Pretention vs. Attention

Yo yo yo,

It's time for another update. I thought today I would continue discussing service and service styles that you will find in most fine dining restaurants. I recently ate at a restaurant for lunch and had a more than decent time, but the service was cold and shrewd. The management staff was stuffy and pretentious and as I was thinking about rating the restaurant I couldn't help but want to take away points for lack of warmth.

Don't get me wrong, the server, a young female (which is rare), was friendly enough, but the she rarely smiled and really showed no depth as a professional. She marked the table correctly and things were served in a timely fashion, but there was something missing. It's so important to connect to your guests and it is your responsibility to do so. If there is no connection, there is no experience. Every single person in the restaurant had this lethargic and unapproachable look to them, so much that it made me feel weird. It's disconcerting when you are spending $100 for a lunch to have that feeling. The serving assistant looked mean, like he hated being there, the manager was uptight and had that "I am looking down on you look" and that's not what people need when they are spending their money. The funny thing is reader(s), I watched the server interact with the bartender who was across the large dining room, not necessarily completely visible without looking through a large glass pane diagonally across from where I was sitting, laughing and smiling acting completely different with him than with us. Don't get me wrong, I don't need a jester at the table, but bring the warmth and smile you had with your coworker to me, because frankly he doesn't give you your tip. (You can find my review for Spruce, San Francisco, Ca on Yelp tomorrow!)

There is a fine line, there always is, when dealing with this echelon of restaurant. Personality and attention, warmth and genuineness has to be part of you repertoire because if they are not, get out of this industry because you are wasting your time . People do not want pretentious service, there are a hundred other restaurant who will provide that warmth with great good, and your restaurant will fail. Overall, I am not completely hating on this restaurant, I really didn't mind the experience, I just wish they would have cared as much about me, a 20-something guy, casually strolling in for lunch as they did for the group of six ladies to my left who were ordering wine and who probably had a larger check. Again, this ties in with the "you never know who is serving you" idea. Oh well, just pay attention, don't be pretentious, be humble and approachable and you won't have any problems.

Have a good night,
Shaundon

What are the differences between good and bad service?

Good service doesn't have to come from a Michelin rated restaurant, it can be found anywhere. Also bad service can be found at some of the best restaurants in the country. This year it was my resolution to have this year be, THE YEAR OF DINING! I love to eat, I love to experience new cuisine, something that will excite my palette and show me something I have never seen before. In my quest for knowledge and search for the perfect meal I have encountered a multitude of situations where I have encountered good service and frankly horrendous service.

I think, first off it is important to discern the difference between good and bad service. I, as a server, recognize that each individual requires different things from me in order to have a good experience. First and foremost it is my and any servers responsibility to understand that and to recognize that each guest is different and requires the adaptation of that server in order to have an acceptable if not great experience. If a server is not able to adapt to each guests individual needs they will not be successful.

Another important attribute a server must utilize in their repertoire is the ability to know what the guests needs before they have the opportunity to realize they need it. This can be as easy as keeping their water filled, replacing a napkin when it's dirty, or something as important as asking if they have a food allergy. Ladies and gentleman that is a big one. Most people forget to say something about their allergies, some people for instance, my sister who has just developed a peanut allergy in her mid-20's, has still not learned to remind people of her allergy. On multiple occasions this has come to bite her in the ass! You do not want to kill anybody and take it from me, if you try and be preemptive and are aware of what the guests needs at all time, your service will be applauded and the gratuity is guaranteed to be higher.

There are so many things to be aware of as a server, time management is a big one. You need to ask yourself this question, are you a good multitasker? Can you handle being screamed at by your manager and still maintain an eight table section on a Saturday night with a Chef who is yelling for food runners? How bout marking these eight tables for each course of a ten course tasting menu, while pouring wine pairings for these tables, bussing those tables, helping your fellow teammates, while still maintaining your composure all the while exuding charm and personality? Do you think you can do that? If so, then you are probably a badass server (just like me :-)).

I think you get the point, these are just some examples of traits that I have seen in restaurants as well as traits that I try to implement in my daily life as a professional. If you can't do these things unfortunately you probably will not be successful as a server.

There is another side of service and that becomes very apparent with some severs. There are some negative attributes that servers (as well as myself) can show that will be detrimental to you and your guests experience. I think it is really important to showcase examples in order to explain my thought process. So...I recently dined at a Michelin rated restaurant for my birthday and it was listed in the reservation that I was celebrating with my family. It was never mentioned, throughout our entire experience, well not mentioned until I was walking out the door. Servers should know exactly why the guests are there especially if a note is made on that reservation, it is obviously of some importance and needs to be taken seriously. With the information so readily available on the internet and blogging so popular with sites like Yelp! and Chowhound, it can be a costly mistake to you and your employer to not take these notes seriously.

Another HUGE mistake a server can make is prejudging a table. First off, WE ALL DO IT! It's our job to read our tables, but trust me, do not take anyone for granted, you never know who it could be. It's hard, because as professionals we make out living based on the generosity of others and honestly we know that certain cultures spend less and tip worse than others (something I will cover later), and it's hard not to judge those people when they first arrive in your section. Here is an example, the server at the aforementioned restaurant judged me and my family the moment we sat down. I have to say my family is not as functional around fine dining as I am, I am trying to teach them but honestly it takes time. My mother has always been price conscientious and has issues spending money on a premium product. The server noticed right away that we weren't going to be his "money" table and his attitude changed in that split second from that of welcome to disdain. It carried through the entire meal, my whole family noticed. The thing he didn't know was that I am a blogger for Yelp, a Yelp Elite member, a service professional, and an extremely vocal member of my community. I could have ripped him a new asshole, but I didn't out of the tremendous amount of respect I have for the Chef. He almost ruined the experience with his attitude toward us and his lack of interest in out experience.

Lastly, pay attention, it's that simple. If you are present and attentive 8 out of 10 times you will be successful. If you care and are consistent on a daily basis it will make your job that much easier. As I dine, I will continue to evolve my theories of Good/Bad service and will relay that to you but until then I leave you with this thought...

Sometimes I feel like I am taken for granted. Great guests, you know the ones that tip well, who make you laugh, and make you feel important are few and far in between the norms of the schmucks that dine, but when you find those guests they are the ones that make your job so amazingly worth it, and they are the people the make this life choice worth while. Look for them they are out there and they can change your life (again something I will go into on a later date).

Goodnight BlogWorld,

Ttyl!

Shaundon