Hi cigal,

>I do notice when Floridians visit here, they were brighter colors/prints than we in the East.<

How far East are you that Florida is West?

Degas, Scarlett & Ira, as usual, these things are always much more fun when you 3 come out to play!

Hi ira, good morning from Boston/Cambridge.

Degs: Do we want to hear more about the "swift discipline?"

As I wrote in the other post I am a sometimes hostess for our family's restaurant. It is human nature to notice a client's appearance, it is self explanatory and common sense. Appearance might be clothes, demeanor or even notoriety but if you are polite and direct that works too.

It is sad that human beings seem to be unable to give up the habit of judging others by outward appearances--skin color, hair style, clothing.

Rufus, I don't disagree with you, but we are hardwired to judge others by appearance. All animals do. We want to pick the healthiest, most likely to survive mate to carry on our DNA -- it's that simple. Of course, we civilized humans have raised this basic instinct to unbelievably sophisticated and complex heights!

If Rufus is referring to me: I don't "judge" on skin color or hairstyle. I judge on cleaniless, neatness and the appearance the person wants to present. Don't kid yourself, you do too Rufus. Marilyn has self knowledge enough to know this.

i think it's a mistake to assume that the motivation is based on who the restaurant thinks will spend the most money at the table. and therefore, that the "well dressed" people (whatever that means) will get the best service or will be less likely to be turned away.

i think it's probably obvious but the people who look most like the restaurant's target customer will get the best service. some restaurants target tourists and these places love rich americans no matter the dress. other places target locals who may choose the restaurant to avoid the tourists--therefore you are less welcome since you threaten the long term popularity with locals. others have a bias toward older, younger, certain ethnic groups, stylish, funky, traditional, etc.

kswl, I've had to use my bull-whip on more than one occasion in Paris. Oddly enough, most of them have thanked me later for enabling them to see the error of thier snotty little ways.

degas: ooooooooh...kinky!

S&M .....
.
.
. . .smack and makeup

Degas, have you, pray tell, ever worried about what the chef or the waiter "does" to your food in the kitchen before it is brought to you. Just wondering hehe.

After having served in the French Foreign Legion, I am fully aware of what vile, dastardly deeds can go on in a french kitchen.

That's why I make the LW keep an eagle eye on the entire process and also have them serve it american style so no monkey business can occur between courses.

Well Degas, after you get through banging everyone over the head with pots and pans I don't suppose they are feeling "very clever" and just want to get your food to you ASAP and get you the heck out of the restaurant. So they probably wouldn't feel bright enough or want to take the time to "doctor" your food anyway. Stupid me, I should have thought of that to begin with. :-<

It's one thing to make private "judgements" about a person, it's another to refuse them service based on those judgements.

Sylvia: Try this out. I am curious as to your results.

Go to a mall. Look at all the people in the mall. Close to 95% of them will be dressed very poorly. Bad clothes, sloppy jeans, poor haircuts, big dirty tennis shoes, sweat pants in public and 100 pounds overweight and on and on and on.

Now the question: Most of them will be carrying packages from mall clothing stores. What do they do with those clothes? Save them to wear in public? They are in public now! It is an amazing thing to think about. The kids dress like slobs and still buy more slob clothes.

wojaz is right. A relative who is in sales, tells us all the time about customers who look like they should be getting Food Stamps, but they buy really big ticket items, cash.
That is the first thing he learned when he went into the sales business, Never Judge..you are almost always wrong.

The BIG story in the late l950's in Oakland CA at the than popular Capwell's Dept. Store was this.

A woman went up to the designer dress dept. She had on "sloppy clothes", hair in curlers with a scarf over the curlers. No makeup.

This was where a customer, or as they were called than a "client" had models come out in the dresses.

This woman walked around the dept. for quite awhile. Noone even spoke to her.
She finally requested service from a salesclerk who had been ignorning her.

This woman was waited on, but barely.
She asked to have the dress she wished to purchase "modeled". She was told that "no model was available madam".

The woman left and went home.

That evening she went to a very elegant society function.

The next day Capwell's was advised that this lady would no longer be interested in their merchandise. The account was ordered closed.

This woman, when she walked into Capwell's had just returned from Lake Tahoe. She lived in the Oakland Hills.

Her family? Well the shipyard known for getting the WWII ships built was named for her family. The first HMO, and a very thriving hospital chain to this day named for her family.

The instructions that Capwell's (that is no longer in exsistance) taught every salesperson after that experience.
You do not judge a customer by their appearance.

I know, because I had a summer job with Capwell's and had to sit through their orientation classes. This was back with sale associates were trained. I will never forget the story.

On my thread asking about about buying eyeglass frames I shared the story about the Italian who was CEO of Luxottica.

So I sure agree with Scarlett's comments on her post regarding Wojazz post (are you all still with me?) :-O

Oh my goodness!
I certainly started something. Can it be that I have been dwelling under a bridge and didn't know it?
I think that my main point was that the waiter was able to pick and chose his customers without causing offence.
Personally I wouldn't go into even a modest shop wearing "sloppy clothes", hair in curlers with a scarf over the curlers. I don't dress up to the nines or spend a fortune on clothes, but why look horrible when you can look presentable?