French café starts charging extra to rude customers

[Gingersnap]

French café starts charging extra to rude customers

Manager of La Petite Syrah in Nice says staff were fed up with ‘customers being rude when they’re busy’
ADAM WITHNALL Wednesday 11 December 2013


A small French café has taken the old adage that manners don’t cost you anything to its logical extreme – by charging extra to rude customers.

At La Petite Syrah in Nice, if you ask for “un café” it will set you back €7 (£5.80). If you also include the magic words “s'il vous plaît” you’ll get the same drink for €4.25, however – and it’s just €1.40 if you begin the order with a friendly “bonjour”.

Speaking to the French edition of The Local, café manager Fabrice Pepino said his staff had grown increasingly fed up with the bad manners of people in a rush on their office lunch breaks.

“It started as a joke because at lunchtime people would come in very stressed and were sometimes rude to us when they ordered a coffee.

“It's our way of saying 'keep calm and carry on,’” he said.

“I know people say that French service can be rude but it's also true that customers can be rude when they’re busy.”

Mr Pepino said that many of his customers were regulars, who were happy to play along when the sign was first put up.

He admitted that he was yet to actually enforce the “strict” pricing scheme, but said: “People are more relaxed now, and they’re smiling more. That’s the most important thing.”

Interesting! Studies have shown that "faking" an emotion actually cultivates that same emotion. Faking depression makes you depressed, while faking happiness actually makes you happier. Faking politness no doubt makes you more polite for real.

Independent

[Adam]

€7 for a fucking coffee?!?! That's freaking ten bucks for a cup of coffee!!!

Rude should be the least of their worries. They should be worried about customers revolting and trashing their over-priced joint.

[Lanie]

Interesting! Studies have shown that "faking" an emotion actually cultivates that same emotion. Faking depression makes you depressed, while faking happiness actually makes you happier. Faking politness no doubt makes you more polite for real.

Independent

Often, when I'm working and I'm in a down mood, I tell myself to fake it. I'll act like I'm peppy and excited about something. Sometimes, I end up peppy.

By contrast, when we complain about things, we feel down.

I believe that behaving a certain way can eventually make you a certain way, and I believe it's contagious.

[Lanie]

€7 for a fucking coffee?!?! That's freaking ten bucks for a cup of coffee!!!

Rude should be the least of their worries. They should be worried about customers revolting and trashing their over-priced joint.

We're spending three to five dollars. That's also ridiculous. People who don't like it can make their own coffee.

On another note, I can't imagine charging more for not saying Bonjour. I can imagine charging more for being a total jerk at the counter. lol.

[Celeste Chalfonte]

€7 for a fucking coffee?!?! That's freaking ten bucks for a cup of coffee!!!

Rude should be the least of their worries. They should be worried about customers revolting and trashing their over-priced joint.

Did you miss that it's about $2 if you act like you weren't raised in a barn?

[Norm dePlume]

Can you add your own menu items? Can you flash a €20 and say, "Un café, vous puante grenouille baiseur"?

[ReinMan]

Can you add your own menu items? Can you flash a €20 and say, "Un café, vous puante grenouille baiseur"?

Only in Quebec.

[Adam]

Did you miss that it's about $2 if you act like you weren't raised in a barn?

No, not at all. I just think that it's pretty absurd to claim that "un café" is somehow rude in response to "que voulez-vous?" Furthermore, if any waitron told me that "coffee, please" was somehow so rude as to jack the price of that coffee up to five bucks, I would tell them that they're so fucking rude that they can make an enema out of their coffee as far as I'm concerned.

This is just more French pretentiousness.

[scott]

Interesting! Studies have shown that "faking" an emotion actually cultivates that same emotion. Faking depression makes you depressed, while faking happiness actually makes you happier. Faking politness no doubt makes you more polite for real.

Independent

Does faking rudeness make you Frencher?

[scott]

Can you add your own menu items? Can you flash a €20 and say, "Un café, vous puante grenouille baiseur"?

[Gingersnap]

Does faking rudeness make you Frencher?

Probably but it still won't help your fashion sense.

[phillygirl]

I think it's kind of funny.

[Tom Servo]

Can you add your own menu items? Can you flash a €20 and say, "Un café, vous puante grenouille baiseur"?

That was easily the most worthwhile use of Google I've had this morning.

Interesting! Studies have shown that "faking" an emotion actually cultivates that same emotion. Faking depression makes you depressed, while faking happiness actually makes you happier. Faking politness no doubt makes you more polite for real.

Independent

Eh, I dunno. I faked being happy all through high school and it did was make me more miserable and depressed on the inside. I was definitely raised on the notions of "turn the other cheek" and "a smile will make you loved by all" were the best way to get through life. What a miserable lie THAT turned out to be! All it got me was a reputation for being too dumb for my own good, going around smiling like a doofus even when I was the butt of the jokes.

Frankly I would rather go through life being a little miserable but totally honest with myself and everyone else, because life sucks, than pretend it's all beer and Skittles and have my obituary say, "We don't know why he took his own life, he seemed so happy."

[phillygirl]

Interesting! Studies have shown that "faking" an emotion actually cultivates that same emotion. Faking depression makes you depressed, while faking happiness actually makes you happier. Faking politness no doubt makes you more polite for real.

Independent

I once faked sincere friendship for Lent after a bad breakup. By the end of Lent, we were friends, although he was a bit miffed later when I told him that being rude to him was what I had given up for Lent.

I often make my client's fake politeness to the ex spouse. In one case, a lawyer I was representing was incredibly caustic and condescending in all his interactions with his ex (shocking, I know). It led to a motion being filed requesting family therapy, to which he was vehemently opposed. For 3 months I read and re-wrote every single email he had to send to his ex. The court denied the motion for therapy, as there was no basis at that point and my client was then able to at least communicate without sounding like as much of an ass.

Faking it helps in lots of situations.

[Gingersnap]

I once faked sincere friendship for Lent after a bad breakup. By the end of Lent, we were friends, although he was a bit miffed later when I told him that being rude to him was what I had given up for Lent.

I often make my client's fake politeness to the ex spouse. In one case, a lawyer I was representing was incredibly caustic and condescending in all his interactions with his ex (shocking, I know). It led to a motion being filed requesting family therapy, to which he was vehemently opposed. For 3 months I read and re-wrote every single email he had to send to his ex. The court denied the motion for therapy, as there was no basis at that point and my client was then able to at least communicate without sounding like as much of an ass.

Faking it helps in lots of situations.

It really does. Dennis Prager often discusses this phenomena during his weekly Happiness Hour. I have faked interest in someone's situation and become genuinely interested. I've faked motivation for projects (both work and private) and become sincerely motivated.

I don't think faking a love of musicals when you really hate musicals will work but it works in other situations.

Tom mentioned that this didn't work for him in high school but I think all bets are off during adolescence. There are large numbers of emotional/intellectual/practical strategies that don't work at all during those years. That's a hormone and experience issue, not a technique issue.