According to this article, “shadow work” is unpaid, unrecognized labor that makes it possible for society to function:
Shadow Work
Examples: The “second shift,” as the chores around the house typically done by women have been called. The time required to commute to one’s paying job. The trend toward making the customer do the tasks traditionally performed by staff. We’ve been pumping our own gas and getting cash from ATMs for decades. Now the frequency of such practices as self-checkout in grocery stores is increasing. The article makes the cogent comment that “self-service” really means “no service.”
Particularly interesting from an SF viewpoint is the idea that instead of technology liberating us from work, as so many robot stories have predicted, our technology is forcing more work on us (without increasing our income).
Margaret L. Carter
Carter's Crypt
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Interesting angle, Margaret.
ReplyDeleteLogically, sooner or later, diners will do away with the staff who rely on tips from satisfied customers.
Instead, the short order chefs will announce the readiness of orders, and the customers will go to the counter and collect their own loaded plates.
Maybe MacDonalds and its like can be more like the vending machine format.
"Instead, the short order chefs will announce the readiness of orders, and the customers will go to the counter and collect their own loaded plates."
ReplyDeleteCasual restaurants a step above fast food already do that, e.g., Fuddrucker's (making it a bargain place to eat partly because we don't have to tip).
Personally, I refuse to accept grocery self-checkout. :)
Tipping is an abomination and deeply (potentially) insulting to the servers, in my opinion.
ReplyDeleteServers ought to be paid a proper wage or salary, and the restaurant ought to either impose a cover charge (just for sitting at the table) or an entry charge to cover the salaries, or include the notional tip in the cost of the meal.
Then, no one would be forced to do mental arithmetic at the end of an otherwise delightful dining experience.