I had a chance to compare the service in Santa Cruz California, where I've resided for the last 30 years to Asheville NC and what I noticed is even though the min wage in NC is much lower than CA, the people who served me were much happier to do that that than the CA servers.
I suspect that the NC crew is happier to serve, NOT so much because of 'Southern hospitality', but because they can afford to live some minimal existence with a roof over their head at the NC wages, and the work hours are more than 16hr/wk, meaning you don't have to work three different jobs (if they're available) to make one full time paycheck. A car would also be required @ that pace... further eating into your minimal income. At least one of the people in my shop is couch surfing , and I camp occasionally. Honestly, unless you have a real unique personality "It is NOT a pleasure to serve you sir", not verbally, just (hopefully) a subtle attitude. Know what I mean? Service requires 'happy workers', and bosses DO have different ways of try to make the workers happy, like 'shift meals', and in my case, all the coffee I could ever drink without hurting myself... But at some point, the crux of the biscuit, the money to survive, affects the worker's performance negatively if they are impoverished I always rail at how much business Santa Cruz as a tourist industry loses every year because of subtle surliness and the trickle down. A common axiom is 'happy customers don't talk, but tick off ones tell *everybody*'... but no one listens to me (Whah!). On 5/25/07, Gassler Robert <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
Speaking of tipping, the mythology in the US is that it makes servers nicer. Comparing US with Belgium supports it. OTOH, the nicest servers we've met were in Finland, where the tip is included in the bill just like Belgium. >I'll get a print & leave it around the shop. Subversion 24/7/365... >that's my motto... that's what I do... > >I suspect some environmental factors. The shop I work at has about 60 >percent repeat business (off the top of my head), and at least 30% of >the customer base is daily regulars. > >I suspect your student's results would be different here (a coffee >shop) compared to a bar/club venue. Partyers spend liberally, but also >attempt to maximize their ROI, so to speak. >IOW, they sure ain't gonna drink less to just to leave you a tip. > >Leigh > > >On 5/25/07, Michael Perelman <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: >> One of my students wrote a very interesting paper about his experience working in a >> music venue. When the owners raised the price, demand remained constant, but tips >> fell, leaving customers out of pocket costs relatively constant. >> >> I'm putting his paper on my blog. >> -- >> Michael Perelman >> Economics Department >> California State University >> Chico, CA 95929 >> >> Tel. 530-898-5321 >> E-Mail michael at ecst.csuchico.edu >> michaelperelman.wordpress.com >> > >
