Still outraged and need to vent

Feb 14, 2017
29
Mainecat 38 Anacortes
My observations over the years, anecdotally of course, is that the stretch of coast that includes Port Clyde, Tenants Harbor and Friendship is perhaps the least 'pleasure' boat friendly stretch of the Maine coast. The 'working waterman' snobbery runs deep in these parts....
 
Aug 1, 2011
3,972
Catalina 270 255 Wabamun. Welcome to the marina
The parking lot does cost money to maintain, and is a factor in the overall property tax load, so while the customer doesn't see it, the price is included in the lunch. Understandably, driving there does not likely have a $35 overhead.
(except for the fuel)
 

JRT

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Feb 14, 2017
2,037
Catalina 310 211 Lake Guntersville, AL
I read that Linda Bean retired last year and turned over the stores and business to the employees, so maybe this is the new employees getting greedy?
 
Nov 8, 2010
11,386
Beneteau First 36.7 & 260 Minneapolis MN & Bayfield WI
Here is the legal problem. Unless it is posted, it is free. A contract, to be considered legit must be disclosed and agreed to by both parties. Had it been posted, you would have had the option to choose to not eat there. Since it was not posted, you never agreed to the charge, and therefore do not have to pay. I would not have paid, and they would have had to come after me, which they would loose in court based on well established contract law.
Per the post above, most assume the cost of infrastructure is paid for by the cost of goods, SAME as it does on land. In places where the infrastructure cost is high, such as in the city, there are parking garages with posted fees. Even so, so businesses understand the need for free parking, and pay for expensive land, in order to be able to do business in that area. (such as the McDonald's in Downtown Chicago)
If you enter a commercial establishment and are presented a bill that you do not pay (entirely) you can be charged with 'theft of service'. The situation would have to be adjudicated. The fact that your boat is tied to their property complicates your position.
 
Mar 8, 2017
9
Shannon Pilot House 38 Los Angles
We’ll, it’s becoming world wide. Five years ago we stopped for lunch at Los Animos in Banderas Bay, Mx.and the mooring was included with the meal at the palapa. This year we came back and themooring was 20 bucks. I was pretty bummed. Not so much the cost, but the change in the attitude. They say that you can never go back and I guess it true to some degree.
 

Tom J

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Sep 30, 2008
2,301
Catalina 310 Quincy, MA
Used to be you could tie up for free if you ate a meal at The Sanitary Restaurant in Morehead City, and it was only $10 to stay the night. I wonder if that has changed.
 

SFS

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Aug 18, 2015
2,065
Currently Boatless Okinawa
What has changed is that the food at Sanitary is now terrible. The unfortunate demise of a true institution.
 
Jun 2, 2004
3,390
Hunter 23.5 Fort Walton Yacht Club, Florida
We have places here that charge a "Resort Fee" of 10%.
I subtract that from my tip and let them know that is why.
 

SFS

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Aug 18, 2015
2,065
Currently Boatless Okinawa
We have places here that charge a "Resort Fee" of 10%.
I subtract that from my tip and let them know that is why.
So you're harming the people that have performed a service for you, depend on tips for a living, and have no input on the imposition of a resort fee. Who do you "let know", the people you stiff, or the people that don't care that you stiffed their employees?
 
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Oct 19, 2017
7,732
O'Day 19 Littleton, NH
So you're harming the people that have performed a service for you, depend on tips for a living, and have no input on the imposition of a resort fee.
Tipping wait staff wasn't a thing until the restaurant industry decided they needed to cut overhead costs as inflation went up and their clientele dropped. They cut wait staff wages and encouraged the customer to pick up the slack. That way, the menu read nice reasonable numbers but the gullible and guilty feeling customer still paid more for their meal. On top of that, many restaurant owners take a cut of the tips.

I'm not making a judgement, just presenting information as I heard it Years ago.

I think it does help encourage better service, a little.

- Will (Dragonfly)
 

SFS

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Aug 18, 2015
2,065
Currently Boatless Okinawa
The hourly wage paid to restaurant/bar staff is often less than half of "minimum wage". Tips are the only hope of making a living wage. My point to Rick Webb was that if you want to send a message to an establishment by using your wallet as the messenger, the most effective way to do that is DONT SHOW UP AT ALL, and then explain to management or ownership why you are not showing up. If you adopt his approach, the message falls on the wrong (powerless) ears, and harms the people that have provided you a service. It is beyond unfair.
 
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Oct 19, 2017
7,732
O'Day 19 Littleton, NH
It is beyond unfair.
I agree.
My point is that those people are already getting shafted. When I said tips help improve customer service a little, I meant a very little. Studies for performance based on monetary incentive are flawed and inconclusive at best. What really improves customer service is a full competitive wage and management that pays attention and supports their workers instead of relying on the customer to reward or punish the server. But, that takes money, attention and effort away from more obvious and direct revenue makers. Unfortunately, when customer service is working well, it is almost invisible and so often is hard to measure in terms of cost to benefit.
If you want to put in place policies and fees that will be unpopular with the public, all you have to do is hire a service worker to stand at a counter between you and the irate customer and they will more often have to shoulder the blame than the owner, in the eyes of the customer.
Just don't give them the power to do something to fix the problem. That way, the customer focuses more attention on the worker's "incompitence" instead of the bad policy.

- Will ("the Cynic", Dragonfly)
 
Sep 20, 2014
1,320
Rob Legg RL24 Chain O'Lakes
... the most effective way to do that is DONT SHOW UP AT ALL, and then explain to management or ownership why you are not showing up. If you adopt his approach, the message falls on the wrong (powerless) ears, and harms the people that have provided you a service. It is beyond unfair.
Not showing up at all hurts the employees even more. Would you rather have a low tip or no tip at all. One can not escape supply and demand. Employees tolerate their wage, or there will be a labor shortage, which is what we have right now. Just because the effect is less direct, doesn't mean there is no effect. You can't run a business unless can find employees.
 
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Jun 2, 2004
3,390
Hunter 23.5 Fort Walton Yacht Club, Florida
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So you're harming the people that have performed a service for you, depend on tips for a living, and have no input on the imposition of a resort fee. Who do you "let know", the people you stiff, or the people that don't care that you stiffed their employees?
Absolutely
I do not patronize the establishments that pull this extortion by choice but sometimes I am obligated to join others and the venue was already selected. I am generally pretty generous with a gratuity so what would have been a 20% to 25% tip is now 10% to 15%. Often the server is able to waive the Resort Fee in which case it does register the protest and everyone comes out well. Additionally if I do not show up there at all my complaint is not heard by anyone.

Our are is also a little backwards in that unemployment in that employment sector is virtually Zero. Businesses are competing with one another for employees as well as customers. If the servers find that the business practices of one establishment prevent them from taking home as much as they could bring in across the street they are free to move and pursue their fortune elsewhere.

What is worse is in Pensacola Beach the quasi governmental Santa Rosa Beach Authority adds a fee (tax) on EVERYTHING from a percentage of the sales to square footage of the parking lot, buildings and everything else. This is all done with no elected representation from the citizens. The argument is made, quietly made, that this fee is largely paid by visitors (tourists) and does not have an effect the locals.

Got off on a bit of a rant, point is I do not mind paying the going rate for goods or services and it is the right of any business owner to charge whatever they think is acceptable but when a place attempts to be sneaky and underhanded I feel like I was part of a shake down and am prone to say so.
 
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Mar 1, 2012
2,182
1961 Rhodes Meridian 25 Texas coast
e


What is worse is in Pensacola Beach the quasi governmental Santa Rosa Beach Authority adds a fee (tax) on EVERYTHING from a percentage of the sales to square footage of the parking lot, buildings and everything else. This is all done with no elected representation from the citizens. The argument is made, quietly made, that this fee is largely paid by visitors (tourists) and does not have an effect the locals.
Found that out in 2015 when I was anchored in Little Sabine. Had planned to purchase a bottle of booze in the local outlet. When informed of the extra tax ( very steep) I elected to wait til I got to PMSC and bought in town.
 
Oct 19, 2017
7,732
O'Day 19 Littleton, NH
This is all done with no elected representation from the citizens. The argument is made, quietly made, that this fee is largely paid by visitors (tourists) and does not have an effect the locals.
And what would be the result of a failure to pay these taxes? Loss of property, which sounds a lot like a feudal system without the pledge to provide arms in case the king needs to go to battle. We only rent the land, we never actually own it.

-Will (Dragonfly)
 
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Jun 2, 2004
3,390
Hunter 23.5 Fort Walton Yacht Club, Florida
Remember learning about a bunch of guys getting drunk and dressing up like some of the Village People then throwing tea into the harbor over similar decrees?

Someone needs to organize a bunch of drunk rednecks dressed up like zombies and throw all the tourist kitch into the highway median to set ablaze.
 
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