American service

[ArthurWood]

After carefully studying the manual, I decided to resume my investigation of a prob w/antifreeze coming out the exhaust on my 19ft Wellcraft which has been languishing on a trailer for years waiting for me to fix it. My son in Georgia says he would like it, so there is some incentive for me to get rid of it and the storage cost, but I feel obliged to get it working. Manual says I should do pressure test on cooling system, but tester costs $100 and I'm retired and a skinflint, so I went to a local garage which I've never used and asked if I could rent or borrow such a tester. "Sure." says bloke who doesn't know me from Adam. "How long will you need it?" "24hr," says I. "OK. Just leave your name and phone no." He then handed me a brand new tester and off I went. I couldn't find the leak, so took thingy back and called Merc bloke to look at engine. It's prob heat exch and /or circ pump(ant-freeze running inside boat from somewhere at bottom of engine, too), which I couldn't fix anyway.
How's that for service/trust!

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[Blue_Blazes]

Happens all the time here in Alderney

Bill.

<hr width=100% size=1>One of these days I'll have a boat that WORKS

 

[tcm]

You are clearly a very trustworthy looking bloke. Or, it's the accent. Or, it's your age (surely not!). Or, I'm just used to nasty brits and they wd do the same for all you good'ole boys. What a blimmin cynic I am.

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[ArthurWood]

Thanks for the compliments - I think You a cynic? How could that be?!
Just thought my note wd make a refreshing change from all the bitchin' and moanin' about svc in Blighty!

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[tcm]

Re: BUT

as always, there's that blimin tipping, so you never ever know where you are. Well, I don't. Since i established that no tip provokes a riot, presumable a small tip is somewhat sniffed at. So, you aren't even paying the "right rate" if you pay more than they ask. So, I wonder, how much before the amount you pay is the amount they want? Cos the number on the bill is obviously not at all what they want. If you pay that, you get argument. Do tell, assuming you have worked it out. Or mebbe the free stuff means you are well-known as the Incredible Tipper, and have by now effectively already paid for most things before you walk in

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[ArthurWood]

Re: BUT

Oh, it must be wonderful to be so clever, but I'm not easily impressed I don't like the tipping system over here and some people seem to tip for everything, but it does mean that service, even if not brilliant by euro stds in restaurants, is always friendly and obliging. (same goes for shopping, where they aren't tipped, of course). We've even experienced not charging for a meal when we didn't like it (not because there was something wrong with it). The way it works is that waitstaff are paid well below the min wage of $5 and something/hr and they depend upon tips for their income. Generally restaurant tipping is min 15% on before tax bill to 20% for ex svc. In gen I give 15% and have been known occasionally to give nowt, and write a nasty note on the bill. Tipping is a fact of life here and my moaning won't change it. As I alluded to in an earlier posting, even in the smallest and grottiest marinas the staff are always helpful and obliging. Of course, we miss the wit and banter which goes on in the UK and it's still 'home', but there are many redeeming aspects here where we live, like theater, music, restaurants, weather, great boating, low taxes, higher disposable income, no litter, graffiti, vandalism, crime, world-class health care, great Euro and US friends, excellent road system and last but not least our kids and grand kids are over here (it'll take us 8 hr to drive 540 miles to see them Jul 4 weekend; petrol cost ~$85 round trip). And you got all that by asking about tipping If the UK had all the above we wd be home tomorrow. Can't wait for your next clever posting


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[ccscott49]

Re: BUT

Whats wriong Aurthur? wrong side of bed today? Put your claws away!

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[ArthurWood]

Re: BUT

Nothing wrong, Colin, only unless I missed something or am so far out of touch w/current UK humour, I don't think I was the first to get the claws out.
Going back to bed now and will try getting out the other side to see if it changes anything Wife is still asleep so she might not appreciate that. Have a nice day!

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[ccscott49]

Re: BUT

No probs Arthur, you just sounded a little tetchy! No, i don't think ther missus would appreciate it, would probably spoil your whole day!! Have a good un' The weather here is bloody awful!!

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[hlb]

Re: BUT

Must admit, I cant be arsed with tipping of any sort. Less of course you feel that you've had a specialy good service and give it freely. Otherwise it's just black mail.

<hr width=100% size=1> <font color=blue>No one can force me to come here.<font color=red> I'm a volunteer!!.<font color=blue>

Haydn

 

[ArthurWood]

Re: BUT

The weather here is bloody awful, too. It's been pouring again. Last weekend we had 10"!! But it's warm rain.

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[ArthurWood]

Re: BUT

Haydn - I thought that for a long time and still, fundamentally, don't like it, but it's fact of life here and it works, tho' I think some people tip excessively for mediocre svc. I don't!!

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[ccscott49]

Re: BUT

To be honest Arthur, why don't they just include the service in the prices and pay the people a decent wage? Is that so difficult? I hate the procedure, I never know how much to give, but normally work on 10-15%. But it would be so much simpler if they were paid and then you could tip if you got exceptional service. For somebody to get pissed off if they dont get a tip is just ridiculous, nobody tips me, even if I do an outstanding job!

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[ArthurWood]

Re: BUT

Colin, look at it as a performance/pay system. You say you aren't tipped for an outstanding job, but presumably if you work for a company using modern mgmnt techniques such as job performnce linked to pay, you would get a pay increase if you meet or exceed your job objectives. In your case, your boss decides how well you've performed vs objectives and in the waitstaff's case, the customer decides. In the US people are more money driven than in Europe (I managed a 800+ org incl a large sales force here and have done similar work in the UK) and most waitstaff are not professionals; for some it's their second or third job, either because they want to pay off debts or they just want to accumulate $$ to buy something or put their kids thru university. They just have a different work ethic, not that I necessarily totally agree with it, because work can become all-consuming, but $$ drive the behaviour.
In 30 years of visiting here, including 16+ living here, I have only once witnessed an altercation about tipping and only once personally experienced one. And BTW waitstaff are taxed based on the assumption that they are tipped 15%. If you stick to 15% you won't have a problem.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not besotted by the US as there are many things I don't like about it. Life's full of compromises after all.

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[ccscott49]

Re: BUT

We dont have productiivty linked pay in the oilfield, they just dont work like that, it's hire and fire around here! But I see your point, it's just, why can't they pay them properly, why should they have to rely for their income on the goodwill of the customer, it seems a little degrading to me. But as you say thats the system/accepted way of doing things, so I guess we have to accept it. The tax authorities here also work on the same principle, but at a lower rate.

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[ArthurWood]

Re: BUT

They do it that way for reasons already described and also because the owners can then employ lots of staff at low cost and give the impression of good service by having loads of staff being very inefficient (to Euro eyes.) Many Americans equate good service with the actor/waiters becoming part of your dinner conversation

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[ccscott49]

Re: BUT

It is very true that a waiter/tress can make or break a good meal. In europe it's a good idea to tip the maitre'd on the way in! This normally gets their attention, but I only do things like that when I'm entertaining customers on expoenses!! A lot of companies here wont allow you to put your tip on your expense account, whereas in US theres a special column for it, on the expense reports. Anyway I'll just abide by the local custom.

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