Customer service @ most truck stop restaurants...

[layoutshooter]

I think that's where we see things different. From your posts past an present you come across as thinking the majority of today's youth are not like they used to be. I believe the majority are and many accomplish more at a younger age than I ever dreamed of. Every generation has had its downside, the more we expose ourselves to the world around us the more we are exposed to it.

No tip is for extremely bad service a nickle or a penny is just rude the very thing you claim to disdain.

Well, I don't know about a majority of today's youth, but a good number are just dialed into the "victim" and "entitlement" mentality. I don't know what you did, or did not, accomplish a what age, but I know what I did. I DO know that fewer and fewer can even make change for a dollar without a machine telling them what it is.

I starting working at age 11. I have been supporting my self and/or my family ever since I was 19. I did not live at home with mommy and daddy at age 25. Even when I was in school I supported myself. So did Jim by the way. He worked two jobs while going to law school and lived in his own place, paid his own bills etc.

It is NOT rude to pay poorly for poor service. They are NOT entitled to 10, 15, or 20% tips. They are only entitled to what they EARN. If they do not EARN that tip, they don't get it. Just as EVERY place I have worked. The better I did, the more I made. They need to learn that lesson, no matter what age they are. Paying well for poor service encourages poor service. On the other hand, I have, on rare occasion, tipped as high as 30%, when I received exceptional service. That has NEVER been in a truck stop. Please explain how paying for what is earned is somehow rude?

I was not, by the way, speaking of generations. There are plenty of scuz out there from every generation. They tend to be far less accomplished than the non-scuz and their offspring often end up in the same circumstance, since they learned from scuz.

How a person dresses, acts and talks has tremendous affect on their success or failure in life. When a person carries themselves with confidence, is neat and clean, speaks properly etc, they will almost always to better in life that one who wheres his pants so his vertical smile is showing. I wonder if those who interviewed for me dressed that way every figured it out? Jim came in in a jacket and tie for his interview. He also KNEW how to fish and outfit those who fished. A killer combination.

 

[xiggi]

I started earning money at a young age delivering the weekly paper The Grit. Wonder how many remember that one? As I have mentioned before my father passed when I was ten and we had a large catholic family. If I wanted something I had to earn the money to buy it.

 

[asjssl]

To
Insure
Proper
Service

 

[layoutshooter]

I started earning money at a young age delivering the weekly paper The Grit. Wonder how many remember that one? As I have mentioned before my father passed when I was ten and we had a large catholic family. If I wanted something I had to earn the money to buy it.

Yeah, I think I remember that paper. I delivered the "Downriver News Herald" starting when I was 11. At age 12 I started working in clubs, bars and dance halls. I was a drummer in a band. Made pretty dog gone good money too. I too had to buy everything. I bought my own clothes, except school uniforms. After my first starter drum set I bought all of my own instruments etc. I bought all of my own guns too. Learning responsibility serves us all well. We were a small Catholic family. I am lucky, I still have my dad. That must have to hard on you.

 

[layoutshooter]

To
Insure
Proper
Service

The service, good or bad, was ALREADY performed when it came time to tip. It is too late if the service was poor. You get what you EARN, nothing more.

 

[jayjay]

I ALWAYS tip. If the service is REALLY bad I will leave a nickle or a penny. That way they KNOW I did not forget and MAYBE they will figure it out.

I figure that they should figure it out when they get no tip.

 

[Turtle]

I've found that I rarely get bad service at a truck stop. And over the years I've found that, generally speaking, I get the same respect from others that I give out to them. If you routinely get bad service and don't get the respect you think you deserve, well, there ya go. You might want to rethink your position and actions in all of this.

A truck stop, and restaurants in general, but truck stop restaurants in particular, are not staunchy, professional environments. They are friendly, welcoming, familiar environments. Serving food is an intimate, familiar thing. It's like serving family at the dinner table. Or at least it should be. The "honey" and "sugar" and "sweetie" things tend to come from people who genuinely have an affection for other people, strangers or not (or, from truck drivers talking to clerks and waitresses because they think it's high-class flirting). I was in restaurant management for a lot of years and I saw the good ones and the bad ones, and the best ones were the ones who loved their jobs because they loved people, and many of them used familiar terms with their customers.

 

[zorry]

I agree with LOS.

There are many that do not tip. They never tip.
To leave no tip leaves the waitress thinking you never tip.

To leave a penny or nickel makes a statement.
I have gone as far as leave a note on the placemat. " If you had refilled my coffee you would have been tipped."
Only once or twice in 36 years on the road.
I will tip heavy on average service if the place is real slow. She's having a 70cpm kind of day and is there because she has bills,kids to feed,or whatever.
Why not cheer her up. Maybe she'll pass it on.

 

[zorry]

I,too, feel I seldom have bad service in truckstops.

Any restaurant, if the service is slow,does not equal bad service.
If they're humping because they are understaffed,I reward them.
If service sucks because they're on cell phone or bs'ing, the tip will suck.

 

[layoutshooter]

I've found that I rarely get bad service at a truck stop. And over the years I've found that, generally speaking, I get the same respect from others that I give out to them. If you routinely get bad service and don't get the respect you think you deserve, well, there ya go. You might want to rethink your position and actions in all of this.

A truck stop, and restaurants in general, but truck stop restaurants in particular, are not staunchy, professional environments. They are friendly, welcoming, familiar environments. Serving food is an intimate, familiar thing. It's like serving family at the dinner table. Or at least it should be. The "honey" and "sugar" and "sweetie" things tend to come from people who genuinely have an affection for other people, strangers or not (or, from truck drivers talking to clerks and waitresses because they think it's high-class flirting). I was in restaurant management for a lot of years and I saw the good ones and the bad ones, and the best ones were the ones who loved their jobs because they loved people, and many of them used familiar terms with their customers.

Turtle, you don't know me and as far as I know, never even met me. Those who have know how I treat others. I have not need to change how I act, dress or speak.

I know many, my wife included, who don't the like the "honey" stuff. She REALLY cannot stand the "you guys". As she often says, there is NO WAY she could be mistaken for a guy.

There is ALWAYS room for a professional attitude. One acts the way one wishes to be treated.

 

[Turtle]

Yep. There are a certain percentage of restaurant goers who never tip, under any circumstances. Waitresses just love that <snort> ("he stiffed me!"), but they also know it's part of the territory. If you don't leave a tip at all, the waitress classifies you as "part of the territory."

If you leave a few coins, or a single dime or a nickel, that's just telling the waitress you're a jerk. But if you leave a single penny, that's THE statement maker. She'll still think you're a jerk, but the message is unmistakable.

Slow food out of the kitchen doesn't equate to slow or bad service. But if the server brings the wrong food, is inattentive and unaware of problems and potential problems, or fails to anticipate needs, that's bad service and should be rewarded accordingly. Low tipping for poor service is fine, but you need to make sure it's the server's fault.

Waitresses (waiters, servers, whatever) are all about the numbers. They're practically mathematical geniuses. How much you leave tells them exactly what you think of their service, and by extension, what you think of them. They can look at the tip on a table and in an instant know what percentage you left them. They already know what the check is before they give it you, heck, before they even give it to the kitchen, so they already know what they're going to make off you, or at least they know what 10, 15 and 20 of that check will be.

These numbers have very specific meanings to a server.

15% - For good, adequate, expected service. They did their job.
20% - For exceptional service. They made you very happy.
10% - For poor service. They didn't.

Other than leaving a single penny, you should never leave less than 10% for poor service, because it sends the message of "I'm a jerk and a bad tipper" rather than the message of "poor service."

If you leave 25-30% for good-to-excellent service like I do, they know that you are, or have been in the restaurant industry, and understand what they're dealing with on a daily basis.

 

[xiggi]

Guys is a gender neutral term when used in the plural. Guy is gender specific.

 

[layoutshooter]

Guys is a gender neutral term when used in the plural. Guy is gender specific.

You can believe what ever you like. My wife is a very accomplished woman and will be treated with the proper respect she has earned or the tip will reflect it. "You guys" is NOT professional speech. A 'sever' can either say, "Wadda you guys want?" OR "What would you like for breakfast" OR "What can I get for you two?" The phrase used goes a long way to tip size.

I would LOVE to see that "YOU GUYS" bunch in basic training. They would have had to do SO many push ups the earth would have changed it's rotation speed.

By the time a person is old enough to work, say 9-12 years old, they very well be aware of proper manners.

 

[layoutshooter]

Yep. There are a certain percentage of restaurant goers who never tip, under any circumstances. Waitress just love that <snort> ("he stiffed me!"), but they also know it's part of the territory. If you don't leave a tip at all, the waitress classifies you as "part of the territory."

If you leave a few coins, or a single dime or a nickel, that's just telling the waitress you're a jerk. But if you leave a single penny, that's THE statement maker. She'll still think you're a jerk, but the message is unmistakable.

Slow food out of the kitchen doesn't equate to slow or bad service. But if the server brings the wrong food, is inattentive and unaware of problems and potential problems, or fails to anticipate needs, that's bad service and should be rewarded accordingly. Low tipping for poor service is fine, but you need to make sure it's the server's fault.

Waitresses (waiters, servers, whatever) are all about the numbers. They're practically mathematical geniuses. How much you leave tells them exactly what you think of their service, and by extension, what you think of them. They can look at the tip on a table and in an instant know what percentage you left them. They already know what the check is before they give it you, heck, before they even give it to the kitchen, so they already know what they're going to make off you, or at least they know what 10, 15 and 20 of that check will be.

These numbers have very specific meanings to a server.

15% - For good, adequate, expected service. They did their job.
20% - For exceptional service. They made you very happy.
10% - For poor service. They didn't.

Other than leaving a single penny, you should never leave less than 10% for poor service, because it sends the message of "I'm a jerk and a bad tipper" rather than the message of "poor service."

If you leave 25-30% for good-to-excellent service like I do, they know that you are, or have been in the restaurant industry, and understand what they're dealing with on a daily basis.

The penny or the nickle IS for the jerks. There have been just a few over my life time. Few 10% either, and a few 25-35%. The norm is the run of the mill bunch.

 

[Turtle]

Turtle, you don't know me and as far as I know, never even met me. Those who have know how I treat others. I have not need to change how I act, dress or speak.

I wasn't talking to you specifically, I was talking generalities. If your actions towards others don't precipitate equal and positive reactions from others, then don't consider or apply any of the generalities I mentioned. I do know that when a majority of people get good customer service someplace, and one or a handful of people always get poor service at the same locations, there's a reason for that.

I know many, my wife included, who don't the like the "honey" stuff. She REALLY cannot stand the "you guys". As she often says, there is NO WAY she could be mistaken for a guy.

How does she feel about being called "Y'all"? Because that's the southern version of "you guys." Both are colloquialisms for "you all." I was born in the south but grew up in the north. When I moved back down south I had to learn to stop saying "you guys" and start saying "y'all."

When I first moved to New Jersey from Ohio I went to a grocery store to get some pop. I asked someone who worked there where the pop was. They sent me, I'm not kidding, to the aisle where the popcorn was located. I then learned that, on the east coast, pop is actually soda. In Ohio if you ask for soda they'll hand you sparkling water. In Jersey if you want sparkling water you'd better ask for seltzer. If you ask for seltzer in Ohio they're hand you Alka Seltzer. In the south, Coca Cola is a "cold drank", and everything else is a "Coke." If they ask for a "cold drank" (which is southern for cold drink), hand 'em a Coke and they're happy. If they ask for a Coke, you gotta qualify it.

"Give me a large Coke."
"What kind?"
"Mountain Dew."

There is ALWAYS room for a professional attitude. One acts the way one wishes to be treated.

True, and one usually is.

 

[zorry]

I met Joe and his wife last year.

I hope I didn't ask "How you guys doing ?"
If so, I apologize.
He didn't hit me, nor did he tip me.

 

[layoutshooter]

My son is a professional sever. Even when he started at the lower end places he said that he would NEVER say, you guys etc. He considered it impolite. Now that he has moved up the "food chain" into the much higher end places he would never dream of it. He was, of course, taught to say "yes sir" "yes mam" etc. Both my sons were taught manners and how to show respect to elders. They knew to use "Mr" and "Mrs" etc.

Depends on which part of the East Coast. In parts of MA pop is often called tonic. It's pop here.

The manners I was raised with are MUCH harder to find that they were 30 years ago. You see it in the way people drive, their foul mouths. There have been changes and, for the most part, not for the better. People are more course than in prior decades. The entitlement attitude often comes across in the way the speak.

ON a side note. There are many in here who may have know "Stephanie", a waitress at the Denny's across from the TA in Monroe. She has a remarkable memory, always friendly, polite and good with people. She had a MAJOR battle with brain cancer and we never did hear what happened to her.

Well, today we were in a Kroger and heard a voice. JOE, JAN how good to see you! It was her. She has survived it all so far. She had not seen us in almost a year but knew who we were. She is missed there. She is now unable to work but is alive and has a great attitude.

 

[Turtle]

You can believe what ever you like. My wife is a very accomplished woman and will be treated with the proper respect she has earned or the tip will reflect it. "You guys" is NOT professional speech. A 'sever' can either say, "Wadda you guys want?" OR "What would you like for breakfast" OR "What can I get for you two?" The phrase used goes a long way to tip size.

Wow. It's almost like you're never been out in the real world. "What can I get'ch y'all" is a common one down south. The northern equivalent is, "What can I get you guys?"

In New York and parts of New Jersey, rather than "you guys" or "Y'all" it's a plural you, as in youse or you's. I think they say that in the Land Down Under, too. Over in the Appalachians and some parts of the Midwest it's "you-uns", and in England it's "you lot".

By the time a person is old enough to work, say 9-12 years old, they very well be aware of proper manners.

Understanding and accepting local colloquialisms, rather than being offended by them, is part of proper manners.

 

[layoutshooter]

I met Joe and his wife last year.

I hope I didn't ask "How you guys doing ?"
If so, I apologize.
He didn't hit me, nor did he tip me.

LOL!!! If I remember I was in the sleeper and you spoke quite nicely to my wife when you introduced your self.

 

[layoutshooter]

Wow. It's almost like you're never been out in the real world. "What can I get'ch y'all" is a common one down south. The northern equivalent is, "What can I get you guys?"

In New York and parts of New Jersey, rather than "you guys" or "Y'all" it's a plural you, as in youse or you's. I think they say that in the Land Down Under, too. Over in the Appalachians and some parts of the Midwest it's "you-uns", and in England it's "you lot".

Understanding and accepting local colloquialisms, rather than being offended by them, is part of proper manners.

Turtle, I lived in the South. Both the real South, SC, RURAL SC, and in Florida. I have also lived in MO, MA, PA, MD, Japan and England. EVERYWHERE I lived there were those who spoke in local colloquialisms and then there were those who knew that Sir and mam were proper. Manners used to be taught and were more common today. You forgot "YOuinziz" in parts of PA.

I must say that one of the FEW times I was ever deliberately disrespected was in the South. By a so-called "professional". He was the head of the schools in Pickens, SC. I took exception to his remarks about all the "**** yankees" moving into the area. He was REALLY mad about it. I also found it amazing that the fire/ambulance service, all volunteer, did not want either my help, or my wife's when we tried to join. They did not want "yankees" and told us so. That is the ONLY place that ever happened to us. EVERYWHERE else we lived, we volunteered for something and our help was always welcomed.

It all depends on the setting. I am not as easily offended as it may seem. I seldom say much, just tip professional work more than sloppy work.