The restaurant was nearly empty.
There was no one at the door to take me to a seat, so I looked around for the "Seat Yourself" sign. I finally spotted a sign - but it said "Please Wait To Be Seated." Little did I know, the owners emphasized "Wait" for a reason. I looked to see if I could spot the host or hostess, but only saw several servers standing in the corner talking. Even though I put on my most beseeching, and I thought "beguiling" look, they continued to ignore me. Finally, after 10 minutes - (I timed it!) one of the other staff members who had be clearing tables and going in & out of the kitchen, came over. She plunked me down in a seat and placed 2 menus in front of me.
As I waited another 5 minutes for a server to show up, I looked at the menus that I had been given. I decided on the "Broiled Whitefish covered with pecan breading." The server came and asked me what I wanted to drink. I said, "I only want water, but I would like to place my order now, as I have an appointment coming up." When I showed her the menu item, she looked, grabbed the 2 menus and said, "You can't have that - these are dinner menus. I'll be right back with your water."
She returned a few minutes later with my water and 2 different menus - which did not offer seafood. I struggled with making a choice, and to make a long story short, I did not like what I ordered. Not because it didn't taste alright, but because my mind was set on the Whitefish entrée.
Thinking this whole experience might leave a better memory if I had dessert, I looked at the table-tent display which included mouth-watering pictures of tempting desserts. I made a pact with myself... If the server asked, I would order Key Lime Pie - even though my time was running short. She didn't ask.
Perhaps my waistline was better off. I left a small tip and vowed not to return to that restaurant.
At your next team meeting, ask your staff to read this story and answer the following questions:
1. Knowing only what you read, what is the restaurant doing that is a positive thing?
2. List the negative things that happened in the story. Beside each negative, tell what you're doing to avoid or improve these type of negative customer experiences
3. Put yourself in a seat in your dining room. List at least 2 positives and 2 negatives that you have seen or experienced? What can be done to eliminate the negatives and build on the positives that you just identified?
Every now & then, you have to sit in the diner's seat... take a good look around and let yourself learn. It's a good lesson for us all!
