On 12 Jan 2018 at 1:11pm The Greek wrote:
Aqua staff are required to pay 3% of their takings each shift to the restaurant. This is regardless of any tips paid. I.e. they have to pay out of their own money. Boycott!!
Check it out here »
On 12 Jan 2018 at 1:55pm Hyena wrote:
Don't work there then.
On 12 Jan 2018 at 2:05pm Unimpressed wrote:
Overrated food, over priced boring pasta. Its like chewing warm rubber. Even covering it in herbs, tomato and garlic sauce, its still as boring as food can get. As for undermining a waiter's tips, that is shameful. I also agree, don't work there. At least find employment elsewhere. Even overnight shelf filling has got to begetter than waiting on tables while being screwed by your employer.
On 12 Jan 2018 at 2:11pm ClarifiedButler wrote:
@Unimpressed: Have you ever either waited tables or stacked shelves?
On 12 Jan 2018 at 2:39pm Unimpressed wrote:
Yes, to both. As a youngster, between age 18-21. Both tedious, thankless tasks, but they enabled me to build a large deposit to gaining a mortgage for my first house. Now, over 35 years later I am mortgage free , have been for quite some time, virtually 10 years. So I am minted now, thanks to those early days of working for a pittance. It all depends on how much you want the money, as to whether you stick at it. I did, I now reap the reward.
On 12 Jan 2018 at 2:55pm Bob wrote:
They can afford it!
Quote from a Bristol Aqua waiter “Going into Christmas I just thought I would lose hundreds if not thousands of pounds in tips,” said Sam.
On 12 Jan 2018 at 4:06pm Local wrote:
Well, he sounds like a cretin who can't do numbers. Probably a graduate.
I saw a very good greetings card in Smiths this week. A man was giving a new staff member a brush, saying "You need to sweep the floor". The staff member replied "But I'm a graduate", to which the man responded " Oh, sorry. Give me the brush back, and I'll show you how to do it".
On 12 Jan 2018 at 4:22pm @Unimpressed wrote:
Great story, but that was 35 years ago, irrelevant at todays house prices and completely pointless for you to mention it (unless your intention was to sound like a smug tw@t, in which case congratulations).
Do you have any relevant to say?
On 12 Jan 2018 at 4:39pm @unimpressed wrote:
'Unimpressed' sounds more like a smug something beginning with C and rhyming with hunt, than a smug twat.
On 12 Jan 2018 at 5:30pm Bob wrote:
Unimpressed, sadly, many of the posters on this forum have no idea what hard graft means and what it can achieve.
On 12 Jan 2018 at 5:48pm Unimpressed wrote:
Bob, I am afraid many posters on here totally miss the point and resort to profanity. What they fail to realise is although it may have been many years ago when I was working waiting tables and shelf stacking, the pay I earned was relative to those times, so although mortgages may appear smaller back then, compared to today, so too were wages and salaries. I worked hard for 3 years, saving those earnings, plus a chunk from my salaried 9 to 5 career. I was determined to achieve my aim. Smug twat, perhaps, but I grafted for my life of leisure now. If you want it, go earn it. As for being a see you next Tuesday, jealousy is a terrible trait.
On 12 Jan 2018 at 6:30pm only me wrote:
@unimpressed, I wish it was as easy to buy a house in Lewes now as it was 35 years ago.
My 22 year old daughter has a good job. She earns more than many or her peers. But buying a house is not likely to be possible for her.
The cheapest properties in Lewes are over £200k
Banks offer mortgages for 4 x salary.
So if you earn £20 k you would need a deposit of £120k.
A couple can borrow 3 x salary so if they have a joint salary of £40k they would need a deposit of £80k.
It’s just not possible for most people.
On 12 Jan 2018 at 6:49pm Unimpressed wrote:
Me, I sympathise with youngsters today. I must stress I was still living at home at the time, so I had cheap accommodation compared to renting privately. That aside, to achieve my aim I had to move out of Lewes to find a house to get started on the property ladder. I moved to Peacehaven, then Seaford, before finally settling in Brighton. I admit I was fortunate because I was around when property prices rose rapidly, making me good profit with each buy and sell. I could have sat back and missed the boat, but I didn't by working as much as I could manage. I'm enjoying what I worked hard to achieve. My sons are fortunate though because now the bank of Dad is setting them up.
On 12 Jan 2018 at 6:59pm @only me wrote:
If you’re only earning £20k then you’re not likely to afford anything around here. Two people earning £30k each however and you only need a £20k deposit. Simples.
On 12 Jan 2018 at 7:03pm only me wrote:
Not many 20somethings earn 30k. I think the uk average salary is £24 (please correct me if I’m wrong)
On 12 Jan 2018 at 7:03pm Bob wrote:
There is a very tasteful 1 bed flat going in Newhaven right now for £110,000. Everyone needs to start somewhere.
My first property cost me £89,000 in 1990. Interest rates were over 15%. Work it out.
On 12 Jan 2018 at 8:39pm Tangent wrote:
And this thread has lost its way.
I have no money and no assets, But I have had an awesome life full of amazing experience and built a huge wealth of wisdom to pass on to my children so they have strength of character. Unlike these cry baby, easily offended, molly coddled types who get everything handed to them and think they as so entitled.
The owners of Aqua will leave live the same way as Unimpressed. having spent life collecting material stuff and failing to positively impact lives and nurture happiness.
God dammit, That was so judgmental.... I am sorry Unimpressed. I hope your ego that was projected in your post, which I judged your entire character on is not a true reflection of the person you are and that you are a beautiful person and my judgment is wrong. I truly hope so.
On 12 Jan 2018 at 10:52pm Mole wrote:
This immoral practice IS being operated at Lewes Aqua.
They claim the 3% is waived if a waiter has not made enough in tips. This is a LIE.
Boycott this place until they explicitly abandon this exploitative policy.
On 13 Jan 2018 at 7:30am With my hands wrote:
Unimpressed is quite right. My parents gave the belief that hard work is what you need for success. I left school at 15 and laboured. Didn't have holidays didn't smoke drink have Sky TV iphone or go out. No takeaways. Proper work like nobody else seems to do. Shovel in my hand. Broke my foot once but stayed working on painkillers. Saved for seven years for a deposit and laboured all through my mortgage that has been paid off. It's not been a life of leisure but you have to work. No-one will ever take my house off me and I pay no landlord. I live in Lewes. I despise anyone that won't work. They are worse than scum.
On 13 Jan 2018 at 10:54am But wrote:
The 2 for 1 bellinis is good.
On 13 Jan 2018 at 3:58pm Bushy wrote:
Its wrong , mean and penny pinching , i dont care thst unimpressed used to be a waiter 35 years ago , it doesnt make it right
On 14 Jan 2018 at 4:56pm endoftheouse wrote:
Surely you know what you]re signing up for regarding terms and conditions of your employment. If you don't like what you sign up to then change your job.I know a factory that gave you a day off on your birthday but also didn't pay you if you went sick. A different factory paid you when you went sick but no day off on your birthday.Let the Aqua staff decide.
On 15 Jan 2018 at 11:49am Harold wrote:
With your boycotts they won't need the staff,so well done on losing ppl their jobs....
On 15 Jan 2018 at 8:26pm Uptown Monk wrote:
This thread unravelled a while ago but if anyone would like to know I wrote to the management... didn’t get loads of information but they said the story was inaccurate, that the staff had all signed up to a system to distribute tips with no threat to salary, and that as a company they had unusually high levels of staff satisfaction and retention. Obviously I have no idea if that’s all true but just in case people wanted to know!
On 16 Jan 2018 at 12:57am Truth wrote:
They have a standard response they are sending out to anyone who questions this. It is carefully worded to avoid explicitly denying they operate this policy.
On 16 Jan 2018 at 1:10am Truth wrote:
"This article is inaccurate and does not represent what goes on within the business.
We use a system that all of our waiting teams have entered into as a way of handling their cash and credit card tips.
At no point do their wages suffer.
It is a team effort, from hosts, runners, chefs to kitchen porters, everyone makes that guest journey memorable.
All of our staff are happy and extremely well treated within the company. We have some of the most recognisable staff retention records in the restaurants.
We do hope this helps "
On 16 Jan 2018 at 6:36pm Maria Cauliflower wrote:
Well you keep voting Conservative what do you expect you idiots?