Service in the Philippines (Split thread)

Few restaurants beyond resorts if any can survive off of only foreigners. Foreigners may bring in a lot of business at times but it generally doesn't last unless your one of those very few places. Foreigners tend to come to whats *new* and they may stick around a week or a couple of months but they generally move on to that new place unless you happen to be the nearest decent place to them or amazing food. Hence you need to also cater to local customers as well which is why a lot of places fail. They think if they just have good food people will come enough but locals are different and cheaper with their money. I know one restaurant right now closed down because of ignoring the local market thinking foreigners would do the trick and I know of a few others closed down in the last year same sort of scenario.

Foreigners who live in the Philippines also can get fairly price sensitive as well. If a place nearby sells beer 2p cheaper then you but you have food some of them will go get the food at your place and bring it to where the beer is cheaper. For many foreigners who have been here for years that few peso's extra hit makes a difference if it means 2 less beers a week in stretching their money. But of course it all comes down to is the foreigner one on a tighter budget or one who is very well off where 2p extra is whatever to them.

 

So there nothing like a Cheers (the TV show) place for expats that's popular for many to gather?

 

When you are here, I will introduce you to one that will be right up yours street if you Like a Cheers Type bar and it is not that far from your place.

 

There's a bit of a customer service mafia here. People pull up with their foreigner dollars, daring to bring the service. And they go guns blazing if the service is bad. It seems like a power play. People who have money feel entitled to good service, maybe because nobody else will treat them well.

I fall into the same trap sometimes, but I try to beat it back when I feel it creeping up. There are resto-bars which have signature dishes I love and I will go back even though the service is terrible. There is a place I went to the other day which has a sign which says "don't complain about the service because there is none". When I asked for a beer he pointed to the fridge and I helped myself. I sat and listened to his stories and he is probably the most interesting person I have met in this region. I will be back.

The Philippines is an adventure, not good service.

It's the job of the top dog (where the buck stops, probably the owner in most cases here) to set the culture and do the hiring which will execute on that vision.

That culture bit is part of the key. A superstar employee isn't going to fix a problem that management should fix. And that light will fade as the this employee grinds against the grain.

Sometimes service just isn't on priority. Imagine walking into a front for an criminal organization and complaining about bad service. You might get laughed out of the building. Many foreigners here throw something up as a hangout for friends and they're happy to break even. Many business owners here don't know what they are doing. Some are retired for ****'s sake.

Employees come and go. They have mood swings. They may be inspired at the start and then lose motivation. Everyone from the highest paid sports stars to the lowest level employees suffer from this. It's the top dog who needs to put a system in place to deal with the ups and downs of employees (fix your problem, maybe take a vacation, or just GTFO).

Yeah, maybe the employees should hustle and earn their pay. But why should they care if the boss doesn't?

 

Thanks Jack! I've got a few more years before I get there so make sure it doesn't go out of business.

 

We had steaks at Moon Cafe again yesterday, and got treated like royal guests! A1 Steak Sauce, Lea Perrins, and constant attention from the staff. Perhaps because we often brought our own steak sauce just as a hint.

 

Just a thought, and my 2 cents worth. Does anyone have a view of the vibe we long noses give off? I mean when we saunter in, do the locals turn, raise their eyebrows, mutter "here we go again" ?

I'm sure we all might want a better service in many different areas, hardware, electricity, let alone eating in Jollibee. I look to myself here, but I'd be interested in what others think. For the record, I think at least 1/2 the problem is our attitude....take it away folks.

 

I do think that some of us, even me at times, seem the have an entitlement attitude. With a very prideful culture that can cause issues.