[slipperydippery]

I think the author needs to shop at "richer" places for the treatment they want. Service is rich-people shit, and they're evidently not spending rich-people money. Inflation may recently have fucked up their expectations. It's been rough, I get it, I feel like I've dropped a "class" or so, too, just as I was clawing my way into upper-middle.

$300 full-retail for two pairs of sneakers in the downtown of a major city is not rich people money anymore, the goddamn trash-tier sneakers for my kids at Kohls often cost like $50+ a pair—on clearance. That's dead-center middle-class spending now, and the middle class has had shit service a long time.

I get it. $100 sneakers should be premium. $150? Pft! If you're somewhere that stocks those, it's gotta be nice, right? I mean damn. But not so much any more.

I suspect there's something similar going on with the rest of what they're seeing. Though yes, I agree that the middle class once again receiving any amount of actual service instead of constant attempts to fuck them over and nickel-and-dime them would be rad.

[darth_avocado]

> I think the author needs to shop at "richer" places for the treatment they want.

I think this is the mentality that’s killing the service industry. When I order a $5 coffee that’s basically just a person pouring some coffee in a cup, they expect 30% tip for the service. The swinging the obnoxious iPad with the ridiculous tip amounts for basically doing your job is what is wrong with everything right now. It may not be the worker’s fault but it is what is wrong from a customer experience. Like you could order a cheeseburger and it’s missing the fries that come with it, and you’d be the asshole to point out that they’re missing in your to go bag after paying $30 for it.

[bigstrat2003]

I will not tip for just facilitating a transaction. There has to be some actual service for me to tip. No offense to the employees at Crumbl Cookies, but putting the cookies I asked for into a box is not tip-worthy.

[SoftTalker]

Yep. There's a clothing store here in town that has top-notch service. Salespeople who can measure you, find the right size or arrange alterations, know everything they sell. But the cheapest shirt they sell is probably close to $200.