Tafoya has been working at the Chevy's in Tracy since February of 2005 and in the three and a half years that he has been working there, he says that this is the worst that he has ever seen the restaurant when it comes to customers.
"The restaurant has never been this slow or empty," Jesus said.
Because of the budget crisis, he said that spending has become more limited, and that there is greater pressure when it comes to paying bills and buying necessities. "It makes you want to look for another job, and find opportunities somewhere else," Tafoya said.
As a result of less customers going to the restaurant, Jesus said that management has cut their hours drastically and even sent home some of their employees early. Bartenders not only make money hourly, but also from tips from customers. Most of the times, Jesus says, he makes more money in tips than from his paycheck. Or at least he used to. "People are getting cheaper", he says. With people having less money to spend nowadays, they are trying to spend it wisely and therefore have been leaving fewer tips than what was accustomed, he says.
Jesus said that the restaurant is doing what it can to keep the people coming in, which include mailing out coupons to Tracy residents as well as having promotions such as "Happy Hour" where margaritas and appetizers are only $3.
Brandon Hewitt, a jewelry store salesman, prices for gold and diamonds have gone up because of the economic crisis. This results in an increase in prices in jewelry and less people purchasing these. This affects him personally because he works on commission and he said he does not make as much money as he did before when people used to shop more for jewelry. "It's affecting my pocket," Brandon said.
Mario Guzman, a car salesman for a Toyota dealership in Fremont, said also that the automobile market is in decline. He said that people are hesitant to buy cars because the economy is bad and sometimes he has to settle for making only minimum wage when he doesn't sell enough cars.
1 comment:
Good, personalized approach to the story. The assignment was to write about the impact of the budget crisis on people working in service jobs in Sacramento and you started your story exactly in the right place.
Good job!
To revise and improve this story:
You have great info from Jesus. Start there, just summarize it a little more succinctly, such as:
Jesus (last name?), a bartender at Chevy's Fresh Mex in Tracy, said he is having a tougher time making ends meet this year because he is working fewer hours, has fewer customers and is making less money because of the financial crisis in the U.S. and in California.
Jesus has been working at the Chevy's in Tracy since February of 2005 and in the three and a half years that he has been working there, he says that this is the worst that he has ever seen the restaurant when it comes to customers.
"The restaurant has never been this slow or empty," Jesus said.
The assignment was to interview three people working in service jobs. Can you find two more and have it ready by Tuesday?
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