November 2022...closed restaurants, bars and shops (Boston: floors, food, business)

[bostongymjunkie]

Originally Posted by massnative71

One thing I miss about Maine, is (even in 2022) they still haven't seemed to lose the concept of "earning" business. Places like you describe would be put under and run out of town in no time. I wonder how long customers will put up with the current situation here.

Yeah because they are taught this and they rely on it for a living. It's the way I was taught as well. I never hear anybody say "thank you" when they hand you the receipt. I don't even think that phrase is in the lexicon of the average Gen Z or even millenial worker around here. Maine also isn't filled with big chains who couldn't care less because they know you don't have any other options.

[massnative71]

Originally Posted by bostongymjunkie

Yeah because they are taught this and they rely on it for a living. It's the way I was taught as well. I never hear anybody say "thank you" when they hand you the receipt. I don't even think that phrase is in the lexicon of the average Gen Z or even millenial worker around here. Maine also isn't filled with big chains who couldn't care less because they know you don't have any other options.

Heck you're lucky to even get eye contact anymore ("oh sorry to inconvenience you, A hole"). It gets a little better maybe 10 miles outside 128, and luckily there are still a few customer oriented places around (almost always old school mom and pop type joints) that I'll be a repeat customer for. But no it's amazing the nonsense people around here put up with. I think it's all part of the Stockholm Syndrome you were speaking of.

[bostongymjunkie]

Originally Posted by massnative71

Heck you're lucky to even get eye contact anymore ("oh sorry to inconvenience you, A hole"). It gets a little better maybe 10 miles outside 128, and luckily there are still a few customer oriented places around (almost always old school mom and pop type joints) that I'll be a repeat customer for. But no it's amazing the nonsense people around here put up with. I think it's all part of the Stockholm Syndrome you were speaking of.

Yup. And I realize that some of the attitude in employees is a product of who they are dealing with. I get it. But a lot is just this attitude like I'm doing you a favor by showing up to work and the fact that they wouldn't be there if not for customers doesn't even enter the equation.

[lrfox]

Originally Posted by massnative71

One thing I miss about Maine, is (even in 2022) they still haven't seemed to lose the concept of "earning" business. Places like you describe would be put under and run out of town in no time. I wonder how long customers will put up with the current situation here.

I don't know. But the problem is worse than just bad service and the same inflation that we're seeing around the world. There's a very local element to the problem too. For as "Global" as Boston has become, it has lagged in the quality of food offerings relative to its peers (I'm including the entire metro) for some time. It's a major city, so it has plenty of good food, but I think it's still well behind San Francisco, DC, Philly, Miami, Seattle, etc. on the food front (and not on the same planet as NYC, LA, or Chicago). And for a city that offers middling quality food relative to its size/status, the food is really expensive. You can't just blame rents either. You can find quality meals (and drinks) for much less than a comparable meal in some of the world's most expensive cities (NYC, London, Paris, Tokyo, etc.). I'm sure our Puritanical approach to liquor is a big part of it, but it's not just places that serve booze that are charging absurd prices.

[msRB311]

Far too many people around here just say , 'oh that's just how it is' when it comes to certain things - traffic, inflation, COL, restaurant costs and service, illegal immigration, the list goes on.

I had a very nice waitress over the weekend and I told her that. I let her know I appreciated her smiling and how nice she was because it's becoming very rare. She was sweet, about 19 or 20. Hasn't been jaded yet I guess but plenty of young people in the service industry can be jerks too.

[bostongymjunkie]

Bostonians use to complain when something wasn't right, and they voted with their feet.

[massnative71]

Originally Posted by lrfox

I don't know. But the problem is worse than just bad service and the same inflation that we're seeing around the world. There's a very local element to the problem too. For as "Global" as Boston has become, it has lagged in the quality of food offerings relative to its peers (I'm including the entire metro) for some time. It's a major city, so it has plenty of good food, but I think it's still well behind San Francisco, DC, Philly, Miami, Seattle, etc. on the food front (and not on the same planet as NYC, LA, or Chicago). And for a city that offers middling quality food relative to its size/status, the food is really expensive. You can't just blame rents either. You can find quality meals (and drinks) for much less than a comparable meal in some of the world's most expensive cities (NYC, London, Paris, Tokyo, etc.). I'm sure our Puritanical approach to liquor is a big part of it, but it's not just places that serve booze that are charging absurd prices.

Heck I find Providence, Portland or even Worcester to offer significantly better dining experiences these days.

[massnative71]

Originally Posted by bostongymjunkie

Bostonians use to complain when something wasn't right, and they voted with their feet.

Not a lot of "Bostonians" left in the city though.

[msRB311]

Originally Posted by massnative71

Not a lot of "Bostonians" left in the city though.

True. Everyone just changes with the flow.

[bostongymjunkie]

Originally Posted by massnative71

Not a lot of "Bostonians" left in the city though.

True. But I would extend that propensity to most New Englanders from middle or working class backgrounds, so there are probably not even many of those left in Boston proper. If you go to most of the areas not as hit by gentrification you still find some of that attitude. I'm thinking Rozzie, Roxbury, HP, parts of Dorchester, East Boston and even West Roxbury to some degree.