The Lion

This is one of many lion images from a restaurant in NYC called The Lion.

My kind of place.

[Photo by Junna Matsuda via Hello Yummy]

100 Things Restaurant Staffers Should Never Do – Part 2

The second half of the brilliant list of restaurant dos and don'ts. Click here for the first 50, and here for the second 50. Here are some of my favorites from the second entry:

57. Bring the pepper mill with the appetizer. Do not make people wait or beg for a condiment.

58. Do not bring judgment with the ketchup. Or mustard. Or hot sauce. Or whatever condiment is requested.

60. Bring all the appetizers at the same time, or do not bring the appetizers. Same with entrees and desserts.

73. Do not bring soup without a spoon. Few things are more frustrating than a bowl of hot soup with no spoon.

74. Let the guests know the restaurant is out of something before the guests read the menu and order the missing dish.

80. Never insist that a guest settle up at the bar before sitting down; transfer the tab.

88. Do not ask if a guest needs change. Just bring the change.

90. If someone is getting agitated or effusive on a cellphone, politely suggest he keep it down or move away from other guests.

97. If a guest goes gaga over a particular dish, get the recipe for him or her.

99. Do not show frustration. Your only mission is to serve. Be patient. It is not easy.

100 Things Restaurant Staffers Should Never Do

I heard an interview with the author of this article on Talk Of The Nation today, and–aside from the fact that he was intentionally playing dumb to the callers and their questions–it was deeply refreshing to hear someone discussing the dos and don'ts of the service industry.

A friend recently set their Facebook status to "Is customer service dead?" and in my mind I screamed a disheartened "YES!". It made me think of a talk I attended on the future of marketing, and the title of one segment was "Customer Service Is The New Marketing", and I could not have agreed more.

Nothing makes me more loyal to a brand than a positive, friendly experience with whomever I must deal with in the process of acquiring their product. Even if I'm not satisfied with my purchase, a helpful, gracious service representative can go a long way towards keeping me coming back to that brand.

Why companies don't invest more in assuring a positive customer experience is beyond me. It's as simple as the sales clerk thanking me for my business, but even that has somehow been turned on its head. I am the one, sadly, who says "Thank you" these days, as if allowing me to hand over my money is somehow a favor they've done for me. I could honestly go on and on about this topic, but this is already running a bit long. Maybe I need to start a new blog covering the dos and don'ts of customer service. Hmm...

In the meantime, read the list. Here are few that I liked:

3. Never refuse to seat three guests because a fourth has not yet arrived.
5. Tables should be level without anyone asking. Fix it before guests are seated.
6. Do not lead the witness with, “Bottled water or just tap?” Both are fine. Remain neutral.
23. If someone likes a wine, steam the label off the bottle and give it to the guest with the bill. It has the year, the vintner, the importer, etc.
33. Do not bang into chairs or tables when passing by.
50. Do not turn on the charm when it’s tip time. Be consistent throughout.

The Anti-Restaurants

The passionate enthusiasts who have opened dozens of unlicensed restaurants in apartments and other private spaces in recent years do not generally aspire to become traditional restaurateurs, with overhead and investors and the health department — a k a The Man — telling them what to do. They are not in it for the money or for Buddha Bar-size crowds; instead, they say, they are in it for the community and the creative freedom. It’s hard to imagine even the most adventurous legitimate restaurant encouraging customers to hack the hindquarters off a boar’s carcass. And underground restaurants have found their niche. Stringing together the farm-to-table movement and a bloggy kind of interactivity, they have gained a following among food lovers, mostly in their 20s and 30s, who have an opinion on local versus organic, prefer intimate and casual to grand and ceremonial, and are open to meeting people and building connections in new ways.