Do You Get Better Service When Kilted?

[Riverkilt]

I did something very unusual for me this trip to the Hopi reservation. I left my kilts at home. Wanted to see if I was treated any differently.

Wore Tevas, jeans, t-shirt yesterday on the drive down. Rest stops were routine, just another face.

But when I stopped for lunch at a restaurant I frequent kilted things changed. When kilted I'm used to a cordial welcome and prompt and attentive service.

Yesterday I was ignored a long time upon arrival. Staff finally decided to seat me. Then a very long wait for a waitress who said she was "busy in back" when she showed up. By then I'd finished reading both newspapers I'd brought with me. She left me a menu and dissappeared.

Much later she came back and took my order. The meal did show up in a reasonable time and was good as usual. Getting my check from her proved another matter. Finally, I went to the register and of course they made a big thing of "you're supposed to wait for the waitress to bring it." After much more waiting they brought me the ticket.

Maybe its a coincidence that the first time I got crummy service here is also the first time I've eaten there in pants. But it got me to wondering if other kilties think they get better customer service when they are kilted?

Ron

[cessna152towser]

Can't say I've experienced better service when kilted. On the contrary, I can think of at least three recent occasions when I've been standing in a queue kilted and when my turn came the assistant failed to even notice me and went on to serve the person behind me first. The first time I was wearing a camo kilt at the self service food counter in a zoo cafe which might explain why I wasn't spotted. The next time I was wearing my Olive Grey Cargo kilt at the bookstall in Stansted Airport and the lady assistant served a very pretty young lady customer with conspicuous peroxide blonde hair who came up behind me just as I was about to be served - I could have better understood this if the sales assistant had been male. Then last week in the airline check-in queue at Dublin Airport in my County Armagh kilt a guy in a dark business suit who came up behind me was called forward first for check in - maybe because as a day tripper with no luggage I didn't look like a passenger. On each occasion I was happy to let it go and say nothing as it only goes to show how well a kilt wearer blends in nowadays and doesn't draw attention.

[ChromeScholar]

Last week, when I attended the annual district meeting for my employer, and did so kilted. I stopped at Starbucks on the way in. The girl (barista) who was making the drinks would slap each one up on the counter, calling out what it was, without looking up. When my cappucino hit the counter, she looked up, smiled and said "Enjoy your coffee, and have a good day, sir." I seemed to be the only one she noticed.

[TimC]

I don't know if it's better service but I am noticed and receive more personable service while kilted.

-Tim

[Perldog007]

Ron, in my part of the world I would have to agree with your hypothesis. My take is that they are afraid of offending the "man in a skirt" or "my heritage" and bringing the forces of political correctness down upon them.

Just my guess, but I have noticed better service since I binned the grape smugglers.

[demobud]

I agree that the kilt makes people acknowledge you, even if the the "acknowledgement" is to try and not notice you. I am always amused by the people who will look at their shoes while trying to avoid eye contact.
I don't know if I get better service, but I do know that I "stand out" in the crowd!

[Mr. MacDougall]

I know the crew at the bookstore (the place where I most often spend money) recognize me more now than before I was regularly kilted. Whether that leads to better service, I dunno.

[ardchoille]

I've noticed that the service is faster and more personable when I'm kilted. The other day I wore pants (kilts were dirty from camping and no time to wash them) and I got a few disappointed looks from ladies who were accustomed to seeing me kilted. One even had a sad face and a "where's your kilt?" and I hardly knew the lass.

[slohairt]

I would say I usually get better service. I would also say it's the kilt itself, not because I'm wearing a "strange" article of clothing. I don't think I'd get the same response standing around in a cape. Or maybe I would!

[GMan]

I feel I get better service.