Didn't particularly notice a fall-off in visitation during our recent stay on the Outer Banks. But, according to some restauranteurs we spoke with, they're down, on average, about 30% so far this year.

A lot of that represents less weekend business. But it was a fairly rotten spring---cold and rainy---and that may have contributed. One suggested that long term visitors just aren't eating out as much. Instead of dining out four nights, they only go to restaurants two nights, and dine-in the other two to make up for higher gas prices.

Maybe. And maybe there are other causes. F'rinstance, we were out and about and stopped in at Dirty Dick's for a quick lunch. Friend Wife will kill for soft-shell crabs, and the place was convenient.

Now Dirty Dick's is nothing more than a crab shack masquerading as a restaurant. So our expectations weren't particularly high. But even so.....

We were seated. And we sat. And sat. And sat. Almost 15 minutes, and nobody even asked for our drink order. The hostess happened to pass, and we asked if any servers were working that day. "Oh," she said, kind of laxidazically, "haven't you been served? I'll try and find somebody." We told her not to bother trying, and left.

Is that getting to be typical? As things get tough is service getting worse rather than better? I have no idea. But it got me to thinking, and wondering if others are experiencing a similar fall-off in service levels?

Dear KYH,

YES, as one who is in the business world daily and servicing the public, I can honestly say that customer service had dropped to a level of totally unacceptable standards. Where there used to be fast friendly service with a smile, it is all too common now to find the employee (wether it be cashier, wait-staff, or telephone CSR) apathetic, inconsiderate and you absolutley know beyond a shadow of a doubt that they could give a crap about you or the job they are supposed to be doing. I am appauled by the things I see and experience, and I am saddened to say the least.

I quit shopping at the local Wal-Mart because of the employees' bad attitudes, even the Manager seemed to have lost the ability to care one way or the other.

I do not blame you & Barbara for simply getting up and walking out, we do the very same ourselves. But I would write a letter to management! Let enough businesses suffer from lack of good customer service skills and maybe they will begin to wake up and take note!

Youngsters wonder how come they never get raisies and promotions to higher levels with-in a company not realizing that attitude plays such an important factor in thier performance on a job. I remember yrs. ago I worked at Longhorn Steak House for 2 yrs., I won the awesome attitude award in less than a 6 month period, and was promoted to a lead position and trainer in no time at all, simply because I cared. Where I am at now I am Office Manager in under 3 yrs., customers request me and why??? because I care, am cheerful and well-liked, my raises reflect the fact. We are a customer based business and we are not hurting too awfully by the turn of events with gasoline and the economy, and our customers are happy. But it is because we do care.

I do not know but one guess is that society has slowly moved to a do it youself mindset, and the youngsters think that anyone needing help is an idiot. Business owners need to wise-up and begin looking at the day to day operations and start observing how things are being done at their locations and make darn sure that their employees are all they should be, or they are going to begin taking their losses much harder than before. We can walk out, and when we simply do not eat out except on rare and special occassions because we can not afford it, we will demand good service or we won't frequent that particular business. Maybe then things will improve.

Well now that I got that "off my chest", please remember it is just my own opinion, and observations, but I was beginning to wonder if it was just Rome, GA or inbreds or something??? It sort of feels nice to know that it isn't just our "neck of the woods" that has experienced bad service and crappy attitudes! Wow what do you know, thanks for sharing the... not so great news:rolleyes:

Cathy

I will say this, one of the first things people cut out of their budget is going out to eat.

Soon we will be cutting out eating at the rate things are going.

Thanks to this "gasoline crisis" and with the storms in the mid-west things don't look so good.

The farmers were raising prices due to the gas prices.

Now they won't be able to feed their cows because the corn crops were destroyed. So they will be slaughtering all their cows this year and next year they won't be in the meat business - meat will be quite high.

Why not?

Everything else is going up.

Too bad they didn't show porno films at the gas pumps so we wouldnt' be the only ones getting screwed there. And if prices keep going up - people wil not be purchasing all the extras from the stores - which means the stores will have to raise their prices even higher to make their profits. Maybe movies should be showed their too.

sorry - no I don't believe in porn - but it makes sense to me -

We do need to keep it in perspective though.. Some of the bottled water people are drinking out there comes out to about $50 a gallon, not to mention coffee..