Manners & Money

It's only 9:53 am and you know what I've noticed already whilst at work. That Americans have so much more respect for people in shops...

Now, no offence to us Brits, but compared to the shopping experience in America (especially in New York) our service is pretty poop.

I went to New York this February gone, with some of the girls on my university course. I tell you what there isn't anything the Americans in the Big Apple wouldn't do for you. They were so kind and approachable. And in Tiffany & Co. well, I felt like I was in a movie! Not only were we greeted at the door, we were then asked what we were looking for, then directed to where we needed to go. Even in the elevator they have like a lift chauffeur! And when you arrived at whatever floor they would say "Floor four, silver rings, necklaces and bracelets.." or something along those lines. You were then greeted onto that floor and so on so forth. And I know that's a luxury store, but pretty much every other store, whether it was Hollister or Michael Kors you were always greeted and felt that if you needed to ask someone something they do anything to help you.

Us Girls below the Empire State Building

What's made me blog about this is, I've just had a young American couple in the shop, the gentleman greeted me with "Hello m'am", well I've never been called M'am before, but all I could do was smile. They were just so polite and said thank you and please to everything I said. And I'm not saying the Brits are rude, but manners cost nothing, and everyone should have them, no excuses.

My family brought me up in a way that meant manners were a must. I won't go without saying please or thank you. Since working in a shop, I myself have a lot more respect for sales assistants, as well as in restaurants to waiters/waitresses after myself being a waitress not so long ago too. You may think that a sales assistants puts clothes on a rail and serves at the till and its not a hard job at all. But so much goes on behind scenes. I can't say from a chain store view as I've always worked in independents stores (which means there is more work for you to do as there are less staff to do it all). What really annoys me about people is, from my experience, in working in rather expensive shops and restaurants, especially in one particular restaurant, that its the people that have money that don't actually have any manners.

I remember serving one table in Newcastle, rushed off my feet, did as much as I could for them, yet no pleases or thank yous. They bought a hell of a lot of food and drinks, and this restaurant isn't cheap. Yet you have a young couple come in, order tap water, and a starter for their mains, and they say please at the start and end of a sentence, and say thank you multiple times; yet I've barely had to run around getting them food or make them complicated cocktails.

I think people need to think of others much more in those kind of environments. A waitress isn't JUST a waitress (as I was once told by a young Cambridge student at a private function I waitressed for! Its safe to say, my boss who was the Head Chef, came out and gave him a good talking to!) You have no idea what else they may do with their time. I wasn't just a waitress, but had two jobs and attended a full time university course.

Hard Rock Cafe, First Night in NYC