Take notes, everyone. This is how you handle criticism.
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Not only did I return because I liked the place, the staff were very cool. A bit different than hanging out in Sosua amongst the bloated geriatric crowd.
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the only thing i see bloated are the prices of everything in cabarette... including the hookers!! and the funny **** is, they r the same girls you see in sosua... stop thinkin your in a different part of the world, or the country... sosua is 20 min from cabarette... i know gilrs that charge 1k-1500 pesos in sosua but wont take less than 3k in cabarette.... and this goes with the food as well....i luv oshays... but he is pricey!! as well as all the other resturants on the beach...as well as rents...so if you think your gettin a betr cut of meat??? your only foolin yourself!!! oh and if you dont mind the money bigshot!! ther r lots of better vacations to go on...ex. atlantis, aruba,even pannama... are much betr options.....
maybe whatz bloated is your ego... u speak like your betr than others... maybe u think so... but i;ll stick with those "real" bloated people in sosua!!!
- Thread starter frank12
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Aggressive Beach Harassment in Cabarete
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Better still,
actually pay the vendors to turn up at certain strict times and watch them simply not appear for 3 days at a stretch.
actually pay the vendors to turn up at certain strict times and watch them simply not appear for 3 days at a stretch.
The beach shacks are on the main street in Cabarete. I think the vendors ont the beach, in the blue shirts, are part of a union ,maffia(sp). They have to pay each day to the Boss. I know a woman, who didn't make enough, and she was not allowed on the beach. Maybe if the Boss was paid, like Niki maybe does, there will not be a problem. I've only lived here for 7 years, so I'm probably wrong. We just tell them, No thank you. I don't know how much it will cost, as suggested above, but Niki Beach is Way more Exp. then O'Sheys, And they don't have football and the food is poor, the driink week.
Thanks Manzana,
NO, the guard we got thru a "Security company." it was, if i remember correctly, around $1500 aday, maybe a little more. i'll try and find out. This was the best way to go about it because if, for example, he gets sick, they just send another guy to fill his shifts. Also, if you don't like the way he talks to the customers, or he's too aggressive, or a myriad of the reasons and potential problems, the Security company simply sends another guy until you find one that fits your business, etc. it's a little harder then simply hiring someone off the street and handing him a gun or weapon and telling him, "Go to work." In fact, if i recall correctly, we went thru quite a few before we found the type of personality that we were looking for. you don't want one that is too aggresive and you don't want that is too laid back. it's a balance act.
Frank
NO, the guard we got thru a "Security company." it was, if i remember correctly, around $1500 aday, maybe a little more. i'll try and find out. This was the best way to go about it because if, for example, he gets sick, they just send another guy to fill his shifts. Also, if you don't like the way he talks to the customers, or he's too aggressive, or a myriad of the reasons and potential problems, the Security company simply sends another guy until you find one that fits your business, etc. it's a little harder then simply hiring someone off the street and handing him a gun or weapon and telling him, "Go to work." In fact, if i recall correctly, we went thru quite a few before we found the type of personality that we were looking for. you don't want one that is too aggresive and you don't want that is too laid back. it's a balance act.
Frank
JRHartley,
your suggestion is an excellent suggestion and the most practical one as well. the problem we found though was that, the dominican waitresses didn't like the confrontation involved with the vendors for the simple reason that many of them live in the same neighborhoods and know their families. it hits them a little closer to home than if, for example, we had someone not from Cabarete. remember, Cabarete is small, very small, everyone knows everyone, and every dominican will personaly know the waitresses or at least their families. often times, their children attend the same schools, they go to the same church, ert. The waitresses are intimidated and will avoid a confrontation with the vendors for this reason. plus, most of them don't see it as their job description to police them, and, i tend to see their point here. Besides, as they are quick to point out, they all know the vendors, or at the very least, someone in their families. the town is too small to create enemies or bad feelings between families.
your suggestion is an excellent suggestion and the most practical one as well. the problem we found though was that, the dominican waitresses didn't like the confrontation involved with the vendors for the simple reason that many of them live in the same neighborhoods and know their families. it hits them a little closer to home than if, for example, we had someone not from Cabarete. remember, Cabarete is small, very small, everyone knows everyone, and every dominican will personaly know the waitresses or at least their families. often times, their children attend the same schools, they go to the same church, ert. The waitresses are intimidated and will avoid a confrontation with the vendors for this reason. plus, most of them don't see it as their job description to police them, and, i tend to see their point here. Besides, as they are quick to point out, they all know the vendors, or at the very least, someone in their families. the town is too small to create enemies or bad feelings between families.
For that money you can employ an expat security guard ful time and who will be on your wavelength, why not do that?
Pedro chemical,
I don't see this as a solution; this is more like blackmail or bribery. what do we do when more vendors show up to get their pie. i mean, once vendors from nearby towns find out that were supplementing vendors incomes, they be coming out of the woodwork for a slice of their pie. this is tantamount to paying protection money to the police. i see this spiraling out of control quick. Everyone will want a slice of the pie, and eventually, they'll tire of the same pie and they'll want a bigger cut. basically, they'll put more pressure on us to pay even more. i see it as spiraling out of control real fast and not going in the direction that it needs to be heading.
I don't see this as a solution; this is more like blackmail or bribery. what do we do when more vendors show up to get their pie. i mean, once vendors from nearby towns find out that were supplementing vendors incomes, they be coming out of the woodwork for a slice of their pie. this is tantamount to paying protection money to the police. i see this spiraling out of control quick. Everyone will want a slice of the pie, and eventually, they'll tire of the same pie and they'll want a bigger cut. basically, they'll put more pressure on us to pay even more. i see it as spiraling out of control real fast and not going in the direction that it needs to be heading.
Givadogahome,
Excellent suggestion. do you know any expat's willing to stand at the entrance of the restaurant for 10 hour shifts? I mean, we open at 8:30am and we close at 1am. they would need to work from 9am until 7pm. they will be doing a lot of sweating in 10 hours and a lot of confrontational arguing with the vendors. they can't be too aggressive for a few reasons. 1.) if they're too aggressive, it will scare the customers off, but in particular the tourists who, rightly or wrong, will see it as being unsympathetic, rude, impolite, unable to empathize with people trying to survive and make a living. 2.) the jewelry beach vendors (almost all male) will gang up on him or her and challenge him or her to come out to the beach for an educational "physical" confrontation. there's about 10 to 12 male jewelry vendors here that i see on a daily basis. the education they will give this expat will be an ass-kicking because they'll see his or her agressiviness as disrespecting them and belittling them in front of their collegues, friends, and tourists...and that's just for starters. they also wait until he or she needs to walk out of the restaurant and confront them outside. the vendors only back down when your firm but polite and respectful towards them. remember, they're all living in the same neighborhoods and know one another's families like their own. they want to be treated with respect and will only back down if and when you show it to them. it's a balance act trying to be both firm but polite. they're not going to be afraid of any one man. period. it won't matter if he or she has a gun. they know you can't use it on them for just trying to make a sale. they're not stupid, but they are persistently "Passive aggressive!"
Excellent suggestion. do you know any expat's willing to stand at the entrance of the restaurant for 10 hour shifts? I mean, we open at 8:30am and we close at 1am. they would need to work from 9am until 7pm. they will be doing a lot of sweating in 10 hours and a lot of confrontational arguing with the vendors. they can't be too aggressive for a few reasons. 1.) if they're too aggressive, it will scare the customers off, but in particular the tourists who, rightly or wrong, will see it as being unsympathetic, rude, impolite, unable to empathize with people trying to survive and make a living. 2.) the jewelry beach vendors (almost all male) will gang up on him or her and challenge him or her to come out to the beach for an educational "physical" confrontation. there's about 10 to 12 male jewelry vendors here that i see on a daily basis. the education they will give this expat will be an ass-kicking because they'll see his or her agressiviness as disrespecting them and belittling them in front of their collegues, friends, and tourists...and that's just for starters. they also wait until he or she needs to walk out of the restaurant and confront them outside. the vendors only back down when your firm but polite and respectful towards them. remember, they're all living in the same neighborhoods and know one another's families like their own. they want to be treated with respect and will only back down if and when you show it to them. it's a balance act trying to be both firm but polite. they're not going to be afraid of any one man. period. it won't matter if he or she has a gun. they know you can't use it on them for just trying to make a sale. they're not stupid, but they are persistently "Passive aggressive!"
I do know many who could control the situation although I am not sure they would want to move to Cabarete, so possibly not. It is about a respect, respect relationship. It is easy to deal with, if they lay a hand on you then you get your PN friend off the main street to make the point that they will be locked up if they get confrontational, do this by locking whoever has become confrontational up for the day. If it costs a beer of 2 every now and again to have a sidekick PN then so be it. Once they know that you have this tool (PN) with your paid security there will be no messing about, they will be less inclined to give anyone hassle anywhere in work or on the street.
There is a tact to dealing with these guys, it simply seems maybe you haven't struck that tact with them. I think to presume they would be confrontational with all expats at security because they are with you is a bit short sighted, but it is you who has the problem, obviously you need to change something or try a different angle, no?
I don't get it, you are a beach bar, expect beach vendors, but get control of your beach bar like most other venues. I don't get the drama, if you can't keep people out of the bar you run then you have bigger management issues than persistent vendors.
IME and MO
There is a tact to dealing with these guys, it simply seems maybe you haven't struck that tact with them. I think to presume they would be confrontational with all expats at security because they are with you is a bit short sighted, but it is you who has the problem, obviously you need to change something or try a different angle, no?
I don't get it, you are a beach bar, expect beach vendors, but get control of your beach bar like most other venues. I don't get the drama, if you can't keep people out of the bar you run then you have bigger management issues than persistent vendors.
IME and MO
I would recommend going around the island and see what others are doing to deal with the situation. Certainly, security guards help, but have you considered how to make a few remodel changes so that entering and exiting the restaurant is limited to give the management better control? Not having been there (as I live in the south), I don't know how feasible this might be.
As for the mentally challenged folks and shoeshine boys, a restaurant here in Bani worked out a solution many years ago: if those folks do not beg in the restaurant, they get a full Bandera Dominicana meal at a cost of 70 pesos. If they beg inside the restaurant or bother the other patrons, they get nothing. I have observed, and they are shown the same respect as all other patrons. And because of this, I actually go to that restaurant and pay the regular price because I respect their solution to the situation.
Since Bani is not a tourist destination, we really don't have the aggressive vendors, but I imagine your vendors wouldn't mind having a hot meal at a discounted rate.
As for the mentally challenged folks and shoeshine boys, a restaurant here in Bani worked out a solution many years ago: if those folks do not beg in the restaurant, they get a full Bandera Dominicana meal at a cost of 70 pesos. If they beg inside the restaurant or bother the other patrons, they get nothing. I have observed, and they are shown the same respect as all other patrons. And because of this, I actually go to that restaurant and pay the regular price because I respect their solution to the situation.
Since Bani is not a tourist destination, we really don't have the aggressive vendors, but I imagine your vendors wouldn't mind having a hot meal at a discounted rate.
Talk to whoever the "boss" vendor is. Perhaps you can cut a deal with him/her, whereby only certain vendors (who pay a premium for a "VIP license" naturally) are allowed into the restaurant.
The boss clears a little extra cash, so they're happy.
The selected vendors get exclusive access, and understand on any given day they can buy their way onto the facility so they're happy and respected.
Your clients are bothered to a much lower extent, so they're happy.
You are free to charge entirely too much for a burger and fries
, so life is wonderful.
Sounds like a slightly better solution to having some put-upon security guard getting cussed out by his neighbors and friends; or some crotchety expat yelling at people 10 hours a day....:glasses:
The boss clears a little extra cash, so they're happy.
The selected vendors get exclusive access, and understand on any given day they can buy their way onto the facility so they're happy and respected.
Your clients are bothered to a much lower extent, so they're happy.
You are free to charge entirely too much for a burger and fries
, so life is wonderful.Sounds like a slightly better solution to having some put-upon security guard getting cussed out by his neighbors and friends; or some crotchety expat yelling at people 10 hours a day....:glasses:
arent most of the waitresses on cabarete beach european etc , they used to be , I havent been for a while .
No confrontation needed- they just say its the orders of the boss(its what I used to do to avoid arguements)
new problem solved - do you want me as a consultant
I guess that I'm missing a few things.
1. Your place is packed but you don't have money to pay for guards.
You charge for coffee refills?
2. It is only or mostly your place that has this problem.
Why is that? Have you gone to the other places and talked with them?
3. Have you noticed that alot of people think/know that you are overpriced?
If the client thinks he is being overcharged then everything else will be wrong too.
4. Looking at numbers 1 and 3 above it looks like you have a very big management/owner problem.
If they do not see the real problems and adjust/change as situations change then you might want to start looking for a new job.
You have stated your problem and many have responded to that specific problem with with many others with other issues. Most that do not address your problem but certainly strong indicators of an overall situation. So now you are having to figure out your OP as well as defending all the other issues that your clients have/had.
Good luck. You need it.
1. Your place is packed but you don't have money to pay for guards.
You charge for coffee refills?
2. It is only or mostly your place that has this problem.
Why is that? Have you gone to the other places and talked with them?
3. Have you noticed that alot of people think/know that you are overpriced?
If the client thinks he is being overcharged then everything else will be wrong too.
4. Looking at numbers 1 and 3 above it looks like you have a very big management/owner problem.
If they do not see the real problems and adjust/change as situations change then you might want to start looking for a new job.
You have stated your problem and many have responded to that specific problem with with many others with other issues. Most that do not address your problem but certainly strong indicators of an overall situation. So now you are having to figure out your OP as well as defending all the other issues that your clients have/had.
Good luck. You need it.
I appreciate all the good suggestions! some really good ones here! All are staff here at Jose O'Shay's are dominicans, including me; my father is dominican (from Bonao), my mother is American. Oh, Kevin, one of the other managers is American. he's the only "true" gringo; he's one of the funniest guys i've ever worked with, a true riot--truly missed his calling as a stand-up comedian. no one can beat him in gangster movie quotes!
This place survives on one time patrons, and does not depend on repeat business, you are preaching to the choir here. FYI I am pretty sure The Op is the owner's son, Frank Jr.
There may be 8 million stories in the naked city, but the North Coast is a small town. This is one of those stories.
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