Uhhhhhhhh, yeah, you’re kind of bass ackwarding the deal there, son.
They ain’t gettin 3.95/hr because they’re slack, they’re slack because the job pays 3.95/hr.
And with no tips, they got no dog in the hunt. They get their lousy $3.95/hr whether the customer has a great time or a shit time.
I’m not saying that’s not a shit wage. But if you’re going after that job that pays 3.95/hr at a restaurant, that’s a appropriate job for you for your skill set. I’ve worked as a server getting 3.00/hr before, and although I do get tips, relative to the living expenses here vs the US it’s not much better. And I worked my ass off because at that current time I was lucky to have a job in my situation. Eventually I saved enough and got a flight to taiwan and worked odd jobs here. All I’m saying if you’re going to have a shit attitude about the job that’s probably appropriate for you, you aren’t going to make it pass that 3.95/hr job. A couple of my friends I know started at these 3.95/hr job 3 years ago at restaurant. Some of them make a fix salary at 30-45k as the manager a month at nicer places now. A job is a job.
I’m not arguing that, or anything, really, because you aren’t wrong.
Of course there are people in those jobs who, like you were, are there as a means to an end and are motivated to go on to bigger and better things.
Just like there are people there who are upwardly mobile within the organization and are destined for eventual management or even ownership.
People like these (you) will do a better job, but it’s because they’re self-motivating.
In service jobs, however, these people are the minority (obviously, if everyone was a owner, there’d be no-one to do the dishes)
Most of them are there because, for whatever reason, they can’t get anything better. And for them, that skewly cash ain’t much of an impetus to excel.
Rocket, a pretty weak argument there.
By your reasoning the whole system should just come to a screeching halt. We can always find a worse off country making pennies per hour. Interesting how you give us the US$ equivalent Why? Fluctuating currency pairs, value of money, cost of living, many under 30s living at home… How many Taiwanese youth you met putting themselves through university with waiter job? Common in North America.
It’s a reasonable restaurant server hourly pay in many countries.
Being sociable, chatty and offering service is more an inate cultural societal thing than it is about hourly pay. many in worse off countries do it, and then what about the crap service in places like France I hear. Do they make good hourly wages?
Taiwan in branded as “the friendly country”, it’s baked into the discourse. I keep hearing about it. I’d like to see a bit more of this put into practice. No I’m not a tourist, I’m a citizen of Taiwan
They’re pretty fast when it comes to service I’ll give them that! It’s almost always the older ladies that do service well! What’s up with the under 30 crowd here?!
You forgot the most important thing though: shoes only come in two flavors
I don’t understand any of your questions.
Service sucks balls by the younger crowd, I mean if you get them to open their goddamn mouth and utter a word let alone sentences that’s an achievement!!
I’ve maintained on many occasions I’d be better served by a robot, sad but true.
Service was always patchy in Taiwan but now it comes with a f$&king mute button.
So park a block or two away and post on your social site where you are. Everyone brings in their own food and drinks to almost every venue here on the island.
…with their elders “managing” them and the shop with poor service. Honestly, if I hear another middle-aged male manager deriding the younger folks on his own staff, I will just snap back: who trained them?
Guy
Yep the buck stops with the boss.
You have to write your request down as test questions. For example
1.you work at a restaurant and you see a customer pointing at his empty drink cup. Should you
A. Go over and ask what he’s drinking and refill the cup to bring back to him
B. Pretend you didn’t see him and hide in a corner
C. Take the cup and don’t talk to him
D. Ask the manager what it means
They are really good at passing tests. I’m sure you’ll get great service if you do this.
Off-topic, but I would like to someone open a burger place in the Yongkang and Shida areas. We recently had Cozi, Evans, and Eating Time all close down. They all seemed to do good business, but perhaps rent prices went up; they all had large retail spaces.
There’s still plenty of demand here with all the exchange students. I get the feeling that opening in a more modestly sized shop could work out.
Bad red, especially shida area, super expensive and nasty residential committee.
There’s still plenty of restaurants left though, even burger places like KGB and Punch Burger (neither of which I’m wild about).
Maybe Yongkang could be worth a look for someone with the right spot, but the rent is very high. Burger options have dwindled there down to Focus Kitchen and Mos. The key would be to not just depend on lunch traffic, which I think was Eating Time’s undoing. You usually needed a reservation to get in there for lunch or afternoon tea, but dinner was tepid and they had no breakfast. Couple that with expensive rent, well…Cozi too, and it had an overly large two-story space which I’m sure was sucking it dry.
If the place could attract a breakfast or dinner crowd in a slightly smaller spot…it’s just a shame that there’s not a casual, actual American-style burger joint in the area anymore. Would love to see someone take a shot at it again.
OP is also looking to open up shop in Taichung…
Maybe a My Warm Day franchise would be a better idea there. 
They have fancy ones now.
Taichung already has plenty of burger places and interestingly did have one restaurant that ‘specializes’ in hot dogs.
That’s one of the reasons I said…it’s a bit meh idea :).
But it’s all in the flavor and execution right!
Taichung is way more feasible to start small because rents are lower. Food prices aren’t really cheaper than Taipei either. The area around GongYi road is the usual go-to place.
Punch Burger on Shida Road is one of my favorites. Wrote about it here before.