Another Unusual Experience, this time at Denny's

DWalt

DWalt

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Last week I wrote about my experience with the pharmacy at a local Walgreens store being closed because of a shortage of employees.

This evening, my wife and I along with some friends decided to eat at a nearby Denny's restaurant. To our surprise, there were no other cars in the parking lot. The sign on the door said that it would be closed tonight. While I was reading the sign, a woman came out from the inside and told me that she was the only employee who showed up for work today, and she just decided to close the doors as she could not do everything.

There was an IHOP nearby, so we decided to go there instead. Almost the same story, but the IHOP was still open. Turns out there were only two employees there, the cook and the server. But they told us they could handle it and to come on in and they would take care of us. And they did. Service was somewhat slow, but under the circumstances we couldn't complain.

Both of those places normally are fairly busy, but not tonight.

I have to believe that the country is now in very serious trouble.
 
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I am seeing and experiencing the same phenomena. I keep hearing all of this hogwash about how many hundreds of thousands of jobs were created last month, and how low the unemployment rate is.

We were in D C in mid-April for a funeral at ANC, and have been southward to Georgia, and to the west as far as Texas. "Help Wanted' signs are everywhere in almost all professions. I always ask questions as this is a part of my profession.

It runs the gamut - people don't report for work, open positions that can't be filled, staff left during Covid but didn't return, the business is unable to expand due to hiring issues, people don't want to work, etc. In our area businesses are hiring high school students to fill job openings and to avoid closing their doors. In Georgetown TX we went to a restaurant for lunch. The manager was simultaneously performing the work of both the maitre d' and the bartender. We have also seen a definite decline in both employee attitudes and service. However, the generous tip expectation is still there!

One of my favorite "watering holes" is still McDs. I always go about the same time on the same day. Different people every time, plus there are no grooming standards. Say what you wish, but I am just not thrilled with someone whose face looks like my tackle box!

Houston, we have a (real) problem!

Cheers!

Bill
 
Why would you imagine that the presence of “help wanted” signs means people are lazy and don’t want to work?

Unemployment is at historically low levels, there are relatively few people looking for jobs and they have more opportunities for employment in more desirable jobs than many you see advertised at Dennys or IHOP .

More jobs than workers have employers competing for employees.
 
Rpg said:
Why would you imagine that the presence of “help wanted” signs means people are lazy and don’t want to work?

Unemployment is at historically low levels, there are relatively few people looking for jobs and they have more opportunities for employment in more desirable jobs than many you see advertised at Dennys or IHOP .

More jobs than workers have employers competing for employees.
Click to expand...

This completely ignores the labor participation rate. There aren't more jobs than workers. There are more jobs than people willing to work. The "official" unemployment rate is artificially low because it doesn't account for deadbeats.
 
Cookie cutter chain restaurants, which
have never been known for good tipping
patrons or better employee benefits, were
bound to suffer.

Labor force gravitates to the better "joints"
if you will, especially those with liquor
licenses

As to the OP, actually planning and going
out to a Denny's? Really?
 
We saw the leading edge of the trend in the mid-to-late '90s in policing, typically a younger person's vocation. The number of folks willing to do the job is less and less, and it started as folks born 1946-1964 started to hit 20-30 years on the job. 1946 + 21 years (entry age) = 1966 + 30 years = 1996.

Hard to get around arithmetic and demographics.
 
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Old 44 Guy said:
Same here, help wanted signs at almost every business. Doesn't anyone want to work anymore? When I was a kid all my classmates had jobs after school. I worked 4 to 8 at a gas station for 80 cents an hour, thought I hit the big bucks.
Click to expand...

The flip side of those is I know people who have applied for jobs all over town and nobody's even calling them back
 
Rustyt1953 said:
As stated above I would hardly use Denny's as the business model to gauge the state of the American workforce.
Click to expand...

Agreed, but...

I went to my local grocery store a couple of days ago -- a large chain store, very popular in this region, with a well-paid, unionized work force -- and at 6 PM the deli counter was closed. Why? Because the employees scheduled for the late shift hadn't shown up...

I don't know exactly how to explain what's happening, but it's real, and it isn't good... :(
 
Many of us here are already past our prime, and at best we might have 10-15 years left. This too shall pass, as we will, so adapt. That’s my MO, and I am much happier for it. Institutions us boomers grew up with have all changed and more than likely they won’t be returning to what they once were. Sure it seems grim, from our old eye’s perspective, but it’s normal for the youth of today who will be the old of tomorrow.

I need a new recliner, so I went to Lazy Boy, one sales person, lots of recliners, only ugly ones in stock, 4-6 months to get one ordered that the Mrs. will let in the house…..$2600. That is the new normal……so if I am around by then I will have a made in America, sourced from South America leather, powered by German electronics recliner, that I can sit in and fondle my blue steel……not what I envisioned in my golden years but what am I going to do?
 
My UPS driver told me there is talk of a strike.He then said he doesn't want to go out,especially considering he makes $42/hr. and has nothing to complain about.(he's in his 50s) However the union is ready to go to war over wages. Strange days indeed..
 
One thing noticeable in my neck of
the woods and it has been true for
many years: We're overbuilt in
malls, strip malls, retail outlets.

Is is really possible in even a large
urban area to staff all the same kinds
of stores which exist every mile or so
along the roadway.

And enter the newer method of shopping:
Home delivery. (With apologies to
Sears and Montgomery Ward of the
1880s.)
 
I went to the bank yesterday. New manager, and teller. That is the third manager in 6 months. I told the new guy in the cube farm section a few months ago, that as much as they profess to be a neighborhood bank, they are not. He said, you know, we are having meetings about that. Banks are good at having meetings. You cannot build a relationship with revolving personnel. Of course banks are notorious for lousy wages.

It is all coming home to roost now. We shipped all our jobs overseas, snubbed our skilled baby boomer work force, and now they are retiring in droves. The new breed of worker does not care about the corporate bottom line and wealthy CEO's. They hire out to the highest bidder, and have no loyalty. Why should they? I agree, show me the money. This attitude is the creation of corporate America, and now they do not like what they created.



Today's worker will have a dozen or more jobs across 4 different careers in their lifetime
 
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Narragansett said:
I went to the bank yesterday. New manager, and teller. That is the third manager in 6 months. I told the new guy in the cube farm section a few months ago, that as much as they profess to be a neighborhood bank, they are not. He said, you know, we are having meetings about that. Banks are good at having meetings. You cannot build a relationship with revolving personnel. Of course banks are notorious for lousy wages.

It is all coming home to roost now. We shipped all our jobs overseas, snubbed our skilled baby boomer work force, and now they are retiring in droves. The new breed of worker does not care about the corporate bottom line and wealthy CEO's. They hire out to the highest bidder, and have no loyalty. Why should they? I agree, show me the money. This attitude is the creation of corporate America, and now they do not like what they created.



Today's worker will have a dozen or more jobs across 4 different careers in their lifetime
Click to expand...
BINGO! hit the nail on the head. Corp. America really screwed over most boomers as mentioned. Low wages, imported cars, appliances and other items that Used to be the basis of our economy. Then sending many jobs overseas especially “ customer service” positions. Who wants to discuss an issue with someone that can not speak or understand English???? Believe it or not but when the machine tool business went overseas that was it, period. Don’t think so? Name ANYTHING that does not have a machined part in manufacturing. The *#-% bean counters are the ones I blame, all about the bottom line. Well all I can say, How do you like the bottom line now?
 
Greyman50 said:
BINGO! hit the nail on the head. Corp. America really screwed over most boomers as mentioned. Low wages, imported cars, appliances and other items that Used to be the basis of our economy. Then sending many jobs overseas especially “ customer service” positions. Who wants to discuss an issue with someone that can not speak or understand English???? Believe it or not but when the machine tool business went overseas that was it, period. Don’t think so? Name ANYTHING that does not have a machined part in manufacturing. The *#-% bean counters are the ones I blame, all about the bottom line. Well all I can say, How do you like the bottom line now?
Click to expand...

Agreed, but I will say one thing about the imported cars. If we did not have them, everything would still be lower, longer and wider getting 13 miles to the gallon. It took the imports with quality and fuel efficiency to get our auto industry to roll over, and it took them a lot of trial and error to get it done. Remember the Mercury Topaz?
 
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I am 67 years old and run my own business. I did not get here easily, it is my sixth career. Hopefully, my last. My wife is the brains behind us, she does the books, communication, advertising, scheduling, all the stuff that makes the business function. I have the easy part, everyday I go to a location, set up and sharpen whatever folks bring to me.

Before the virus took over, we were looking to expand and possibly hand over the business to a younger person. No one was interested.

Now, my customers have told us we can not retire! And they mean it. We have folks mail us items to be sharpened, bring it to the house, etc.

We have cut back our schedule but realistically have no plans of ever stopping completely.

Kevin
 
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