Sunday, July 31, 2011

Mary Worth 1,080

GINA'S TIPS FOR GETTING MORE TIPS


First, work at a restaurant where the customers arrive in an elevated emotional state, such as Diner Across the Street from Hospital.

It helps if the restaurant is not ADA accessible. You don't want your customers to have sympathy for others who are sitting in wheelchairs when you are working for tips. All sympathy should be directed at yourself.

Next, establish your customer's concern for your welfare early on by running from the room in tears and tossing your order pad in the air as you leave.

When you return to take her order, tell the customer that your mother recently died, and you were her primary care giver.

If the customer is a man, tell him it was your father who died. If it is a group of rowdy teenagers, tell them your child was killed with two other friends in a terrible car accident and that they should all drive safely. Remember your goal: you are working for tips. Your customer must feel a connection and responsibility for you.

Finally, establish an immediate financial need before taking the order.

Once you have gained the customer's sympathy, established a familial connection, and created an immediate financial need, all you need to do is show a little self reliance and optimism to seal the deal.

She'll be calculating 25 percent before she's even ordered.

Today's Full Strip

29 comments:

Joolz said...

The last panel is best appreciated while listening to "Nothing from Nothing" by Billy Preston.

heydave said...

Mary's not thinking anything, that's all being pondered by Orange Suit 2.

Instead, she's backing in the realization that she really is wonderful.

Mary said...

Is that Ted Confi off to the left?

kathyo said...

@ Mary: Yes, it is Ted Confey, but why is he smirking at Gina from behind his newspaper? His protege is doing a superb job. Maybe they're father-daughter?

And apparently, Mary's been waiting so long to place her order that she's had time for a wardrobe change.

Punky said...

Great sequence today, Wanders! You've gotten to the bottom of "Gina" 's little scheme.

Why did I put "Gina" in quotes? It's because of the way she introduced herself to Mary. Now, if my name is Punky, I'll introduce myself as "Hi, I'm Punky." Not "You can call me Punky." Leading me to wonder if "Gina" made up the whole sob story about the sick mother, and is actually a moll on the lam, laying low in Santa Royale until the coast is clear.

PS for Chester: Joe Giella thoughtfully provided an exterior shot of DINER, to answer your question about whether this is the same pie-and-meddling establishment we saw Mary bring Jill to. Plus: the red trucker cap in today's strip provides final proof.

kathyo said...

Haha; yeah, this "Gina" could have a great career in commission sales! I wonder if she and LiZa are taking the same class at Local U? Maybe that's her instructor behind the newspaper, who's secretly grading her progress.

Anonymous said...

But dont's ever call me Johnson.

Vicki said...

@Anon: "you can call me Ray, or you can call me Jay...or even"RayJay"... :)


Never mind Gina,
WHAT in the name of fashion... and all that applauds good and classic proportion, fit, and silhouette...IS MARY WEARING!!!!???

Vicki said...

@Anon: "you can call me Ray, or you can call me Jay...or even"RayJay"... :)


Never mind Gina,
WHAT in the name of fashion... and all that applauds good and classic proportion, fit, and silhouette...IS MARY WEARING!!!!???

Anonymous said...

mary is only gonna order coffee and a pieace of pie so she will leave a 3 dollar tip on a six dollar bill.50 percent generous indeed

Elaine said...

When did Mary change into that snazzy new shirt? Is that a new meddling outfit?

Elaine said...

Oh wait - when did Gina grow out her bangs and pull them back into her ponytail? This has been one LONG lunch hour.

Anonymous said...

Are you sure that diner is across the street from the hospital? Because it looks like it was sort of haphazardly dropped into the orange parking lot.

djangosmom said...

I think that I like the Gina with bangs better than the one without.

kathyo said...

Is Diner undergoing an expansion? When Mary walked in there were blinds on the windows--then pink draperies--now nothing. Also, there was a potted palm behind her booth, where now there's an extra table!

James in North Dakota said...

If you look at the panel where Mary is touching her face (what else?) and thinking "What did I say?", look at the woman in the next booth. Who is that? You got it: LiZa, and look at the way she is staring at Our Mary Worth!!!!

My word was "argeree," which is how I feel with Mary's philosophy, if I had a mouth full of Novocain.

Anonymous said...

Drew and Gina will get married. You heard it here first.

--Beagle Vet

wv: "forhed". "Gina's forhed has a different appearance every day, depending on how long her bangs are."

Steve_J_23 said...

Where did the retro outfit appear from??? I had no idea mustard with paisley swirls was back -- but if it's in Mary Worth, it IS back! Mary Worth, stylist to the stars.

Dave in Parma said...

Run crying from your customer, make them wait, return to the customer and make them wait while you tell a personal story, never actually take the customer's order = friend for life.

BTW--the 1st panel Sunday is a perfect example of the pananora witgh platitude sans characters I expected while the scene played out on the veranda at the venue. It eventually made its appearance, but like everything else in the Worthiverse, took extra time.

Anonymous said...

Longest lunch ever. Gina grew out her bangs, diner got remodeled, all while Mary changed into hideous outfit #1,080.

And I agree, Wanders. I definitely smell a con game here.

tuffenuf said...

Gina never told Mary her full name.


Gina "Queenie" Confey

Con game ON!

Run Mary! RUNNNN!

BaHa said...

Living in lower Manhattan and all, I may not see the sort of fashionable females that inhabit Santa Royale, but I swear I haven't seen a ponytail outside the gym in about 5 years. Gina's cheek curls look like the ones my mother had...in 1962. I wonder if she uses Guiche (a kind of hair glue) too keep them in place, too!

James in North Dakota said...

To trixietrudy and BaHa, maybe the diner is some sort of time machine or something. The diner, along with Mary's fashion, has gone back in time. Who knows what kind of hijinx are going on in this Worthiverse. Maybe there's a Bizzaro Mary who just goes around and minds her own busines.

Robert said...

I hope Mary doesn't imagine "mug shots" of everyone in her circle when she mentions their name. This Gina person looks different from every angle!

Chester the Dog said...

BaHa: Me in Lower Manhattan too. You are right, Battery Park City is not nearly as exciting as SR! And SR has many many more places to dine!

Amanda Kate said...

I hope you're right, Wanders, and she's a manipulative sociopath who'll take Mary for all she's worth. No pun intended. Actually, that's a bit too interesting for this strip. Never mind.

Punky said...

James in ND: I just love the idea of there being a Bizarro Mary, going around town minding her own business! And just think about all her Bizarro Friends: Bizarro Bonnie ("I better put this dress rght back on the rack, I can't afford that"), Bizarro Jill ("Just one glass for me, thanks, I've got to drive home!"), and Bizarro Toby ("This email looks fishy, i I'd better not click on it - even though I really do want that Sean Finnery documentary").

The best line in that Bizarro episode (for anyone who's seen it): when George wants to come with them, and Elaine tells him, "sorry, we already have a George."

BaHa said...

@Chester: 9th generation NYer. Living on the LES long before it was cool--although it was, in fact, way cooler then.

djangosmom said...

Wanders,after reading today's MW, I do believe you nailed it.