Houston - We Have a Problem

As restaurant workers, we often find it difficult not to judge our experiences when eating out. Just as a contractor enters a newly built house for the first time and casually inspects the carpentry around her, those of us in the food and beverage biz can't help but analyze the goings on of every eatery they dine at. This is both a blessing and a curse. After all, everyone knows how to define poor service or cold food, but when you've actually been there it makes it easier to both sympathize and condemn.
Today I had an experience at a restaurant (which will remain unnamed), that gave me inspiration for this new post. Some of my criticisms may appear harsh, but there were so many glaring examples of what not to do during this visit that I thought it warranted further information.  Please keep in mind that I am not complaining, I'm merely illustrating how several key mistakes during my dining experience made it - well - suck.
It began shortly after my friend and I walked through the doors.  We came in for a late breakfast, around 10:30 a.m., and saw that the rather small restaurant was empty except for the two of us and another table of four.  There was no hostess on the floor, so we went to a table and seated ourselves.  After a minute or two of looking around, we noticed that not only was there no hostess present - there were no employees to be seen anywhere.  As we waited for some type of acknowledgment, another couple entered the restaurant and seated themselves at a table near us.  After five minutes or more, the manager came out and asked if we'd been helped.  This brings us to our first mistake. 



#1:  Never, ever, leave the dining room completely unattended.
This may seem like a no-brainer, but it happens more often than people might think.  The worst part about walking into a restaurant seemingly devoid of staff is that it confuses the guest.  It also sets the tone for a bad experience.  Service needs to be initiated the moment a customer walks in - no exceptions.  Diners want to be guided through their experience from minute one.


When the manager greeted us he did one thing right; he took our drink order.  Given that the restaurant had only three active tables, had he said, "your server will be right with you," it would've been bad.  At least he got the ball rolling.  We ordered a couple of glasses of orange juice and water, and he went behind the bar to prepare them.  As he was pouring our juice, two servers emerged from the kitchen with plates of food for the four-top we noticed when we entered.  They dropped off the plates, and one of the servers came to our table and asked abruptly, "Are you ready to order?  We have some specials written on the wall back there."  Hello
mistakes #s 2, 3, and 4:


#2:   Don't be dumb about running food.
Does it really take two servers to run four plates of food?  I'd hate to see them change a lightbulb.  Don't misunderstand, I am a cheerleader when it comes to teamwork, but you have to utilize staff appropriately.  And then, there are also those things called trays...  Refer to # 1.


#3:  Never let em' see you sweat.
First off, there shouldn't have been any sweat involved, as the restaurant only had three active tables at the time.  Secondly, always remember to greet tables with a smile and a sense of accommodation. 


#4:  Don't forget to sell the specials.
When customers go to restaurants they want to be indulged and educated.  Guests need to be told about the special and how good it is.  When you ask them to read from a chalkboard on the wall you're giving them a job to do and not doing yours.


As my friend and I waited for our entrees, we began rating our experience.  Don't ever think that other customers don't have the same chat.  As we finished our glasses of OJ, about seven or eight minutes after we'd ordered our food, we saw our server emerge from the kitchen with our dishes.  Unfortunately, more errors ensued.  To keep reading about mistakes #s 5 - 10, tune into my next post.


Until then, grazie and ciao!