Calgary Customer Service....what happened?

[ricosuave]

^

screw em.

just like in reservoir dogs, i work jobs that society didnt deem tip-worthy.

if that chick thinks she's automatically due more just to help her pay for her tit job, she's got another thing coming.

it drives me up the wall that so many people think that a tip is automatic, and that it is automatically >20%

[Incinerator]

Originally Posted by photon

If you invest somehow in the city (real estate, stocks, whatever) so you benifit from the growth, the crappy service doesn't seem quite so bad...

It still sucks though.

LOL, I knew it was only a matter of time til CP's Donald Trump chimes in

in all seriousness though, I agree. No need to sweat the small stuff, for those who keep getting the wrong orders going to restaurants, when the waitress asks for your choice of sides, just say "Surprise me". Because you know she's not gonna remember your order in the 10 seconds it takes for her to go punch it in, trust me it helps the blood pressure so much better when you expect less.

[Tron_fdc]

I used to tip large if the service was crap, but the waitress was hot. Now even the sexy waitresses are gone, replaced by toothless old hags who used to work the late shift at Denny's, and more than likely fly in on their brooms each afternoon for their shift.

When I tip less than 15% for crap service, I feel like I'm going to get silverware thrown at me when I walk out. People expect money these days for showing up, let alone doing anything.

[OilersBaby]

You know, the first thing i noticed when I moved from Alberta to Cali is the CRAPPY customer service here..at the uni, in malls, restaurants, everywhere. I noticed that on my first day and was really mad!

One of the reasons I moved south of the border is because of the jobs available (and the weather but thats another story).

So I guess it's a tradeoff..you can have a lot of jobs available and a thriving economy and crappy customer service, OR you can live somewhere where it's impossible to get a job in customer service or anywhere else since there is a job shortage. Take your pick.

[jharp]

Originally Posted by ricosuave

^

screw em.

just like in reservoir dogs, i work jobs that society didnt deem tip-worthy.

if that chick thinks she's automatically due more just to help her pay for her tit job, she's got another thing coming.

it drives me up the wall that so many people think that a tip is automatic, and that it is automatically >20%

i agree with the tip bit, but if i had to choose between a place that had a bunch of hideous bags and a place that had an eye for talent, i would chose the latter of the two every time.

[ricosuave]

pfft. sorry, im there to eat a meal and to be served on, not to ogle the eye candy.

if thats all you want, go to a strip club and pay 7.50 for a bottle of canadian, for that much good its going to do you.

[FireFly]

I can't work everywhere Tron, sorry!

Seriously though, in some cases it's absolutely the lack of workers, in other cases it's the person. No matter where you work, you have to deal with the *******s with grace. Likely Tron, the lady you spoke with could ONLY tell you that. What would arguing do? She's not going to get the tech back from Mexico early, so being a dink to her won't get your internet fixed any faster. (Not that you're a jerk, but she probably has a number of those people she's had to deal with in the last couple days... and that increases her frustration.)

In my job, you get people that just expect bad service so they start out screaming. FYI, yelling at me will not make me want to help you... the same can be said in any job. If you deal with me with patience, you will receive the same in kind. People are forgetting that. You have to assume that EVERYONE is new at their job, and treat them like that.

Does that make it suck less? Likely not, but if you don't allow it to make you frustrated, you won't be irritated by it.

[FireFly]

This thread makes me realize how fantastic I would be as a personal assistant. Someone out there needs to realize that I am an easy button... (but not easy.) Could you imagine having someone else to deal with all this crap for you?

[kermitology]

Originally Posted by Tron_fdc

I've talked to many a waitress who've mentioned that 20% in the city is now standard. $7 beers now constitute a $2 tip....

FATA THAT SHINGUARD!

20%? Tell me what a waitress/waiter does to deserve MINIMUM 20% tip. What garbage.

[Tron_fdc]

Originally Posted by ricosuave

pfft. sorry, im there to eat a meal and to be served on, not to ogle the eye candy.

if thats all you want, go to a strip club and pay 7.50 for a bottle of canadian, for that much good its going to do you.

That's not really what I'm saying. What I mean is that it used to be easier to take (the bad service) if the waitress was hot. Now you get the the short end of the stick in both regards, because some oil tycoon wants to horde all the good looking ladies around his water cooler.

BTW, the service at the Maid is just fine, and I have no problems paying extra for it. Best of both worlds IMO, which if only I could convince my girlfriend of....

[Tron_fdc]

Originally Posted by kermitology

FATA THAT SHINGUARD!

20%? Tell me what a waitress/waiter does to deserve MINIMUM 20% tip. What garbage.

Haven't you read the thread? She showed up! That's what!!

Seriously though....people expect it now. Did it take 2 hours for lunch? TOO BAD! WHERE'S MY TIP?

[FireFly]

Originally Posted by Tron_fdc

BTW, the service at the Maid is just fine, and I have no problems paying extra for it. Best of both worlds IMO, which if only I could convince my girlfriend of....

I don't think you're postitioning it properly... Aren't you a salesman?! You need to sell the idea of going to the Maid! You tell her it'll be fun throwing loonies at poon. (Or whatever will sell her the idea of the Maid.)

[troutman]

Tipping:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tipping

The customary tip for a restaurant meal in the United States is 15 to 20 percent of the bill.

When at a bar, and receiving good or above service, it is customary to tip $1.00 per drink.

Tipping in Canada is very similar to that in the United States due to the relatively close nature of the two countries. However, tipping is less widespread and generally lower. For example, while the tipping range for waiters in the United States is 15-20% with 20% for good service, the range for waiters in Canada is 10-20% with 15% for good service. Albertan tip earners generally receive gratuities on par with the American level, perhaps owing to that province's increased affluence and closer cultural ties to the U.S. Quebec and Ontario allow employers to pay lower minimum wages to workers who would reasonably be expected to be receiving tips. [7]

Workers who receive tips are legally required to report the income to the Canada Revenue Agency and pay income tax on it. However, many workers have been known to not report any income from tips at all or, perhaps more commonly, to "lowball" the figure. In response, the CRA has vowed that it will closely check the tax returns of individuals that it would reasonably expect to be receiving tips to ensure that the tips are reported, and that the amount reported on the returns is realistic.

Origin of Tipping:

http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1_333.html

Taxi drivers and waitpersons depend on tips for a substantial part of their income. If you didn't tip, presumably they'd expect to be paid more, and your restaurant bills and taxi fares would consequently be higher. The fifteen percent standard is mostly a question of what the market will bear. In New York, the figure these days is twenty percent; European restaurants generally add a ten percent gratuity to the bill.

[Tron_fdc]

Originally Posted by FireFly

I don't think you're postitioning it properly... Aren't you a salesman?! You need to sell the idea of going to the Maid! You tell her it'll be fun throwing loonies at poon. (Or whatever will sell her the idea of the Maid.)

Come on now. As a woman, you should know that the power of the female reproductive organ trumps the male brain matter every time.

I'm persuasive and charasmatic, but not THAT persuasive.

[wooohooo]

Originally Posted by fotze

I'm so glad KG sold the tix to the hockey game I was supposed to go to tonite, I can't stand the saddledome wait times because the employees move like sloths. Give the poor *******s a 10 dollar an hour bonus if they sling a certain amount of beers per hour or something. Do something to encourage some urgency. And don't get me started on the Flames themselves, look what they make.

I believe if you do want beer, don't get it from the concessions but rather get it from the people that carry beer around. Those people make commison on the beer they sell and make tips, people in concessions don't make any commision or tips. Or just stand outside the concession door and wait for one of them to come out and they'll be more than glad to serve you

[FireFly]

Originally Posted by Tron_fdc

Come on now. As a woman, you should know that the power of the female reproductive organ trumps the male brain matter every time.

I'm persuasive and charasmatic, but not THAT persuasive.

Too funny. I guess I have lower morals then cause I think the peelers are fun!

[OilersBaby]

The standard for tipping here is DOUBLE the tax.....that's how much we're "supposed" to tip in San Jose, CA.

[shane_c]

Originally Posted by ricosuave

^

it drives me up the wall that so many people think that a tip is automatic, and that it is automatically >20%

Exactly, you have to earn it. We were at Olive Garden a few months ago and not having much money I gave a $3 tip, the meal was $20. It was on one of those mobile debit machines and I saw her say something to another waitress as the receipt was printing off. She looked at it, guess saw the tip, and came over and threw the receipt on the table. Then turned and walked away. Didn't wish us a good night or anything.

[jharp]

Originally Posted by ricosuave

pfft. sorry, im there to eat a meal and to be served on, not to ogle the eye candy.

if thats all you want, go to a strip club and pay 7.50 for a bottle of canadian, for that much good its going to do you.

whoe, whoe, if this is directed at me, you are misunderstanding.
basically i figure that either place you go, the service is going to be crappy and the food marginal at best, so why not go to the place where something is good?
i think the strippers are a horrible place. i am not perticularly concerned about the 'demeaning of women' or crap like that, i just think that it is the epitamy (sp?) of trash. besides, the women at a vickers establishment are usually hotter anyways.

[the_hound]

Originally Posted by jharp

whoe, whoe, if this is directed at me, you are misunderstanding.
basically i figure that either place you go, the service is going to be crappy and the food marginal at best, so why not go to the place where something is good?
i think the strippers are a horrible place. i am not perticularly concerned about the 'demeaning of women' or crap like that, i just think that it is the epitamy (sp?) of trash. besides, the women at a vickers establishment are usually hotter anyways.

And most likley racist and high on cocaine ....