New - The things that really annoy you

[Trips]

Good effort in this day and age to get a boozer that you can get served in at 16. Top work!

They know her in there, and let her have a couple of drinks when we're with her there. Tbf I'm pleased they served her rather than her going somewhere ropey she doesn't know

 

[Trips]

Get hammered yourself. Problem solved. Well sidestepped anyway!

Tomorrow afternoon is my drinking time, they can deal with me and their hangovers

 

[The Bear]

What a fun evening. Mrs Trips went to bottomless brunch with friends at 1pm in Telford, messaged me at 7.30 to pick her up from a pub in Walsall! Pissed as a rat. While out picking her up, my almost 17 year old daughter went to my local and preceded to get hammered in there and got a message at 10.30 asking to pick her up to. Not impressed

It's all good counter-argument in the bank for the future!

 

[lemonjelly]

Had to delete 3 emails yesterday from places inviting me to book my Christmas celebrations. In april/at Easter.

 

[BillyDee]

I know some places that are fully booked by the end of January...

 

[Kenny]

Had to delete 3 emails yesterday

Take the rest of the week off mate. Not sure how you cope with the extra workload

 

[lemonjelly]

Take the rest of the week off mate. Not sure how you cope with the extra workload

Am fortunate that I don't go back til tomorrow mate!

 

[Kenny]

On the Xmas shizzle - I will never have a go at companies who make the biggest % of their yearly income at Christmas chasing that Santa ££

Certainly the hospitality scene will be having to go early as its a competitive market and very much snooze and you lose. It may seem early but some companies will be looking at their Xmas party options already and if they are getting info early doors it will be easy and stress free.
Over the years Christmas from a business perspective has got earlier. If I go back to the 90's in retail we would be getting Christmas ready in mid September. Retail will start around July now.
When I was self employed, it was the 9 week period that essentially funded my business for the year. Such a crucial period so had to prepare from July onwards.

Pubs/Clubs etc - With how their industry has been since Covid it will be a proper fight to get the key business, so no shock they are getting earlier and looking to have guaranteed bookings in 7-8 months time

 

[pavlosmacwolf]

Inall my years in the ad business christmas started end of august.
Off the plane from mallorca, sun tan, shorts and sayonaras on friday, into the office monday to start writing ding dong fuckin merrily on high shit.
And you wonder why i hate christmas, by late november i had de wired my door bell.

 

[EpsomWolf]

Could be a cost of living one this but…. tipping and service charges. Always a touchy subject but for the first time ever I asked for the 12% SC to be removed from the bill today.

They caught me in a bit of a bad mood as was still irritated by the barber’s just yesterday - the cheapest haircut in town is now £18 and being cash only that’s effectively 20 quid in the back pocket, tax-free for (in my case) ten minutes work. I dunno, that just felt like being seriously ripped off and (no pun intended) a bit of a tipping point.

Anyway, just looked at the bill today and the 12% did make you feel you were being mugged off again. Did feel slightly awkward asking but it was removed immediately without any fuss at all.

No issue with the service itself, but any establishment whacking on 12% as a matter of course does feels like a bit of a fucking cheek.

Would have no hesitation in doing it again.

 

[PuntsWolf]

I’m going to the US for two weeks end of the month. I’ve always tended to tip over here at restaurants (unless there’s a service charge) but paying a tip for literally everything is going to blow my mind. Apparently 20% too!

 

[Tony Towner]

I’m going to the US for two weeks end of the month. I’ve always tended to tip over here at restaurants (unless there’s a service charge) but paying a tip for literally everything is going to blow my mind. Apparently 20% too!

Mostly it's still down to you rather than being automatically loaded on the bill. You have to remember unlike over here tips are expected to make a salary up to an acceptable wage in hospitality. Where are you going to?

 

[Alan]

Most places here only add the tip automatically if you have a large party. There will always be a line for you to add one on your own if you wish, though.

I consider tipping 20% or greater absolutely mandatory at restaurants, cafés, etc. Many workers in those kinds of establishments are legally allowed to be paid significantly less than the Federal minimum wage, which remains at $7.25/hr last I looked. “Living on tips” is an accurate phrase for them, unfortunately.

Edit: don’t know how I skimmed Tony’s post badly enough to miss that he also pointed this out.

 

[Tyrannosaurus Dan]

You are expected to pay for your food and then contribute towards the employees wages on top because the employer doesn’t want to pay them enough. That just sums up the United States really.

Having said that, I have always tipped whenever I’ve been there.

 

[PuntsWolf]

Mostly it's still down to you rather than being automatically loaded on the bill. You have to remember unlike over here tips are expected to make a salary up to an acceptable wage in hospitality. Where are you going to?

Yeah I fully get the salary bit. Just having to think about a tip for a taxi, tip per drink, tip housekeeping, bell boy (and whatever else I’m missing) on top of the expected restaurant tip.

Going to Disney so already getting fleeced…

 

[Tony Towner]

For me if I'm having drinks I leave 5-10 dollars at the end rather than tip each time, housekeeping at the end of the stay. I've never let anyone take my bags wherever I've stayed, always been funny like that. For food I start at 10% and work my way up if the service is good, normally 15-20

 

[PuntsWolf]

Although… $100 bill at a restaurant, $20 tip. I get they might not be getting paid well, but they could be getting zero and they’d be earning way more per hour than the average worker over here? Tax free I’m assuming as well?

As for tipping at the end, I’d have thought it might not be the same housekeeper everyday? Or if you’re only tipping at the end what’s the negative of not doing so? I’d be worried they’d spit in my drink or serve me last etc.

 

[Alan]

It’s taxed, if reported properly. Technically employers have the right to take any excess above minimum wage rate. Few go that far AFAIK.

Some places pool all tips and then divide them by labor hours. That’s how my old Starbucks handled it. Usually came out to an extra $0.70/hr. And our store was known for having good tips.

 

[ROVERT47]

Did my head when we were in Orlando, I left it for Son to work and just asked him how much I had to cough up.
At the airport waiting for the flight home I was getting rid of some money I had left and bought some snacks, walked out of the snack bar/ cafe after paying and the person who served me came running after me as I hadn’t added the tip.

 

[Alan]

Did my head when we were in Orlando, I left it for Son to work and just asked him how much I had to cough up.
At the airport waiting for the flight home I was getting rid of some money I had left and bought some snacks, walked out of the snack bar/ cafe after paying and the person who served me came running after me as I hadn’t added the tip.

That’s a little wild. Hopefully they were at least polite, but…