Tipping for poor service

[countrybear4]

Looks like we received "poor service" according to your guide, on the magic last week.

We have a bunch of food allergies so we usually deal with the head server for entrees for half the family. Head Server was great!! Our regular server had absolutely no personality at all, he would take our order and only suggest what he was told to suggest for the evening, when I couldnt decide he just stood there with no response. One night he asked how our day was and when I went to tell him about the excursion we went on he interrupted me and asked what someone what they wanted to order....we made a joke but it was rude. He would disappear for long periods of time. He never actually spoke to us until the last night he tried to have a conversation about the roads in florida.

Our assistant server was pretty good in the beginning but it got worse over time, the last night we were 30 minutes at our table and still no drinks. Only the kids got hats at the Character breakfast, he would take the drinks away to refill them and it would take forever for him to come back. He did however make a puzzle or a trick for the kids each night and he did make jokes and talk to us more. Our servers only had to serve two tables, so many times plates would come from the kitchen and just sit at the station and not be served for 10-15 minutes (not main courses). We were generally the last ones out of the dining room because everything took so long. My daughters french fries were actually cold one night.

Our servers in the past have been good, we did get great service from the head server Roberto!!

Our server at Palo for Brunch, Dinner and TEa was Ciao (chow)....he was absolutely incredible!!!! My husband has a dairy allergy and Ciao had a whole plate of non dairy sandwiches for him to eat and a special desert tray ready without us even asking!!!!

 

[kimpossible]

Looks like we received "poor service" according to your guide, on the magic last week.

We have a bunch of food allergies so we usually deal with the head server for entrees for half the family. Head Server was great!! Our regular server had absolutely no personality at all, he would take our order and only suggest what he was told to suggest for the evening, when I couldnt decide he just stood there with no response. One night he asked how our day was and when I went to tell him about the excursion we went on he interrupted me and asked what someone what they wanted to order....we made a joke but it was rude. He would disappear for long periods of time. He never actually spoke to us until the last night he tried to have a conversation about the roads in florida.

Our assistant server was pretty good in the beginning but it got worse over time, the last night we were 30 minutes at our table and still no drinks. Only the kids got hats at the Character breakfast, he would take the drinks away to refill them and it would take forever for him to come back. He did however make a puzzle or a trick for the kids each night and he did make jokes and talk to us more. Our servers only had to serve two tables, so many times plates would come from the kitchen and just sit at the station and not be served for 10-15 minutes (not main courses). We were generally the last ones out of the dining room because everything took so long. My daughters french fries were actually cold one night.

Our servers in the past have been good, we did get great service from the head server Roberto!!

Our server at Palo for Brunch, Dinner and TEa was Ciao (chow)....he was absolutely incredible!!!! My husband has a dairy allergy and Ciao had a whole plate of non dairy sandwiches for him to eat and a special desert tray ready without us even asking!!!!

Yea we never got any napkin foldings throughout our entire cruise 2 weeks ago. Drinks were never brought until we asked for them 4 or 5 times. Meals were completely forgotten. Our head server had to work overtime to make things right. I actually overheard our server complaining to another server during breakfast at topsiders. He was telling him how bad his assistant was messing up with our table the night before...he didn;t know we were right there

 

[tinkerone]

Looks like we received "poor service" according to your guide, on the magic last week.

We have a bunch of food allergies so we usually deal with the head server for entrees for half the family. Head Server was great!! Our regular server had absolutely no personality at all, he would take our order and only suggest what he was told to suggest for the evening, when I couldnt decide he just stood there with no response. One night he asked how our day was and when I went to tell him about the excursion we went on he interrupted me and asked what someone what they wanted to order....we made a joke but it was rude. He would disappear for long periods of time. He never actually spoke to us until the last night he tried to have a conversation about the roads in florida.

Our assistant server was pretty good in the beginning but it got worse over time, the last night we were 30 minutes at our table and still no drinks. Only the kids got hats at the Character breakfast, he would take the drinks away to refill them and it would take forever for him to come back. He did however make a puzzle or a trick for the kids each night and he did make jokes and talk to us more. Our servers only had to serve two tables, so many times plates would come from the kitchen and just sit at the station and not be served for 10-15 minutes (not main courses). We were generally the last ones out of the dining room because everything took so long. My daughters french fries were actually cold one night.

Our servers in the past have been good, we did get great service from the head server Roberto!!

Our server at Palo for Brunch, Dinner and TEa was Ciao (chow)....he was absolutely incredible!!!! My husband has a dairy allergy and Ciao had a whole plate of non dairy sandwiches for him to eat and a special desert tray ready without us even asking!!!!

would be interested to know your servers name as we were on the same crusie and it all sounds to formilar....hahaha. there must be lots of new people training cause it seems to have been not good for lots.

Yea we never got any napkin foldings throughout our entire cruise 2 weeks ago. Drinks were never brought until we asked for them 4 or 5 times. Meals were completely forgotten. Our head server had to work overtime to make things right. I actually overheard our server complaining to another server during breakfast at topsiders. He was telling him how bad his assistant was messing up with our table the night before...he didn;t know we were right there

also wondering who your servers were. it just feels like dejavu.

 

[countrybear4]

Our servers were Nestor and Abraham (asst).

I have to say that everyone around us seemed to be getting fabulous service...people were laughing and enjoying themselves. We had second seating.

 

[Lee Matthews]

Thanks for the replies, it's all very interesting and useful. Im guessing parties are more than likely to tip extra for receiving Amazing service but would you tip more than the recommended if you received what's you folks consider Adequate service?

 

[TDC Nala]

I wouldn't want the same drink brought to me every night without asking. I like to mix them up some. So I can't imagine docking someone "points" for not having the drink waiting.

 

[Cruise]

Thanks for the replies, it's all very interesting and useful. Im guessing parties are more than likely to tip extra for receiving Amazing service but would you tip more than the recommended if you received what's you folks consider Adequate service?

If I receive what I would describe as adequate service, I would tip the recommended amount. Even if I received what I thought of as sub-par service, but through no fault of the servers themselves, I would still tip the recommended amount. By that, I mean if it's obvious the server is having trouble with another table due to difficult guests, if one of the servers is out for illness one night so dinner service is slower, etc. I would never lower a tip amount for something that was beyond the server's control even if it meant my experience wasn't as good.

That being said, I will tip extra for the little extras... and it doesn't even have to be every night. Even if there were only one night in a 7 night cruise that the server went out of his/her way to make sure I was pleased with something, that would warrant an increased tip from me. This could include replacing a meal that I was obviously unhappy with, making a good recommendation based on how I may have reacted to a previous meal, or even just appearing to be engaged in the interaction rather than being aloof.

 

[sabrecmc]

On our Magic Med cruise, we had 2 great servers. Some of the things they did were small, but noted. For example, they both spoke to my daughter and asked her what she wanted. She was 4 at the time and so many servers just ignore the child like they aren't even a person, just some accessory of the parent. I admit she didn't always answer, sometimes too busy coloring, but at least they treated her like a person. I appreciated that. Also, one night when she said she wanted "nothing" for dessert, they brought her a plate with "Nothing" written on it in chocolate with some Mickey sprinkles. She absolutely loved that! They also made suggestions for what was good and when they found out my mom loved scallops, brought her a whole plate of them without her even asking. They also insisted we try this one dish that they'd suggested and we didn't pick. Turned out that was one of my most favorite dishes ever and I never would have tried it if they hadn't brought it (of course, they also brought our actual orders, but those hardly got touched!). They also were very willing to make suggestions when they learned I don't eat seafood, since some of the menu items could be interchanged to do a different combo that didn't include seafood. I really appreciated all their efforts to make our meals enjoyable.

 

[dylan'smom]

If I receive what I would describe as adequate service, I would tip the recommended amount. Even if I received what I thought of as sub-par service, but through no fault of the servers themselves, I would still tip the recommended amount. By that, I mean if it's obvious the server is having trouble with another table due to difficult guests, if one of the servers is out for illness one night so dinner service is slower, etc. I would never lower a tip amount for something that was beyond the server's control even if it meant my experience wasn't as good.

That being said, I will tip extra for the little extras... and it doesn't even have to be every night. Even if there were only one night in a 7 night cruise that the server went out of his/her way to make sure I was pleased with something, that would warrant an increased tip from me. This could include replacing a meal that I was obviously unhappy with, making a good recommendation based on how I may have reacted to a previous meal, or even just appearing to be engaged in the interaction rather than being aloof.

I totally agree - docking tips for less than stellar service really should be only if it was total neglect on the part of the server, not things beyond their control.

And I think that can be fairly easily determined by asking a couple questions or just observing what's happening. Or like someone else said, your offering understanding & support may really improve service & avert a disaster!!

 

[Hbelton07]

I have never had a bad experience on DCL, but I've heard horror stories!! I know this family who had a baby with a food allergy, and every night the server forgot about it and had to exchange the food, which made the dinner last forever! As far as tipping, i figure if your service is poor, then a poor tip should be the result. I would never tip highly if I thought the service wasn't up to par. With Disney, I would think most of the time you don't have to worry about bad service, but you never know! Sorry to those who have had a bad experience, but don't let that keep you from cruising again!!

 

[tesser21]

15% commission for all sales

Regardless of the commission, I found it extremely rude and annoying. If I wanted a drink, I would have ordered one, I don't like being pushed into drinking! What if I had an issue with alcohol, and why should I be made to feel I need to explain to my server why I don't want a drink?
Guess you can tell, she really upset me! One thing for you to remember NOT to do!! Good Luck with your new position, hope it goes well for you

 

[Lee Matthews]

Also, one night when she said she wanted "nothing" for dessert, they brought her a plate with "Nothing" written on it in chocolate with some Mickey sprinkles. She absolutely loved that! .

I LOVE that. I may borrow and use that myself

 

[HappyontheLake]

I LOVE that. I may borrow and use that myself

One thing my girls loved was when they ordered Shirley Temples they always asked for extra cherries -- our assistant server starting the 2nd night would bring a small bowl full of cherries for each girl. They loved it! He also took note that I asked for lots of lemons for my water and would bring me a plate of artfully arranged lemon slices and replaced them throughout the meal (I use several lemon slices for each glass of water)

I also appreciate never having my water glass being left empty -- same for my husband and his ice tea glass.

 

[denas]

Thanks for the replies, it's all very interesting and useful. Im guessing parties are more than likely to tip extra for receiving Amazing service but would you tip more than the recommended if you received what's you folks consider Adequate service?

Lee-

I think that the fact that you are asking and thinking about it already will set you up for success.

I have cruised RCCL, Princess, Carnival, NCL (prior to their free-style cruisig) and once with Disney. Regardless of the ship, I found that the dining staff remembered drinks, offered bread right away, and in general didn't make dinner painful. I always tipped the recommended amount.

The thing that made Disney special was that they acknowledged it can be hard on parents with children to deal with meals! having the high chair ready is essential - it is a pain to stand around with kids. The little things to entertain little ones are great. After the first night on our last cruise - the waiter brought my son (four at the time) a Mickey bar every night - saying to him he did a great job eating his dinner. My son thought this was awesome since mom and dad didn't ask and my son ate well to show off to the waiter. He is 8 now, still remembers this, and has shared with his sister who is now 4 that on our next cruise the waiters will bring her Mickey bars. Honestly, the waiter is the only thing he clearly remembers from hour last cruise!!

I also like to get to know the wait staff a little - where they are from, etc, but this can be personal so I would wait for the diners to take the lead, but definately engage with them. I have also really liked it when they have asked our port plans the night before and then remembered and asked us about if we enjoyed it or made recommendations.

On our Disney cruise I tipped more than the recommended amount because the waiter was so helpful with my kids and made dinner enjoyable for me. My kids are used to restaurants since we eat out a couple of times a week, but it was really nice to feel like I could relax and enjoy the meal because the waiters did the little extras! I also tipped WAY more than the recommended amount to the head waiter. I have sometimes not given that position much because I have never seen the guy except tip night! On Disney, the head waiter earned every bit of his cruise money. He completely moved the location of our table to accomodate a stroller for our daughter. When we showed up on the second night, he stopped us at the door, addressed us by name stating that he had just realized the table set-up wouldn't work again, and had a bunch of waiters immediately move the table. We have consistently used the Disney wait staff as our example to others about why we pay the premium to cruise Disney with kids.

 

[tinkerone]

Thanks for the replies, it's all very interesting and useful. Im guessing parties are more than likely to tip extra for receiving Amazing service but would you tip more than the recommended if you received what's you folks consider Adequate service?

nope, i wouldn't but neither would i take away from your tip.
so can you tell us what your wage, before tips, would be. sounds like you can put an end to our question about what servers get paid.
thanks

 

[Cruise]

nope, i wouldn't but neither would i take away from your tip.
so can you tell us what your wage, before tips, would be. sounds like you can put an end to our question about what servers get paid.
thanks

I may be wrong, but I believe DCL discourages CMs from disclosing this information. And as it's also been confirmed that DCL monitors these boards, I know none of us would want Lee to get into trouble if that's the case.

If I am mistaken, then....oops

 

[Lee Matthews]

I wouldn't be allowed to say sadly. Also, i honestly don't know yet.

 

[Melcatfish]

Lee, our servers on our recent cruise got extra tips from us because they were friendly, took time to talk to us about our day, chatted about their own lives when asked and recognised that with two young children (our girls were 5 and 2 at the time) dinner can be less than smooth sailing. Some things they did to help us out were:

Remember that both my daughters love pineapple juice and have a kids cup of juice for each waiting on the table.

Talk to the girls and were patient when my oldest was trying to be grown up and order her own meal even though she took longer to do so than we did.

Offer to cut up food for my children so we could also get on with eating our dinner (most nights we cut the childrens food ourselves as it arrived before ours but on one occasion we had ours at the same time and the server and assistant server cut up the childrens food)

By the end of the cruise when we were all very comfortable with our servers our main server offered to take the children for a little walk round the dining room while my husband and I ate our entrees - the children were restless and we weren't getting much chance to eat - he asked me first if it was ok and then strolled round the dining room holding on to the childrens hands showing them the serving station etc... Obviously this was when all his tables were ok and not needing his attention but it was most welcome!

Say hello when you see your guests around the ship (and ashore if you happen to see them) We loved it when our server and asst server would come over and say hi if they were working in a restaurant at breakfast or lunch or if they saw us outside of dinner times.

Go the extra mile in general. As mentioned my daughters loved pineapple juice. It is not available in Topsiders but our asst server was working in there and saw us, said hi and then disappeared, reappearing a couple of minutes later with pineapple juice - we didn't ask him but he knew the kids would love it and they did!

Hope some of these examples help a little.
Mel
x

 

[KingRichard]

not only don't you tip, you make a point to tell disney you won't be back....ever again.


for what your paying the service should be perfect.

Ding Ding Ding!

We have a winner!

If you are expected to tip according to what they recommend, then the service should be what we expect from a top company.

Personally if they were not listening to my request after the first couple times I tend to get rather loud and make sure they hear me.

If they don't care about us, why should we care about them?

We don't expect much, but if we make a reasonable request it should be taken care of.

 

[Disneyholic]

I love Simone!!!!

Me, too.