Classiness: A Dying Art?

Well, is it? Consider an example of why Elizabeth Taylor was a class act. How many do you think would do this today? I think it would be a very small number. Me personally, I wouldn't unless you did something horrible to me (as in something so terrible that if I did it, anyone who heard about it would say I was justified & you had it coming).

Now after your oldest friend in the world becomes a person you can't respect & you experience the general human fails that I have, it would take a lot for me to sell you out to the press. That motivation completely smothers any kind of financial incentive anyone could offer me.

In contrast, here's an example of behavior that isn't classy at all.

I don't have firsthand knowledge since I'm not an Elite reviewer (forget about me revealing a real name since I can't be assured I won't be bothered for things) but I completely agree with not expecting people to eat lightly when you schedule an event during meal time. I consider myself polite enough on this matter but maybe that's because I go to & have been to events where a sense of decorum is expected. You just look lame if you try this at a museum opening or some of the legal events I've been to that had fancy spreads. It's akin to gawking at the naked people displayed in paintings and statues at a museum.

One other thing I find completely lacking in class: establishments that have "rules" for customers or encourage their staff to be rude to you. Apparently, there's a crowd that thinks such things are acceptable or "New York," if you will.

This particular article pisses me off for numerous reasons & not just because Eater NYC dares to compare anyplace else to Chick-Fil-A (there's no substitute for it, you bastards). I have 2 gripes on this one:

1. The places they compare to these chains are expensive compared to prices at the chain in question. Friendly's akin to Stadium Grill, a dining establishment in a pricey bowling alley in Times Square a.k.a. a bastion of price gouging? No!

2. Comparing Jack in the Box to Shopsin's, a restaurant known for it's patron "rules." Last time I checked, Jack in the Box didn't have "rules" for eating there.

I will NEVER in a million, trillion years patronize any establishment that thinks it's okay to issue rules to me or to treat me like shit for no reason. Shopsin's is apparently not the only place in NYC that has this level of pretension & total lack of class.

A tip: "rules" only work if your staff is practicing the pinnacle of good customer service. If you did not employ people who get attitude, make insulting remarks or behave in a way inconsistent with good customer service, you wouldn't have people like me want to kill you. I've been to enough dining establishments to see some servers and others dealing with the public taking their dissatisfaction with their job & life out on me when my party did nothing to provoke them.

Guess what? YOU chose that job. I'm not your boss, your child or your loan officer. I'm your customer. As your customer, I have some basic requirements of civility & doing your damn job. I don't care if you're having a bad day; I worked in retail for 7 years & I never, in all that time, took out my personal frustrations & problems on innocent customers who didn't do anything to me. If I can do that, anyone else can. If you can't, stop working with the public since you're clearly unhappy & need to do something where you can either be a prick or avoid the general public at all costs.

Another thing: if you want to ban me getting things removed from an item, you need to comp my food. Some people have food allergies, dietary restrictions or are simply picky. If I'm paying for it, I've got every damn right to have it MY WAY. If I wanted it YOUR way then YOU'D pay for it. Got it?

Plus, I'm saving your restaurant money & resources by not using whatever I asked not to have on my food. Unless of course, you're just getting it from a bag or something. In that case, I shouldn't bother spending money there anyway, should I? I should just cook at home. If everyone did that, then where would your little business be? Who'd eat there? You'd be out on the street.

Now, my husband & I have rarely had experiences in NYC establishments. We also don't have unreasonable expectations or belittle servers since we've had to deal with the general public, done some less glamorous jobs and know people who've been servers. If someone's violated our expectations, you know they don't need to be there. I definitely complained and made a stink when that happened. Unlike these pretentious dirtbags, the management I've encountered actually seemed to care & bothered to made amends.

Who on Earth finds rudeness charming or endearing? I sure don't. It just pisses me off & makes me want to take you down a few notches. Let me tell you non-lawyers something: you can't win a rudeness match against a lawyer. When you've been told you could kill someone with your words, no one else stands a chance.

Pissing me off isn't going to get me to patronize your establishment. It will just get me to boycott and make damn sure you never get recommended by me. I'd personally be your worst enemy for violating logic or starting problems with me. I may not start problems but you'd best believe I'd defend myself in a second if someone started things.

The opposite is true if I had a good experience. In that case, I'll be your biggest cheerleader and make sure you get some cred in whatever way I can.

Now if I found out some rules place had excellent, top notch customer service that a Southerner would praise, then I'd consider going. This means the bar is extremely high. I don't think most places in NYC would be able to live up to that so it's best that you never have me go to any such establishment unless you want to see me go on a Julia Sugarbaker tirade & possibly get arrested.

To continue on job dissatisfaction, I read this recently.

My thoughts? I'd rather be broke doing something I love than making money at a job I hate. The more I read that blog, the more it clinches my whole Peter Gibbons cynicism about the working world. I just don't think the rat race is worth it if you hate your job. Too many people I know truly hated their jobs & if you feel like you're trapped, then what's the point? You aren't doing your health any favors if don't have any satisfaction in a place where you spend the majority of your time.

I don't think hating your job is something that should be viewed as automatic. In fact, I think it sucks that most people can't make money doing something they'd be truly happy in. If they could, maybe we'd have fewer problems and fewer fights with others. Happier people means more motivation & better productivity, right?

Guess my whole belonging in the entertainment industry just reeks off me.