when their big deal was "No tip is expected because we pay our staff a living wage". That ended because the fares they were changing were too high.
But the other thing is, you are applying our standards to what a living wage is. Our server on our NCL cruise was from Indonesia and the awful (by our standards) base salary he was paid were more than he would make at home. Throw in tips, he expected to retire from working altogether after 10 years working on ships........at age 31.

 

[MomOTwins]

When the server mentions the comment card, I say, "We've cruised disney many times, and we know how important excellent is to you. You don't have to explain it." They get the hint.

 

[vypermajik]

Are you asked more than once a cruise about giving your wait staff an Excellent on the comment card?

We just got back from Disney Dream 5/20-5/23 and were HOUNDED by the main dining staff (all three of them) so many times. I've never seen people so agressive.

 

[BruinEd03]

Are you asked more than once a cruise about giving your wait staff an Excellent on the comment card?

We used to, but for the last two cruises (post-pandemic), we haven’t.

I know Disney pressures the staff on an Excellent or bust standard, but I’ve chosen to be honest instead. We pay way too much money to just mindlessly fill in Excellent ratings.

However, as mitigation, we are sure to note high performers at the end. We also increase tips.

How is Disney supposed to punish a server if the Dining team gets a “just okay” if one or two of the servers (the high performing ones) are recognized by name at the end?

If they want to let go of every person associated with a question that wasn’t an “Excellent” they won’t have any staff left based on my survey responses.

Again, just my choice to not play the game. If everyone chose that path, I suspect Disney wouldn’t be able to hold their staff hostage, and instead will take feedback to heart and make changes. To each their own though.

 

[Narcoossee11]

Disney's cm have to get Top (5or 10) racking or it is as the same as getting a 0or 1.. Most company's have this same policy