I bet this will piss a ton of people off but I'm going to write it anyway.
I just saw in today's CA that COGIC has decided to move it's annual convention to St. Louis starting in 2010. I say GOOD! The article is filled with Memphis area business people who mourn the passing of the annual convention but I'm willing to bet that they are the only people in the area sad to see it go. I'll agree that times are tight economically and that every dollar spent in the city is good for us all, but having worked in the restaurant industry for years until recently, I think I speak for everyone involved in the restaurant and service areas when I say good riddance! I know that sounds harsh and I realize that it may seem like I'm generalizing here but unfortunately I'm not. At first you'll probably think that a few bad COGIC apples spoiled the whole basket for me here but I was around long enough to see that way too many COGIC people visiting the city at this time were rude, cheap, unappreciative and felt way too entitled for their own good. I even worked downtown at Cafe 61 about 6 years ago when their convention visited the city and let me tell you, the ENTIRE service industry downtown dreads that week. I've never seen so many people try to take off work for vacation at the same time EVER!
These visiting supposedly nice churchgoers are the epitome of rude, cheap and ungracious people and I hate to stereotype a whole group but I never met anyone to prove otherwise. For years, their head pastor and leader was a patron of one place I worked at and you would think that a recognized public figure would realize that if he's cheap and rude to people at restaurants then word would get around. I mean talk about bad PR, but he never seemed to put the pieces together nor did his congregation.
So while I'm understanding about the loss of revenue to the city, I'm not sad to see the group go up to the STL. Let that city cowtow and cater to their whims. We can do better than this and I hope it motivates Kevin Kane and other city leaders to bring in some better groups and upgrade the convention facilities!
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
COGIC no more
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17 comments:
I heard that. Someone should alert the St. Louisans.
Had heard that for years about the convention attendees. Let them find out that St. Louis will sweeten the deal the first time around and if they treat the service people the same way as they do in Memphis, they may be surprised at the reaction.
I work downtown and will definitely not miss the traffic. And having dated a server for several years, I had heard exactly the same thing about how rude and demanding they are. I say let them go. My greatest fear is that it's all a bluff!
AMEN!!!!
Amen!!!
I hope they will give someone else an opportunity to do something with the property they have owned (and have done nothing with) downtown for years. I see both sides of this, but ultimately, I come to the conclusion that they weren't doing Memphis many favors by remaining here.
They will love St. Louis. It difficult to drive around with much more congested traffic than Memphis. The hotels in the center city are much higher than in Memphis.
I paid a $177 for a Holiday Inn Express which usually goes for $110.
I don't think St Louis has that many more hotels than Memphis. So they will be scattered all over the city then with the driving headaches. Wow someone didn't think that one through. But Memphis wins they are gone.
Hate to say it since I am one, but church people generally are very poor tippers, and heavy complainers to boot. My daughter is a local waitperson. She dreads the Sunday afternoon-after church- shifts.
35 Million Dollars is a lot of money for the city, but I definitely agree with the points that you make here. I was involved with COGIC for a number of years, and a lot of my family are COGIC. I must say that not all of them are like that, but I work in Midtown at a pretty big print and copy center, and let me tell you, they are pretty demanding, rude, and just plain "ugh." I was just talking to my boss about it today. Too many of the COGICs think that they are so saved and sanctified that they feel they can act any way they want to and charge it to the holiness of the name of Christ. I have to blog about this myself now, because you got me started.
They will also be disappointed that there is almost no free parking at restaurants in St. Louis.
Good riddance!! I've worked as a server here in Memphis for over two years and COGIC week is by far the worst week of the year! They are insanely demanding and rude, and they think they are the only people that deserve your time. Although I'm sure I'll still see my fair share of them on Sunday afternoons for lunch, I'm glad I don't have to deal with COGIC week ever again! Someone needs to give St. Louis servers a heads up so they can start asking off work now!
I've worked a few COGIC tables in my day, as well as two banquets for them. It was the worst! On the banquets, we charged the automatic 15% gratuity, and even with that it just wasn't worth the hassle. Honestly, I'd rather feed the tigers at the zoo.
The difficulty with waiting a COGIC table is that everything has to be perfect. The problem is that perfect is never good enough for them! You can get everything right and you still won't get a decent tip. It's like they're living in the 1950s, when "keep the change" really meant something.
HEY COGIC! Front of the house makes $2.13 an hour. In other words, if you don't tip them, THEY DON'T GET PAID. I know you're not THAT damn stingy. Come on, show us some of that famous Christian charity we hear so much about.
Thanks for the heads up! Some of the wait staff up here will probably just throw it back in their face...we will see...
- Matt in South St. Louis City
COGIC, O COGIC not sad to see you go,
all the "SIN" servers are glad to know,
that you've decided to give Memphis the ole heave ho'.
All those awful, Gays, Whites, Asians, Mexicans, Indians, all those colors and even the Blacks,
are glad to see your bad tipping, complainin' butts go back,
to the drawing board an figure out another city to fleece,
uh-oh, you found one....
SOMEONE GO WARN ST.LOUIE'
Warn them of the big hats and bad perfume selections,
Warn them of the animal printed suits, dress and shoe collections...
Okay, I think I'm done with my warnings and celebration about you leaving,
but there's one thing I been itching and meaning,
to tell you the since you've been in my fair city...
The letter "R" has one syllable and that's it...just "R" not "R-RA", with your ignorant self.
Now off with you to St. Louis where no doubt,
you'll break more tambourines than help the city out.
-Raja
I am COGIC and I have read so much about how rude the people are. I have came to Memphis many times, for the Convocation, but I did not hang with the crowd nor did I stay downtown. Giving at least a 15% tip is something you just do and more according to the service rendered. I will say that when our church (we are located in the Northern Virgina area) ate together in Memphis that the tip was right, and our party are not complainers. We asked for the same waitress on last year because she was very professional and we treated her right again. So not every COGIC member is rude and inconsiderate.
Oh my I remember COGIC weekend 15 years ago. Every waitron in Shelby County gets hepatitis / dead grandmother / kidnapped and held hostage that weekend. People bribing doctors for sick notes. That and Kim Deal vomiting on people.
I've catered Cogic for many years. Everything said here is absolutely true. As far as the money brought in, most of it goes to corporate restaurants and hotels (Marriott,Applebees ect.). The money probably doesn't stay in Memphis. Alot of travelers don't come here for the whole month of November because they know it's Cogic month. November is usually the best weather month of the year here. There will be a new revival and lot's of money brought in with their leaving if people like Kevin Kane do their job. Maybe we can have a "Memphis in November" now without all the rain we get in May. Good luck in St. Louis
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