Island time? Why do we accept this excuse?

[Ghost95]

I guess it comes down to there are two types of island time.

On one hand island time is a slowed down, relaxed pace of life where you chat with your servers, learn neat things about where you are, and maybe a couple local secrets. All around a good thing.

On the other side of the coin is island time that is a shi**y disrespectful, lack of service masquerading as the former version of island time. If you're experiencing the later, go eat, stay, and do business elsewhere. The owners of business don't want you to leave and things can change if enough people stop putting up with the horrible service being pawned of as "island time".

Also, don't be a dick to your hospitality staff just because things aren't like they are here in merika. Remember you left here to experience something new and different. Relax and enjoy the experience.

 

[Stoo]

Nobody ever died waiting a few minutes for some under-paid person to fetch it or them. Relax, enjoy the view and the conversation with the people your with. You're on vacation... chill.

I read an interesting article a while back about a restaurant which I think was in NYC. The owner was distressed because he'd suddenly started getting unfavourable reviews on Yelp etc. The complaints were mainly to do with the time it took to get served etc. Of course, he hired someone to figure out why...

To make a long story short, it seems the beginning of the crappy reviews coincided with the installation of free wifi in his restaurant. Basically, customers were glued to their phones, not reading menus, not ordering as quickly and then ignoring their bil when it came before they paid.

Maybe the OP is spending too much time on his phone and staff don't want to bother him!

 

[hroark2112]

IMO if you want faster service, drinks filled, etc. on Bonaire, be very nice to the server. Last trip I was with one of those people who talks to EVERYONE. Addressing them by name, always big smiles, etc. It’s not artificial with her, she’s just that type of person. We got great service and rarely waited for refills. I don’t think anyone spit in our food either.

the other way to get faster service is to go off the beaten path a bit. Go where the locals go. If you walk in a restaurant and you’re the only Americans, and it’s full of locals, you may be in for a treat.

if you’re thirsty when you walk in, ask for a pitcher of water with your drinks. We even got them at Buddy, so we filled our own in between trips by the wait staff.

 

[Steelyeyes]

Nobody ever died waiting a few minutes for some under-paid person to fetch it or them. Relax, enjoy the view and the conversation with the people your with. You're on vacation... chill.

I read an interesting article a while back about a restaurant which I think was in NYC. The owner was distressed because he'd suddenly started getting unfavourable reviews on Yelp etc. The complaints were mainly to do with the time it took to get served etc. Of course, he hired someone to figure out why...

To make a long story short, it seems the beginning of the crappy reviews coincided with the installation of free wifi in his restaurant. Basically, customers were glued to their phones, not reading menus, not ordering as quickly and then ignoring their bil when it came before they paid.

Maybe the OP is spending too much time on his phone and staff don't want to bother him!

I read a similar thing but the restaurant had compared old security video footage to current ones. The people in the newer footage, which was 10 years more recent, spent time taking selfies and weren't ready to order anything when first approached by a server. Once they did order and got their food they spent time photographing it and apparently posting it to social media that it cooled of, and then they complained that it was cold. The table turnover rate was markedly less, which meant less profit for the restaurant per hour and their attempts to serve the customers had not deteriorated from the earlier footage. In this case the problem was "us".

 

[yle]

Oh wow, this thread just reminded me of an experience from long ago. In 2008, my son and I were staying at Jinetes de Osa on the south end of Bahia Drake in Costa Rica. We had gone out with the morning dive trip, and upon our return the boat parked on the beach, we hopped out and happened to walk up the beach toward the bar. The girl behind the bar immediately asked "would you like a beer?" I barely had time to answer when two bottles, almost magically, appeared on the counter. And it was then I was introduced to Imperial, which to this day is still my favorite post-dive beer.

I think this is the kind of scenario the critics of "island time" are thinking of: there's absolutely no reason why the drinks can't be on the table right away. The food, of course, can wait a little longer.

 

[yle]

It's weed; it's all weed . . .

Years ago, there was a guy on a dive boat out of Nassau, smoking a spliff, the diameter of PVC pipe; that, and doing nitrox and air-fills . . .

Gives new meaning to "enriched air"!

 

[Storker]

I noticed a gentleman from Germany, on this thread, so please keep me honest. I hate when waiters take some ones plate at my table, before we are “all” done eating. In Germany, this is poor service - They do not clear the table until everyone has finished eating the course. Much more civil, especially for slower eaters not feeling rushed! Different countries, different cultures. Adapt or go home.

Many, many years ago we stayed for about a week in a Holiday Inn in a city west of the pond, south of the Mason-Dixie line. The breakfast was pretty nice with eggs, bacon, sausage, hash browns, biscuits, grits and French toast. And some more. Except for the service. After the second day, our 3-year-old son started grabbing his plate, holding it tight while scowling whenever the waiter came within two meters from our table.

I really could understand his reaction. Look away, and poof! - plate gone.

 

[Storker]

usually after everyone has finished you still don´t just take away the plates but take a look at the position of the cutlery on the plate, which should show if you are completely finished or just pausing.(although this is not that common anymore).

Good to see that there are others who still remember this.

When I was my early teens I was taught that "knife at 4 o'clock, fork at 8 o'clock" means "I'm just taking a pause" while "fork and knife parallel at around 3 o'clock" means "I'm done, no matter what's left on my plate". Seems like they've quit teaching the youngsters that. Or perhaps it's just a bourgeois thing?

 

[Jcp2]

What about soup? Sandwiches? Burgers? Wings? Fries? Wraps? Tacos? Schwarma? Sushi? Noodles? Pita? Roti? Naan?

 

[doctormike]

You can hold your breath, or you can stomp away while waiting for people with another world view to change to yours, or you can accept what is.

There's a fourth option. You can patronize places on the same island that give better service, and let the magic of capitalism do it's thing.

People change. Cultures change. 20 years ago, if you wanted a piece of dive gear and your local dive shop didn't have it, you would wait for them to order whatever item they thought would fit your needs. Today, there are countless threads here about the demise of the local dive shop, and Jeff Bezos has all the money.