Cruising The Seven Seas: Bad Day and Basketball

Bad Day

19^th September 2011

There’s really not much to say about today other than it was a bad one. It’s a sea day which is never an exciting day. In a way, it’s like being stuck inside a hotel room all day – there’s just not much to do. We can’t go to any of the shows because of our work schedules. As it’s the final day before the turn around, we are all scheduled for the gallery and there is no one about. We're just watching the clock tick.

During most of my time in the gallery, there was nothing to do other than walk around, condense photos and a couple of us had a muck around to kill some time. It was later on in the evening, not long before we closed that things started to pick up, but there was no money to be made. The crowds coming were in the gallery to pick up their photo packages, DVDs and reprints which have already been paid for.

The previous day I’d been helping a Mexican family find their pictures. Fabio has sold them the GTP but hadn’t ordered the CD as he needed to help an Italian couple. Being the only one in the gallery at that time, who spoke Italian, we swapped.

I explained to the couple three times before ordering the CD, that this particular package was by stateroom. Therefore, only photos containing those guests in that particular cabin would appear on the CD. “Yeah, yeah, just order the CD”. A sure sign the family were going to be trouble!

Delaying ordering the CD, I ran into the office to speak to Reuben. Ritesh was in there with Paco too, so I spoke to all three of them about the situation. Reuben’s suggestion was that I send down a print of the four people in their stateroom. A sample picture. Ritesh would then have to sit at the computer for a couple of hours and remove each picture of the people who weren’t from the stateroom.

The CD was ordered and sample photo sent to the lab for Ritesh.

Turns out, in total there were 12 people in the Mexican's group. The family of four who bought the GTP package were staying in the Royal Suite. All 12 people had been swiping the same card to work their way around the system.

Speaking to the Mexicans, I told them what we would do (following Reuben's instructions) and explained that the photos of people not staying in the Royal Suite would be removed from the CD. The man's reply "No need, just leave the photos (prints) there and I'll ignore them". Of course he would! Again, I explained, all photos of people who weren't staying in their stateroom would be removed.

Ritesh called up from the lab to let me know that, so far, there were around 500 photos on the CD. Many of the photos didn't include any of the guests within the Royal Suite and therefore, had to be removed from the CD.

Again, the Mexican replied with "I'll ignore the photos and give me the CD". Sounding like a broken record, I kept repeating "per stateroom" etc. Having the final word, he snapped about forgetting the prints, he didn't want them before abruptly waving his hand in front of my face as a sign to stop talking, turned on his heels and walked off. As he walked off he gave me a warning "You leave those photos where they are - on the CD".

Walking in I told Reuben about what had happened. He said not to worry and if there were any problems later on to let him know.

Popping back into the gallery later the guy’s daughter had more photos to put into the enormous folder. I spoke to the girl who was as obnoxious as they come! Must run in the family! I asked her to look through the photos and remove all those of people who weren’t in her cabin. She said "no because they are all part of the group." Finally, after saying, we’d have to do it for her, she reluctantly agreed.

A little later on she handed me a small pile of photos. Shoving the folder on the side, I told Sandra I needed to search through the prints. It was just another weight to add to a heavy load. Sandra walked over to me later on and said she’d sorted the photos into two folders. One for the GTP family and another for the remaining members of the group. If they wanted their prints, they could pay for them just like everyone else.

You can see what’s coming next, can’t you?

When the family came into the gallery later on to collect their package all hell broke loose. Luckily, the family headed straight for me. After dealing with them, I wouldn't want anyone else having to put up with this family!

I handed them a contact sheet containing thumbnails of the pictures featured on the CD. Looking through them the guy looked at me and flew into a rage “What’s this? There were nearly 500 photos on the kiosk and here there and less than half”. I explained to him what I’d hold him before ordering the CD. Apparently I am a liar and didn’t tell him anything of the sort. With his voice escalating, it wasn't long until people in the packed gallery were turning their attention to the scene dramatically unfolding.

After having a bucket full of abuse, I'd had enough. It wasn't just the man, but his obnoxious rudeness too. I was about to go into the office for Reuben. Not being able to get a word in edge ways, the Mexican continued to yell that we'd all mis-sold the package and "Don't worry, you're all criminals". Stuffing his stack of photos and CD under his arm, he marched off with his wife.

The Mexican's beloved daughter wasn't quite finished though and had a little more input "You can't tell people one thing and give them another". Thanks to her black-hole of a mouth, her Dad waltzed back into the gallery and started up again, yelling he was going to give me a bad name comments and he'd make sure I'd lose my job! He was going for my job. What lovely people they are! Gritting my teeth, I smiled as sweetly as possible, although I probably looked like a bulldog chewing on a wasp, I hissed "I told you a few times that the CD was by stateroom, didn't I? You chose not to pay attention, talk over me and wave your hand at me as a gesture to shup up. You chose to ignore me!"

Once the family had walked away I felt so embarrassed by what had just happened. The next guest came over, giving me a pitiful smile. I put my head down and charged her for the photos. Later on I popped into see Reuben and told him what had happened. He told me not to worry, he’d back me up. I hope so!

Getting back behind the desk, a Brazilian couple came over and asked to speak to the manager. "Things can't get any worse, surely?" I thought to myself. I could have cried! Glancing over, Sanela nodded at me to get Reuben. Sanela came over and whispered in my ear that the Brazilian guests wanted to speak to Reuben about what occured with the Mexican family. That was all I needed!

Reuben came into the gallery and asked the guests if he could help. I was starting to feel as if the tears would start leaking. For a few minutes I was focusing on anything, anything outside the ship, willing myself not to let the waterworks start!

After the talk which could have only lasted about five minutes Reuben came over to me and told me in full what had been said. Here are a few bits of it “Lou was very professional, she was talking calmly to them and the family started shouting at her, accusing her of mis-selling packages, lying, cheating them etc.” Reuben, again, told me not to worry and if they came back in then to call him straight away.

An hour later, I did just that. They all came charging into the gallery looking for me. Coming over they said they didn’t want to CD because we’d taken half the photos off, miss-sold them a product and lied. I said I unable to refund their money but I’d go and get the manager for them.

The daughter spoke a bit of English and tried translating for her father. When she was having a hard time or didn’t translate something correctly, I’d jump in to just help Reuben out, only to get told not to speak (by the father, not Reuben). In the end, Reuben asked them why they’d chosen the CD in the first place, only to come back to demand for a refund? Reuben pointed out we couldn’t refund any money in case they’d downloaded all the images on the CD and came back for a refund. This would mean they’d got all their digital images for free, as well as the prints. Also, Reuben said, if we did refund it, we’d need the prints back and they blankly refused. There was nothing any of us would or could do.

About an hour later the Mexican guy came back into the gallery with Newman from Guest Relations. I called Reuben again. Reuben was getting annoyed with this family and it was starting to show. I don't blame him!

Newman told us that the Mexican family were going to log a complaint with Royal Caribbean if we didn’t refund their money, now. Royal Caribbean’s policy is: give the guests whatever makes them happy. Reuben, the star, backed me up all the say, telling Newman that I hadn’t mis-sold anything and I’d done my job properly and by the book. There was more, Reuben repeated that I’d warned them about the photos being removed from the CD before ordering it.

Newman translated and the guest told him that it didn’t matter what I’d told them. He wasn’t happy with the package and therefore wanted a refund. Reuben again, explain that we couldn’t refund anything because he could have downloaded all the photos and he wouldn’t bring the prints down. Newman of course wouldn’t translate that. Newman gave the ultimatum: "if you don’t refund it, we’ll go back upstairs and log the complaint." Reuben's reply: Go log the complaint.

That put a downer on my entire evening, I couldn’t wait to finish. The sea was rough and the ship rocking side to side. Feeling sea sick, all I wanted to do was just crawl into bed and forget about it all.

Thankfully, I won't forget Reuben backing me up, the way he did tonight. It's what separates the great managers from the rest.

During the early hours, after work, all the photographers headed up to Deck 12 to the basketball court. There's an all-crew basketball tournament going on. The concessionaries, photographers and shoppies, have been teamed together as there aren't enough players. Tonight, the lads from Team M&R were playing Guest Relations who we later beat. What the score was, I don't know. I was in a world of my own, taking photos and failing at playing ping-pong with Sandra!