SaligoBay Posted September 30, 2004 Share Posted September 30, 2004 This article made me laugh, because it definitely rang a bell. It begins.....In a mea culpa as welcome as it was unexpected, the owners of France's 60,000 bars, brasseries and cafes admitted yesterday that all too often their staff are surly, service slow and hygiene horrendous. And did you know that since 1990 the number of cafés in France has fallen by 50%? http://www.guardian.co.uk/france/story/0,11882,1305570,00.htmlAs always with the Grauniad, you'll have to copy-and-paste the whole link into your browser. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teamedup Posted September 30, 2004 Share Posted September 30, 2004 Firstly most people are lousy tippers. And how pleasant would any of us be to working 70-80 hours a week for the SMIC. In truth, being rude and slow would be my greatest pleasure with wages like that. The sad truth is that it is the last bastion of complete exploitation in France, they've sorted out the batiment etc but not this. People realise that the working hours will be antisocial, but over and above the 42 odd hours that are usual in these metiers, maybe a least paying the folks who often work up to double the time they are paid for will make them happier. Only that would be illegal to pay them for so many hours, they are only allowed to do a very few extra per month. So it continues, there are rare and good patrons who will pay correctly thank goodness. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iceni Posted September 30, 2004 Share Posted September 30, 2004 TU - and a slow and surly waiter guarantees that I would be a lousy tipper. John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SaligoBay Posted September 30, 2004 Author Share Posted September 30, 2004 The tipping thing is a vicious circle though, don't you think?If you're already paying 2.50 euros to have a small coffee thrown onto your table with a grunt, you don't really feel like paying any more. I'm a simple soul, I'll pay extra for a smile. But you're right, pay is atrocious, and in fact I do find myself defending café staff when visitors comment on them - how can one waiter possibly be expected to deal with 40 tables, something's got to give! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clarkkent Posted September 30, 2004 Share Posted September 30, 2004 [quote]The tipping thing is a vicious circle though, don't you think? If you're already paying 2.50 euros to have a small coffee thrown onto your table with a grunt, you don't really feel like paying any mo...[/quote]You are quite right. Tipping is a vicious circle. It has become a way in which we are blackmailed by people providing a service.A few years ago I went to the Gouffre de Padirac. There were large signs asking visitors not to tip the boatmen - who stood with their palms open at the end of the boat trip expecting and receiving money.We acquiesce with employers to pay rotten wages when we tip. In Japan giving a tip is considered to be a humiliating gesture. I would like to see it disappear. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cjb Posted September 30, 2004 Share Posted September 30, 2004 Perhaps the poor pay and understaffing can be attributed to the fact that it costs so much to hire someone in the first place, when the employers taxes are taken into account. I have many friends with the BAC plus 4 or 5 who are only earning the minimum wage and that is on the Côte D'Azur where the cost of living is second only to Paris. I appreciate the importance of taxation, but it seems to me that these expenses mean that employers often understaff and that subsequently unemployment levels remain extremely high. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alcazar Posted October 1, 2004 Share Posted October 1, 2004 Well, I must be just lucky, as I've only come across one surly, slow or rude waiter in all my years travelling to, and around France, and he was in ParisHe was rude to me when I asked him to speak to another diner who was smoking in a no-smoking area, and he refused point blank to do so.I got my own back though, as I finished my meal, then refused to pay, as I said I couldn't enjoy it due to the smokingThey threatened me with the police, but I just stood firm and told them to "go for it". In the end they gave up.Alcazar Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Millymollymandy Posted October 1, 2004 Share Posted October 1, 2004 Who tips? You're already paying 10% service charge. I used to tip, unaware of this. Now I leave a few coins - if I was happy with the meal.Slow and surly waiters I've only come across in the restaurants where there are too few waiters for the amount of customers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boghound Posted October 2, 2004 Share Posted October 2, 2004 [quote]Firstly most people are lousy tippers. And how pleasant would any of us be to working 70-80 hours a week for the SMIC. In truth, being rude and slow would be my greatest pleasure with wages like tha...[/quote]I thought that there is something called the "35 hour week" over here or are waiters exempt? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cjb Posted October 2, 2004 Share Posted October 2, 2004 I'm pretty sure that small businesses ,with less than 20 employees, are exempt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teamedup Posted October 2, 2004 Share Posted October 2, 2004 The cooking trade usually does around 42 or 43 hours a week officially. And for this they usually get the SMIC. I think that they are allowed to work overtime which is 15 hours a month, something like that.It wouldn't be legal to pay them for the 60-70+ hours a week they work, so they don't pay 'em for the extra hours, well most patrons don't, the good thing is that the odd one does.Not all metiers in France have the good fortune to do the 35 hours a week. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SaligoBay Posted October 2, 2004 Author Share Posted October 2, 2004 And some métiers have the "optional" option of signing out of the 35-hour week, in return for a couple of extra days holiday a year. As these people are often - ahem - professionals, this system can in reality mean just lots of unpaid overtime. Oh yes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonzjob Posted October 2, 2004 Share Posted October 2, 2004 We must be among the lucky few who haven't had surly waiters since we have been here, only 8 weeks I must admit. The waiters at the restaurants we have been in in and around Carcassonne have been lovely. We have had our Chocky Lab with us and if it's been hot they have bought a bowl of water for her and usually made a fuss of her, but she is a poppet. The service has been good natured and helpful and at that I am quite prepaired to leave a tip. They also get our custom again and usually remember us.John. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dick Smith Posted October 2, 2004 Share Posted October 2, 2004 'Chocky lab'? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joh Posted October 2, 2004 Share Posted October 2, 2004 A Dog breed Dick.Shortened from Chocolate Labrador. Nothing to do with scientists or chocolate bars....Terry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miki Posted October 2, 2004 Share Posted October 2, 2004 Had me wondering as well Dick."A chocky lab that is a poppet".............. Paynes presumably? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mysfloss Posted October 2, 2004 Share Posted October 2, 2004 [quote]Had me wondering as well Dick. "A chocky lab that is a poppet".............. Paynes presumably?[/quote]swiftly followed by a box of choclate coated raisons Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dick Smith Posted October 2, 2004 Share Posted October 2, 2004 Doesn't a Chocolate Labrador melt in the hot weather? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SaligoBay Posted October 2, 2004 Author Share Posted October 2, 2004 What do you call an intelligent blonde?A golden retriever! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weedon Posted October 2, 2004 Share Posted October 2, 2004 [quote]swiftly followed by a box of choclate coated raisons[/quote]The other day I got a peanut stuck in my ear so I tipped in some melted chocolate and it came out a Treat. Silly I know but there are precious few places left to get any amusement.Weedon(53) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonzjob Posted October 3, 2004 Share Posted October 3, 2004 You may well laugh. Celé is our second Chocky, the first being called Muffin. My daughter was 3 years old and we had to convince her that she could not break bits off to eat! Then she went around telling everyone that she had a chocolate muffin. People wondered?Now we got Celé?! and she really is a poppet, ****** with too.(Opps, suppose that will be scrapped now?)Talking of blondes :- A married couple was asleep when the telephone rang at two in the morning. The wife (undoubtedly blonde), picked up the telephone, listened a moment, and said, "How should I know, that's 200 miles from here!" and hung up. The husband said, "Who was that?" The wife said, "I don't know; some woman wanting to know 'if the coastis clear'." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teamedup Posted October 3, 2004 Share Posted October 3, 2004 Weedon, if you like jokes, go to ezboard.com and look up best of british, there is a down the put in that name, they have a barrell of laughs section, that is really good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Please sign in to comment
You will be able to leave a comment after signing in
Sign In Now