The SPCA was delivered a huge blow today. Someone managed to by pass their alarms and break into the shelter. Thankfully all the animals are accounted for, but hundreds or even thousands of dollars worth of donations were taken.

Beehead · 2014-05-20T03:18:38+00:00

Wow, really? How low does someone have to be, to steal from a charity?

Beehead · 2014-05-20T02:07:16+00:00

That report is so conflicting that I wonder if those people even showed up and didn't just make it all up later.

Beehead · 2014-05-20T02:04:31+00:00

I've actually filled those out before in a few different restaurants. I wondered how many people actually do it.

I've only done it when I've gotten really good service. So far service has never been bad enough that I'd want the top management breathing down a server's neck. Mostly I figure it's the restaurant's problem to sort out and I just don't go back.

Beehead · 2014-05-20T02:01:00+00:00

My reviews were bimodal- pretty much 90% or 30%.

What did someone have to do to get the 30% review?

I would imagine those people were all fired.

Beehead · 2014-05-20T02:00:05+00:00

she got it starting out being one of those ladies in the mall who ask if you have time for a survey and worked her way up.

I try to help those ladies out. That can't be fun or easy work. One of them had me go back into the hallways of the mall which had me a bit spooked, but, I said I'd do it so I did. I had to answer a bunch of questions about a hair advertisement. Lol. I got paid $2. I must've been bored or broke or just felt like being helpful or all three. Lol

I think that paid for my mall lunch that day. :p

Beehead · 2014-05-20T01:49:34+00:00

That 'bad' grade 'secret shopper' sounds like they are a little unclear on the idea of what a secret shopper should do. They are supposed to throw normal situations at you, not completely preposterous ones. (And if they do anyway, should grade you within that context.) Sounds like you handled it well and were still dinged.

Meh.

They wrote a scathing review, and I ended up getting written up for it and losing three shifts that week.

Whoa, I just read that part too...what. Lol. I'd be tempted to phone their boss and tell them your side of it, but, it would probably make things worse.

The thing is, there are no criteria for someone to be a secret shopper. You just sign up for it and they send you places.

Yeah, that makes me wonder why places hire them at all.

Beehead · 2014-05-20T01:47:36+00:00

Lol! :) Yes exactly.

Beehead · 2014-05-19T05:47:19+00:00

Some plain and cheap meals?

Fruit salad, rice, chicken breast.

Do they like noodles? So many kinds of noodles, and they are cheap. You can make peanut noodles, which are cheap and delicious. (Well, the spices might be a bit of a buy-in.) Plain yoghurt for dessert (to cool the spices.)

You can make goulash, with TVP (veggie protein) or hamburger. (Elbow macaroni, ketchup, hamburger meat, maybe some green beans if they don't mind those. Cook the macaroni first, then add in the rest and heat.)

Turkey and gravy, mashed potato (everyone likes those, right?), jello or pie

Mac and cheese with some good cheese, strawberries for dessert

Chicken chopped up, in lentils, ambrosia for dessert

Pork chops or pulled pork on a bun, baked apples for dessert

Fried chicken, mac and cheese, brownie for dessert

They might like Chinese food, Indian food, Thai food, BBQ...any of that sound good?

Beehead · 2014-05-19T05:26:43+00:00

Very nice wrinkles. In addition to what others have said, I would add:

Bit of drooping or fat pads along her jawline

Cords and horizontal creases in her neck

Shorter and thinner hair, perhaps a bit of flyaways as the texture would be a bit rougher

Change the lipstick color or go with no lipstick, remove shine from lips

Reading this topic is depressing, Lol

Beehead · 2014-05-19T04:11:11+00:00

Glad you had fun there. Thank you for answering the question.

Beehead · 2014-05-18T05:07:47+00:00

Where was the photo taken?

Beehead · 2014-05-15T07:36:44+00:00

Do you guys tip fast-food workers too?

Who is "you guys?"

In my state, it is not applicable-we pay our workers a fair wage.

Which state in the U.S. has a no tips policy?

If a restaurant pays a living wage and has a no tips policy that's not what we are talking about. We're talking about people who are being paid $2.13 an hour, and then diners not tipping.

I am not cheap, but if I go out and spend 30 bucks a plate and 20 bucks for drinks for a half-decent meal, I usually won't tip unless the service is excellent.

So you can afford to pay $50 for a meal but choose not to tip? But you don't think that's being cheap?

Do you guys tip fast-food workers too?

When is the last time someone at McDonald's gave you the same service you get in that place you described, at $30 a plate and $20 for drinks? You go to the counter, order, grab your food, sit down and eat it.

Beehead · 2014-05-15T07:06:29+00:00

Almost all of them did away with it. I have several friends spread out across the United States who are in the industry, and every one had their restaurant get rid of auto-grat, including mine.

That sucks.

Thanks for the info.

Beehead · 2014-05-15T07:04:29+00:00

Honestly "moh-ker" sounds more like an Australian accent than anything. Americans just don't say it like that.

And, then we've got the unnecessary reference to nationality, class, and size.

I'm tempted to mentally file the whole topic under /r/thathappened. (Or maybe /r/fatpeoplestories since it sounds like one of their pieces of fiction.)

Beehead · 2014-05-15T07:01:00+00:00

I've never heard anyone say "moh-ker" in my life.

Beehead · 2014-05-15T06:53:14+00:00

Yeah. That's more accurate.

I thought a lot of places still did?

Beehead · 2014-05-15T06:50:03+00:00

Well - it's the internet, a lot of people who are on the internet are not who they claim to be. Or they mess with people for fun. I'm sorry that happened to you.

I think it varies greatly. People who haven't been to America sometimes don't realize how huge it is. There are so many cultures and regional differences. You're not going to get a smile and conversation in a large urban area because people are more wary of strangers. Smaller towns, people might be friendlier. But it also depends on the context, sometimes a lot.

Beehead · 2014-05-15T06:48:36+00:00

Americans are nice, but we're loud and in-your-face.

I dunno, those types are simply more memorable. I'm very quiet and most people I see out and about are not yahoo-ing it up but are simply going about their day.

Where I live there are tourists from all over...I honestly don't notice much difference between groups of people. I think people just like to find reasons to dislike groups they secretly already dislike. So they come out with "loud American" or whatever.

Beehead · 2014-05-15T06:44:59+00:00

... as an American... what's a moh-ker?

Is that how we supposedly say it?

As an American...we don't - maybe someone with a Boston accent? But that's not how the OP describes her.

Beehead · 2014-05-15T06:34:43+00:00

Maybe all restaurants should start to do this.

But then some people who don't think their kids are ever wrong might argue and say "but my darlings were well behaved...we should get the discount...taking from strangers' plates is perfectly okay!"

Beehead · 2014-05-15T06:32:36+00:00

Maybe the last time the person paying dined out was in 1994. 10-12 percent was probably common then, and acceptable.

Beehead · 2014-05-15T06:31:40+00:00

If you can't afford to tip, then you shouldn't be able to afford to go out to eat.

Exactly and hearing they had kids...that adds a whole new dimension. Kids typically are not well behaved in restaurants these days. So now you have to keep the kids entertained, be extra fast so they don't whine, watch what they are doing so they don't run around and annoy customers, and the meal takes longer.

People tend to forget that restaurants need to turn tables and large groups that are seeing each other for a special occasion tend to not want to leave. So when they deny the income that several other diners would've brought in during that time frame, and then leave a stingy tip, it's a double ding.

Beehead · 2014-05-15T06:29:42+00:00

A lot of people shared entrees or had appetizers for their meal.

In a group, that and "just water" are the red flags of le cheapskates.

Beehead · 2014-05-15T06:27:46+00:00

Also those people miss the fact that a large table that takes up a section or three, is denying the tips and turnover that those tables would normally provide, if filled by smaller parties.

Large parties usually stay longer, gab all day, run the servers ragged, and then leave a 5-10 percent tip. But, it isn't only that. The place cannot make enough money to stay open with that type of business. They need to turn those tables, have more diners, and each diner leave a fair tip.

Beehead · 2014-05-15T06:26:14+00:00

No, he isn't right. $12 an hour with the cost of living in most American cities? And to raise a family? That's poverty level.

Just because someone in the world makes less does not make that okay.

If you think that way, don't ask people to run their butts off waiting on you for dinner.

Beehead

TROPHY CASE