Is it me, or have others noticed there is no help to be found. I frequently go into Staples, where I'm usually able to find a few people on the sales floor to help me out. Today was a different story. The only people working were behind the registers. Makes me think I should have gone on-line to place my order. I certainly wouldn't have picked up those extra items I really didn't need.
The same thing happened last week when I walked into Legal Seafoods in Boston. Half-way through my meal at the bar, I noticed a line forming outside the restaurant. I thought, "Holy smokes, we better get a move on here," as people are waiting. It wasn't until I got up to use the restroom that I noticed at least eight empty tables scattered throughout the dining room. It then became obvious that the staff could not accommodate a full dining room so people were not being seated.
I then had dinner at another restaurant in Brookline, that partitioned half the restaurant off. It gave the illusion that the place was hopping, as there were people waiting at least 30-minutes for a table. I suspect there was not enough wait staff to open up the room.
So let me see if I can summarize this. Retailers and Restaurant owners are complaining about how badly they are doing in this economy. Yet people like you and me can't seem to find places that will serve us and take our money.
Is it me? Or is anyone else seeing a disconnect here?