Wednesday, November 11, 2009
What restaurant staffers shouldn't do
Food writer Lindsey Nair
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On Oct. 29, a small-business blogger for The New York Times named Bruce Buschel posted the first part of an entry called "100 Things Restaurant Staffers Should Never Do."
I wonder if Buschel, who has been chronicling the opening of his own New York restaurant, could have anticipated the explosive response to that entry. It garnered more than 1,000 comments in a couple of days, with readers across the country sending links to everyone they knew.
I received three e-mails about the list and posted it on my blog on roanoke.com.
Many of Buschel's tips are common sense: Don't let anyone enter the restaurant without a warm greeting, never touch the rim of a glass, never say "I don't know" to a question without adding, "I'll find out."
Why, then, did so many readers (including dozens of folks on my own blog) react as if Buschel had written instructions for finding the Holy Grail? Maybe American diners have been waiting, desperately, for someone to articulate their questions and concerns about restaurant service.
Competent service is not unheard of in Roanoke; I know lots of servers who take their jobs seriously. But I'm betting many of the readers who reacted so strongly to the list have also experienced less-than-stellar service.
I know I have.
For example, why did a waitress at a $30-per-plate restaurant recently leave our party waiting at least 15 minutes with our menus closed before reappearing to take our order?
Why was a friend told rather rudely, upon presenting a coupon at a nice restaurant, that she was expected to tip on the original amount? Actually, the waiter told her twice.
Which harks back to some of Buschel's rules: Never mention the tip unless asked. Never disappear.
Among all those gems, however, were several "rules" that seemed very odd and antiquated, as if Buschel was writing only for the priciest, white-glove establishments. For example, he says it is wrong for waiters to announce their names, say "good choice" when someone orders or joke around with the guests.
Are these servers or robots?
For context, I shared Buschel's list with managers and owners at a couple of Roanoke restaurants. I wanted to know how his rules compare with theirs.
Janet Schlosser, an owner of Metro!, agreed with the majority of the items but said some of the recommended behavior seemed too impersonal.
"We encourage our servers to share their names and get to know those of their customers," she said. "Perhaps this is indigenous to the South, but I've heard lots of Northern travelers comment on the 'hospitality and friendliness' of people here."
Stephanie Burger, head server for 202 Market, said they strive to meet the customer's every need but don't see anything wrong with personality and playfulness.
"I think people want at least some kind of human interaction. Otherwise, they would stay at home," she said. "It is up to the server to determine what level of human interaction they want."
Whenever I bring up the subject of impeccable service with Roanokers, one restaurant name always floats to the top: Alexander's.
This downtown Roanoke restaurant just celebrated its 30th anniversary in October, so they must be doing a lot of things right.
Owner Bridget Meagher described Buschel's list as "an interesting melange of classic standards, personal opinions and prevailing wisdom." Many of his rules have been taught in hospitality courses for ages, she said, and should be passed down to the service staff by the chef or manager.
Meagher explained that not announcing one's name stems from the long-held belief that the focus should always be on the customer, never on the server.
I'd say that's why servers should also refrain from touching guests, yammering on about themselves or reeking of perfume or cologne, all rules that turned up in Buschel's list.
At Alexander's, they have a rather rigorous training procedure for new hires. First, they spend time in the kitchen, learning everything possible about how the back of the house is run. Next they move to the floor, where they shadow an experienced server. Finally, when they appear ready to fly solo, they become an official member of the service staff.
Sadly, many restaurants probably don't dedicate that kind of time to training. Turnover in restaurants is high, and in America, we don't hold the job in high esteem like they do in some other countries.
It's a steppingstone; just a blip on the trip to bigger and better things. Few servers are salaried and few get benefits.
For the record, I have waitressed at several restaurants myself, and I would've welcomed a list like Buschel's when I started.
It would have been a key ingredient in the recipe for perfect service -- just add a warm smile, some personality and a genuine desire to do the very best job you can do.
"No matter how edgy and urban restaurants become," Meagher said, "people still want to be treated with respect."
Lindsey Nair's column runs Wednesdays in Extra.
Want to see or add your comment to Buschel's list? Go to the Fridge Magnet blog at blogs.roanoke.com/fridgemagnet/
