Anyone else encountering ‘spaced out’ service workers?

[Anonymous]

We had a server today that was terrible - mumbled, monotonous voice, said something like "hello, welcome to our restaurant, how are you, have you ever been before, I'll be back in a minute to take your order" all really quickly in a super low voice and then seemed really put out when my friend asked about the plain cup of black coffee she had ordered 15 minutes prior. It has gotten so bad.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don’t think those in their 20s feel as compelled to make small talk with people. As a hostess, the job is to take your reservation and then to your table. No need to discuss the weather or answer questions.

DH likes to talk to the waitstaff. More and more, they don’t want the small talk. Take your order and bring your food. No entertainment along the way.

Yet they expect a 20%+ tip. Why exactly?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t think those in their 20s feel as compelled to make small talk with people. As a hostess, the job is to take your reservation and then to your table. No need to discuss the weather or answer questions.

DH likes to talk to the waitstaff. More and more, they don’t want the small talk. Take your order and bring your food. No entertainment along the way.

Yet they expect a 20%+ tip. Why exactly?

White man’s burden: class guilt

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A lot of service workers are young and hung over from the night before.They are getting paid peanuts and realize there is no real reward for company loyalty or snappy service. Many people will tip out of guilt regardless of service and the more demanding customers aren’t worth the deferential song and dance. Barring a few fresh-faced polite college kid employees, we need to accept sullen service workers as the new normal and get over our need for obsequious or even competent service. No one cares.

The widespread lethargy is not just a mere hangover. They look normal but act flat out dumb. You have to repeat simple things. They act like they don't comprehend anything. It's as if you're communicating with a puppy. I can't imagine this many service workers are getting high at work but maybe I'm super naive. And maybe it's not just pot and marijuana edibles, but narcotics like xanax too. I have no idea.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A lot of service workers are young and hung over from the night before.They are getting paid peanuts and realize there is no real reward for company loyalty or snappy service. Many people will tip out of guilt regardless of service and the more demanding customers aren’t worth the deferential song and dance. Barring a few fresh-faced polite college kid employees, we need to accept sullen service workers as the new normal and get over our need for obsequious or even competent service. No one cares.

The widespread lethargy is not just a mere hangover. They look normal but act flat out dumb. You have to repeat simple things. They act like they don't comprehend anything. It's as if you're communicating with a puppy. I can't imagine this many service workers are getting high at work but maybe I'm super naive. And maybe it's not just pot and marijuana edibles, but narcotics like xanax too. I have no idea.

I don’t know, in my anecdotal experience waitstaff are more likely to do speed/coke to get through long shifts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We had a server today that was terrible - mumbled, monotonous voice, said something like "hello, welcome to our restaurant, how are you, have you ever been before, I'll be back in a minute to take your order" all really quickly in a super low voice and then seemed really put out when my friend asked about the plain cup of black coffee she had ordered 15 minutes prior. It has gotten so bad.

Last week I left my credit card on the plastic tray they hand you with the receipt to sign on a to-go order. I called back a half hour later, was transferred to three different zombies and none seemed to know where to look for it. I don't think they were trying to steal my card–which took me literally two seconds to cancel on the app–they just all seemed completely out of it. And of course I couldn't act pissed off because they have my name and phone number and we're also regulars there.

[Anonymous]

SSRIs?

[Anonymous]

Days before covid closures, I was out for dinner and our waitress disappeared. I went to the ladies room and found her passed out on the floor with a syringe still in her arm. Had the hostess call an ambulance. This was at an expensive NOVA restaurant.

[Anonymous]

They all are eating edibles. We are becoming like the opium addicted Chinese of 200 years ago.

[Anonymous]

I work in a different part of the service industry. We’ve just been asked to take pay cuts of 15/20 percent while our company expands. We’ve also been told we are being ranked according to various KPIs. I’m not sure what drives the behavior you are seeing in restaurants. But when I saw the pay cut and the data that was being collected on each of us in my job, I lost all motivation to do anything above and beyond.

[Anonymous]

My friend owns a small local trucking company. You need a CDL, but it's all local work like driving dump trucks. He can't keep staff at all due to marijuana use. Unreliable, showing up late, and of course you shouldn't be driving when high -- big fines from USDOT for that.

[Anonymous]

Even mild covid impacts the brain. Think about how many times service workers are being exposed on a regular basis

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10063523/#:~:text=After%20being%20infected%20with%20COVID,et%20al.%2C%202022).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They all are eating edibles. We are becoming like the opium addicted Chinese of 200 years ago.

Are edibles really that popular? I would assume quick hits from a THC vape pen are far more common and discrete.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t think those in their 20s feel as compelled to make small talk with people. As a hostess, the job is to take your reservation and then to your table. No need to discuss the weather or answer questions.

DH likes to talk to the waitstaff. More and more, they don’t want the small talk. Take your order and bring your food. No entertainment along the way.

I sort of understand their perspective. Customers in restaurants or on vacation tend to be older and financially solvent and that chatty faux bonhomie/noblesse oblige Q&A while you’re trying to work and are worried about your clunker car, making rent, other tables, etc. must be annoying. I think it is natural to feel a little resentful and reluctant to engage in jovial banter.

A lot of service workers in the suburbs are normal MC and UMC high school and college kids living at home. They’re not struggling on the margins.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Even mild covid impacts the brain. Think about how many times service workers are being exposed on a regular basis

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10063523/#:~:text=After%20being%20infected%20with%20COVID,et%20al.%2C%202022).

Save your covid fearmongering for the histrionics on the Health forum. The service workers are dumb and dull because they're stoned on weed. Why else do you smell weed everywhere these days. America's working class is getting dumber and less competent.