Chastised...and fair enough...
On the air the other day - I had a whinge about the 15% surcharge at Restaurants on Easter Saturday....
As you'll read below....I said I was happy to pay a surcharge on proper public holiday - but I didn't think Saturday was one.
Anyway, David Mathais from Cracked Pepper rang to set me straight - for reasons unknown, in Australia Easter Saturday is in fact the gazetted public holiday.
And then, his lovely wife Tracey wrote me the following email....I thought it was worth sharing (even though Tracey is politely telling me to shut my fat gob...)
Dear Caroline
I spent the better part of yesterday, including lying in bed last night, giving immense consideration as to whether or not my thoughts should be expressed in writing, as it is not my intention to offend you. I have listened to you on morning radio, debating a multitude of topics, for more years than I care to remember. Whilst yesterday was not the first time your comments really got me thinking, I couldn’t dismiss what you said. I am referring to your comment in regards to the Public Holiday 15% Surcharge when dining out. How many other Coast Citizens are uninformed in regard to the Hospitality and Tourism Industry - an Industry, which venturing a guess, would have to be a leader in supplying employment to Sunshine Coast Residents.
Whilst this is not my point, I readily acknowledge that you said that you don’t mind paying the surcharge when applicable. However you were in doubt as to whether it was applicable on Easter Saturday. David called you as an informed representative of the Industry, currently the Sunshine Coast Elected Representative Director on the Board for Restaurant & Catering Qld, and advised you that according to the Restaurant, Catering and Allied Establishments Award for the South-Eastern Division, under which we are governed, that yes indeed Easter Saturday is an appointed Public Holiday and therefore it is accepted Industry Standard to apply the Public Holiday 15% Surcharge.
My concern addresses other comments made by you.
Please allow me to clarify a few points which may give you a little more insight into our Industry:
a) When dining out as a Group, as I believe you said, you would need to spend approximately $660.00 on Food and Beverage at the listed normal menu prices before you would incur an additional cost of $100 because of the 15% Public Holiday Surcharge. Quite a substantial sum and more the exception than the average spend. This additional $100 would then in most cases be split amongst the Group so therefore a shared expense and not likely to be incurred by one Party.
b) The Wages incurred by us this week, due to the Public Holidays, were close to 60% above a normal trading week. Based on the fact that our most expensive meal is an affordable $28.75, which would incur a surcharge of a mere $4.30, the 15% Surcharge doesn’t come close to helping cover the Wages for these periods let alone any of the other day to day operating expenses including the exorbitant Rent we incur.
David, like so many others I assume, would have been lucky to have seen our Children for a collective total of less than eight hours over the Easter weekend. And for the record we certainly didn’t pay him any penalty rates.
Any Holiday period represents a time when our Industry is at it’s busiest. While every one else is enjoying time off usually spent with Family and Friends we are working at our hardest, with little or no thanks, and more often than not abuse because, as an example, the Patron had to wait a little longer for their meal. We are proactive and continue to try and educate by explaining in advance that delays could be expected and point out the obvious situation of a facility operating to full capacity.
Don’t get me wrong, we were brought up on the principle that working hard reaps rewards, and we don’t mind doing it, we are passionate about what we do. Yet on the brink of nearly five and a half years of owning Cracked Pepper Brasserie & Bar and a collective total between us of more than twenty five years in the Industry David and I are still astounded by the treatment we and our Staff are forced to endure. I believe that there is a perception that because we are in a SERVICE Industry Patrons feel they are entitled to speak to us in an abusive, belittling, obnoxious, offensive and rude manner, common courtesy unfortunately seems to be a thing of the past. Funny though, when you think about it, because so many of the roles that we all perform as individuals in our day to day life are in service to someone else.
Caroline, you are in a position where an opinion expressed by you is heard far and wide. Your opinions have the ability to influence and sway perception. I guess I am just trying to say that a simple comment may have far reaching consequences. What you said yesterday certainly had an effect on me.
Kind Regards
Tracey Mathias
As you'll read below....I said I was happy to pay a surcharge on proper public holiday - but I didn't think Saturday was one.
Anyway, David Mathais from Cracked Pepper rang to set me straight - for reasons unknown, in Australia Easter Saturday is in fact the gazetted public holiday.
And then, his lovely wife Tracey wrote me the following email....I thought it was worth sharing (even though Tracey is politely telling me to shut my fat gob...)
Dear Caroline
I spent the better part of yesterday, including lying in bed last night, giving immense consideration as to whether or not my thoughts should be expressed in writing, as it is not my intention to offend you. I have listened to you on morning radio, debating a multitude of topics, for more years than I care to remember. Whilst yesterday was not the first time your comments really got me thinking, I couldn’t dismiss what you said. I am referring to your comment in regards to the Public Holiday 15% Surcharge when dining out. How many other Coast Citizens are uninformed in regard to the Hospitality and Tourism Industry - an Industry, which venturing a guess, would have to be a leader in supplying employment to Sunshine Coast Residents.
Whilst this is not my point, I readily acknowledge that you said that you don’t mind paying the surcharge when applicable. However you were in doubt as to whether it was applicable on Easter Saturday. David called you as an informed representative of the Industry, currently the Sunshine Coast Elected Representative Director on the Board for Restaurant & Catering Qld, and advised you that according to the Restaurant, Catering and Allied Establishments Award for the South-Eastern Division, under which we are governed, that yes indeed Easter Saturday is an appointed Public Holiday and therefore it is accepted Industry Standard to apply the Public Holiday 15% Surcharge.
My concern addresses other comments made by you.
Please allow me to clarify a few points which may give you a little more insight into our Industry:
a) When dining out as a Group, as I believe you said, you would need to spend approximately $660.00 on Food and Beverage at the listed normal menu prices before you would incur an additional cost of $100 because of the 15% Public Holiday Surcharge. Quite a substantial sum and more the exception than the average spend. This additional $100 would then in most cases be split amongst the Group so therefore a shared expense and not likely to be incurred by one Party.
b) The Wages incurred by us this week, due to the Public Holidays, were close to 60% above a normal trading week. Based on the fact that our most expensive meal is an affordable $28.75, which would incur a surcharge of a mere $4.30, the 15% Surcharge doesn’t come close to helping cover the Wages for these periods let alone any of the other day to day operating expenses including the exorbitant Rent we incur.
David, like so many others I assume, would have been lucky to have seen our Children for a collective total of less than eight hours over the Easter weekend. And for the record we certainly didn’t pay him any penalty rates.
Any Holiday period represents a time when our Industry is at it’s busiest. While every one else is enjoying time off usually spent with Family and Friends we are working at our hardest, with little or no thanks, and more often than not abuse because, as an example, the Patron had to wait a little longer for their meal. We are proactive and continue to try and educate by explaining in advance that delays could be expected and point out the obvious situation of a facility operating to full capacity.
Don’t get me wrong, we were brought up on the principle that working hard reaps rewards, and we don’t mind doing it, we are passionate about what we do. Yet on the brink of nearly five and a half years of owning Cracked Pepper Brasserie & Bar and a collective total between us of more than twenty five years in the Industry David and I are still astounded by the treatment we and our Staff are forced to endure. I believe that there is a perception that because we are in a SERVICE Industry Patrons feel they are entitled to speak to us in an abusive, belittling, obnoxious, offensive and rude manner, common courtesy unfortunately seems to be a thing of the past. Funny though, when you think about it, because so many of the roles that we all perform as individuals in our day to day life are in service to someone else.
Caroline, you are in a position where an opinion expressed by you is heard far and wide. Your opinions have the ability to influence and sway perception. I guess I am just trying to say that a simple comment may have far reaching consequences. What you said yesterday certainly had an effect on me.
Kind Regards
Tracey Mathias
posted by Caroline Hutchinson at 9:29 AM
1 Comments:
It is a shame that the negative comments were heard by thousands, but the facts will only be read by a few. Perhaps giving the above perspective air time would better serve the Sunshine Coast community, rather than the trials and tribulations of Wayne Carey, over and over again, which have absolutely nothing whatever to do with us, or those we deal with on a regular basis.
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