Food the service industry, "if you dont like it then..."

I just dont understand why so many people accept bad customer service and over pricing as the norm.

I paid the man's charge even though it was unfair, so he has no right to complain at all. I dont think it was reasonable not to make me a better offer on the haircut because he did so little work, but I still paid him what he wanted.

And if he charged fair prices I might have stayed on as a customer. This wasnt the first time in my life I have had a haircut, but it was so pricey I went and looked at clippers in the store next time and they were £20 so I realised if they lasted for 3 haircuts I had made a profit. Ever since then Ive cut my hair myself and it doesnt look as good as a professional job but within the week it grows out and looks fine.

Because of his overcharging, every barber in the country has lost my business for the rest of my life, which potentially could be 50 plus years.
--- merged: May 8, 2012 at 5:48 PM ---

If you get your haircut in a woman's barbers of hair stylist or whatever you pay WAY over the odds. I know that. I know this place, its next to the train station and they have pictures that look like adverts from Vogue in the front... it aint the sort of place for a man like me whatever price they charge.

 

So in one cause you are saying that you would receive a quote for a job and then change your mind after and pay him less.. and that's supposedly fair even though it was agreed upon in advance. On the other you are suggesting that you failed to ask for a quote in advance(even though it was clearly posted on the wall) and are accepting blame but complaining of being cheated. Either way, you don't seem to accept a quote honestly. I think it is clear you need to clip coupons and shop around before you spend a dime and I would wager a guess that you would still complain of the expense. I think you have saved a lot of people a headache by purchasing your own clippers.

It works something like this SF

Request/receive quote (or read posted fee)
Negotiate price(if applicable)
Receive service
Pay negotiated price

The SF method seems to be more like this

Ignore signage
Get service
Receive bill
Negotiate/complain about fee after getting precisely the service requested

If you received what you requested you don't automatically get to toss in the easy card and say I claim a 20% discount because it was easy. The only instant you should reasonably request a discount after service has been received is if the service was actually below par. You haven't even gotten to tipping yet .. yikes.

I work a 12 hour day. Any given day, 8-10 hours of my day may be really rough. Perhaps it is a good day and I have 4 nice smooth working hours out of my day. I don't offer up a discount, my fee has already been negotiated and agreed upon, it's my lucky day. I have provided what I have been paid to provide.

It is never unreasonable to say, hey I think you did a terrible job and I want to speak to a manager. In a reasonable establishment you should be heard out and they should somehow try to make you happy. I have never ate at an establishment that hasn't comp'd a dinner order or something when a person has made a complaint. I have heard people make ridiculous complaints but still receive discounts. Do I expect them? No. I would not likely return and I would be sure to post negative feedback of the establishment if they didn't make an attempt to make me happy.

 

Love this bit. Please tell me that's not what Strange actually said.

 

The article that Strange Famous posted, just got picked up on CNN.com
Tipping point – family locked in restaurant for skimping on mandatory gratuity – Eatocracy - CNN.com Blogs

 

Good. More bad publicity for the thoughtless beasts who run the place.

They have been given a forum to give the two fingers to the whole of America and tell them "if you dont like it, leave"... hopefully the paying public take the advice.

 

There are foreign countries where you don't tip. But, the servers are paid a decent wages and get benefits.

 

I'd be more then happy to have a culture where tipping didn't exist. I think I'd prefer that, can't think of reason why I wouldn't. What I hate is having a culture where tipping does exist and having people in my dining party who pretend it doesn't or at least doesn't apply to them. Here tipping is the main source of income for wait staff. People who leave .50 cent on a $50 check both piss me off and embarrass me. Not to mention I feel like returning to some restaurants would not be in the my best interest.

If a restaurant can make a go of it without having tips or not accepting them, great. But I whatever the system is I prefer having a waiter/waitress and kitchen staff who make a living wage and have access to health care. I'd especially like to know that they make enough or have sick day benefits where they don't have to decide to stay home and have bills go unpaid or work with the Bubonic plague.

 

I hate tipping. Just pay the staff properly and stop relying on your patrons to supplement your shitty wages.

 

I couldn't agree more. Sadly it's simply to engrained in some cultures to change I fear.

 

There is no tipping in Singapore. That said, I can't say for certain that most of the waitstaff are getting top wages.

 

I was asked once by a patron of my service (in a previous industry), what "the norm" was for tipping someone in my position. I replied with great sincerity "I am paid on commission. What people tip if they do, is entirely up to them. But PLEASE, if you order a pizza, or go to a restaurant, or have some kind of food delivered - Chinese or something- tip THEM very well. they live on their tips. They make a disgustingly low hourly wage typically, and they NEED every penny you can afford to tip them. Anyone with a heart in my industry would tell you the same. Even if the service isn't great, tip them every cent you can afford/they deserve. The service likely was less than stellar because the poor things were tired, or they work for someone horrid and are just mentally weary, and are just trying to make it through the day so they can feed their kids. Me. I'm going to be okay no matter what you tip." My tip from him that day was reasonable and thoughtful.

3 months later. The service was patronized by the same individual, and he was put in my care. He thanked me for my advice when he had seen me last. He had not only remembered it, but put it into practice immediately. He confessed he had been a regular 10% tipper, less if the service was bad, and that he had never tipped a food delivery person more than "a buck or two" before talking to me. He found that he had been enjoying better service and far more smiles at the establishments he frequented when he changed to 15-20 % - 15 for normal service, 20 for good - and more if he was REALLY happy with the service. And that his pizzas seemed to arrive faster, and with far less problems. I nodded and smiled.

I didn't have the heart to tell him the changes were more likely a 70/20 split. 70% internal, and 20% the servers pleasure at receiving the increase. Your perception is altered when you "do the right thing". This man knew he was in the wrong by low ball tipping. He was open minded enough to be receptive to encouragement to tip more. He's seeing the smiles, and happier with the service - likely through not much more than his new found ability to LOOK UP at the servers. Being able to look them in the eye, knowing he's doing HIS part, small as it is, to make their job and day a little more bearable, he's seeing what was more than likely there all along.

 

When paying for a meal by credit card, I always add the tip to the charge. I've been told by others to pay the tip in cash so the server receives it immediately.

Is this a real issue or just one that is perceived to be a problem?

 

I think that highly depends on the restaurant. My brother owned and managed restaurants for 20+ years and that's what he told me. I've always done the opposite so I know the cash goes into the hand of the person(s) who waited on my table.

 

I have always considered the tip a personal transaction with the person providing the service, so it's almost always cash. Makes for pleasant return visits.

 

I think it also gets 3% of the tip or whatever taken off due to credit card fees. It might add up after a while.

 

Yes. I should have added that. There is a service charge built in.

I'd rather that than have to work out the tip.