Was there ever a standard when doing stuff at stores and restaurants?

As a youngster I don't ever remember having a problem at a store or restaurant.

ever ! mom and dad never sent any food back,
the only returns we took back were our fault, wrong size or color etc.

In a months time if I go out to eat 5 times or go shopping five time, I can pretty much count on a hiccup at least a quarter of the time .

wrong change, wrong price, wrong menu item, wrong this or that, at some point.

Did humans get the whole money for item or money for service paradigm thing screwed up , somehow.

or has nothing changed and old people need to chill when it comes to mistake after mistake after mistake?

Huh??

I believe the problem is that very few people take any pride in their work any more.

quote:

Was there ever a standard when doing stuff at stores and restaurants?

As a youngster I don't ever remember having a problem at a store or restaurant.

ever ! mom and dad never sent any food back,
the only returns we took back were our fault, wrong size or color etc.

Oh the great past. Perhaps your parents thought it impolite to complain or handled such things away from their children. My family was different. If there was a problem my Dad would let them know about it. He never got loud but he sure complained. Eating a dinner out was a luxury for my family, only done for special occasions. My Dad had his main issues with incorrect hardware and improper repair. I do recall Sears catalogue department shipping the wrong items, and the issue was handled expeditiously by Sears. All of my clothing was catalogue ordered as a kid. Of course my Mom handled that and was kinder and gentler by far.

Last week I ordered scrambled eggs, sausage links, hashbrowns for a dollar off before 11am. I go to this place one a week.

I get brought sunny side up and sausage.
Tries again, this time, eggs are right but no hash browns.
He says "man, I haven't gotten a single thing right on your order."
I had to laugh and was fine w/ it.

Then I get the check. By now it's after 11am and he's charging me for the post 11am breakfast.

ETA: It does seem that places are trying to get by w/ fewer workers, some of the time.

I try not to go out to eat. I eat better and healthier at home.
Shopping? Do it online. I just avert the horde as much as possible.

quote:

Originally posted by Prefontaine:
I try not to go out to eat. I eat better and healthier at home.
Shopping? Do it online. I just avert the horde as much as possible.

Do you sometimes feel like a mushroom?

Bob

Hmmm. I honestly don't remember eating out that often as a kid (I'm 71). If we did it would have been a pretty big deal.

quote:

Originally posted by arfmel:
I believe the problem is that very few people take any pride in their work any more.

^^^THIS

I hate to admit this, but I was afraid to open this thread for fear it was about people not being able to hold their bladders as they get older.


Glad when I discovered I looked at the word wrong.

quote:

Originally posted by Fenris:
Lo siento. Yo no hablo ingles.

Sorry but conjugation allows you to not use the identifier.

quote:

Originally posted by rbert0005:

quote:

Originally posted by Prefontaine:
I try not to go out to eat. I eat better and healthier at home.
Shopping? Do it online. I just avert the horde as much as possible.

Do you sometimes feel like a mushroom?

Bob

Nope.

I lift weights 4 days a week. I also ride a mtb or stationary bike at the gym, or swim every day. Then when my workout is done I have to throw a lead on the Malinois and work her, every day. And that’s just the weekdays after a full day of work. Eating out the portions are too large and the caloric content too high then there is the poor customer service, screaming kids, people on their phones, maybe traffic, lines, or waiting for a table. For much less $ I eat better quality food at home and never have to concern myself with what a friend recently had to deal with. He eats out a lot and recently had to go to the ER after eating out, massive fluids coming out both ends so a real bad night at the ER with an IV. Probably from some cook that didn’t wash his hands after a shit. I stay in excellent shape, better shape than people 25 years younger than me. Being lean, with muscle, well I’m not gonna be on that scooter at Walmart, ever. When it is time for me to leave this world it will be with my boots on. Being in superb shape feels better than any food tastes. I eat 6 meals a day as well so I don’t put too much stock into a single meal when I’m just going to eat again in 3 hours. Eating out doesn’t contribute to my health, it does the opposite.

Shopping I have to do every week, groceries. I go when it’s dead so I can get it done quickly.
Anything else like work clothes, I go at certain times of the year when it’s dead. Then there is the net, click, and boom a few days later the brown truck leaves it on my door step. Had a new set of tires mounted on one of the cars yesterday. Ordered them during rebates, sat on them for a bit and got them installed with an appointment so no queue. Some thinking or forethought skips a lot of bullshit. I do not need to be around a bunch of strangers to feel like I am living.

I’m cooking lunch now, waiting for the churches to all let out. Then I’ll be suiting up and going for a hard ride out in the country on my set of twisty roads attacking corners with anger on one of my sportbikes. Highlight of my week. On one single ride I live more than many in their entire lifetime. I don’t live in the dark or in isolation like a mushroom. I live in the light. I just decided many years ago that I’m going to avoid lines, traffic, and bullshit. Different strokes for different folks. I go to mass on Sunday evenings when it’s slow, go to the range when I don’t have to wait on a lane. I just choose to live my life a different way where I don’t have to put up with bs, well I do, I just curtail having to deal with strangers bs. I’m going surfing in Hawaii soon and the first thing I’ll do after getting my rental will be to hit the Costco and buy groceries for the week. Same philosophy as everything else, I’ll be sitting on a board at dawn, hardly anyone on the break as the sun rises, almost with the place to ourselves. I’ll catch my first wave, paddle back, sitting back on the board, and the last thing in the world I’ll think is “Wow I wish this place was packed. It would be more exciting.” I choose to race my life, because it is very short and will go away faster than I want. On the deathbed I’m going to look back and be happy and content. The last thing on my mind will be I wish I would have, I could have, etc. To me it is a different society today. Everyone is on their phone, taking pictures of their food, constantly driving somewhere but going no where, traffic, lines, for what? What is so important that you willing to deal with bad customer service, and a bunch of bs for? That stuff ain’t important to me so I press the skip button. Less stress that way, and more time for hobbies and passions in life.

Don’t judge a book by the cover.

We tend to eat out a lot more than the above poster. We go places we enjoy. Usually knowing the wait staff. We only rarely send things back. Usually if something is wrong to very wrong, the wait-person sees it and takes it back. My wife kind of doesn't like burned food. She even goes so far as to order "no char". When it comes looking like a bricket, she points it out to the wait-staff. And its taken care of cheerfully. But then I try to tip well.

I don't like raw steak. But I'm just a little afraid to complain, assuming the kitchen help takes the item back to the men's room and first wipes down the urinal before adding more sizzle to the item. There busy and don't have time for my BS. We try to go during off hours, like 5:00 PM for supper. Its fashionable to go at maybe 7:00, but I like my table without waiting, too.

The normal tip is about 40-50%. Its not that much if I get really good service. But then I don't go to overpriced places. Establishing a routine that I like and can live with is important to me. I have no problem with "Prefontane" eating 6 times a day. At home and cooking his own meals. It means he spends a bunch of his awake hours at the stove. His choice and he's not in my way, ever.

Because they don’t care anymore, the job is below them, and the boss is lucky that they even showed up to work. Texting is more important than the job they are doing right now. It use to be at the What a burger near me, you always got what you ordered all the time, and the way you wanted it, now it’s a 50/50 shot you even get the right order, and it’s a lucky day if you get it the way you want it. Went to a Sonic last year, got it the way I wanted it, they just forgot to put the hamburger on it. Simple details seem to be not worthy of their time, hopefully they won’t become doctors, or work in nuclear power plants in the future.

That was a great post Prefontaine!

example:
went to the grocery store in the big city .

The kohlrabi was half of the size that it should be but still $4.00 for three

They were out of one other thing I wanted, had to buy two smaller bags for an extra $1.15.

Swung by for a tray of sushi, they were out of that as well. <shaking head>

first check out I went too, the screen was broke , couldn't see what they were charging me for ,

Wanted three power ball numbers with the power play on the same ticket,
Got three numbers on three tickets.

it's all small stuff , and we can't sweat the small stuff.

but cheese and cripes! it gets old.