Hacker News Reader

Comment by nutrie | Hacker News Reader

> It taught me a lot about people, and the lack of respect some believe you deserve when wearing an apron.

Tell you what: stop looking at the customers as walking wallets, and you'll have your respect. Greater tips too. Guaranteed. 99 % of the time, it's the staff's fault.

And repeat this every morning: When the customer receives astonishing service and a mediocre product, it’s likely they give you a tip, maybe try again. If it’s the other way around, unlikely, and the enterprise is just a fluke. Do I expect undergrads working for tips to know this? Yes, god dammit!

View on HN

> stop looking at the customers as walking wallets

Maybe that would help if the salary was enough to be self-sustaining and tips weren't necessary to make ends meet.

Also, it's a vicious circle. It's harder to be nice to staff when they're not pleasant, it's harder for staff to be pleasant when their customers are brats with copious self-entitlement and condescension towards service workers.

Empathy goes a long way here.

> 99 % of the time, it's the staff's fault

If that's your experience, I'd try looking inwards to find reasons why as well.

> ...salary

That's a discussion you're supposed to have with your manager, customers don't care.

> it's a vicious circle

Yes. And you, as a member of the staff, your employer's rep, are supposed to quit it, asap.

I can't remember the last time I felt like I was being treated by any wait staff as a walking wallet.

Totally agree. I live in a country where tipping is not normal but will gladly give tips to staff when they make me feel like they want me there.

I have been to a number of places in the post-covid era where they expect me to shell out large sums of money for little value. Just recently being in the US had me feeling this way more than elsewhere, but I can point to other examples in Europe.

Never worked in customer service apparently?

5 years customer service manager, over a hundred reports, 4 years before that in B2B customer service. And yes, I am radical. I know what I'm doing.

And let me guess, you are the exception?

Don't get me wrong, but you don't come across very caring from the way you write.

It’s ok, I’m not an exception. I’m talking about baselines here. I actually care about both groups. Are you pissed? Don’t show it to the customer, come yelling at me, I’m paid for that.

Nah my experience is just, that most "shitty waiters" that other guests complain about are totally nice to me, because I treat them well.

I'd say at least 70% of the waiters I encountered were pretty nice actually.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com