Another resource: Casino architecture.

Here is a paper someone wrote. If you are anyplace where you are thrown into confusion or just dont feel right, and cant ID why, ponder the architecture.

As the author noted, sometimes an environment evolves this way and sometimes it is designed this way. Google casino architecture and you will see that persons specialize in this.

Quote

The Rhetoric of Casino Architecture

[webcache.googleusercontent.com]


Design for Service points out a page on casino design in this archeological history of slot machines (by William Choi and Antoine Sindhu).

Other features of the casino, including the music, carpeting, and even the air conditioning system, are manipulated to the casino’s advantage.

Studies have shown that carpeting is often purposefully jarring to the eyes, which draws customers’ gaze upwards toward the machines on the gambling floor. Music is usually mild and soothing, and plays on a continuous loop rather than individual songs, contributing to a trance-like feeling of warmth and comfort in the gamblers.

It has even been reported that casinos have attempted to manipulate the air circulation in order to affect the behavior of gamblers. They may add extra oxygen to the circulation to keep gamblers more alert, or even add pheromones that make people feel more relaxed and at ease.

All of which actually points to how common it is for us to be powerfully articulated by design and architecture. They work best by fooling us.

And work they do, all the time and everywhere: Not just in casinos, but shopping malls, grocery stores, sports stadiums, fast food restaurants, clubs passé and trendy are designed in ways that help us forget our surroundings and participate in ways consistent with the goals of the space.

Malls without clocks and exterior lights but with food courts, park benches, and piped-in bird songs, like casinos, attempt to take us out of the world and part of an isolated, fully contained environment. Fast food restaurant seating that's not quite comfortable urges us to eat quickly and leave, freeing up space for the next consumer. Crackdowns on loitering and visibly homeless people before high-profile city events like the Olympics or large conventions prevent visitors from seeing what real city life is like.

Sometimes they're designed that way intentionally—particularly when large markets are involved—but sometimes they just get that way in an evolutionary fashion, as different arrangements are tried out over and over again. Those that work get repeated, refined, and dispersed. That's how culture works.

That is a new one, make the people wait to eat their dinner courses for a few hours, so Ching Hai can reach them from the TV.

Ching Hai must have given that order to them, to stretch the meal out for hours so they will watch the TV.

You're maybe right, but before making such accusation we may check if the service is so slow in lots of Loving Hut. If not then it can simply be due to the staff quality.

The Loving Hut I've tried were not particulary slow to serve customers. The one in Paris is quite slow, but which french restaurant isn't? ;)
The one in Hanoi is very very fast (but they don't even ask you what you want to eat, they just put stufs in your plate and you eat, very cheap (2 USD).
The one in Saigon is a little slow but the TV is just showing MTV (without "S", lol).

Groups like Scientology use that technique, not with a restaurant, but they get people in to watch videos, and try to stretch it out for hours, to the point of signing you up for a course.

But its good news some Loving Huts are not playing SMTV reruns, if they want to break away from Ching Hai, they could just use the screens to play music and things customers want to hear.

But this is the quote from the customer above about what they felt were deliberate delays.

------------------QUOTE---------------------

[forum.culteducation.com]

9/13/2011 1 Check-in Here
Lately I've been quoting Spaceballs a lot with "Assholes! I'm surrounded by ASSHOLES!" I think its because of my meal at Loving Hut.

This place has the worst service of anywhere I've ever been, and I've been all over the world.

Just a hint, don't go as a group of more than two people, they are unable to handle anything larger.

We ordered dinner after sitting for about 1/2 hour. Mind you, we were a group of 4 in a room with a total of 9 people. This is not rocket science. I'm borderline retarded and I can still wait tables, and have made a good living doing so. But the attitude we got was "well, you're lucky I am doing anything for you."

Like I said, surrounded by assholes.
But like Onyx said in Slam "but but but wait, it gets worse!"

Rule 1 in food service: bring everyone's meal at the table together.
This rule, however, was ignored.

4 people, 40 minutes of waiting for food to finally all come out. My girlfriend's mom and I got our entrees first. Count 40 minutes later, and finally my GF's dad's dinner came out.

Portions were tiny. "Vegan" fries were Orieda crinkle fries (I know them anywhere, grew up on them since mom can't cook) and it took all damn night to get our food. I think this was intentional so they could let us sit with their propaganda from Grand Master what's her name for a longer amount of time. It didn't work, now I just hate hippies, vegans and cult members even more.

Solid work on dispelling stereotypes Loving Hut! I won't ever be gracing your little cult compound again.
-----------------------------------------------

You wonder if the Loving Hut in Saigon changed their videos due to customer complaints?

That might be an effective strategy, to complain to the owner about the cultish Ching Hai videos, enough complaints and they might have to change it.

Hmmm.

The reviews were from persons who ate at the Phoenix Loving Hut. Vegan restaurants are not too plentiful in Arizona--unless perhaps, one goes to Sedona. If one is a vegan and wants to dine out, options may be limited. Some noted the LH in Glendale AZ was better.

But in South Asia, where skillful vegeterian cooking has been done for centuries, and in areas of the US with large South Asian communities (Indian, Chinese, Vietnamese, Thai), there will be plenty of restaurants serving vegan food, or capable of converting entrees to vegan upon customer request.

Then, good customer service will become more important.

A Loving Hut francise in those areas (eg Saigon) will face very much more competition than in Phoenix, AZ.

Quote
The Anticult
You wonder if the Loving Hut in Saigon changed their videos due to customer complaints?

That might be an effective strategy, to complain to the owner about the cultish Ching Hai videos, enough complaints and they might have to change it.

You're maybe right. Or maybe SMTV has been forbidden in Vietnam, and they fear police control...

I thought SMTV was terminated...

Loving Hut
The poor service from Loving Hut is due to one simple reason –
Disciples are jumping into restaurant business under the crazy “Saving the Planet” movement, 99.99%(I also like to user % now!!!!) of disciples have no idea about restaurant business. There was a period of time that every weekend, after meditation, disciple would sit together and discuss about opening Loving Hut—in every center! Master was screaming on the video – “the planet is going to be destroyed, you are still sitting on your butt? ” the message was spread among the group “whoever open/work in Loving hut, will go directly to 4th level!” , so the idea was – everyone just put as much money as they can and start the business, and Master will do the REST, do not worry, master will help us in whichever way!!! You guys just start it!
even before starting the business, it was pretty desided that if there is any profit, it will go to SMTV or other LH restaurant.

My experience with LH is very sad story, I am a big admirer of Tony Hsieh and Jeff Benos, for their passion to make their customers happy, in my eyes, I could tell how much we would have disappointed some customers. I read one customer’s review- while he was eating at one of LH, and there was animal slaughter scene in the TV…..”, and personally, I do not know who can eat with the “King&Co” …..
Besides short of experience, people in this group always do thing with their “inner message” which was considered from the most high.
“master told me two dishes recipes in meditation, we have to make them, they are from heaven”
“master is going to send someone from 4th level and 5th level to help us”
“he/she is from Maya/negative side”
“Master told me the fengshui is not right, we need to change to location of the bathroom….”
……
One of respectful senior disciples tried to kick one really good worker out simply because she felt headache when that guy appeared, her headache is the full proof that this person is low level, and should be excluded with no question to ask.

No matter what, I still hope Loving Hut can getting better, people like us can at least have another option for eating out, with the SMTV closure, and hopefully LH can become a much normal vegan restaurant. I know, many many innocent disciples tried very hard for it, they sold their houses, dropped their business, exhausted their savings……they jumping into a very deep river to learn swim, survival solely depends on GOD!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/03/2012 12:24PM by greenleaf.

So its most likely the Loving Hut delays are from just not knowing what they are doing?
The restaurant industry is one of the hardest, so most Loving Huts, they would be losing their shirts, and houses. They would be losing a lot of money every month.

It would be interesting to know are the Loving Hut's now just playing Ching Hai DVD's in the restaurants?
One would assume that is what they would do now.

Maybe some of them will drop the Chin Hai pushing, but doubtful from the comments above. If people believe they are going to go straight to the 4th level...
One has to wonder what the 4th level is...must be better than the 3rd level.

Ching Hai is really something else. Always dreaming up these fake % and levels.
She does the same thing as many other cults, but they often hide it in fancier language.
Ching Hai really does treat her followers like her doggies...give them orders, give them a treat, good dog bad dog...

Ching Hai is a crude but quite effective manipulator.
She is going to milk the 2012 hysteria all year, and make a lot of money this year for herself...

From a forum elsewhere--one person's report

[www.plantbasedpeople.com]
-----------------------------------------
Loving Hut Employee Post #115
Sorry, this is going to be long but I'll try to touch on everything as succinctly as possible.

I came across this thread searing for info on LH. I just started working at a LH in my area. My gf and I first ate at the LH several months ago, before I worked there, and we couldn't ignore the SMCH on the TV's. We both found it creepy and it just sort of shrugged it off and laughed at it -- we sort of just viewed it as weird Asian TV -- it didn't strike me as cultish, but I did look at a lot of it as typical religious BS.

I'm a vegan for lots of secular reasons, and I've come to accept religion as an annoying part of life, so the religious overtones inside of our LH did not deter me from continuing to eat there or even apply for a job. The entire application/hiring process was very bizarre. I did not fill out an application; I just wrote my contact info on a piece of paper and was hired that same day, started the next. I also was not told what my position was or what I would get paid.

My first day they just sort of tossed me into the job -- cooking, cleaning, serving, etc -- without any formal training -- just showing me how to do things if/when I couldn't figure something out on my own (mostly). Midway through my first day I asked what I was getting paid and what my position, schedule, etc was. I was told the pay would be min wage + "bonuses" and given a schedule but still not told what my position is.

I am a smoker and I took a couple of smoke breaks on my 1st day. The restaurant is very slow most of the time and I smoked behind the building where no one could possibly see me or possibly be bothered by me. I was given several lengthy, BS lectures by my boss about why I "should not" (a polite way of saying I can't) take cigarette breaks or smoke anywhere on the premises at any time. I thought it was all very strange, especially for a restaurant because every restaurant I ever worked at allowed smoke breaks and most employees were smokers. The next day I decided to take smoke breaks only when my boss was not there but still got busted as if my boss somehow psychically knew I did it. It became clear to me my coworkers ratted me out.

By my 3rd day it became clear that I am their new waiter -- I greet/seat customers, take all the orders, run food, refill drinks, cash checks, and all of the other stuff a server typically does but hardly do any cooking or kitchen work. I actually like serving and most of our customers are very friendly, so I started to think min wage + "bonuses" won't be that bad considering all the tips I make... but here's where things get really sketchy... most of the tips customers leave either go into a tip jar or are left on their CC receipt (I pocket the tip if it's left on the table or handed to me). I was told by a coworker who barely speaks English that we don't get to keep our tips but if business is really good, we get a "bonus." I have yet to confront my boss about this as I am still a very new employee and have not received my first paycheck yet. It's so hard to know what is going on in this place because no one, my boss included, speaks English well (HUGE language barriers).

It was also on my 3rd day that the cult aspect of LH really began to sink in and become clear to me. I looked into SMCH and suddenly things started to make sense, like why boss had basically been trying to convince me to quit smoking and forbid me from having smoke breaks from day one -- because it goes against the tennets of their religion/cult. My boss also tried to push breatharianism on me and I laughingly told her I don't believe in that, that's it's scientifically impossible and dangerous. Everyday my boss meditates for hours and sometimes other slightly odd people show up while we're closed to meditate and cook food for themselves -- it's super weird but if that's thing, whatever.

I think SMCH is full of shit and I really don't want to help her in any way at all. I think she is a flamboyant, hypocritically, ostentatious, materialistic, fraudulent charlatan. It sucks a lot because the LH's food is so good and I do want to help vegan establishments and spread veganism/vegetarianism, but not for religious reasons, of course. I am at an ethical crossroads because I really need this job right now but I don't want to support the company anymore. I'm trying to look at it as just a means to an end and stick it out only for as long as I have to. Plus, all of our customers ignore the SMCH garbage.

I've noticed the loving hut has a really high turnover rate and even customers have commented on the revolving door of employees. If anyone out there has worked for a LH for any substantial amount of time, I would love to here your review. I want to know what is so bad about this place that no one seems to last more than a few months. The SMCH cult aspect sucks but it can easily be ignored. Right now, my gut tells me that my tips are essentially being kept/stolen from me and either going into the pockets of my boss and/or SMCH. I guess I will find out soon enough because I am going to get my first paycheck any day now.

Dandelion posted

Thanks for the post Jason. I've been waiting for somebody who actually works there to speak out.

The general attitude of vegans when confronted by the exploitive nature of cults and Cha-Ching's Loving Hut vegan restaurants is pretty much "Well it's still promoting veganism and saving animal lives.". I find this justification misanthropic and antithetic to ethical ideals vegans strive for. Regardless, I'm done picking on Cha-Ching because it's no worse than other faith-based beliefs really and there are bigger fights to fight.

Still I'm glad you stopped by to give us your perspective (for what it's worth from a stranger on the internets). I hope it works out for you and please do keep us in the loop ok?
--------------------------

J continued page 9 of Plant Based People

[www.plantbasedpeople.com]

Week 2 at the LH: Craziness ensues. Message #121
Wow, what a day, what a day. I'm actually at work right now, taking a well deserved break. It has become blatantly clear that my boss (the owner) has almost no idea how to run a restaurant. I started stapling tickets to to-go orders because no one else was, then noticed my boss follow suit. Really? I invented that here? Let's see what else I've started here that should be glaringly obvious:

Bringing checks to the table instead of leaving people to wonder if I will ever return.
Making friendly chitchat with tables instead of just dropping off food and skirting.
Splitting up desserts and entres that people tell me in advance they are going to share
(my favorite) bringing food out in the order people order it. Ya know, like, appetizers first, desserts last... (I've actually been scolded for this by the kitchen. Seriously).

Those are just some of the things I can think of right off the top of my head. I know there's a few more. Oh, yeah, taking ALL the food a table ordered to them at once instead of taking ONE plate to one table, then ONE plate to another, and so on, making the other customers think I've forgotten they exist and leave them to feel awkward while their friend(s) eat in front of them as they sit there with nothing.

Last night I asked my boss how I was doing so far. I was anticipating a glowing review considering all of the aforementioned and the fact that I've basically taken our customer service to a new level. What did I get? A shit review. It was if she was telling me that so far I'm tolerable, at best. The big complain was that I don't cook enough and do enough in the kitchen, despite the fact I'm the only person waiting tables. Today, I waited on at least 10 medium to large tables at a time, consistently, straight through my lunch break, by myself.

Never in my life have I seen the concept of cooks and servers so grossly misunderstood. There's a reason restaurants have been implement this method since, I dunno, the first restaurant ever? It's like waiters don't even exist, in their minds. They don't even call it waiting, or serving, they call it, "working the front." I think maybe my boss thinks that's a way to evade tipping out servers. Like, if they work in the kitchen, too, and you don't call them a server, they don't get tips. I dunno, just guess.

And, speaking of tips, I still haven't broached the issue. Well, I still haven't even been paid. But it's only my second week. I'd like to at least get a paycheck before I get into the whole tips issue. And, it goes without saying, I haven't been tipped out a penny. The tips that I'm pulling are sick. WAY more than I would have ever guessed. Last night I got a $13 tip on a $20 check. I'm routinely getting $5 to 10$ on two and three tops, and single parties typically leave me $3 to $5. My tips easily double, if not tripple my measly minimum wage salary, and that's not even counting the tip jar. BTW, who the hell uses a tip jar? What are we, Starbucks? A lemonade stand? Seriously, when was the last time you went to a proper, sit-down restaurant and were invited to drop some change in a tip jar? Give me a break.

As a matter of fact, no one graced our stupid tip jar with their change yesterday, and sure enough, my boss asked me about at the end of the night. I didn't get in trouble and I wasn't accused of anything, but you never can tell what someone is really thinking in that situation. Anyways, it just further confirmed my suspicion that my "bonus" is probably going to be some takeout chinese food or a vegan doggy treat. Certainly not any tips. Oh, I also began printing my name on every check, so I know exactly what I'm not receiving.

Well enough about that. Oh, get this, apparently SMCH has her very own holiday. Either that or my boss made one up for "Her" because we're celebrating it. Seriously, SMCH is her own person f-ing Jesus. Anyways, I have a lot more to share about the weirdness here, but I have to get back to it.

and Message 125

Yes, I will keep you updated on this holiday. It's not until Feb, so I won't know more until then. Our owner is trying to get some person to give a spiritual lecture in the restaurant that day... we'll see.

Our LH is similar to what you described, but people do not order at the counter, I come to their table and take their order; just like a normal restaurant. I had a lengthy conversation with my boss today about pretty much everything I talked about in my last update. In short, she doesn't want me changing a thing. What I realized is that they don't know if they want to be a fast food restaurant or a sit-down restaurant. Obviously, the two are worlds apart and don't meld well.

We have a dining area that seats 100 people. There's about 20 tables. My boss has no intentions of hiring another server. If 100 people are in here, and that happens when we're super busy, it's all me. Is that normal? To me, it seems like that's way too many tables/people, for one server. I dunno, maybe I'm wrong?

I think we just have different philosophies on customer service. The ladies who work here, as well as past American servers who have waited on me, don't want to talk to a table for more than a minute. If you start asking them a bunch of questions or try to have a quick conversation with them, they're just gonna smile, nod, say something like, "ok, ok, ok..." and split.

My boss is always telling me, "You very patient with customer, like to talk a lot, answer everything... You just say, 'sorry, have to help others.'" I tried to tell her that people expect a certain amount of attention from their waiter -- they wait for you to come around and once you're there, it's THEIR turn and they're gonna take their sweet time. I don't think that got through to her. I also tried explaining to her that people in general do not like paying at the counter. I even asked a bunch of my friends this weekend about that, and they all said they hate when restaurants make you pay at the counter, and that they hate tip jars because they don't know where to leave the tip and it's just awkward, confusing, etc...

She did not care. Customers pay up front and that's that. Even if they ask for their check, I am instructed to tell them to go to the counter. My boss said it's done this way for efficiency reasons. I guess we just disagree on that. I can swoop by a large handful of tables, drop off their checks, and then come back by my next trip around the cafe and get everyone settled up in a matter of minutes. That way people don't have to wait in line at the front. Even worse, is when I tell them to pay up front, but then I'm still waiting on other tables and there's no one at the front to help them. I can see them thinking, "why the hell did this guy tell me to come up here when he's not even here/ready to ring me out?"

My attitude right now is whatever. It's her restaurant, I really don't care how she runs out. I get lots of questions about our weird ways of doing things here and I'm completely upfront with the customers. I'll just say, "Yeah, I know. It makes no sense, but this is how my boss wants it. Sorry." I also get lots and lots of questions (at least recently) about SMCH, the pamphlets, the TV's, etc... I make fun of that stuff and typically get a good laugh out of our guests. If I can tell someone is really 'with it,' I'll tell them straight up about SMCH and her shenanigans and let them decide if they want to continue to dine here. Honestly, no one gives a crap about SMCH; they just want their food. Everyone (that I've waited on) thinks she a weirdo, and are either amused or creeped out by her.

Moments ago I had another lengthy conversation with my boss about tips and wages. She brought it up because there's no money in the tip jar because I picked up all the money off the tables and stuck it in my pocket. I'm not even going to attempt to explain what she said to me, because to be perfectly honest, I don't even know what she said. Seriously, I could not make sense out of it.

Here's what I think we talked about/worked out. I think she basically asked me if I want to work for tips or not. I said I want tips, of course. She said something along the lines of, "if I take the tips, some days there might not be enough money to cover my salary." I think she was trying to explain how if my tips don't bring me up to minimum wage, she has to makeup the difference. I'm really not sure. Also, I'm fairly certain she said she will give me my credit card tips each day. I told her that I've been printing my name on all the checks so she knows which are mine, and we seemed to be very clear on this.

Anyways, I'm getting paid tonight, so I will finally know exactly what's going here with my pay. I think everything is going to workout. I really don't think my boss is a bad person at all. She's completely up SMCH's ass, but that's her business. As long as I get my tips, I'm good. I don't even really give a crap about my hourly pay. If she wants to pay me $2 an hour in exchange for tips, (which I think we might have actually agreed upon? haha), that' fine by me.

Oh, and to answer your question about how these places succeed: I have no idea. Our food is killer and I think thats 90% of it right there. Believe me, there's no magic. Even the outstanding food is unbelievably simple. If you saw how a lot of our dishes are made, you'd be like, "Really? That's it?" I guess sometimes things succeed BECAUSE there is NO system? haha.

I still really wish I could talk to someone else who worked here, though. Lots and lost of people have definitely come and gone in this place. Every day my coworkers seem to be surprised that I have yet again returned. It's weird. One lady who is really cool is always telling me to ignore our boss and not let her get to me. Maybe that's all there is to it. Maybe people just get annoyed and frustrated with her and quit. I dunno. Maybe if I start asking around, I can find a friend of a friend who's worked here.

Well, that's all for now. Until next time...

and Message 127

Jason wrote

So, I got paid...
I got paid the other day. No tips. I was fed a whole lot of bs. My pay was docked for the cash tips I've kept. I'm not going to rant because I saw this coming. So, unless things dramatically turn around, I think I'll make this my final review:

I'm going to assume that all Loving Huts operate in a similar fashion to the one I work at. It seems obvious the owners go through some kind of training camp before they open their LH, and I imagine that also encompasses how to handle and pay employees. If you decide to work for a Loving Hut, expect to do a lot of work for inadequate pay that you most likely will not receive in full; expect to become increasingly frustrated by how difficult it is to communicate with many of your coworkers; expect to get really annoyed by SMCH and SM TV; and, on the bright side, expect to eat more free food than at possibly any other restaurant you could work for. All in all, it's pretty easy to understand why this place has such high turnover.

I won't necessarily say The Loving Hut is a cult or is run by a cult; rather, The Loving Hut is a chain of restaurants run by various members of the same cult who also dabble (poorly) in restauranteering. I'll let you decide if you want to eat there. If you do, and you have a waiter, you should tip them in cash so you know they actually get it; even then, there are no guarantees. But, you probably just shouldn't eat there.

J Message #130

I got fired!
I don't have a written explanation of why i wasn't given my tips. I also didn't work there long enough to have enough stolen from me to make it worth taking her to small claims court. She did have me sign a written receipt when she paid me, so I was hoping to work there long enough to have a day alone where I could photograph the CC receipts with my name and date on them, and compare that to the written receipt with my name, date and the amount she paid me in cash.

Anyways, I never got that chance because I was fired when I came into work this weekend. Before I could even get my apron on, I was being pushed out the door (figuratively). She handed me $65 dollars, which she called my "tips," and told me that after talking it over with "the staff" and her "accountant," she had to fire me so they can afford to hire a dishwasher, which is what they "really need." She knows I don't drive, but she didn't even ask if I needed to wait for a ride, let alone offer me a glass of water or anything like that. I guess what I'm saying is that I cannot emphasize enough how much she was like, "okay, you're fired, get the hell out of here." Maybe she was worried I'd make a scene, even though I was perfectly calm and not visibly upset in the least.

This was a total load of crap. As I already said in my other posts, this place has no system and is not prepared at all to handle the volume of business a restaurant normally gets. They were getting their asses kicked on a busy day even with me waiting on all the tables and helping out in the kitchen. The owner just refuses to give up the tips to any employee.

I imagine she probably pays herself the bare minimum for tax purposes, pockets all the tips, and that's how they stay in business. She isn't looking for employees, she's looking for volunteers. Whatever the case may be, it's unethical and illegal; not loving, in the least.

In an earlier message, #128 Mahk wrote

Of course things may vary by state, but it would seem to me they are breaking the law (not that I have any expertise in the matter, at all). If you could get it in writing, say have her email you an explanation why she isn't giving you your tips, you'd have some good evidence to sue. Otherwise if it is just a nebulous verbal contract as to what is done with tips, then you'd have less of a case.

Here is how it works in NY, but see if you can search for similar laws regarding whatever state you are in. Good luck.

(New Tip rules for restaurants and hotels in New York)

[www.courtroomstrategy.com]