Well, I missed class because of work (and a little play). The play part was a cruise with Norwegian cruise line (NCL) on the Star. During my cruise I had many service experiences (some good, more than I anticipated were bad). Let me preference this next part by saying I have been on one cruise before, Carnival. My expectations for this cruise were based on my previous cruise. What I expected (general): Very friendly and helpful staff. Wait staff that was very professional and attentive. Rooms to be made daily (with cute little towel animals), a clean stateroom, and arriving to the ports of call on time.
I arrived at the cruise terminal by myself and went to check in. They were handing out paper work that needed to be filled out and information for the cruise. I went up to get the papers and the lady said that I did not have to fill one out. I said I thought I did. She said no and that they would fill it out for me (they being some people I was standing next to). I told her that I needed one, she responded that it was only for people over 18. I said I was over 18 and I needed the form. She just looked at me and handed me the form and did not give me the other information. I say this now because it is a little funny, but it sets the stage for what I think (being young, or looking really young) was one of the key factors for the service I (and my husband along with the other couple) received.
When I got to the room it was very dingy and not welcoming (no towel animals, candies, flowers, or anything that lights up the room when you first come in). We booked a cheap cabin because we did not plan on spending much time in it and when we booked the same class room on Carnival it was nice and we received the same treatment as those who booked better rooms. The room was so grimy, depressing and smelled that I went up to the desk to see if I could pay for an upgrade; they said it was a full ship and they had no rooms available. This was the start of my cruise; due to my expectations I felt a little disappointed.
Making up the room:
In front of our room there was a wheel to turn to indicate what you wanted for your cabin (make up, turn down, welcome, do not disturb). I am a morning person (therefore I drag my husband out of bed when I get up) and start the day fairly early (7am). Every day on the cruise we woke up at this time and turned the wheel for our room to be made up. With the exception of the last day, our room would not be made until 11 at the earliest; the last day they entered the room at 8am (did not knock and we had do not disturb on). Similarly, turning down the room occurred late and we would often either leave or have to wait because we saw them coming down the hall. I expected cute little towel animal every day; we got one towel folded in half with black paper dots for eyes. The service for our room was obviously not individualized as they would have you think with the signs. My husband and I kept comparing this to Carnival where there were no signs, but you would leave for breakfast and come back and the room would be immaculate and when you come back from dinner your room would be turned down with elaborate towel animals (I know…I really thought they were a nice touch and looked forward to them).
Service by the crew:
Casino: I went to the casino for a promotion they were advertising all the time. I did not go right away because I figured it would be busy so I waited until what I thought would be a random and not busy time. When I went to get the promotion, the lady said they were out and to come back later. The promotion was that I would give them 10 and they give me an additional 10 so they could not be out? I pointed this out and she said rudely come back later and turned away. I was REALLY taken back; I was never treated like that on Carnival nor at ANY casino.
Cafeteria: The food was the exact SAME everyday for every meal. The dishes were sometimes unavailable or not located by the food. For example, there was one bowl left for oatmeal so I asked the lady for bowls. She looked at me and handed me the one bowl that was left. I handed it to my husband and said I would wait. I waited and she never seemed to go for more bowls. So I asked again, she pointed across the cafeteria and said there was bowls over there and she continued to just stand there! My mouth dropped; I went over and grabbed as many bowls as I could carry and brought them back so others did not have to deal with this. On a positive note, they were very fast at getting the plates and keeping the tables clean and the food area clean. Also, the people they have to spray your hands at EVERY entrance to a food place where good at making sure they got you, even if you were just passing through. (HMMM… NORWALK virus; I wonder what it was like before).
Lounges: The shows where held in lounges where they sold drinks (cheapest $6.50 typically $9 for adult drinks and $2 for soda; all which had an additional 15% gratuity added for “our convenience”). It was in these areas that the service was really attentive. Every 5 minutes someone would come over and ask if you would like a drink. Once you had a drink, they would constantly check and as soon as it was almost done they would offer you another. I must say this was the best service on the ship (if I wanted it or not).
On/Off the boat: Getting off the boat was an adventure. We were typically late coming into port so a lot of people had to run to get to their excursion. There were very long lines; one day we were SO late that they had to call all people with excursions into a room and then walk them off the ship before letting the others exit. The fact that we were late in getting into ports REALLY upset me; I cruise only to see the places and get a feel if I would want to spend more time there; I really could do without all the ship time. Ok, back to getting to or from the ship. Considering we were late and people were waiting to get off the ship, you would think they would make this process as smooth as possible. NO! NCL had their picture people waiting for you to get off the ship to pose and get a picture; which they insisted and people would have to really push through them to not get their picture taken. This really slowed things down (but it brought them $15 a picture). Getting back on the boat was not that bad. You would place your bag through a scanner and would go through a metal detector. What were they looking for; guns and knives, no… tequila! For example, I was getting back on the ship after walking around all day. I was carrying a bottle of water with me. When I got back on they screened my bag and said I had Tequila in it. I said no, and my husband pointed out my water bottle and said that was probably what they saw. They said no, I had tequila and they rescreened it. When they rescreened it they STILL insisted I had tequila. At this point I was furious, they were being very rude and treating me like a criminal. The guy would not let me on insisting I had tequila. I then began to rip my bag apart and said LOOK no tequila. After I ripped apart my entire bag showing him I had NOTHING, he just hissed and then let me by. I was so angry, first of all, I did not have any alcohol and I guess because I was young he assumed that I could not get it or afford it (that was partially true) so I had to be sneaking it on the ship because I NEEDED alcohol?!!?!. Second, if I was going to bring alcohol on to consume I would either mix it in a bottle of Gatorade or something similar, or I would get a plastic bottle and put it under my clothing. I was very insulted that he thought I would be stupid enough to just put it in my bag knowing that was the only thing they cared about. Furthermore he never even checked my water bottle to see if the water was really water (which it was indeed water). I just felt he was targeting me and giving me an unfairly hard time because of my age.
Overall, this was THE WORST vacation I have been on. I think the main reason was due to unmeet expectations and horrible service. (In addition the boat accident I was in due to the NCL transfer boat hitting the scuba boat I was on; the 3 mile NCL booked excursion I paid for turning out to be 0.5 mile walk; the overly pushy picture NCL takers all over the boat; the not so “free-style” cruising; arriving late to ports which reduced the overall time we could spend there). My husband feels the same way; he could not believe the overall cruise and how poorly we were treated. I went into this cruise with certain expectations and when they were not met I felt let down. The service experiences I had where what really made me dislike this vacation. My husband said he was planning on writing a letter to Carnival and thanking them for such a great cruise and say how sorry he was he did not sticking with them. I laughed, I said I was taking a class and it was all about service and that this vacation will serve as a great entry on what service should not be.
I had to travel from San Diego to Los Angeles and booked with Amtrak. I was to take a train to Union station and then a bus to my final destination. Everything was going fine until the train broke down. We ended up sitting there for an hour. My bus was supposed to leave 50 minutes after my original arrival time and I knew I would miss my bus because of the train trouble. I went to find a stewardess to ask if there was another bus I could catch. When I approached, the two stewardesses were sitting there with very angry looks on their face. I went up and said I think I am going to miss my bus and asked if there was a schedule I could see. They got very defensive and said just wait and see. I said I was almost positive I would miss my bus because we were sitting there for an hour which was more than the time I had between the train and the bus and I wanted to see a schedule or have a number to call to check. I could tell that they were really frustrated with the situation and probably had a lot of other complaints (Light bulb!). I then apologized and said that I was not familiar with California and that I was new to using public transportation; I said I came from a rural place in PA and we ride horses. They got my joke and started laughing. Then the lady said that she would try to get some information. I then went back to my seat. About 15 minutes later, one of the stewardesses was walking around and came up to me. She had a schedule in hand and said she called the station. She told me that since I booked a direct ticket the bus was part of my trip and they would have to hold the bus (not just for me; but for all passengers who had a connection). This time she was very friendly and helpful. When I was exiting the train she asked if I needed any help getting to the bus terminal.
This experience made me realize that sometimes to get good service you have to consider what the service provider is going through. In this case I was really not complaining, I just wanted to figure out a way to get a ride to my destination. When I went up I did not consider that the stewardesses probably had a lot of other customers coming up saying they too were going to be late. When I finally realized this, I understood why they were reluctant. It was not their fault the engine was not working, they could not fix it and they had no control and nothing they could do could get people to their destination.
Side note: I ended up missing my bus, BUT they sent me by taxi and I arrived before the bus did.
Providing customers with other options and services in addition to the main product is a good marketing approach and the additions typically are welcomed and valued by the customers. Today I went to our (Hospital) cafeteria to buy some Swedish fish; I don’t go to the main cafeteria very often. When I was in line to pay for the candy, I noticed the selection of last minute grabs (chocolate, gum, mints and such). What really caught my eye were the two boxes filled with Rolaids upfront, directly by the cashier. It was presented in a manner as if the cashier was encouraging you to buy them. I don’t think they realized what type of message they were sending by placing them at that particular location. They were probably thinking they were enhancing the service of providing food by offer other stuff; but the location of this particular product was poorly placed.
My primary job is in research so I don’t have many service interactions where I am providing a direct serves to customers. Sometimes I find it difficult to relate some of the concept we learn in class to my job. However, on occasion, I do security. With this job I have direct service interactions with customers. My primary job is to ensure the safety of the concert goers through searching bags and monitoring behavior. A few weeks ago we discussed unruly customers and how to handle them. During my experiences in providing (or trying to maintain) security, I have come across many unruly customers (mostly due to alcohol). At times this can be very entertaining; however, it can also be annoying and frustrating. We are trained to be polite to the customers at all times regardless of the names we are being called. One interaction (of the many from this past event) was with a drunken lady who could barely stand. She decided it was a really good idea to get up on the chairs and dance around. I saw her attempt to get up but she was so drunk I did not run over because I did not think she would make it up. Then her buddies decide to assist her in getting up on the chair. At this point I run over because I knew she was eventually going to fall. I ask her to get of the chair to which she responded by yelling at me. I ask her again and her buddies help her down. When she got off the chair she continued to yell at me. My favorite line was when she told me she was not on the chair and I was imaging her on it and I had no right to yell at her. I was polite through the whole ordeal, but it takes a lot of patients to provide a service (making sure people don’t hurt themselves) when you have an unruly customer.
After an active day of walking around D.C. my husband and I were really hungry. We decided to go to Carrabba's that was closest to home. Of course it took a little longer than we expected to get there so by time we arrived we were starving. Although it was a weekend night; we thought we would have missed the main rush because it was pretty late. When we got there they said it was an hour and a half wait. My husband could not wait. Despite having to leave (he is really cranky when he is hungry) I noticed that they were walking around the crowded waiting area with slices of pizza and a try of chicken. They were giving the patiently waiting customers samples. I thought this was a really nice offer. Most restaurants are packed and have 1-2 hour waits on the weekend so it is not abnormal; however, this restaurant was giving their customers samples. This is a great idea to keep their hungry customers happy while waiting for their table.
This past Thursday I went to hear live music. I heard about this show on the radio and then went to the web site to learn more. The only information I could get was that the doors opened at 8 and it started at 9 and Eve 6 was playing. On the website I was not able to find anything about an opening band or how long the show would go. I tried calling the place to find out more information but was not able to reach them. Despite not getting much information about the show, I decided to go. It turns out that there were two opening bands (one I liked, the other I did not). The opening bands were done before 11. At that point I was expecting the main band to go to at least 1am. When Eve 6 got on stage (after 11) they started singing. The songs where fine; however, there was no emotion from the lead singer; he seemed to be annoyed to be there. The band played a few songs and where done by midnight. I was really surprised and disappointed. I paid for a service (for entertainment) but felt that the performance was well below par. I have been to cover bands that were better able to engage the audience. Overall, this was a disappointing experience from trying to get general information, the time spent on opening bands compared to the main band, and the main band’s lack of enthusiasm for the music. There was no point in saying anything to the managers of the establishment because it is not their fault, Eve 6 is a touring band and won’t be back.
Interesting service approach taken by these restaurants, I wonder how long they have been using that approach. Are these restaurants nicer ones or chains, or where they the equivalent to dinners here? I think it would be harder for chains and established places in the
I have been having horrible service experience with a company we buy products from. We purchase products from their web site and they should be here within 3 days. My first issue was when we purchased an order and only some of it arrived; here, they did not sell the product in the quantity we ordered and just canceled the order!! (strike 1) When I spoke with customer service they said it was the internet ordering system and there was nothing they could do. I then asked to speak to a manager and he said they would send the product for free… THEY NEVER DID (strike 2). A few weeks we had to order from them again; again some of our stuff came but not all (not the same product as our first experience either). I called and they said that they were out until March 19 (THEY should have called us and told us they were going to be out, the product is needed for us to continue our research. March 19th came and went…no product! When I called to ask what happened, they said it SHOULD be shipped April 9th! This is the worst company to order from (they are not reliable) and they don’t handle issues on their end properly. This is a perfect example of a bad system in place (they realize it) and they don’t respond to their customers properly. It is like the letter we discussed at the beginning of the semester where the owner explained (blamed) what went wrong and whose fault it was but did nothing to correct it. SOOOOO frustrated. (And yes, I HAVE to use this company.
I went skiing at
This past week my husband and I went to the Macaroni grill. It was a week night so the place was not too busy and we were seated immediately. We were seated directly behind the hostess stand (might I add she was wearing way too much perfume). Within a few minutes our waitress came over and took our drink order. When she came back she brought our drinks with bread and asked if we were ready to order; however, I needed a few more minutes (they had new selections and I could not decide). After a few minutes she came back; this time she seemed a little frazzled. She took our order in a different tone then when she initially asked for our drinks. While waiting for our meal she was very attentive and as soon as we ran out of a drink, she would bring a refill, but she still seemed frazzled. I then noticed that since my husband and I got there, the restaurant was getting full, and the sections closest to us were filled. I noticed our waitress running between our table and four others (one on the same course as us and the other three just placing orders). As a former waitress I then realized why she was frazzled; however, she was doing a great job.
When our meal came out, she only had one plate in hand. She set the plate in front of me and said that the meal my husband ordered looked burnt and she refused to serve it to him and requested the chef make another. We said that was fine and not a big deal. As I was trying to wait for my husband’s meal to come out; I noticed that my meal was missing an ingredient: spinach. I had no plans in sending the meal back (I really could not wait again and it tasted fine even without the spinach) but I wanted to let her know so the cook could be informed. When she brought my husband’s meal back I said that everything was good, but the cook forgot the spinach. She said that she was sorry (not that it was her fault) and would bring spinach out. I said not to worry that the meal was good even without; but she insisted. When she came back she brought a plate and said, I asked the chef for a side of spinach and he must have miss understood. Here she brought a raw plate of spinach for my cooked meal; I said thank you this was fine. She seemed upset and frustrated with the whole situation. When we were done with our meal she came out with a big piece of chocolate cake. She said it was on her for everything that happened. Honestly, we knew it was not her fault; we could see that the hostess did a poor job of spreading the incoming customers out over the sections and that the cook was possibly new. We did not think it was a terribly bad experience, we understand things happen. We were happy with our meal and the quick service despite a few mishaps. However, when the waitress brought out the cake, I thought that was a nice gesture. I was going to right the experience off as a rough night for the restaurant, but when the waitress brought a dessert out without us complaining or saying anything this impressed me. It is really great when a company (in this case the waitress) realizes their (as a whole) shortcomings and is proactive about making sure the customers have a good experience.
