One two three four five six seven eight nine"
it's the ten manangement commandments
What, uhh, uhh
Brother you can't tell me nothin bout this leadership, uh-huh
Can't tell me nothin bout this decision making, this planning
To my hustlers
Street managers on the corner I ain't forget you guys
My triple beam leaders, word up
One two three four five six seven eight nine"
"TEN"
I been in this game for years, it made me a animal
It's rules to this, I wrote me a manual
A step by step booklet for you to get
your game on track, not your future pushed back
Rule nombre uno: never let no one know
how much, dough you hold, cause you know
The cheddar breed jealousy 'specially
if that man messed up, get your bonus taken out.
Number two: never let em know your next move
Don't you know competitors move in silence or violence
Take it from your highness (uh-huh)
Number three: Manage your employees morally
If you got that authority, make sure they follow you thoroughly
Number four: know you heard this before
Never get high, on your own supply
Number five: never sell your idea where you rest at
I don't care if they want a ounce, tell em bounce
Number six: that god damn credit, dead it
You think with a 9 percent unemployment rate they payin you back, forget it
Seven: this rule is so underrated
Keep your business completely integrated
Number eight: Always keep your team informed of objectives
Them cats that make your copies can be of use too
Number nine just follow Kurpis’s slides
Number ten: a strong word called communication.
Strictly for all men, not just executives
Follow these rules you'll have mad bread to break up
If not, ask for a curve to get your grade up.
Monday, December 13, 2010
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Communicating Feedback
Writing this blog for me every week, or every other week throughout this semester has been quite pleasant. The blog topics often had us reflect on our class activities in a way that really allows students to take a minute, and think deeply about what happened during these activities. My personal experience with the blogs made me think about how I felt during the activities, and how the curriculum applies to the activities. I have noticed a repeating theme throughout the course. All the activities take us through the decision making process, where there is a leader and a task at hand. I believe what Professor Kurpis is attempting to do with these activities, is to teach the students to use the lessons learned about these processes and apply them during in class activities and also throughout life.
The blogs also have enabled me to interact with students, and comment on their ideas which whom I would not have been able to in class because they sit on the other side of the room. Also those I did work with, one girl in particular who was always in my group, we would often tease each other in class with the threat of retaliation on the blogs after disagreements during class activities.
I most likely will not blog in the near future, although this class did open my eyes to blogging and the benefits of it. One day, when I become an executive, I may have my employees’ blog and possibly open their eyes to the benefits of it, while receiving beneficial feedback about work being done.
The blogs also have enabled me to interact with students, and comment on their ideas which whom I would not have been able to in class because they sit on the other side of the room. Also those I did work with, one girl in particular who was always in my group, we would often tease each other in class with the threat of retaliation on the blogs after disagreements during class activities.
I most likely will not blog in the near future, although this class did open my eyes to blogging and the benefits of it. One day, when I become an executive, I may have my employees’ blog and possibly open their eyes to the benefits of it, while receiving beneficial feedback about work being done.
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Mcdonalds
When Professor Kurpis first assigned this assignment, I thought it was honestly ridiculous. I thought it would be a waste of time, and I wouldn’t learn anything from it. In hindsight I can now I say I was terribly wrong. This assignment was not only entertaining, but it also had vast academic substance.
I decided to go to the McDonalds around my house, on Kings Highway in Brooklyn. As I was walking up to the front door, I couldn’t help but laugh. I brought a friend with me and told her about the task at hand. So after finally getting our composure together we walked into the McDonalds. It has been about 7 years since I last walked into a McDonalds. Around the age of 14 in my first year in high school we watched a movie in health class called, “Super Size Me.” It was about a man who ate McDonalds for thirty days straight, and the health effects that it had on him. After watching that movie I vowed never to eat McDonalds again because I value my health and by eating there I wasn’t helping maintain that value.
As I was waiting in line I observed the McDonalds operation. All of the employees were female minorities: one Hispanic and one black at the counter taking orders, and 3 Hispanic cooks in the back preparing the food. As I patiently waited in line I couldn’t help but blush. With the thought of what I was about to request from them it was bound to be a funny experience. Finally, I walked up to the counter and Diane the counter girl yelled, “NEXT.”
I approached Diane, said “Hello,” and requested my order. Without any hesitation she said, “No problem.” Then I requested that the order on the receipt was printed exactly in the manner I said. She again said, “No problem.” I thought to myself, “That’s weird; I would think it would be more of a problem for them to do.” So just in case, I repeated that I needed the order, which was a cheeseburger with only five pickles, and well-done fries with a Big Mac sauce on the side, all printed on the receipt. Once I said it the second time, I got the look of perplexity that I was looking for from Diane. She looked at me with a small smile and said, “I can’t do that.” As the Professor instructed in the directions for the assignment, I persisted and said that it was indeed possible for her to print my request on the receipt. She then turned around, went over to closest cook by the counter, and told her that she needed exactly five pickles on my cheeseburger. The cook waived her away in a passive dismissive way and said, “Yeah, yeah.” Diane repeated to her again, “Listen, he needs exactly five pickles no more, no less.” The cook than raised her head to look at her, then looked at me with a puzzled look, shook her head, and said “Okay.”
Diane then proceeded to come back to the counter and again told me that it wasn’t possible to get this printed on the receipt. I asked her if there was anyone that could help to get this accomplished – a manager or something like it. Diane then called her manager, Jackie, over. Jackie came over to the counter and Diane informed her of the situation. Jackie told me that it wasn’t possible for my request to be done. She told me they didn’t have the capabilities to do it. I insisted that it could be done and that it must be done. Jackie looked at the computer and said she could have the receipt say five pickles and Big Mac sauce, but having the fries say well done was not going to be possible.
For the next 2 minutes I kept insisting and asking her to look somewhere else. Finally, she found a button that said WELL. I told her that it would be sufficient and thanked her. Jackie then printed me a copy of my receipt and I thanked her. As I was waiting for my order to come out, I overheard Jackie the manager telling the cooks in Spanish, “What does he think this is, some kind of restaurant or something? He must be crazy.” This made me really laugh out loud. Diane then called me over to tell me that my order was ready. I opened the burger at the counter as we were requested to do in the assignment and saw that the burger only had 3 pickles. I told Diane that this was unacceptable and I needed exactly 5 pickles. She took the burger back and then handed me the correct burger and told me I was handed the wrong burger. As Diane saw me put the receipt and the food in a photo ready position, she said, “You know, you’re mad!” I smirked at her and went about my business.
When I was done with my picture, I took the food and asked an impoverished looking man sitting in the restaurant if he would like the meal, which he gladly accepted. As I walked out of the McDonalds, both Diane and Jackie were at the counter looking at me. I said “Bye,” walked out, and they just stood there in confusion.
As McDonald’s management consultant, I would be very disappointed in the service I received from these employees. From the counter-girl’s initial reception, to their bewildered looks as I exited the building, I didn’t feel valued as a customer. There were many things wrong with their efficiency and order execution, the staff wasn’t ready to process my special order, their communication amongst themselves and with myself were mediocre at best.
Starting from my initial interaction with the counter-girl Diane, I encountered problematic issues. When I made my special request she only listened for key terms that she has been programmed to listen to, over time. Her inability to listen carefully to my complete request is what caused me to repeat my order more then once. This shows a flaw in the training process, or upkeep of company standards. Diane was either not taught to listen to an order properly, or management hasn’t maintained the standard of keeping employees alert to customer needs. In order to correct this problem, a change that could be implemented in the ordering process is for the order taker to repeat back the order to the customer. By repeating back the order, it reaffirms the accuracy of the order, while making the customer feel satisfied in their request is being fulfilled.
From my observation I saw the employees, including the manager, were not well trained in operating the McDonalds software. The software was capable of performing the task that I requested, but the employees weren’t trained well enough to process the task efficiently. To change this, during training, employees must be taught all of the capabilities of the software, not just enough to complete common daily orders. By going above in beyond the knowledge of the system, the employees will succeed in going above and beyond customer needs and wants, creating value for the company.
The communication amongst employees also wasn’t at a proper standard for efficiency and success. Even though the order on the screen that the cooks saw specifically said 5 pickles, the counter-girl still had to go and verbally ask for the burger to have only 5 pickles. When she asked for the special order, the cook also didn’t listen carefully, requiring the counter-girl to repeat her request again. This verbal communication slows down the process of the order, while correspondingly infringing the efficiency of completing other orders. A recommendation that might help solve this problem is to train the cooks to make the order exactly as states on their order screen.
The customer service and communication the manager and the employees had with me was also not acceptable. Understandably the special order I made was out of the ordinary, but there is no reason for the employees to make me feel unintelligent and crazy. Their looks of annoyance and displeasure would make anyone feel uncomfortable. The only reason that the order was completed was because I persisted and wouldn’t take no for an answer. If I was a special needs customer and I wasn’t as strong willed, I wouldn’t have received my order as I requested, and I probably would have had a negative perception of McDonalds that would cause me never to come back. An improvement definitely needs to be made in the courtesy and respect the employees have with customers. If a customer is in no way insulting or degrading the company, or anyone in the presence of the store, then the customer deserves to be treated with the utmost respect and courtesy.
Leadership was shown only by the mere title Jackie held. The fact that she was the manager required her to take the lead in this transaction because her subordinate was unable to complete the order. As a manager, no matter where you work, leadership is essential for there to be efficiency. True leadership qualities such as technical and conceptual skills were mostly absent. Jackie had some idea of how to use the system because she did eventually find the correct buttons to make it possible, she didn’t have enough conceptual skills to step outside the box, and stop arguing with me about getting it done.
I decided to go to the McDonalds around my house, on Kings Highway in Brooklyn. As I was walking up to the front door, I couldn’t help but laugh. I brought a friend with me and told her about the task at hand. So after finally getting our composure together we walked into the McDonalds. It has been about 7 years since I last walked into a McDonalds. Around the age of 14 in my first year in high school we watched a movie in health class called, “Super Size Me.” It was about a man who ate McDonalds for thirty days straight, and the health effects that it had on him. After watching that movie I vowed never to eat McDonalds again because I value my health and by eating there I wasn’t helping maintain that value.
As I was waiting in line I observed the McDonalds operation. All of the employees were female minorities: one Hispanic and one black at the counter taking orders, and 3 Hispanic cooks in the back preparing the food. As I patiently waited in line I couldn’t help but blush. With the thought of what I was about to request from them it was bound to be a funny experience. Finally, I walked up to the counter and Diane the counter girl yelled, “NEXT.”
I approached Diane, said “Hello,” and requested my order. Without any hesitation she said, “No problem.” Then I requested that the order on the receipt was printed exactly in the manner I said. She again said, “No problem.” I thought to myself, “That’s weird; I would think it would be more of a problem for them to do.” So just in case, I repeated that I needed the order, which was a cheeseburger with only five pickles, and well-done fries with a Big Mac sauce on the side, all printed on the receipt. Once I said it the second time, I got the look of perplexity that I was looking for from Diane. She looked at me with a small smile and said, “I can’t do that.” As the Professor instructed in the directions for the assignment, I persisted and said that it was indeed possible for her to print my request on the receipt. She then turned around, went over to closest cook by the counter, and told her that she needed exactly five pickles on my cheeseburger. The cook waived her away in a passive dismissive way and said, “Yeah, yeah.” Diane repeated to her again, “Listen, he needs exactly five pickles no more, no less.” The cook than raised her head to look at her, then looked at me with a puzzled look, shook her head, and said “Okay.”
Diane then proceeded to come back to the counter and again told me that it wasn’t possible to get this printed on the receipt. I asked her if there was anyone that could help to get this accomplished – a manager or something like it. Diane then called her manager, Jackie, over. Jackie came over to the counter and Diane informed her of the situation. Jackie told me that it wasn’t possible for my request to be done. She told me they didn’t have the capabilities to do it. I insisted that it could be done and that it must be done. Jackie looked at the computer and said she could have the receipt say five pickles and Big Mac sauce, but having the fries say well done was not going to be possible.
For the next 2 minutes I kept insisting and asking her to look somewhere else. Finally, she found a button that said WELL. I told her that it would be sufficient and thanked her. Jackie then printed me a copy of my receipt and I thanked her. As I was waiting for my order to come out, I overheard Jackie the manager telling the cooks in Spanish, “What does he think this is, some kind of restaurant or something? He must be crazy.” This made me really laugh out loud. Diane then called me over to tell me that my order was ready. I opened the burger at the counter as we were requested to do in the assignment and saw that the burger only had 3 pickles. I told Diane that this was unacceptable and I needed exactly 5 pickles. She took the burger back and then handed me the correct burger and told me I was handed the wrong burger. As Diane saw me put the receipt and the food in a photo ready position, she said, “You know, you’re mad!” I smirked at her and went about my business.
When I was done with my picture, I took the food and asked an impoverished looking man sitting in the restaurant if he would like the meal, which he gladly accepted. As I walked out of the McDonalds, both Diane and Jackie were at the counter looking at me. I said “Bye,” walked out, and they just stood there in confusion.
As McDonald’s management consultant, I would be very disappointed in the service I received from these employees. From the counter-girl’s initial reception, to their bewildered looks as I exited the building, I didn’t feel valued as a customer. There were many things wrong with their efficiency and order execution, the staff wasn’t ready to process my special order, their communication amongst themselves and with myself were mediocre at best.
Starting from my initial interaction with the counter-girl Diane, I encountered problematic issues. When I made my special request she only listened for key terms that she has been programmed to listen to, over time. Her inability to listen carefully to my complete request is what caused me to repeat my order more then once. This shows a flaw in the training process, or upkeep of company standards. Diane was either not taught to listen to an order properly, or management hasn’t maintained the standard of keeping employees alert to customer needs. In order to correct this problem, a change that could be implemented in the ordering process is for the order taker to repeat back the order to the customer. By repeating back the order, it reaffirms the accuracy of the order, while making the customer feel satisfied in their request is being fulfilled.
From my observation I saw the employees, including the manager, were not well trained in operating the McDonalds software. The software was capable of performing the task that I requested, but the employees weren’t trained well enough to process the task efficiently. To change this, during training, employees must be taught all of the capabilities of the software, not just enough to complete common daily orders. By going above in beyond the knowledge of the system, the employees will succeed in going above and beyond customer needs and wants, creating value for the company.
The communication amongst employees also wasn’t at a proper standard for efficiency and success. Even though the order on the screen that the cooks saw specifically said 5 pickles, the counter-girl still had to go and verbally ask for the burger to have only 5 pickles. When she asked for the special order, the cook also didn’t listen carefully, requiring the counter-girl to repeat her request again. This verbal communication slows down the process of the order, while correspondingly infringing the efficiency of completing other orders. A recommendation that might help solve this problem is to train the cooks to make the order exactly as states on their order screen.
The customer service and communication the manager and the employees had with me was also not acceptable. Understandably the special order I made was out of the ordinary, but there is no reason for the employees to make me feel unintelligent and crazy. Their looks of annoyance and displeasure would make anyone feel uncomfortable. The only reason that the order was completed was because I persisted and wouldn’t take no for an answer. If I was a special needs customer and I wasn’t as strong willed, I wouldn’t have received my order as I requested, and I probably would have had a negative perception of McDonalds that would cause me never to come back. An improvement definitely needs to be made in the courtesy and respect the employees have with customers. If a customer is in no way insulting or degrading the company, or anyone in the presence of the store, then the customer deserves to be treated with the utmost respect and courtesy.
Leadership was shown only by the mere title Jackie held. The fact that she was the manager required her to take the lead in this transaction because her subordinate was unable to complete the order. As a manager, no matter where you work, leadership is essential for there to be efficiency. True leadership qualities such as technical and conceptual skills were mostly absent. Jackie had some idea of how to use the system because she did eventually find the correct buttons to make it possible, she didn’t have enough conceptual skills to step outside the box, and stop arguing with me about getting it done.
Monday, November 8, 2010
spain, england, guitars, and exercise is all i want in my life !!!
Vision without action is just a dream, and the first vision I have is just that for now, a dream. One day I definitely want to make it a goal. I have already started the necessary steps to make this vision a reality. I would love to live in Europe for a minimum of a year; the maximum would be the rest of my life. The two countries I would consider settling in would either be England or Spain. England is a major financial center. If I were to move there it would be possible to get a job in the Finance industry similar to one that I would get here in New York. Instead of the hustle and bustle of New York, I would be home to the booming, but relaxed lifestyle of England. As for Spain, it is just a wonderful country on all levels. The food, the people, the music, the culture in its entirety its absolutely wonderful, and I feel is something that I could easily get lost in. I have been researching a lot of potential programs where I could possibly teach abroad, and also internships in these countries. It’s a long road ahead but I will get this achieved.
One personal goal of mine is to learn how to play the guitar. Ever since I was a child, I have always loved the guitar. No matter the genre, I could always appreciate a skilled guitarist. I have always wanted to sit down and learn to play all my favorite songs. Along with my first goal, when I move out of this hectic city, I will have more time to relax, and allocate time to learn this desired skill. Until then unfortunately I’m just trying to keep up with all I have on my plate now.
My last desired goal, is something that I gave up on because of laziness. I want to go back to the gym, and start eating an extremely healthy diet again. For about two years I was dedicated to this, but then one summer came and I just forgot about it. I didn’t mean to, it just happened. It’s been about a year since I’ve been in a gym, from what I hear they have things called dumbbells?? (LOL) I haven’t started taken the necessary steps yet to begin this process again, but I believe as soon as the semester ends I will go back. Once I’ve built a routine, there is nothing that could stop me.
One personal goal of mine is to learn how to play the guitar. Ever since I was a child, I have always loved the guitar. No matter the genre, I could always appreciate a skilled guitarist. I have always wanted to sit down and learn to play all my favorite songs. Along with my first goal, when I move out of this hectic city, I will have more time to relax, and allocate time to learn this desired skill. Until then unfortunately I’m just trying to keep up with all I have on my plate now.
My last desired goal, is something that I gave up on because of laziness. I want to go back to the gym, and start eating an extremely healthy diet again. For about two years I was dedicated to this, but then one summer came and I just forgot about it. I didn’t mean to, it just happened. It’s been about a year since I’ve been in a gym, from what I hear they have things called dumbbells?? (LOL) I haven’t started taken the necessary steps yet to begin this process again, but I believe as soon as the semester ends I will go back. Once I’ve built a routine, there is nothing that could stop me.
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Decisons Decisons
This past Monday’s class was just as chaotic and crazy as the egg drop class we had. It started out great; we had one person in front of the class, with some leadership capabilities, leading the class in a somewhat organized class discussion. This leader took on the “compromise” method. He was more of a mediator then anything else, and didn’t put his input into what was going on. He listened and tried basically lead the class in one collective direction. I personally took the stance of the “accommodation” method. Once I saw that we would have a curve, it placed me in a position where I didn’t have to worry much about what was going to happen next. From there on I knew I basically achieved what I wanted from the discussion, so I decided to just sit there and let everyone else argue it out amongst themselves. As for my classmates, I saw a variation of different methods that they applied. Some took on the same accommodation stance as I did. Others went into avoidance; they neither participated nor listened to what was going on. This is something that really bothered me because when it came time to vote, they didn’t know what the class had come up with nor understand it. When a 99 percent majority vote in one direction came down to one person who wasn’t listening at all to what we were voting on, and instead of just raising their hand, they have the audacity to argue something they obviously know nothing about, it gets annoying. In the beginning of the class as soon as we were given the time to discuss, the person with the highest grade in the class stood up, not only as the first leader, but the person with the best idea. He said that we should break up into small groups and then have leaders of those small groups present the ideas we came up with. This idea was what I thought at the time would have been the best and most efficient idea. Unfortunately, the class shot him down right away, and he went into accommodation as well.
Monday, October 4, 2010
Crash and BURN !!
The objective of the proposed exercise was to build an egg protection device. There were only three rules. The most important objective of the whole project was for the egg not to break. Well when I titled this entry as crash and burn, its because our team effort did just that. We worked so horribly together that our egg protection device didn't even make it to the testing part, because our egg broke while being mishandled amongst our group members. To start of during our planning phase, we efficiently wrote our names on the piece of paper as required, and named the egg. Then we all just started throwing out ideas, some were liked by members of the group more then others. Although collectively we couldn't come up with a a design. So we did complete step 1. We knew what we needed to do, and we also knew we were very far away from that destination. As a group collectively we did not go through with step 2. Resources weren't and strengths weren't brought out to light. It was more like a shout fest of what should be done by each member of the group. We did implement step 3 into all of our proposed designs. We kept trying to understand how each design would react to the experiment. There were disagreements among which design would work best. Step 4 was not completed by the group. There were no designated roles handed out besides the person that would be participating in the experiment, even that was changed last minute. Step 5 was an all out free for all. People were grabbing, shouting, and arguing. Some group members became discouraged and just sit their quietly, while other members tried to make the experiment work. The design was re designed over and over until there was 3 minutes left and, some strange looking contraption was formulated. The egg was push and pulled to many times, it met its demise while awaiting testing, in the hands of a group member. WHAT A DISASTER.
How could the project have been more successful and effective? One major thing was that a leader should have been implemented. Roles should have been designated. We should have had a leader, and a builder at least. Probably a little more knowledge of physics by some of the group members would have made the project a little easier, as we had designs that were completely opposite of each other. Overall it had to be one of the worst team efforts I have ever encountered in my life.
How could the project have been more successful and effective? One major thing was that a leader should have been implemented. Roles should have been designated. We should have had a leader, and a builder at least. Probably a little more knowledge of physics by some of the group members would have made the project a little easier, as we had designs that were completely opposite of each other. Overall it had to be one of the worst team efforts I have ever encountered in my life.
Monday, September 27, 2010
Don't forget to tip your bartender !
I was born and raised in America, more specifically Brooklyn, New York. I've traveled to the Caribbean, and other parts of North America. Throughout my travels around the country especially when I go to the Caribbean, I have learned tipping is very important. People do things and expect to be tipped for it. Whether it be the Bellboy who brings your bags to the room, or the Bartender pouring those strong drinks that make you smile, they do it for a reason. As the saying goes, "People aren't in business for their health." They not only would like to be tipped, they expect it, and some go as far as to demand it.
I recently ventured to Europe for the first time in my life, it was a leisure trip to Southern Spain. When I arrived in Spain I was definitely hit by a Culture shock. Tipping, for the purpose of this blog is one of the many things that I was shocked by. I went to a small coffee spot, sat down had a nice breakfast. The bill came out to 5 euros, so i left 6 euros on the check presenter. When the waiter picked it up he looked at me weird but thanked me. I didn't think to much of it then. Later on I went with friends to a restaurant and they finally put me on to the fact that tipping isn't the custom in Spain, and most of Europe. I couldn't believe it. I was once a waiter, and we practically only were paid off tips. We left the restaurant and i left the exact amount. I felt horrible, I turned around to go back to give the waiter something but my friends pulled me back.
After thinking about this custom and comparing it to America, I came to a mixed conclusion. What I realized is that there are many positives and negatives in the custom of tipping. Lets go with Good news first. Tipping is a from of gratitude for a job well done. So if a waiter goes above and beyond your expectations and you enjoy your time spend with him/her you want to reward them for a job well done. The waiter in return is thankful for your gratitude. Now lets look at the definition of a tip. A tip is a VOLUNTARY extra payment made to certain service sector worker(s) in addition to the advertised price of a transaction. So in essence when we give a tip to someone its because we personally feel that we should give them an extra payment, for whatever reason. I found this odd, because my previous experience in the restaurant industry, has given me the knowledge and the insight to know that waiters basically only get paid off of tips. Also according to New York State law (not sure about federal) waiters are required to declare 100% of their tips, and they will be taxed on them. Also New York State law allows employers to pay their employee waiters less then half of the standard minimum wage. I believe the current hourly rate is $4.35 per hour. From my experience i never saw much of that $4.35 because it was all taken from me by Uncle Sam. This is how they collected the required tax on my declared tips. So I only worked for tips, and on top of that I had to tip out to the hostess, and busboy who also only really worked off tips. So not only is Uncle Sam taxing my tips, hes giving business owners incentives for cheap labor, while people work off the gratitude of their peers.
The difference between the two customs is astronomical. In spain where it isn't custom to tip, they work on an hourly rate that is a livable according to spanish standards. Meaning that they live a relatively comfortable lifestyle. Although the service is generally slower, no one gets special treatment, and waiters don't feel pressured nor do they feel the stress of not knowing their income. In America where waiters practically only work off tips, although they do provide faster service, a lot more comes with it. They are constantly under stress, trying to please their guests to their best ability, with the expectation of a tip between 15-20%. When the expectation is satisfied, the job isn't so bad. When the expectation goes unsatisfied, the waiter can become stressed and angered. Working off tips almost ensures maximum productivity, and maximum productivity is all we care about here in the U.S.
I recently ventured to Europe for the first time in my life, it was a leisure trip to Southern Spain. When I arrived in Spain I was definitely hit by a Culture shock. Tipping, for the purpose of this blog is one of the many things that I was shocked by. I went to a small coffee spot, sat down had a nice breakfast. The bill came out to 5 euros, so i left 6 euros on the check presenter. When the waiter picked it up he looked at me weird but thanked me. I didn't think to much of it then. Later on I went with friends to a restaurant and they finally put me on to the fact that tipping isn't the custom in Spain, and most of Europe. I couldn't believe it. I was once a waiter, and we practically only were paid off tips. We left the restaurant and i left the exact amount. I felt horrible, I turned around to go back to give the waiter something but my friends pulled me back.
After thinking about this custom and comparing it to America, I came to a mixed conclusion. What I realized is that there are many positives and negatives in the custom of tipping. Lets go with Good news first. Tipping is a from of gratitude for a job well done. So if a waiter goes above and beyond your expectations and you enjoy your time spend with him/her you want to reward them for a job well done. The waiter in return is thankful for your gratitude. Now lets look at the definition of a tip. A tip is a VOLUNTARY extra payment made to certain service sector worker(s) in addition to the advertised price of a transaction. So in essence when we give a tip to someone its because we personally feel that we should give them an extra payment, for whatever reason. I found this odd, because my previous experience in the restaurant industry, has given me the knowledge and the insight to know that waiters basically only get paid off of tips. Also according to New York State law (not sure about federal) waiters are required to declare 100% of their tips, and they will be taxed on them. Also New York State law allows employers to pay their employee waiters less then half of the standard minimum wage. I believe the current hourly rate is $4.35 per hour. From my experience i never saw much of that $4.35 because it was all taken from me by Uncle Sam. This is how they collected the required tax on my declared tips. So I only worked for tips, and on top of that I had to tip out to the hostess, and busboy who also only really worked off tips. So not only is Uncle Sam taxing my tips, hes giving business owners incentives for cheap labor, while people work off the gratitude of their peers.
The difference between the two customs is astronomical. In spain where it isn't custom to tip, they work on an hourly rate that is a livable according to spanish standards. Meaning that they live a relatively comfortable lifestyle. Although the service is generally slower, no one gets special treatment, and waiters don't feel pressured nor do they feel the stress of not knowing their income. In America where waiters practically only work off tips, although they do provide faster service, a lot more comes with it. They are constantly under stress, trying to please their guests to their best ability, with the expectation of a tip between 15-20%. When the expectation is satisfied, the job isn't so bad. When the expectation goes unsatisfied, the waiter can become stressed and angered. Working off tips almost ensures maximum productivity, and maximum productivity is all we care about here in the U.S.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)