Quote:
Originally Posted by fdpaq0580
Guess I'm another exceptional individual. Be polite. Be quietly efficient. Serve the meal with the least amount of interrupting as possible. (This is a date and you weren't invited to join us Becky). If you are going to refill our coffee or drinks we shouldn't even know you were here. They should appear as if by magic.
To me, once the order has been taken, the less I actually have to speak with the server about needing/wanting this or that, the better. The meal should flow as if from a wellspring, without hiccups or sputtering. A meal catered by a genie. That, to me is exceptional service. Do NOT call me Hon.
|
How much of the difference in how tipping (and service) is seen can be attributed to cultural differences based on where people in TV come from? It is a melting pot after all.
I recall my first experience here with that cultural difference. My wife and I stopped at Cracker Barrel for lunch. Quite a few people hanging around the reception area. I asked the hostess how long the wait was going to be. Her response (as she put an arm around me): "why it's not gonna be that long at all, honey!" Never see that in Minnesota. It caught me off guard but at the same time brought a big smile to my face. What a uniquely southern way of putting people at ease!
Same with some of the other examples mentioned here. Southern Minnesota, where I lived and worked, is a primarily rural setting. Numerous small towns divided by large stretches of corn and beans: 200 mile days visiting clients were not unusual. You got to know the waitstaff in the eateries you frequented and they got to know you. Just the way things are done there; anyone who would rebuff a friendly greeting or inquiry would be seen in a not-too-favorable light. The other side of that particular coin is that, in my experience, there are parts of this country where the locals are not so laid-back; larger cities and parts of the eastern U.S. where people are a lot more private and closed-off and where any unsolicited expression of familiarity is viewed with suspicion.
There are no absolutes regarding this particular topic. What is acceptable to someone is NOT acceptable to someone else. Simple as that.