Had dinner with friends the other night at the Alma Hotel in Adelaide on Magill Rd.
We sat down at our table , were given menu's , ordered drinks and settled down to peruse the menu.
After a few minutes our " waiter " ( I use that term loosely ) came to take our order and here is where the problem started.
I asked what the specials were , not an unreasonable request I thought , and was told , "they are on the specials clipboard " that he had left at the end of the table ( it was a table of 12 ). He had no intention of telling me the specials just pointing me in their general direction ( and to be totally honest I don't think he had any idea what they were ).
Specials are designed to ease the pressure in the kitchen for the cooks/ chefs and are relied upon especially on busy nights.They are usually good profit lines that can be largely prepared before the night begins and can assist in the flow of meals from the kitchen.
To be totally honest are we expecting too much from waiters , waitresses to remember 6 to 8 lines and have a general knowledge of the other lines on the menu.
Restaurants and dining establishments ,that do, generally reap the rewards of increased sales and a bit less pressure in the dining room.
It's all about customer service.
On Wednesday I will talk about the next aspect of this meal and customer service lessons that can be learned.
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